Force India almost at home in Singapore

In Monza, the Force India team left with four points, enough to maintain their seventh place in the constructors’ standings, but ultimately a rather meager consolation considering the potential shown by their drivers: « The eighth place brought us some useful points in Italy, but one can’t help but wonder what could have happened if Paul had started where he should have [without a gearbox change penalty]; I’m sure he would have finished higher in the standings. It was [also] really unfortunate what happened to Nico during the qualifying, as he wasn’t able to record a single timed lap. Given the car’s pace, I expected him to qualify around Paul’s position, so we could have potentially finished well with both cars in the Top 10. But that’s not how it went. »

However, although Sauber has widened their lead in the constructors’ standings, Vijay Mallya remains hopeful as his team continues to build its lead over Williams, race after race: « There have been several moments when Sauber was pulling away and it seemed we couldn’t catch them, but all it takes is one podium to gain big points, and if we have several, we can still compete with them. On the other hand, we’ve extended the gap on Williams, even if it’s only by three points. Two years ago, Williams beat us by one point in Brazil, so every point counts. »

To do this, the Indian businessman is counting on the luck that hasn’t often turned in favor of the Silverstone team: « As I have said before, we haven’t had our share of luck this season. Take Spa, it was probably so close that we could have finished on the podium, but once again, it didn’t happen. But I’m an optimist and I won’t give up. It’s tough, Williams is strong, Sauber too. And look at what’s happening with Lotus. Many teams that we looked at as second-tier teams last year are now quite hardily challenging the big players. »

Vijay Mallya hopes that his team will be able to confirm its good form at the Singapore Grand Prix, which will feel like a home race – a few weeks before the Indian Grand Prix – as nearly 8% of the population is of Indian descent: « In Singapore, the atmosphere is wonderful. It’s a night race, of course, and more importantly for me, there are many people of Indian origin in Singapore, so they are very invested in Sahara Force India, which is always nice. When I lived here, Singapore was very different from what it has become today. It’s much more exciting, there’s a lot more to do, and it’s much more tourist-friendly. Singapore should be a solid race for us because the track has always suited our car well. »

On the drivers’ side, both Nico Hülkenberg and Paul di Resta have fond memories of the Marina Bay circuit: (H) “I participated in the race in 2010 and thought it was a mega experience. The whole atmosphere in the paddock and working at night is nice because it brings a change. We stay on European time to maintain our rhythm, even though it’s a strange feeling to go to bed when the sun rises.” (H) The Scot is just as enthusiastic and optimistic as the German: (H) “I had a good race in Singapore last year, and we’ve already seen that the car is very strong on street circuits this season. So I hope we’ll do well there, optimize the settings, and get good points. I think it’s a circuit everyone appreciates, and it’s an interesting race because of the unusual schedule.” (H)

The native of Uphall does not think that staying on European time is a great difficulty: « The important thing is to make sure to choose the right flight to arrive in Singapore at the right time of the day. It is also necessary to ensure that hotel staff do not come knocking at your door at nine in the morning when you still have five hours of sleep left. I always go to bed at six in the morning and wake up at two in the afternoon: that’s my routine. »

The Force India driver doesn’t pay much attention to the artificial lights that illuminate the circuit once night falls: « They do such a good job that you don’t really notice it. It’s almost better than racing during the day under cloud cover. It’s something you get used to very quickly. The other thing is that you stay on European time here, and night becomes your day, so you don’t really suffer from jet lag. »

Nico Hülkenberg, in fact, prefers to highlight the specificities of the Singapore circuit and the constraints it imposes on drivers and their machines: « It’s a very long circuit with fairly delicate bumps and curbs, and you really have to flirt with the walls if you want to be fast. Therefore, achieving the perfect lap is not easy. The circuit also runs counterclockwise, although it is not as demanding on the neck as in Interlagos because most of the corners are slow or medium speed. In my opinion, Singapore is the toughest race of the year, both physically and mentally. I think it’s because there are 23 corners and it’s one of the longest races of the year, always on the edge of the two-hour regulation limit. You feel it after the race due to the high temperatures and humidity. »