INDIA in F1

Tag: Vijay Mallya

  • Sauber signs on Nico Hulkenberg for 2013

    Hinwil, 31 Oct 2012: Nico Hülkenberg has been confirmed as one of the two team drivers for the Sauber F1 Team in season 2013. The 25-year-old German won the GP2 Series in 2009, made his Formula One debut in 2010 with the WilliamsF1 Team and managed to capture a pole position in his maiden year. He is currently driving for Sahara Force India and ranks 12th in the Drivers’ World Championship with 49 points after 17 out of 20 races. Hülkenberg’s best Formula One race result this season was at the Belgian Grand Prix, where he finished fourth on the challenging Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

    Team Principal Monisha Kaltenborn commented: “We’ve been observing Nico for some time now and his performances have been very persuasive. That was the case in GP2 and has continued into Formula One. An obvious highlight was how he scored pole at Interlagos in 2010 despite the most challenging external conditions. He clearly showed that he can seize the chance if it arises. But high spots like that are one thing; systematic teamwork is another – and on that score I have confidence in Nico too. I’m sure he will fit in very well with the Sauber F1 Team. We look forward to working together with him.”

    Nico Hülkenberg’s reaction: “I’m really looking forward to working with the Sauber F1 Team. It’s a well-placed team and very competitive. Plus it’s a team in which young drivers have repeatedly delivered exceptional performances. I would like to take up that baton. The Sauber F1 Team is currently going through a very positive development and I’m certain that together we can achieve a lot. Until that time I will remain fully focused on my job with the Sahara Force India Team. I’d like to thank the management at Sahara Force India for giving me the chance to return to Formula One as a team driver.”

    The Sauber F1 Team will announce its second driver for the 2013 season at a later date.

    Meanwhile, Sahara Force India team Principal and Indian liquor baron Vijay Mallya when asked if he enjoyed working with Nico Hulkenberg who will be leaving the team at the end of the season said: 

    Nico Hulkenberg file photo from Sahara Force India F1 team.

    It has been a pleasure to have Nico with us for the last couple of years. At the end of 2010 we identified him as a star of the future and it has been rewarding to watch him develop his racing skills. Together with Paul he has done a brilliant job for us, helping the team score more points than ever before and giving 100% commitment every weekend. We would like to thank him for all his hard work and wish him well for the future. With three races remaining this season, we know Nico will remain totally committed and continue to deliver his best performances for the team.

    ends

  • Hulkenberg gets 4 points, saves face for Force India

    New Delhi, 28 Oct 2012: Nico Hulkenberg drove a battling race from 12th to eighth at Force India’s home race, a result which moves the Indian squad four points closer to Sauber in the battle for sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.

    The German got away poorly but quickly recovered and by the end of the first lap had moved to ninth. When Sauber’s Sergio Pérez retired through damage following a puncture on lap eight, Hulkenberg rose to eighth, a position he was able to hold until the chequered flag.

    “I’m very happy with the result today and I think eighth was about the maximum that was possible,” he said afterwards. “It was a great team performance and I’m feeling satisfied with what we achieved today. At the start I didn’t get the best getaway, but I had a good first lap and was able to overtake Rosberg on the back straight and Maldonado going into turn four.

    “The middle part of the race was quite lonely for me because I was running in clean air, but towards the end Grosjean was very close behind me and pushing hard,” he said. “But I didn’t crack under the pressure, I kept him behind and we made the one-stop strategy work.”

    Team Principal Vijay Mallya added that the result was an important for the team in the Constructors’ Championship.

    “After qualifying we knew we had a big task ahead of us, but Nico rose to the challenge and raced well to finish in eighth place,” he said. “It’s a very satisfying result and it means we have scored points in the last six races – that’s every race since the summer break. These are important points for our fight in the constructors’ championship and we will continue to push very hard in the remaining three races.”

    With three races to go, Sahara Force India have 93 points in 7th place behind Sauber F1 team (116 points). Nico Hulkenberg is ahead of teammate Paul Di Resta with 49 points while Paul garnered 44.

