Friday: No major problem for Force India

Force India was quite performant in the changing conditions of these free practice sessions in Brazil, particularly in the hands of Adrian Sutil, always at ease on a wet track. The German virtuoso set the ninth fastest time in both sessions, just four-tenths off the best time of the day but only two-tenths from the day’s podium.

Sutil claims to have searched very little for the optimum settings since he was immediately satisfied with the behavior of his car. The German driver therefore focused on the tire evaluation program.

On the other hand, Vitantonio Liuzzi is struggling more and is grappling with the setup of his single-seater. He is not worried, however, about his 17th and 16th times in the two sessions, as he explains that he failed to find a lap without traffic. The team hopes to make progress by tomorrow by analyzing today’s data.

Adrian Sutil – 9th and 9th:

«It was a good day without any major technical problems. We worked on our usual program, especially on the tire comparison. We didn’t change much on the car during the day, as I was quite satisfied with the car’s balance. We just waited for the grip level to improve while working on our program. The weather conditions were a bit crazy, but I think everyone was expecting more rain when it remained light. During the second session, the track was wet in some places and dry in others. I’m satisfied with the progress we’ve made and hope it goes as well tomorrow, especially in qualifying.

Vitantonio Liuzzi – 17th and 16th:

« With this unpredictable weather, it was necessary to hit the track at the right time, and as a result, the standings may not be very representative of the forces at play. We still need to work on the settings because they are not yet fully satisfactory. However, the car reacts very well to the adjustment changes we have made. Unfortunately, I got caught in traffic every time I tried to set a good time, but I am nevertheless convinced that we are heading in the right direction for tomorrow. I believe we will be able to qualify well, especially if the weather remains uncertain and if it rains more. We have already been competitive in these conditions earlier in the year. »

Dominic Harlow – Chief Engineer

The episodes of light rain during the practice sessions somewhat disrupted our program, which we had to slightly adjust in order to properly assess the tires. It seems we will use standard settings with the medium and super-soft tires, and the balance of the car is quite good. The field is very tight; I’ve never seen so many positions decided by just a few hundredths. Qualifying will hinge on traffic management as well as timing, and it seems the weather will also have its say.