Following a race to forget in Korea, Force India head to Japan looking for a change in fortune on one of the most challenging circuits on the Formula 1 calendar.
Reflecting on the last race Dr Vijay Mallya summed things up saying “It was a very difficult race and we certainly didn’t get the reward our race pace deserved. The team have been working hard on their qualifying pace while trying to recapture the race performance shown earlier in the season.
Adrian Sutil is looking forward to heading back to Suzuka and Japan in general “I have good memories of Japan. When I was 23 years old I lived there for a year and I enjoyed it so much I didn’t want to leave! The fans are very passionate, friendly and respectful, and they always give me a lot of energy.” he said.
Talking about the weekend ahead he talked about the importance of having a car that can perform well on the high speed circuit, “You need a car that works well in the high-speed corners. The ‘S’ curves at the start of the lap are beautiful because you can really feel the performance of a Formula One car and the incredible grip you have available.
“You need to have a car that allows you to find the right flow and rhythm through these corners because you can make up or lose a lot of time through this part of the lap.” he added
Team-mate Paul Di Resta is looking forward to the technical challenge Suzuka presents, “It’s one of the best tracks we race on. For me it’s up there with Silverstone because it demands so much from the car. Running on low fuel for a qualifying lap is a great feeling and something I look forward to.”
Being pushed for a comment on the 2014 driver line-up Mallya remains coy “We are considering all available options and we never take these decisions in haste. We have a competitive pairing at the moment, but we will sit down with the team management and discuss the way forward for next year.”
He adds: “It’s unlikely we will make any decisions before the Indian Grand Prix in any case.”