    Nico Hulkenberg finishes 8th to get four points for Sahara Force India in the Indian GP on Sunday 28 Oct 2012. Sahara Force India photo.

    end

  • Sahara Force India looks forward to home race

    New Delhi, 23 Oct 2012: Even as newspapers and channels report that the beleaguered Kingfisher employees are planning a dharna at the Airtel Indian GP this week-end, the  Sahara Force India team looks forward to its home race, the Indian Grand Prix and the team Principal Vijay Mallya talks about the team’s form in the second half of the year and gets set for the team’s home race.
    Dr Mallya, the team continued its run of points finishes in Korea. What is your assessment of the season so far?
    Sahara Force India team principal Vijay Mallya. File photo from SFI F1 team.

    It certainly feels like we have upped our game since the summer break and it has been satisfying to see us up there fighting for good points. The only frustration is that we have not always managed to get two cars in the points and that has hurt us in the championship. But in terms of outright performance, I think we can be pleased with our level of consistency. We’ve had at least one car in the top ten of qualifying in over 80% of the races and scored points in 75% of the races. While we may not have finished on the podium this year, it is our consistency that has been key to our success and kept us in the fight.

    The second Indian Grand Prix is upon us – what can we expect second time around?
    Last year’s race was already a tremendous success and I’m sure we can expect an equally spectacular event this year. Buddh International Circuit always looks after us very well and I know that they have been working hard behind the scenes to fine-tune the circuit and facilities even more. But above all else, the most important thing is the layout of the track because last year all the drivers loved it. It’s certainly one of the best tracks in the world.
    How is the team approaching its home race?
    I remember how proud I felt last year to see our cars racing in India in the colours of the Indian flag. It was a moment I had dreamed about and a great sporting achievement for our country. To score points was the icing on the cake. This year I would like to go one better and see both our cars in the points – at the very least – so that we can give our fans something to smile about. The gap to Sauber is now 27 points. It’s a big lead, but not impossible to catch them before the end of the year. There’s still a lot of racing to go and we will keep the pressure up for the final four races.
    Nico on India
    Nico Hulkenberg reflects on his performance in Korea and looks ahead to the Indian Grand Prix.
    Nico, after two strong results in Japan and Korea, you must be feeling pretty confident coming into the team’s home race…
    The last two races were a lot of fun and probably two of my best races of the year. Korea was pretty much a perfect weekend. I said at the start of the weekend that we needed things to be perfect and that’s what we had: no mistakes, a smooth qualifying and a clean race.
    Since the summer break you’ve scored 26 points – it seems you’ve found the sweet spot with the VJM05…
    I feel comfortable and confident in the car and the team is doing a good job. We’ve just got a good rhythm and momentum, and that’s so important in Formula One. I’ve still had some tough weekends, like Monza and Singapore, but on the whole things have been going well. We just need to make sure we can repeat what we did in Korea during the final four races. We really need to stretch ourselves to get everything we can from the remaining races.
    This is your first Indian Grand Prix and you’re driving an Indian car – how excited are you ahead of the weekend?
    I was at the first Indian race last year, but obviously I didn’t get a chance to drive. I’ve been around the track in a road car and tried it on the simulator, but I still have a bit to learn on Friday. As a race it’s as big as they come for this team. We will be in Delhi at the start of the week to meet the local media and fans and they always show lots of enthusiasm for us. I hope that we will see their support at the track with lots of fans cheering us on.
    Paul on India
    Paul Di Resta looks ahead to the team’s home race.
    Paul, tell us your thoughts heading into such an important weekend for the team…
    It’s obviously our home Grand Prix and a special weekend. There’s pressure on us to perform and clearly we need to go there ready to keep the momentum going. It’s a busy week for everyone involved with the team and there’s a lot going on in terms of media work and extra events, but it won’t distract from our focus to come away with the best result we can.
    What targets do you have in mind?
    We’ve got to go there and qualify in the top ten. That will get us in contention and allow us to concentrate on the race. All year we’ve shown that we have a car capable of reaching Q3, but the grid is very close and we don’t have any margin so we need everything to come together perfectly. Also, based on our performance last year, we looked quite competitive at this track so you’ve got to hope that will carry over for this year.
    What are your thoughts on the Buddh International Circuit?
    It’s one of those new-style Herman Tilke circuits so there’s a good mixture of corners, plenty of run-off and a few areas where overtaking is possible. We found last year that the grip built up quite quickly and the track was exciting to drive with some satisfying corners. I remember that tyre wear was quite high last year and I had to stop three times during the race, so understanding the tyres on Friday will be the priority.
    ends

