Objective: Points for Hülkenberg and Force India in Japan
The Sahara Force India team delivered a strong performance in Singapore thanks to Paul di Resta's 4th place, and even though they are heading to Japan this weekend, on a track that has not been very successful for them in the past, the Indian team hopes to continue their momentum. Nico Hülkenberg will be eager to perform better than in 2010 and hopes to score some points.
Suzuka circuit has not always been favorable to the Sahara Force India team – zero points in the last three editions – but Vijay Mallya, the Indian team boss, hopes to see a change this year: « Historically, Suzuka has never been our best track, but hopefully this time, the team can pull something out of the hat. I think we have been quite consistent on most tracks this year, so we are fairly confident about our chances of achieving a good performance this weekend. »
After securing fourth place in Singapore, Paul di Resta hopes to continue this positive momentum on the Suzuka circuit, even though he knows it won’t be easy given the track’s demands: « It’s a circuit that is all about aerodynamics, so it will be a real test for the car. I also found it very technical with corners like the S curves where you need to be good at changing direction. Finding the right rhythm is not easy because half of the circuit is made up of straight lines so you need to be fast and you also need downforce for high-speed corners. Tire degradation is quite high so you need a neutral car during the race. »
Nico Hülkenberg, on his side, hopes to do better than in 2010, his only experience in F1 at Suzuka, even if he knows that the Japanese circuit is complicated to tackle: « My race in 2010 with Williams wasn’t really memorable because I had to retire before the first corner. It was really a shame because it’s a circuit that I particularly enjoy and with corners like the esses, it’s an incredible experience driving a Formula 1. Suzuka is clearly one of my favorite circuits: it’s a real challenge, very technical, and you need a good balance to pull off a good lap. It’s very important to find a good rhythm given the technical difficulty because if you miss a corner, you can lose your momentum for the rest of the lap. »
For the end of the season, the German driver has one goal, points: « I am positive and we have had good moments with the team recently, so I want to continue that way. The goal is to be regularly in the points. » And what better way to start than this weekend in Japan.
