08/03/2017
NEWS STORY
Sahara Force India hit a century as Sergio Perez continued the team's development plan in Barcelona.
Sergio Perez: "It's good to reach 100 laps and learn more about the car, but it was quite a disrupted day with the red flags and it meant we didn't manage to complete the full programme. It was important to do the long runs this afternoon and get a feel for the performance of the tyres. The low degradation makes them more fun to drive - you still have to manage them but you can push more than in previous years.
"With a new car, it's important to get to know all the strengths and weaknesses, and work on the latter, so that's the focus of the team. With every lap we learn something new and it helps us take a step forward. We now need to make the most of the final couple of days before Melbourne, but I still feel optimistic."
Tom McCullough, Chief Race Engineer: "Another busy programme with Sergio clocking up 100 laps. The day started with an aero programme before we focussed on performance work and experimented with set-up options to improve the car's balance. We ran on several different tyre compounds to make performance comparisons and then ended the day with some long runs. Esteban is back in the car tomorrow for his final day of work before Melbourne."