25/10/2015
NEWS STORY
Sahara Force India scored ten points in today's United States Grand Prix with Sergio Perez finishing the race in a strong fifth place. Teammate Nico Hulkenberg was out of luck as he retired on lap 35 after contact with Daniel Ricciardo.
Sergio Perez: "We are happy to come away with fifth place and ten points from a weekend with such difficult weather conditions. The track was very damp to begin with and I was lacking pace on the intermediates - sliding around with a lot of degradation. Then, when we switched to the softs and eventually the mediums, it was not easy to get the temperature in the tyres and I struggled for grip with each restart. There was so much happening in the race and you really had to concentrate because it was very easy to make a mistake. In the final few laps I was getting close to Max [Verstappen] who was struggling on the soft tyres, but there was not enough time to catch him. Overall I'm very happy for the team because we've done a really good job this weekend. The recent results give us real momentum as we head to my home race in Mexico, where I'm determined to give my fans something more to celebrate."
Nico Hulkenberg: "It's a huge frustration to be out of the race when things were looking so promising. Until the accident, it had been a very interesting race and it must have been a very entertaining for the fans as well. I struggled at first on the intermediate tyres, but as soon as I switched to slicks I started making good progress. We were looking really good and I wanted to get past Daniel (Ricciardo) as I was faster than him and he was holding me up, so I tried to make a move. Unfortunately that didn't work and it was the end of my race. When I got back to the garage the team told me that there was an issue with the front wing - from contact earlier in the race - and it broke just when I was trying to make the move on Daniel. It's a shame as we could have scored a lot of points today. These last two races haven't been the best for me, but that's how racing goes sometimes. At least I can get back in the car in just a few days and get the disappointment out of the system, rather than having to wait for a long time. I look forward to the race in Mexico and it should be a really exciting week in a cool country that is always very welcoming to us."
Vijay Mallya, Team Principal & Managing Director: "Formula One delivered a fantastic spectacle today, which is just what the fans deserved after suffering through such rainy weather for most of the weekend. The racing was sensational and both Force Indias were up at the front and looking very competitive. Sergio delivered another very mature performance - staying out of trouble and letting the race come to him. Those ten points help to strengthen our hold on fifth place in the standings with just three races to go. Nico was unlucky to retire after the contact with Daniel [Ricciardo] and it's certainly a missed opportunity because he was showing excellent pace. We will make sure he's ready to bounce back next week in Mexico, which is going to be a hugely important and busy week for everyone in the team."
Check out our Sunday gallery, here.