  • Sahara Force India looks to bank on good Singapore show

    Suzuka, 1 October 2012: Even as the `Good Times’ appear to end for Kingfisher Airlines back home, Sahara Force India team Principal and liquor baron Vijay Mallya is basking in glory with Paul Di Resta recording his best finish ever to come home in fourth place in Singapore in the last race. Now Sahara Force India looks forward to the Japanese Grand Prix with renewed vigour and hope.
    To watch Paul Di Resta’s video preview of Japan, click on the following link: http://bit.ly/SHzFoC
    Sahara Force India picked up another fourth place in Singapore – it seems the team is edging ever closer to the podium…
    Vijay Mallya: “As I’ve said before that little bit of luck has eluded us. Hopefully it will come to us one day, because we’ve shown the pace of the car. This is the second time we’ve finished fourth in the last three races, so we’re becoming the bridesmaid a bit too often! Paul drove fantastically well and we earned 12 points. It’s not bad to be sitting at this stage of the season with 75 points in total – we’ve come a long way.”
    Is catching Sauber a more realistic target now?
    “I still remember the situation in 2010 when Williams pipped us by one point at the last race, so I guess it’s not over until it’s over! I’m still hoping that we can do it and one strong podium finish could help to wipe out Sauber’s advantage. It all depends how strong our rivals are in the final six races, but we certainly have some momentum.”
    Any thoughts on Suzuka?
    “Historically Suzuka has never been our best track, but hopefully this time the team has something up its sleeve. I think we have been pretty consistent on most tracks this season so we are quietly confident that we can perform well this weekend. I certainly hope we can pull some rabbits out of the hat in Japan and Korea and come away with some more points.”
    Paul Di Resta talks about his best finish in Formula One and hopes to build on the momentum in Japan.
    Paul, you said your result in Singapore was your best day in Formula One – does it give you extra confidence for the rest of the year?
    Paul: When we qualified sixth we knew it was going to be tough to even maintain that in the race, but things worked out very well and I was able to challenge Fernando for a podium in the final stint. I think we learned a lot in Singapore about how to get the most from the car and the aim now is to try and repeat the form we showed towards the end of the race. If we can do that, the momentum will carry on.

    File picture of Nico Hulkenberg, who is expected to go all out after a pointless race in Singapore. Sahara Force India photo.

    You raced at Suzuka for the first time last year – what did you think of the track?

    It’s a track that’s all about aero so it’s a real test of your car. I also found it very technical with corners like the ‘S’ curves where you need a good change of direction. Finding the sweet spot isn’t easy because half the track is made up of straights so you need efficiency as well as downforce for the high-speed corners. Tyre degradation is also high so a neutral car is what you need during the race.
    Do you enjoy visiting Japan?
    The thing that surprised me last year was the commitment and enthusiasm of the fans. Even on Thursday the grandstands were busy. So that makes it a special race and the fact that it’s a track with a lot of history. I also enjoy Japanese food, although the challenge is making sure you order the right thing!
    Nico on Japan
    Nico Hulkenberg looks forward to one of his favourite races of the season.
    Nico, tell us about your memories of racing in Japan…
    My race in 2010 with Williams was not especially memorable because I was taken out before the first corner. That was a real shame because it’s a track I really enjoy and with corners like the ‘S’ curves it’s a great experience in a Formula One car.
     
