Friday: Force India seems competitive
After a first free practice session disrupted by rain, Paul di Resta saw the second one cut short by a blown tire on the pit straight. Adrian Sutil, on the other hand, did not expect such a big difference between the two tire compounds.
Paul di Resta – 10th and 10th
« It was difficult to learn much today with the wet conditions this morning and our limited running. We had a few new parts, and the two cars were slightly different to allow us to evaluate them as best as possible. We will decide on the best overall package to use in the evening. The base of our car is very similar to the one we had in February during testing, so we seem to be in the right operating window. My day stopped fairly quickly with the tire problem, but for now, we are waiting for Pirelli to analyze exactly what happened. »
Adrian Sutil – 5th and 8th
An interesting day with significant changes in weather conditions. It was useful to have some track time on a wet surface this morning, as it’s an area where we need to be more competitive. The changes we made improved things with each stint. The work on the tires in the afternoon was normal, but we also tested the prototype tire, which is very hard and feels quite different to drive. The usual hard tire and the Medium are quite similar, but the difference between the two is greater than I expected here. The long stints went well, and the car seems pretty well balanced with the Medium tires.
