New Delhi: Force India are looking to start afresh in the upcoming Indian Grand Prix this weekend, fully aware of the uphill task at hands of keeping rivals Sauber behind in the constructors standings, as the 2013 Formula One season draws to a conclusion with the final four races.
Sauber are aiming to catch up and overtake Force India for sixth position after the Silverstone-based outfit returned empty-handed from their last two races in South Korea and Japan.
Sauber are currently 17 points behind Force India, and are aiming to edge past their nearest competitor at the remaining race weekends.
“Sauber have been doing a very good job lately. They are the in-form team at the moment and they have been taking all the opportunities that were presented to them,” Force India team principal, Vijay Mallya said.
“The races after the summer break haven’t been very positive in terms of scoring points, but the morale in the team remains strong. Korea and Japan were not the easiest of weekends, but everyone in the team is working really hard to recapture our early form. It’s all a matter of finding the right balance with the car – when we do that, we will be back in the points,” he added.
Force India driver Paul Di Resta, who gets set for the final part of the season and the team’s home race, said the target will be to get both cars in contention for points.
“We didn’t score points in Japan but we made some real progress with setting up the car, so going an extra step and getting in the top 10 has got to be the goal this weekend,” said di Resta.
This will be di Resta’s third Indian GP and the Scottish driver says Friday is going to be crucial because this is one of those tracks where finding the right rhythm with a well-balanced car pays you back with lap time.
Di Resta’s team mate Adrian Sutil, said scoring points will be a big challenge for them, especially after struggling to get the balance and consistency with the car.
“I think scoring points will be a big task, but we will go there ready to fight. The last couple of races have not been easy for us and I’ve struggled to get the balance and consistency with the car,” Sutil said.
“We are moving forward, however – we’ve learnt a lot from the last two races so hopefully that will help us find a direction that gives me the confidence to push the car harder,” he added. (PTI)