Force India not abandoning 2016 season

Sergio Pérez's podiums at the Monaco and European Grands Prix in Baku (Azerbaijan) encourage Force India to remain focused on the 2016 season. The Indian team is in fifth place in the Championship, 31 points behind Williams after eight races and hopes to maintain his level of performance in the second part of the year.

“There has been a lot of talk about the team's focus heading into 2017, but that doesn't mean we won't be as competitive for the remainder of the 2016 season., warns Vijay Mallya, the owner of Force India. There is still a lot of performance to be extracted from the current package and I am sure that we will be able to put in a good performance in the races to come. We have tasted success with two podiums in three races and I would like to pick up more accolades before the end of the year. »

“The races will come quickly in July with four races in the space of a month, underlines the Indian businessman. We are enjoying the next event in Austria and we expect to be competitive again... We have proven that we can attack the top teams and that is a great motivation at Force India. »

The drivers share the boss's optimism before competing in the Austrian Grand Prix this July 3 on the Red Bull ring.

Sergio Pérez can hope to improve on his last performance at Spielberg where he obtained ninth place in 2015.

“I arrive in Austria determined to achieve another good result, assures the Mexican. This race is one of my favorites because it's nice to ride on this track and I like the atmosphere offered by the public. The route has quite a few slopes and rather demanding turns. We can't afford a mistake in one of them because we then lose a lot of time on the straights. The lap is short and the gaps between the cars are very small and the grid is very tight. »

“We have made great progress on the car from Barcelona (Spain) and I expect to be competitive this weekend. The circuit offers interesting overtaking opportunities, particularly when braking for turn 2. We should have a lot of action in the race”, hopes the former pilot McLaren.

Nico Hulkenberg will also be keen to shine at a time when his teammate is on an upward trajectory. The winner of 24 Hours of Le Mans 2015 took a sixth place last year in the Austrian event.

“I love riding at Spielberg, it’s a great event added to the calendar. The setting in the Alps is spectacular and it is an old-fashioned route. The atmosphere is relaxed and I feel a little at home since many Germans whose journey », recalls the German pilot.

“We should perform well in Austria but we should not take anything at face value. The track is fun and the pace is good, but you can easily go out, especially in the turns which are quite technical. I had a great race in Austria last year and I have good memories of this weekend”, adds Nico Hülkenberg.

Jacques-Armand Dupuis