    What are the main challenges of the lap?
    Suzuka is definitely one of my favourite circuits: it’s really challenging and technical, and you need a good car balance to hook up a good lap. Because it’s so technical it’s important to find a good rhythm because if you mess up one corner you can lose the flow of the whole lap.
    How are you feeling as we enter the final six races of the season?
    I’m feeling positive and we have generated some good momentum within the team recently so I want to keep that going. The goal is to keep getting consistent results in the points.
    ends

  • Sahara Force India looks to turn the tide in the 2nd half

    Francorchamps, 25 Aug 2012: Sahara Force India looks forward to Round 12 of the season, the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa Francorchamps. 
    Dr Vijay Mallya, the team Principal, reflects on the team’s performance in Budapest and sets his sights on a strong second half of the season beginning with the Belgium GP next Sunday.
    Dr Mallya, it seems like a long time since we we

    Sahara Force India cars. File picture by Sahara Force India F1 team

    re in Hungary, but what was your verdict on that race?
    When you look at how the race unfolded, you can see that we suffered with our qualifying performance. It’s very difficult to overtake in Hungary, so I guess we finished pretty much where we started. It was disappointing to miss out on points, but both cars came home ahead of Sauber, our main competitor. We need to spend some more time analysing what we can do better.

    How difficult is it to get everything right this season?
    Sitting on the pit wall and listening to the predictions and guesswork on tyres is unbelievable. The most unpredictable part of this season has been the tyres and with the high temperatures in Hungary it was always a debate – two stops or three stops. One thing I was pretty sure of was that nobody was going to try a one-stop.
    Do you know what to focus on for the rest of the year?
    It’s a complete package. It’s the car on the track, and whether it’s the set-up, whether it’s the downforce, whether it’s the tyres, at the end of the day the whole thing has to come together as a package. Fundamentally it’s a good car. We just need to put a few more points in our pocket, that’s what’s important.
    The team has often performed well at both Spa and Monza, but you’ve always said the car needs to be consistently fast at all types of track…
    Spa and Monza are among our favourite races and we’ve done well there in the past. We look forward to doing better in both of them, before the flyaway races start. But yes, the car has to be competitive on every track.
    What’s your realistic target for the second half of the season?
    We were sixth in the constructors’ championship last year and we had the objective this year of coming fifth. However, the improvement of Lotus has been exceptionally dramatic, so I think to target fifth is probably overreaching our capabilities for this year. We should at least target sixth, where we finished last year, and that means getting ahead of both Sauber and Williams.
    Paul on Spa
    Paul Di Resta looks forward to the second half of the season
     
    Paul, you’ve had five weeks to recharge your batteries over the summer break. Do you feel refreshed?
    I think the summer break was good for everybody. I spent the time at home, seeing friends, watching the Olympics and keeping up with my training. We’re only half way through the season and the next few months are probably the busiest of the year with lots of fly-away races so it was important to relax and come back fresh.
    So you’re ready to get the season back underway?
    Spa is a great place to begin the second part of the season. It’s one of the best tracks in the world and it always feels special to go back there. I never had the chance to race there a lot in my junior career so it’s nice to be able to go there and experience such an impressive range of corners in a Formula One car.
    What’s the target for the second half of the season?
    There’s still a long way to go in the championship and we need to get back to scoring regular points. Last year we ended the season strongly and we need to do the same this year. Williams are not too far ahead of us but Sauber have a big points advantage and it’s going to be a big task to overcome that. But we won’t give up; we’ll keep pushing and see what we can do. We definitely have the potential to get some big results before the end of the year.
    Nico on Spa
    Nico Hulkenberg looks back on his summer break and ahead to Spa.
    Nico, you’ve spent five weeks away from Formula One. What have you been up to?
    I spent a lot of time in Germany and at home, visiting family and friends who I don’t get to see very often, which was really nice. I also went to Majorca for a week – we Germans love it there!
     
    How important was it to recharge your batteries?
    It was nice to have a break and cool down a little, but to be honest it has been long enough now and I’m looking forward to getting back to the racing.
     
