Force India

Formula 1 Team reports for the 2009 F1 season includes race previews, reports and reviews
Ed
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Post by Ed » Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:26 pm

2009 Japanese Grand Prix Free Practice Report

Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
FP1: 3rd 1:40.806 (14 laps)
FP2: 1st 1:47.261 (5 laps)

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
FP1: 12th 1:42.475 (15 laps)
FP2: 3rd 1:47.931 (5 laps)

2 October 2009 - Heavy rain over the 5.807km Suzuka circuit made the opening day of practice for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix a near washout at times, with the morning's session damp but passable and the afternoon a close non-starter as puddles and rivers covered the track for the first hour, with only the final 10 minutes allowing the field to venture out to complete flying laps.

The Force India Formula One Team performed extremely well in the changeable, difficult conditions with Adrian Sutil setting the quickest time of the afternoon on the drenched track. Tonio Liuzzi was just 0.6 secs behind with the third fastest lap.

In the morning Adrian was consistently amongst the quickest and, despite only completing 14 laps, recorded the third best time of FP1. Tonio Liuzzi similarly did just 15 laps and was 12th fastest after losing some time on his potentially fastest lap with some traffic and then understeer, which caused him to lock up going into the final sector.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)
I've had a lot of experience at this track from 2006 when I was here in Japanese F3 and I really like this circuit. It's a great track with lots of fast and high speed corners and a nice flow. We didn't get the chance to do much driving today unfortunately. It was a really easy session this afternoon - just 10 minutes and my first lap was P1! This morning we did just 14 laps and things went quite well. I was confident we would be back on the pace in Suzuka and at the moment it looks like this: overall we are looking much better than in Singapore. But still nobody really knows the score about the weather and dry set-ups so it will be an interesting weekend for sure.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
Today was quite a positive day even though the weather didn't help us. It was a difficult situation and tomorrow it seems like it is going to change again. Overall the car worked very well in the wet weather conditions and also with the intermediate tyre balance and finally in the last five minutes we could try the extreme wet balance too. Everything is responding and working well, although we do know tomorrow could be different if the weather changes, but we are optimistic.

Dominic Harlow, chief race engineer
Two completely wet sessions today, with a large part of the afternoon being just too wet to run. This circuit has a few areas where the gradient sets up rivers and puddles that can cause aquaplaning. It was possible to evaluate both the intermediate and wet tyre performance for both drivers, and gather some data despite the conditions. Our performance in the wet looks quite strong, but of course the forecast now is for predominantly dry conditions, so there is plenty to do tonight to prepare for the weekend.

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sat Oct 03, 2009 6:11 pm

2009 Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying and Final Free Practice Report

Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
FP3: 6th 1:32.467 (25 laps)
Q1: 9th 1:31.386 (8 laps)
Q2: 8th 1:31.222 (6 laps)
Q3: 4th 1:32.466 (6 laps)

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
FP3: 20th 1:33.167 (18 laps)
Q1: 19th 1:32.087 (9 laps)

3 October 2009 - The Force India Formula One Team will start from the second row of the grid for tomorrow's Japanese Grand Prix following an outstanding performance from Adrian Sutil in a chaotic, multi-disrupted qualifying session. Adrian will start his 50th Grand Prix from fourth, alongside long-time friend and current World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

Adrian easily made the cut for Q2, setting the ninth quickest time. In the second session the 26-year-old German completed just one flying lap after the two red flags for Alguersuari and Glock's accidents, but his time of 1:31.222 was the eighth quickest of the session and eased him into Q3 for the third time this season. When Q3 finally got started after the third red flag period following Kovalainen's accident, Adrian completed a further two flying laps and was just seven hundredths from third position.

Tonio Liuzzi unfortunately did not progress through to Q2. The gearbox of his VJM02 developed a gear selection problem in the final minutes of FP3 and with limited set-up time before qualifying he was unable to move from 19th.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)
It was always a good feeling to go to a track you know, where you feel good and the confidence is there. Our car has performed well on these type of circuits in the past and we've had a strong weekend so far but we did not expect to be able to race in the top five, so fourth is a really great position for the start tomorrow. It was a long session, with so many red flags that we had to cancel a few laps and come in and then try to focus again. Finally it was OK and on the last few laps the car felt great. Third was also very close, just a few hundredths away, but unfortunately Lewis just took it right at the very end of the session! We had a really hard weekend in Singapore and it's nice to be back: it's just fantastic for the team. Tomorrow it will be a tough, long race but I'm just going to focus on what I have to do. I will do my best.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
We had a few issues in the morning in free practice with the gearbox and we couldn't test everything we needed to, including the soft tyres, which cost us a lot. The guys did a great job to change the 'box and get out again for qualifying but we had a lot of understeer in qualifying and it was not 100% as a result. To make it worse I have not been feeling at my best today so it's a combination of everything really. I hope for more tomorrow for sure.

