Vijay Mallya attends Friday sessions at British GP
Silverstone, 8 July 2016: Sporting a smile and a new-look beard in trendy black Sahara Force India t-shirt, Vijay Mallya was as cool as a cucumber at the British GP paddock on Friday as he watched the two Free Practice sessions where Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez completed over 130 laps together.
Mallya, who left India in March, is living in England and is facing trial back home. He expressed concerns about the lack of free and fair trail and said he would not be able to travel until things go through due legal process.
Before he attended the official FIA press conference, Mallya said about today’s sessions: “The conditions out there were not the easiest, with very strong winds that could unsettle the car, especially through the high-speed corners. This morning we were able to evaluate the new parts we brought for the car, while the rest of the day’s work was focussed on preparing for the race. In any case, we only used the two harder compounds in the afternoon session. The drivers are reasonably happy with the baseline set-up and with the balance of the car. Of course, we had a wide range of parts to test on the car and slightly different programmes for the two drivers, so we will analyse all the data tonight to find the best way to move forward. Overall, we’re happy with how the day went, especially in these conditions, and we can be optimistic for tomorrow and Sunday.”
Earlier on Tuesday, looking forward to the team’s show at the home race, he said: “Leaving Austria empty-handed was very disappointing. We showed good form throughout the weekend, but various factors prevented us from realising our true potential. We’ve understood what went wrong and I’m confident we can bounce back this weekend at Silverstone.