    With nine races to go, what are your hopes and expectations for the second half of the year?
    I hope that we can make another step forward and can consistently score good results. We are eighth in the championship right now and clearly we want to make a big effort to improve on that in the coming races.
    Looking ahead to Spa, tell us what it feels like to drive a Formula One car there…
    Spa is a great track. There’s just such a great flow to the circuit with some mighty corners that are incredible. It’s definitely one of the best places to drive a Formula One car to feel the performance through the high-speed corners. It is one of my favourite tracks.
    ends

  • Force India aim double finish at Hockenheim

    Hockenheim, 16 July 2012: After a disappointing show at the ninth round of the Formula One World Championship at Silverstone where both the Sahara Force India drivers failed to get points in the British Grand Prix where youngster Nico Hulkenberg missed out on points by a whisker losing in the last few laps because of lack of enough down force. 
    However, Sahara Force India looks forward to round ten of the season, the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim and Team Principal Vijay Mallya sounded optimistic.
    The team has provided a link to the full pdf preview. To watch Nico Hulkenberg’s video preview of Hockenheim click on the following link: 
    After a challenging local race at Silverstone, Dr Vijay Mallya sums up the mood in the team and looks forward to a competitive showing in Hockenheim.
    How would you sum up the British Grand Prix weekend?
    It was certainly frustrating that we didn’t score points at Silverstone. We were really hoping to put on a good performance and were targeting a double points finish. The weather definitely played its part on Friday and Saturday, so we really couldn’t predict accurately what to expect for Sunday. One car was set up for the wet and the other for the dry.
    How disappointing was it to see Paul retire so early from his home race?
    The conditions would have suited Paul, who had the dry set-up. Unfortunately he made contact with Grosjean and that was the end of his right rear tyre. You have to expect things like this in F1, but it’s always disappointing when it happens to you.
    Nico nearly made the points – it must have been very frustrating to see him fall back right at the end…
    Nico did very well, although I wish he could have hung on to ninth. The bottom line is we followed a hard-hard-soft strategy. In the last stint we asked the soft tyres to last 17 laps and Nico was under pressure to defend his position. It was a combination of tyre degradation and Nico making a slight error when he locked up the rears. I guess Alonso lost his lead to Webber because he followed the same strategy and clearly the hard tyres were better at the end of the race. Anyway, there was a lot to learn and once again the unpredictability of the tyres played a very important role. We will come back in Germany with a greater sense of determination.
    You must take encouragement from seeing both car running strongly in the top ten once again?
    It’s satisfying to see that we are consistent top ten performers. We need that little bit of extra luck to get on the podium. Having said that, our immediate competitors didn’t have too much luck either – Perez and Maldonado were both going well, but they didn’t score. Sauber didn’t get any more points to increase their lead over us. We are still only three points adrift of Williams and 16 behind Sauber, so we have reasons to be optimistic going forward.
    F1 has not raced at Hockenheim since 2010, so there’s no Pirelli knowledge and perhaps a bit more uncertainty…
    Yes, it’s wide open in that sense. It’s also Nico’s home race. We have no time to take things easy. We have to take every race very seriously, with the same intensity and do everything we possibly can to earn more points.
    Nico on Hockenheim
    Nico Hulkenberg gets set for his home race.
    Nico, tell us what it means to be racing at home this weekend?
    It’s always a bit more special and it’s nice that I only live one hour away so I don’t have to catch a flight! The fans always support the race and help produce a good atmosphere, especially in the stadium section at the end of the lap. It’s fair to say that Michael and Sebastian are the main attractions, but the fans always show their support for all the German drivers.
    What memories do you have of racing at Hockenheim?
    It’s where I had my very first car race in 2005 when I raced Formula BMW – and I won both races that weekend. Since then I’ve raced there a lot in Formula 3 and I also raced there in Formula One with Williams in 2010. It’s a track I know very well and I enjoy the layout, although it’s a relatively short lap.
    Tell us about the main challenges?
    I think the most challenging corner to get right is turn one. It’s a quick right-hander that we take at well above 200 km/h and there is a tricky curb on the exit. Another important part of the lap is getting the hairpin right. If you get your braking wrong it’s easy to run wide and it’s the main opportunity for overtaking.
    Paul on Hockenheim
    Paul Di Resta reflects on Silverstone and looks ahead to racing in Germany.
    Paul, a short home race for you in Silverstone – how do you feel looking back on the weekend…
    It was a shame to end the race so early, but there’s no point getting frustrated. It could have been such a good race because we had taken an aggressive approach with a dry set-up on Saturday and I’m sure we could have come away with points. The contact with Grosjean was very slight and just one of those racing incidents, but it was enough to cut the tyre and that completely ended my chances.
    You’ve spent a lot of your career racing in Germany – what are your thoughts on Hockenheim?
    I know the track well from my days in the DTM and I am looking forward to getting out there in a Formula One car. It’s a fun circuit with some challenging corners and it’s good for overtaking, especially the slow hairpin at turn six. My favourite part of the lap is the stadium, where you can really feel the energy of the crowd. The double right hander onto the start/finish line is another special corner and it’s difficult to get it right. If you have lots of experience on this track you can gain a little bit of time through this corner.
    ends

