Force India wants to take a new step in Melbourne

While the Indian team made a mark during winter testing, Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and co-owner of the Sahara Force India team, approaches 2012 with the ambition of taking a new step in the top tier of motorsports: « After long months of winter break, I think we are all eager to start the new season. We seemed competitive during testing, but it will only be once we are in Melbourne that we can really get a sense of the hierarchy and know how well we have worked during the winter. For our part, there is no doubt that Andrew Green and his technical team have done a remarkable job designing a well-balanced car. I would even go as far as to say that the VJM05 is the best car we have produced and that it is very beautiful in its details. It is a car that we hope will help us take a step forward. […] It was in Melbourne that Force India made its debut in 2008, and it’s a good opportunity to show the progress made in five years. »

Having parted ways with Adrian Sutil during the off-season, Force India will feature in 2012 a duo of ambitious drivers whom Vijay Mallya hopes will benefit the team due to their healthy rivalry: « I am extremely excited about our line-up this year. Nico and Paul are both young and ambitious, and they will ensure that we extract every last tenth from the car. There will also be a bit of healthy internal rivalry, which will be fascinating to watch, and I believe we will achieve better results with two drivers pushing each other to their limits. »

After biding his time for a year as the third driver for the Indian team, Nico Hülkenberg secures a starting position and doesn’t hide his eagerness to return to competition: « There is a lot of excitement: that’s the word I would use to describe how I feel. And I think it’s going to stay that way until Sunday morning, in Melbourne, when I wake up knowing I’m going to be racing again a few hours later. That’s when you feel the excitement building and your stomach starts anticipating things. »

The German does not believe he suffered too much from the lack of competition in 2011 and is enthusiastically approaching the Australian event: The testing went quite well and it was crucial to help me prepare properly. But I also know that testing is very different from racing because the pressure is simply not the same as during a Grand Prix weekend. I think the real test will be qualifying when you have to deliver performance and you only have one chance to do so. […] My first race here, in 2010, ended quickly – half a lap – but, aside from that, I have good memories of Melbourne and Australia in general. It’s one of those events with a specific atmosphere, and the whole city seems relaxed and welcoming. It’s definitely alongside Monaco or Singapore in terms of atmosphere and fan support.

In the meantime, “Hulk” will take advantage of the last days of rest before the start of the season to explore Melbourne and its region: « We arrive very early to adjust to the time difference, so I’ll have the opportunity to take a tour of the city, do some jogging, cycling, and visit places like St Kilda Beach. If I have enough time, I’ll try to explore the coast a bit. »

For his part, while acknowledging that the wait before Melbourne was long, Paul di Resta will be pleased to return to Albert Park: It’s a great place to start the season, and the fans are always behind the race, so it will be interesting to see how it goes for my second time. After a good offseason, I just can’t wait to start competing again.

The Scotsman will no doubt aim to repeat his performance from last year when he took advantage of the disqualification of the two Saubers to score his first World Championship point: « I appreciate the circuit. There is a good balance between high and low-speed corners, and it’s a mix between a street circuit and a permanent one, which makes it quite atypical. I think the last sector stands out as the most interesting for me because it’s quite tricky and easy to misjudge. Last year, we were strong on street circuits, particularly in Singapore, so hopefully that continues. »

Like most of his fellow drivers, the Uphall native does not venture to predict the hierarchy that might take shape in Melbourne: « I don’t think anyone can have any certainty. All the teams around us look strong and have been consistent during testing, so we just have to wait and see. I also think that almost all teams will have updates on their cars, so it’s really too early to form any opinion. To begin with, our goal is simply to try to score points at each race. »

Moreover, Vijay Mallya also remains cautious in his predictions while not hiding his team’s ambitions: There are so many unknowns. Our analyses suggest that we could have one of the closest grids in years, especially around the 4th and 5th places. However, our stated goal remains the same: to see Force India continue to progress and challenge the established teams ahead of us.