26/07/2009
NEWS STORY
The Force India Formula One Team has finished a tough, hot Hungarian Grand Prix with Giancarlo Fisichella in 14th position. Giancarlo used a two stop strategy to move three positions up on his starting slot and produced a particularly strong second and third stint when fighting with the BMW of Robert Kubica and Rubens Barrichello's Brawn GP.
Adrian Sutil's Hungarian Grand Prix unfortunately came to an end after just one lap. His VJM02's water temperature had rocketed on the formation lap, causing the engine to run very hot. Adrian returned to the pits to attempt a solution, however when it became clear no immediate fix could be found Adrian was retired from the event to save the engine from damage.
The team now looks to the next event in Valencia where a major new aero upgrade package is anticipated.
Adrian Sutil: We had a problem with the water temperature so after one lap it had climbed to the maximum so the engine was running very hot. We had our first suspicions on the way to the grid and after a few corners it was clear that there was no way we could do the race. I had to retire to save the engine. It's been a difficult weekend overall but I'm looking forward to Valencia now where we have a big upgrade package coming through.
Giancarlo Fisichella: The race was quite tough for us. The grid position wasn't great and in the beginning we struggled a little bit with the grip. On the second and third stints though the car balance was actually pretty good and I was quicker than Barrichello and Kubica so I could push quite hard. Unfortunately here you just can't find a way past so we had to settle for 14th. Now we can really start to look forward to the next Grand Prix in Valencia.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal: Obviously today's race was overshadowed by Felipe's accident yesterday and our thoughts are with him and his family. We wish him all the best for a speedy recovery. For us personally, the weekend has been one of mixed fortunes. Qualifying was not as we would have hoped, but Giancarlo had a strong outing with some very fast times in the mid point of the race and we again raced in the midfield. We're now very much looking forward to Valencia where the new upgrades should give us yet another advance on the field.