  • Hulkenberg to drop 5 places for gearbox change

    Silverstone (UK), 7 July 2012: Sahara Force India made the most of a wet and delayed qualifying session as Nico Hulkenberg qualified in ninth and Paul Di Resta in 11th for tomorrow’s British Grand Prix. Due to changing a gearbox, Nico will take a five-place grid drop.
    P9*       Nico Hulkenberg (VJM05/03)
    (*starting position still to be confirmed)
    Q1:       1:46.344
    Q2:       1:55.556
    Q3:       1:54.382
    Nico: “It was a very long session with the delay, but I think I made the most of the conditions in Q1 and Q2. It was definitely the right call to stop the session when the rain got really heavy because there was too much standing water on the circuit and the car was beginning to aquaplane. But I don’t understand where the pace went in Q3 when I was on the intermediates because the car felt more tricky to drive and the laptime didn’t come so easy. I was actually hoping for a better position in Q3 than P9, especially with the five-place penalty I have for tomorrow.”
    P11*     Paul Di Resta (VJM05/02)
    (*starting position still to be confirmed)
    Q1:       1:47.582
    Q2:       1:57.009
    Paul: “We actually took a bit of gamble on the qualifying session being dry and that’s the direction we took with the set-up, but it made driving very difficult in today’s wet conditions. I think some other cars went more aggressive with a full wet set-up so hopefully my gamble will come back to me tomorrow in the race. Of course I would like to be starting further towards the front, but we are going into the race with a lot of unknowns in terms of set-up data and tyre performance. Anything is possible in the race and we won’t give up.”
    Dr Vijay Mallya, Team Principal & Managing Director
    “Another very wet day at our local race and I want to pay tribute to the fans who put up with yet more rain showers and delayed track action. Our car looked competitive today, but in such tricky conditions qualifying is always a lottery and so we can’t be too disappointed to have just one car in Q3. Paul just missed the cut, but we have a good race car and we know he will fight hard tomorrow. In Q3 Nico didn’t manage to maximise his final quick lap and he also has to drop five places on the grid due to the gearbox change. I’m looking forward to the race and whatever the weather I’m confident we can be up there fighting for points and challenging the teams ahead of us.”
    ends

