Sunday: Di Resta and Force India snatch a point
After a mixed weekend, Force India leaves Melbourne with the consolation of having performed as well as in 2011, with Paul di Resta snatching the point for 10th place at the finish line. After a good start, Nico Hülkenberg saw his race come to an abrupt end, his car having been damaged in the first corner collision.
Paul Di Resta – 10th:
« It’s always good to start the season with a point, but it didn’t seem very promising until the last few laps when my engineer told me I was catching up to the cars in front of me. Fortunately, I had saved my KERS for the last corner, which helped against Vergne to beat him at the line for tenth place. So, it was quite an exciting final lap. It’s a good way to start the season, but it’s clear we have a lot of work to do because we struggled to find our pace at the beginning of each stint, which hurt my race pace. However, given my starting position and the weekend we had, I don’t think I can be disappointed with leaving with a point. »
Nico Hülkenberg – Retirement:
« It doesn’t seem like I’m very lucky at Albert Park. My first race here, in 2010, lasted less than a lap, and today, it was the same thing. I’m still not sure what happened, but I got hit when I entered the first corner on the first lap. It’s such a shame because I had a good start, gained a few positions, and then I felt someone hit me from behind. I got a puncture, and the suspension was damaged, so my race was over and I had to retire. This kind of thing happens when 22 cars are fighting into a tight first corner, but it’s really frustrating to quit after such a good qualifying. The good thing is that I’ll be back in the car in five days, which is the best way to get over the disappointment. »
Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal:
« We always felt that today’s race would be full of twists and turns, and it did not disappoint us, especially in the last lap when Paul did a fantastic job to snatch a point in the final stretch. He ran a very clean race, stayed out of trouble, and maximized his strategy, but ultimately he struggled to maintain pace over the duration of his stints, which we need to study.
As for Nico, he was simply collateral damage in the chaos at the first turn. He was hit quite hard from behind at the first turn, which seriously damaged his left rear suspension, and he immediately said on the radio that he had to pull over to the side. It’s part of racing, but it’s disappointing for Nico who needs as much track time as possible. However, he showed what he’s capable of and can be proud of the work he accomplished this weekend.
