Italian GP: Force India wants to maintain its momentum

After brilliantly securing their first points and their first podium thanks to Giancarlo Fisichella’s second place at Spa-Francorchamps, Force India hopes to continue this good momentum and score points again.

The team’s single-seater, the VJM02, has continuously evolved this season. Equipped with the Mercedes engine, it has become one of the best cars currently, and even the fastest at Spa. After promising straight-line aerodynamic tests in preparation for Monza, the team’s expectations are quite high. Even though Vijay Mallya reminds us that it will be difficult to beat the cars equipped with KERS at Monza.

Adrian Sutil – Racing Driver

« I can’t wait to be at Monza. Giancarlo [Fisichella] had such a great weekend at Spa, with pole position and then the podium, it really makes me want to jump back in the car and do the same. For various reasons, I feel that I didn’t get the results I expected at Spa and, of course, I would like to do better in Italy. We have a good car, I feel very confident in it. I have confidence in the team and our top speeds have consistently been among the best in the field this season, so I think we have a good chance of securing another good finish. »

« Monza is one of those circuits with a great history. Arriving in the morning, you see the old banking as well as the large grandstands and think about the incredible number of races that have taken place here. The crowd is also amazing. Sometimes you can hear the crowd surpassing the engine noise, so the atmosphere is equally impressive. The track itself can be very tricky, especially when braking and in the chicanes. Every aspect of Monza is interesting to me. »

Vitantonio Liuzzi – Racing Driver

« I’m really looking forward to it [this circuit]. I was eager to be back in the racing seat, it was my goal for the future, and it happened for Monza, my home race. I think it will be a great test for me to show what I can do. It’s really a good opportunity for me to demonstrate what I can do after a year and a half as a third driver. There will be pressure, but I’m confident that I will get back into it quickly. It’s only been a year and a half that I’ve been ‘out of the race’ and in 2008, I did a lot of kilometers with Force India as they gave me the chance to do more than 15 test days. I’m also fully involved with the team in the development of the car. For sure, it won’t be easy, but I think Monza is the best place to resume. It’s smooth, really fast with lots of straights, not too many turns, and I’m quite confident that we will be immediately competitive. »

Vijay Mallya – Team Director:

« If you are fast at Spa, then, generally, you will do well at Monza. I hope we will be in Q2 and in the hunt for points again. I think the KERS will play a crucial role here, as Kimi demonstrated at Spa, and it will be difficult to stay ahead of the cars equipped with it. We obviously have a new pair of drivers with Adrian [Sutil] and Tonio [Liuzzi], but they have already been teammates in the past. They know each other well, are perfectly familiar with the team’s operations, so we will be able to continue the momentum from Spa. I expect Tonio to be quickly on the pace on Friday, and fully up to speed for qualifying. I’m sure that’s his goal too. »