  • Sahara Force India looking to recapture form at Valencia

    Valencia, 19 June 2012: Sahara Force India looks forward to round eight of the season, the European Grand Prix in Valencia.
    Sahara Force India has come up with a track guide by Paul Di Resta. To view a video of Di Resta’s Valencia track guide, click on the following link: http://bit.ly/KYc1S9
    After a disappointing Canadian GP, team Principal Vijay Mallya said: “Looking back on Canada it’s fair to say that we have mixed emotions. We were disappointed with the overall outcome, but take the positives from knowing that we did have a quick car for most of the weekend. After a promising start to the race when Paul ran as high as fifth, everything dropped off and we underachieved. We have looked into the issues we had in the race and believe we understand why we lost out.”
    “I think Canada showed once again that Formula One is hard to predict at the moment. It’s seriously competitive with seven different winners in seven races, all of which is great for the sport – I would certainly go along with that. But while it’s hard to predict, we still need to lift our game, especially if we want to target fifth or sixth in the constructors’ championship. Yes, we’ve had one of our best starts to a season ever in terms of points scored, but the teams around us have also performed exceptionally well,” the  liquour baron continued.
    “The teams that we have been comparable with in the past few years like Sauber and Williams have been on the podium, and I’m sure our time will come, as long as we get things right. It’s something we need to do sooner rather than later because we are quickly approaching the midway point of the season. I hope we can recapture our form in Valencia, return to the points and demonstrate our potential,” concluded Mallya, who is also the Managing Director of Sahara Force India F1 team.
    Paul on Valencia
    Paul Di Resta looks ahead to his second European Grand Prix.
    Paul, tell us about the challenge of racing on the Valencia street circuit?
    It’s a mix between a street circuit and a normal track and it’s got a lot of corners to go with it – maybe the most corners of any circuit on the calendar. The track is very smooth but it’s tricky to get on top of the set-up and if you don’t find the sweet spot it can make quite a big difference to your laptime across such a long lap.
    Is it difficult to set the car up because of the variety of corners?
    The main challenge is to be strong in the low-speed chicanes and also through the high-speed end of the lap. There are some big braking zones too followed by big traction zones, so the degradation rate is quite high, which is why it’s hard to manage the rear tyres through the race.
    And what about Valencia as a venue?
    It’s a fun place to visit. The city has nice architecture, some great restaurants and we stay next to the beach so I sometimes go for a jog in the morning. City races usually provide a good atmosphere on race day and there are always lots of British fans who come along and show their support.
    Nico on Valencia
    Nico Hulkenberg reflects on Montreal and looks forward to racing in Valencia.
    What are your thoughts as you look back on the Canadian Grand Prix?
    I was disappointed with the weekend as a whole because things looked promising on Friday. I was unlucky during qualifying and I think that stopped us from getting a better result from the race. The important thing is that we understand the issues we had in the race and we can solve them. I think if we were to race there again today we would get a lot more from the race.
    Are you looking forward to racing in Valencia? What do you remember about your first race there in 2010?
    My race there in 2010 was not a particularly happy one. There was some bodywork burning away and I eventually had to retire. I’m looking forward to going back to Valencia because I like the track, even though we’ve seen how difficult it is to overtake there. The track has are a few special corners in the final sector of the lap and it’s enjoyable to drive. It’s also quite a long lap with 25 corners so it can be quite difficult to get a perfect lap together.
    ends

  • Force India exude confidence

    Montreal, 10 June 2012:Within 5 seconds of pole sitter Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull, Narain Karthikeyan, the evergreen hero of India, who is the only Formula One driver this season, accomplished the 107 per cent rule despite a lousy HRT car which gave him enough problems on both Friday and Saturday. The Coimbatore resident, who is into his third F1 season, will have to do with what he has in terms of a car and will be starting last on the 24th

    Force India's Nico Hulkenberg in Canada. Sahara Force India Photo.

    on the grid.

    Narain Karthikeyan HRT, clocked 1:18.330 3.669 the best of his 9 laps in the qualifying on Saturday.

    The other Indian interest is Sahara Force India, who continued to show strong form in Saturday’s qualifying hour as Paul Di Resta qualified in eighth place for tomorrow’s Canadian Grand Prix. Teammate Nico Hulkenberg will start from P13 after yellow flags disrupted his best lap in Q2.The Scot will line up behind Romain Grosjean on row four of the grid in Montreal but said after the top-10 shoot-out that he could have squeezed more from his VJM05 car, though it wouldn’t have altered his position.

    Narain Karthikeyan said: “It was a messy qualifying for me. On the first set of tyres I encountered a lot of traffic and on my quickest lap I got all the sectors right and I made a mistake coming into the last corner which cost me six tenths. My qualifying has been weak this year and I need to improve this. But we have a good pace and tomorrow we will fight with our main rivals to try and get a good result”.