Simon Roberts, chief operating officer
It's a great result for Adrian and a real boost for the team after a difficult Singapore Grand Prix weekend. He drove a fantastic qualifying, often with just one chance to get it right and under a lot of pressure, and his efforts were rewarded with another good starting position. We're very hopeful for tomorrow; we feel we have a good strategy, Adrian knows the track well and feels confident around here. It was unfortunate that Tonio could not progress beyond Q1 but with the limited time available to change his gearbox between sessions he didn't quite get the lap together. But well done to all the team for turning it around so quickly and I'm sure Tonio will come back stronger in the race tomorrow.

Ed
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Post by Ed » Mon Oct 05, 2009 12:07 am

2009 Japanese Grand Prix Race Report

Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
13th +14.959secs

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
14th +15.734secs

4 October 2009 - The Force India Formula One Team has finished the Japanese Grand Prix with Adrian Sutil in 13th position and Tonio Liuzzi just under a second behind in 14th.

Adrian, who had qualified in fourth but had started in eighth position following yesterday's round of penalties, was able to move up to seventh on the opening lap ahead of Nico Rosberg, but on lap four dropped back to ninth behind Kovalainen. The pair raced nose to tail until Adrian finally moved alongside the Finn on lap 13 going into the chicane. Heikki however refused to yield and the pair touched, sending Adrian into a spin and back down the order to 12th. From that point on Adrian's race was compromised and despite racing hard with the Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella he crossed the line in a disappointing 13th overall.

Tonio Liuzzi enjoyed a series of battles over the 53 lap race to achieve his second consecutive race finish for Force India. Using a two stop strategy Tonio was able to move up four places on his starting position after battling with the two Renaults, the Williams of Nakajima and Alguersuari's Toro Rosso.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)
It was a really disappointing race. The start was OK and I could keep my position but then I fell back to ninth and was caught behind Kovalainen. I got past him at the chicane but then he cut back across and I spun and lost a lot of time. That was really the end of the race for me. When that happens it's obviously very disappointing as I thought we could have done really well today and got some points. We've just got to look forward to Brazil now - it's a similar type of circuit to here where the car has been competitive.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
Overall I think it was not a bad race. Starting from that position it was always going to be difficult to score points but we showed a strong pace in the race and never gave up. I could have a really good fight with Fernando [Alonso] and the Williams, plus also the Toro Rosso so I think it was a good effort from the team.

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
We had expected a better result from this race, particularly given Adrian's excellent performance in qualifying fourth yesterday. The penalty cost us dear as Adrian was behind the heavier Rosberg and then dropped back behind Kovalainen early on. Adrian's race was then compromised when he tried to get past the McLaren but he nevertheless demonstrated that the car is performing very well in race conditions and we are able to race competitively with the top teams. Tonio too had a strong race to secure his second finish in three events. His confidence is now high and we should look forward to the next race in Brazil where we hope we can capitalise on the pace we have showed over the weekend. Hopefully next time we can get the results to prove it.

Ed
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Post by Ed » Wed Oct 14, 2009 11:25 pm

Brazilian Grand Prix Preview
16 - 18 October 2009

The Brazilian Grand Prix held from 16 - 18 October will be the penultimate race of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship. Held at the classic Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city, it usually produces a charged, scintillating race that can see championship hopes fulfilled or dashed.

The Force India Formula One Team will be looking forward to this event following an ultimately disappointing Japanese Grand Prix in which Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi finished just out of the points. With Interlagos being a low to medium downforce track the team hopes to capitalise on the strong performance of the VJM02 on this circuit configuration and add to its World Championship points' total.

Team Q&A
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
There are just two races left in the championship now - what will the aim be for this final part of the year?
We will be giving it everything we have. Brazil should suit us, our car has performed well on tracks with a similar configuration, and now we've got the taste for points we want to get some more. BMW are 11 points ahead of us in the constructors' championship so if Tonio and Adrian push hard we could at least close that gap. It's going to be difficult but we have everything to gain and nothing to lose by making this our aim.

Have you been satisfied with the team's performance during the double header in Singapore and Japan?
We expected it to be very tough in Singapore but we had high hopes for the Japanese Grand Prix. To a certain extent we got there as we qualified well, ran towards the front of the field and raced with larger teams. However of course we missed out on points again so ultimately it was frustrating we could not capitalise on this. Based on this form I am however very optimistic we can make up ground in Brazil. Adrian and Tonio both know the track and the car is at its peak so I'm confident we should again be Q2 or higher and again racing for the points.

