Shanghai: Sahara Force India secured their third double points finish in four races after Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez came sixth and ninth in the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix here on Sunday.
The Silverstone squad showed strong race pace on a two-stop strategy after struggling in a wet qualifying on Saturday when Hulkenberg and Perez were eighth and 16th fastest.
The German did well to keep the charging Williams of Valtteri Bottas at bay on the final lap of the 54-lap race.
“At the end it got a bit tricky. If it was one lap longer, Valterri (Bottas) probably could have DRSed me,” said Hulkenberg, who has moved a place down to be fourth in the drivers’ standings ahead of reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull.
Perez, who scored Force India’s first podium in five years at Bahrain, said ninth was the maximum he could have got on the day.
Force India collected 10 points at the Shanghai International Circuit but slipped a place to be third in the standings with 56 points behind Mercedes (154 points) and Red Bull (57) and ahead of Ferrari (52) and McLaren (43). (PTI)