    HRT Technical Director Toni Cuquerella, said: “Today we confirmed the progression which we proved yesterday and that we already demonstrated in Monte Carlo, and I want to thank the whole team for their work. Pedro completed a very good lap and Narain could’ve been there easily. Both we’re comfortably under the 104% and have a good pace with both tyres and we have a good set-up for the race so, although the race will be tough on the brakes, we’re optimistic about our chances. Depending on the temperature we will go for a one-stop or two-stop strategy”.

    Sahara Force India’s senior driver Paul di Resta said:  “I think we can be very happy with eighth today, which puts us in a strong position for the race,” he said. “There was probably a little bit more speed in the car because I was a little bit over-committed in the chicanes on my final lap in Q3, but I don’t think it would have made a big difference to my starting position.

    “In all the sessions so far we’ve shown how competitive the car is, especially during long runs, and I think we can be confident of scoring some good points tomorrow. It will be a long race and we just have to wait and see what happens with the weather and who has the best understanding of the tyres.”

    Team-mate Nico Hulkenberg will start from 13th on the grid and the German blamed yellow flags on his final Q2 quick lap for missing the top-10 cut.

    “I don’t think that P13 reflects the pace we had in the car today,” he said “We looked very strong in Q1 and I felt really happy with the car, especially after the changes we made between FP3 and qualifying. But I had some bad luck in Q2 when I got caught out by a yellow flag on my quickest lap, because a Sauber went off ahead of me in turn eight and I had to abort the lap. If I had managed a clean lap, I think I could probably have made Q3. I still feel positive for tomorrow and the field is very close. We know overtaking is possible here so I think we can expect a challenging and entertaining race.”

    ends

  • Arjun Maini, Tarun Reddy, Jehan Daruvala win the `1 from a Billion Hunt’

    Delhi, 28 Oct 2011: After hosting the regional rounds of the `One From A Billion’ Hunt spanning seven cities, the Sahara Force India Formula One Team Academy has finally chosen the three winners from thousands of applicants during the final round of the Hunt recently held at Silverstone.

     

    Arjun Maini (14 year old) from Bangalore was chosen as the winner of the Sahara Force India Formula One Team Academy’s One From A Billion Hunt. The first runner up was Tarun Reddy (14) from Chennai with the second runner up being Jehan Daruvala (13) from Mumbai. While Arjun Maini and Tarun Reddy qualified from the Bangalore and Chennai regional rounds of the One From A Billion Hunt, Jehan Daruvala qualified through the Wild Card Entry Round that was held in Hyderabad.

    At the end of the intensive hands-on week, an expert panel consisting of Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal, Sahara Force India Formula One, Eddie Jordan, F1 Expert and Commentator of BBC, Anthony Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg, Test and reserve driver, Sahara Force India Team, evaluated and picked the three winners on the basis of a holistic assessment of their multiple capabilities and proficiency in requisite areas.

    The winners were chosen from the ten national finalists selected during the National Finals held in Goa. The ten finalists went on to do a week-long intensive stint at Silverstone, UK comprising sessions of driver tuition on Dmax Karts, a day at the Porsche Human Performance Centre to assess and develop fitness for motorsports and media training with Goodman Media. The ten selected drivers completed their Silverstone experience with a race in Senior Dmax karts at the Daytona Kart Circuit, Milton Keynes.

    “The top three were very close in the race for the championship and I have decided that all three would be sent to Europe for a comprehensive Driver Development Programme. The decision to be taken in consultation with their parents will ensure their education, lodging and training by Sahara Force India.” added Dr. Mallya.

    Arjun Maini, Tarun Reddy and Jehan Daravala, will receive a fully funded European based driver development programme preparing them to become Formula One drivers. They will commence their journey to becoming a Formula 1 driver with a go-karting programme in Europe. They will then advance to appropriate single-seater formula series before progressing to GP3 and GP2 and then F1.

    Bollywood connection

    The Sahara Force India Formula One Team, hosted a very special guest at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. Present at the Sahara Force India Formula One Team garage and showing his support for the team was none other than Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan. Present along with Mr. Khan was

    Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director, and Subrata Roy Sahara, Chairman of Sahara Force India Formula One Team

    (Note: Retrieved from old website articles in Oct 2019)