Force India team and the Team Principal, Vijay Mallya, talk ahead of the race in Brazil as the championship nears its conclusion with just two more races left. The Last race will be in Abu Dhabi on Nov 22. Force India team drivers Sergio Perez has 68 points and teammate Nico Hulkenberg 44 after the Mexican GP. Force India is in 5th place in the Constructor’s Championship with 112 points, 41 points ahead of sixth-placed Lotus. Hamilton already won the Driver’s championship and Mercedes AMG Petronas team bagged the Contructor’s title with many races to spare.
Sergio Perez looks forward to racing at Interlagos, Brazil after getting into points at home race in Mexico.
Sergio: “Racing in my home Grand Prix last week was a dream come true. The support from the fans was incredible and I have so many memories that will stay with me forever. I was happy with my performance over the weekend and I think it was one of my best races of the season. You can always look back and say, ‘what if the safety car hadn’t come out’, but we made the best of it and I was happy to score points in my home race.
“Brazil is another venue where you can feel the energy of the fans. The track is brilliant: it’s a proper racer’s circuit with some amazing corners. The first sector is fantastic: you can take different lines through turn one and you can end up in a battle for position that lasts until turn six. The lap is very technical and there are a lot of places where you can easily make a mistake, but the feeling when you get a perfect lap together is amazing.
“In the last few races we’ve had a really good run of results. I feel I’m driving at my best and the team is doing a fantastic job. We want to finish this season on a high and I think we still have some big results in us, so I am confident ahead of the race.”
Nico Hülkenberg looks forward to returning to the scene of one of his best races
Nico: “I really love Brazil as a country and Sao Paulo as a city. The track is very traditional and there is always a special atmosphere around the place. There are some fun corners – the Senna Esses are really cool as turns one, two and three make up a nice combination. The lap is quite short but there are a lot of elevation changes and banked corners, which create a very challenging lap. It’s a track where I really enjoy driving.
“Interlagos has been quite good to me: I had a pole position in 2010, led the race in 2012 and I’ve always finished in the points. I seem to have good chemistry there and I feel comfortable on and off the track. I can really identify with the Brazilian lifestyle and the people. I think we will be competitive so I hope I can add another strong result to the list.”
Vijay Mallya “We travel to Brazil off the back of a memorable and successful weekend in Mexico. Everybody I spoke to said how much they enjoyed the event and the warm welcome we received. It was a race where we maximised our opportunities to bring both cars home well inside the points and edge closer to securing fifth place in the championship.
“The Brazilian Grand Prix is another great event. It’s an historic venue where the fans always create a special atmosphere – much like Mexico. The Interlagos circuit always seems to deliver an exciting race because it’s an old school track with several good overtaking opportunities. The weather is also unpredictable and that often adds to the drama.
“With just two races to go, we must keep our focus and make sure we don’t let our guard down so close to the finish line. If we score well in Brazil, we can clinch fifth place in the championship and that’s the priority. I’m confident we can do it and getting both cars home in the points would be a great way to celebrate our best season ever.”
eom/david with inputs from SFI
Sergio Perez (MEX) Sahara Force India F1 VJM08. Mexican Grand Prix, Saturday 31st October 2015. Mexico City, Mexico.