Driver Q&A
Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01)
How did you feel about the results of the Japanese Grand Prix?
I'm actually pretty disappointed with the results of the race as I really thought this was our chance to get some more points. All weekend it was looking good, from practice through to qualifying and it was so good to be back at the front in qualifying. The penalty didn't help but I still thought that we could have got into the top six. Unfortunately the coming together with Heikki [Kovalainen] early on really compromised the result but I had a good battle with Fisichella so again we showed we are competitive.

What are your thoughts looking forward to Brazil?
Japan was a bit of a missed opportunity so I'm definitely looking forward to getting to Brazil. Interlagos is a great track, not that long, but with a lot of camber and undulation that makes it a bit like a rollercoaster - particularly with the bumps. There's a twisty section and then that long, uphill straight that needs a set-up somewhere between Spain and Belgium so there's a chance we could perform well there. I'm feeling confident about going well there.


Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04)
How are you looking forward to the Brazilian Grand Prix?
I'm definitely optimistic about this next race in Brazil. Japan was pretty tough because of the rain and the lack of track time on Saturday due to our gearbox problem, so we were always fighting an uphill battle. I am now really looking forward to Brazil. I like the circuit and I've been pretty fast there in the past so with the combination of this confidence and the car performance I think we could be really competitive. I'm looking forward to being in a strong position.

And how do you feel about Interlagos as a track?
It's a good circuit, perhaps not one of my favourites, but it has a lot of up and downhill sections with a lot of banking so it's interesting to drive. The Brazilian crowd is also wonderful and the atmosphere pretty much unique. It's a fantastic event.

Force India Brazilian Grand Prix points of note:
Although Adrian races under a German licence and holds a German passport, he is half South American on his father's side. Dad Jorge Sutil was born in Uruguay and moved to Germany to play violin with the Munich Philharmonic orchestra. Adrian speaks fluent Spanish and some fans from Uruguay are likely to make the short journey up to Sao Paulo to support him.

The Japanese GP was Adrian's 50th Grand Prix. He made his debut at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix. So far he has scored six points, secured one fastest lap (Italy 2009) and has started on the front row once (Italy 2009).

Tonio has raced in two Brazilian Grands Prix, finishing 16th in 2006 and 13th in 2007.

Brazilian Grand Prix: View from the pit wall with Force India's chief engineer, Dominic Harlow:
Interlagos is the third anti-clockwise circuit in the calendar, and situated in the city of Sao Paulo around 800m above sea level. This altitude means a normal atmospheric pressure of around 930mb and so a loss of nearly 10% of an F1 cars aerodynamic and engine performance.

The layout features a relatively tight infield section with gradients unsighting some of the corners, for example the double right Ferradura, combined with a long curved flat-out section uphill from Juncao, probably the most critical corner on the lap.

It's quite testing mechanically as the circuit can be bumpy and the apex speeds low in places, but sectors 1 and 3 require a lower drag set-up between somewhere like Barcelona and Spa. It's always an exciting race with a football stadium atmosphere, and we're looking forward to another race where we believe the VJM02 should perform well.

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sun Oct 18, 2009 12:43 pm

2009 Brazilian Grand Prix Free Practice Report

Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
FP1: 9th 1:13.232 (23 laps)
FP2: 9th 1:12.720 (35 laps)

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
FP1: 17th 1:13.829 (26 laps)
FP2: 16th 1:12.950 (36 laps)

16 October 2009 - Free practice for the penultimate race of the year, the Brazilian Grand Prix, got underway today at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in the heart of Brazil's largest city, Sao Paulo. The notoriously fickle South American weather again came into play, with light showers punctuating most of the day, making the timing for running crucial. The Force India Formula One Team performed well in the changeable conditions, with Adrian Sutil setting the 9th quickest time in both sessions. Tonio Liuzzi was classified in 17th in the morning and 16th in the afternoon after hitting traffic on his potentially quickest laps.

Adrian completed 58 laps in total, making the most of the dry periods as he worked through his planned tyre and set-up evaluation for the anti-clockwise Interlagos track. Tonio Liuzzi, participating in only his fourth race for the team this weekend, similarly worked through his scheduled programme with no major issues, completing 62 laps over the day.


Adrian Sutil (car 20)
Today went OK with no major problems, just working through everything as usual with the tyre comparisons. We didn't make any real changes on the car over the day as I was quite happy with the balance so we just waited until the grip improved on track and worked through the programme. The weather was a bit crazy and actually I think everyone expected more rain, but it was quite light. In FP2 in particular the track was wet in some places and dry in others so getting the right timing was important. I was quite pleased with the progress we made and I hope we can have a good day tomorrow in qualifying as well.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
With this unpredictable weather it's important to be out at exactly the right time to get the best of the track so perhaps the final classifications are not truly representative of the real order right now. We still have to work on the balance as it is not 100% just yet but overall the car is responding well to all the changes we have made. Unfortunately we just got caught in traffic every time we tried to do a good lap time but I'm happy we are going in the right direction for tomorrow. I think we could be in for a good qualifying, particularly if the weather stays so uncertain or if it rains some more as we have been pretty competitive in these types of conditions so far this year.

