Sunday: Force India almost pulled off the upset

Nico Hülkenberg – 5th:

« It was very fun, very entertaining, and there was always something happening! We had a great opportunity to finish on the podium today, but it slipped through our fingers, which is a shame. In the early laps, it was difficult to keep the car on the track in wet conditions, but it wasn’t wet enough to switch to intermediates, and I was fine with the slicks. It was the right decision, and I quickly led the race. I was comfortable, but I made a small mistake, and Lewis overtook me. I tried to stay close to him and was fighting to regain the lead when we touched. It’s hard to say what happened, but I was making an overtaking move entering the first corner and lost the rear. I was about to turn, and suddenly there was contact. It’s a shame for both of us because we had a great battle. Fifth place is still a very good result to end the season, and I think the team did an excellent job this weekend. I hope they enjoyed the race; it’s a nice farewell gift for my last race. »

Paul di Resta – Retirement (off track):

« It was a very tricky race and it wasn’t easy to make the right decision with the constantly changing weather. In the end, we made the wrong choice by going for intermediates at the start because the track started to dry quickly after my stop. The tires lost performance quickly, and I came in to switch to slicks before the safety car came out. That put us back in a good position, but I struggled to find grip on the new restart and lost a few places. When we switched back to intermediates in the final laps, we were more competitive and I had moved up to eighth. Unfortunately, with one lap remaining, I went aquaplaning in the final corner. It was a heavy hit with the wall, but I’m fine. »