Formula 1 News

Force India: 2009 Turkish Grand Prix preview 

Q. How would you review the last round of the championship in Monaco? Vijay Mallya: “I think we can be very happy with our showing in Monaco. All weekend it was a great team performance. Following a lot of hard work back at the factory, we ran a constructive, comprehensive programme during free practice and got the timing exactly right to have a superb qualifying. I would have been delighted with one car in Q2, but to get two was a dream. It then continued into Sunday’s race where Giancarlo was so close to that eighth place. I was so proud of everyone and it’s certainly very encouraging for the rest of the season.”

Q. Were you disappointed not to have been there in person to see the race? Vijay Mallya: “I know much has been made of the fact I was not in Monaco to see the result, but as I have always said, I believe in giving people the means and the responsibility to autonomously carry out their tasks to the best of their ability. I think this weekend shows I have capable, confident people in the right positions and I do not need to be there looking over their shoulders. I can assure you however I was 100% behind the team and was very quickly on the phone to celebrate!”

Q. Can we expect a similar showing in Turkey? Vijay Mallya: “The result has had a great motivation on the team and the drivers – we just need that little bit more. We have some new development items coming through, such as new front wheel spinners and a small modification for the rear suspension, plus the rear wing we ran in Monaco will also undergo some slight changes to suit the downforce level in Istanbul. However the main thrust of the upgrades will come through in Silverstone now, so our aim for Turkey should be to keep the momentum we picked up in Monaco going and consolidate our form rather than wholesale improvements.”

Q. How was your Monaco Grand Prix weekend? Adrian Sutil: “For me personally, I think it was a little bit up and down. I was pleased to make Q2 for the first time and was really looking forward to the race, but the end result was a little disappointing. When I had to come in for the harder tyres it was always going to be tough as I dropped to the rear of the field and then got stuck in the traffic. I could do some good laps at the end though and had a good battle with Lewis for some of the race. For this part we can be quite happy. We have a competitive pace and I think Giancarlo showed that we are getting stronger all the time.”

Q. What will your aims in Turkey be? Adrian Sutil: “The main upgrades will now come in Silverstone so we have to be quite realistic about the performance this weekend. We have to keep pushing and try to have another strong qualifying that sets us up for the race. I enjoy the track and you can actually overtake in some corners so I hope we can have some good fights and be able to move up the field. I think we’re solid midfield contenders now so we have to get to the finish and see where we are.”

Q. Monaco was a great event for you. What are your feelings on this now, looking back? Giancarlo Fisichella: “The whole weekend was actually very good. We always hoped we’d have a good showing there as we had some development and I have had some very good results at the track before. Getting into Q2 was a big achievement and, as a team to get two cars through was even better. In the race I felt good, I could push and put pressure on Bourdais. Perhaps at another track I could have found a way past, but it was too tight in Monaco. But we can be happy with ninth, it’s our best result on track so far this year.”

Q. Who would you say are your closest rivals now? Giancarlo Fisichella: “Looking back at Monaco, I would say we have more or less the same speed as Toro Rosso and Williams. It was a surprise to see BMW and Toyota on the back row and racing behind us, but they are strong teams with a lot of resources and you wouldn’t count them out for long.”

Q. What are your thoughts on the next round in Turkey? Giancarlo Fisichella: “I quite enjoy Turkey. It’s a very physical track, you get lots of adrenaline when you drive there with the gradient changes and I have had some good results, including a fourth in 2005. We don’t have a lot of new development coming through for this race though so it is going to be a tough one but once again we need to keep pushing. I’d love to get into Q2 again but we will know more about where we stand after Friday.”

source: Force India