Friday: Force India lacks pace on fast laps
Present during both sessions, Adrian Sutil seems rather satisfied with his car even though the balance still needs work. For Paul di Resta, who only took the seat during Free Practice 2, the improvements need to occur during the qualifying laps. Finally, James Calado struggled on a completely new track for him.
Adrian Sutil – 12th and 10th
« I really love this circuit and the conditions were ideal today for testing. We worked hard to find the perfect balance and, this morning, there was more understeer whereas in the afternoon there was more oversteer. So, there is still work to be done tonight, but we seem to be in a good position for the weekend. »
Paul di Resta – 11th (FP2)
« It was quite a good session and from the first stint, I felt in tune with the car. The pace on long runs seems promising and our tire wear is comparable to our rivals, which is a good sign. The area where we need to improve is the single lap pace, so we will work hard tonight and hopefully find improvements in the final session. »
James Calado – 18th (FP1)
« New circuit for me and it seems difficult to learn, especially the last sector, which is a challenge with some banked corners. The program included some stints with fuel, it was the first time I did that, and by the end of the session, I felt very comfortable with the car. The tire degradation was quite significant, especially because the track was very green at the start, but I am very happy with how things went today. »