Sahara Force India drivers Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg were both left rather underwhelmed after heavy rain washed out Friday Practice at Spa. Di Resta was busier in the morning but the Briton said conditions were tough even then before the rain intensified for FP2.
“Not much to say after a day when we spent most of our time in the garage waiting for the rain to stop. There were a few moments when the rain eased up this morning, so I managed to do some laps on the wet tyres, but it was very tricky and there were some very wet parts of the track. We did a few runs to check over the car, but there was a limited amount we could learn today. You have to feel for the fans who didn’t see much action. I hope they didn’t get too wet.”
Hulkenberg admitted it was an uncomfortable day putting up with the rain and decidedly cold temperatures but did think there was some useful data gained.
“It was just one of those days in Spa – the sort of weather you often experience here. It was wet when we woke up and the rain stayed with us all day. It was cold, too, and quite chilly in the car. We did a limited programme because there was no point taking the risk on such a wet track. We think it will be dry tomorrow, but at least we have some experience and data from the wet conditions because you never know what the weather will do in Spa.”
Chief Engineer Jakob Andreasen feels the drivers will be well set if it rains again this weekend although the forecasts don’t appear to suggest that.
“We were expecting a wet day so the priority was to try and make the best of very difficult conditions and to be ready in case there was a break in the weather. When the rain eased up during the morning, both drivers went out and got a feel for the car in these conditions. Having completed some wet baseline runs, they now have some knowledge to draw upon in case the rain returns later in the weekend. If anything the showers were heavier this afternoon so we chose to remain in the garage for most of the session. Both drivers did some exploration laps and practice starts before the chequered flag came out.”