Dominic Harlow, chief race engineer
A couple of periods of light rain during the practice sessions today meant that our programmes were adjusted slightly to get a proper look at the tyres. It seems to be quite a standard set-up with the medium and super soft, and the car balance is not too far away. It's very close through the field, I've never seen so many positions decided on thousandths, not even hundredths of a second. Qualifying will be about traffic management and timing and it looks like the weather could also play a part.

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sun Oct 18, 2009 12:43 pm

2009 Brazilian Grand Prix Qualifying and Final Free Practice Report

Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
FP3: 5th 1:24.149 (4 laps)
Q1: 9th 1:24.447 (11 laps)
Q2: 5th 1:20.753 (10 laps)
Q3: 3rd 1:19.912 (7 laps)

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
FP3: 16th 1:27.341 (4 laps)
Q1: 12th 1:24.645 (10 laps)
Q2: No time set

17 October 2009 - The Force India Formula One Team's Adrian Sutil will start tomorrow's Brazilian Grand Prix from third position following a dramatic wet qualifying session, which featured several stoppages and delays. Adrian's second row start is the second time he has started in the top four and his fourth top 10 start this year*.

Tonio Liuzzi had graduated through to Q2 but was a victim of aquaplaning when the session eventually got underway and speared off into the barriers into turn one. The Italian was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks but was uninjured in the accident. His VJM02 sustained significant damage in the impact and will require a new gearbox, effectively dropping Tonio five places on tomorrow's starting grid.

* Germany - P7, Italy - P2. In Japan qualified in 4th but started 8th after a penalty.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)
Being in the top three is always a great feeling, particularly after such a difficult session. On the Friday it didn't look so good in the dry so I was really hoping for rain and in the end we got too much! We had to wait so long during the session and keep focussed. Q1 was definitely extreme wets as there was so much water that you had to be careful not to spin. Then there was so much waiting until Q2. I did my fastest time in that session on the extremes but you could really only get one good lap out of them so it was a clear sign we needed to go onto the intermediates in Q3. We left it a bit until we went out and I crossed the line with just seconds to spare to start my fastest lap, which was good enough for third. I'm really happy, it's feels good to be back here at the front. I like this circuit although it hasn't been the greatest for us for results in previous years. I'm hoping for a good race tomorrow - I'm just going to give it my best.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
I am really disappointed and frustrated that the qualifying ended in the way it did as I was pretty convinced I could have got into Q3 and done well - as Adrian has shown today we were very much on it. The car reacted well in the wet conditions and we showed a good performance in Q1, even if we were in traffic and couldn't do the best lap time. At the start of Q2 it was very difficult conditions and it was risky to go out but once there is a green light you have to try and go out and do your best. I am sorry for the team as we could have achieved more but I was a passenger at that stage and couldn't do anything when the car caught that puddle. All the same I think we are in good shape tomorrow and if the conditions stay like this we have a well balanced car so I am optimistic for the race.

Simon Roberts, chief operating officer
We're delighted that Adrian got into the top three today. He put in a sterling performance in very difficult conditions and really got the maximum from himself and the car. It was tough to get the tyre calls right but we were pretty much spot on with the timing from wets to inters and got this fantastic result that hopefully should set us up very well for the race tomorrow. It was a real shame for Tonio that he could not have progressed much further but at the time the conditions were at their worst and there was nothing he could have done to avoid going off. We're obviously pleased he is OK and with the expected unpredictable conditions tomorrow he could still be in for a good performance in the race.

Ed
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Post by Ed » Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:08 pm

2009 Brazilian Grand Prix Race Report

Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
DNF Accident Lap 1

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
12th +71.388secs

18 October 2009 - The Force India Formula One Team could not capitalise on its strong qualifying performance in today's Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. Adrian Sutil had started from a superb third position but was involved in a first-lap incident that eliminated him on the spot.

Tonio Liuzzi had a tough event, fighting yet again with Fisichella throughout the race to finish in 12th position.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)
The start was fine, I lost one position as Kimi overtook me on the outside. It was fine for the next corner but then Kimi hit Webber and lost his front wing. I was following him through the corner but then suddenly I got hit in the rear and lost control of the car. Trulli was there on the outside trying to go round. It was a really stupid maneouvre as there was no space and I couldn't see him at all. At that point it wasn't worth it and it ended my race far too early on as I went over into the gravel. Jarno was furious and said it was my mistake but I just told him what had happened to me. But it's over and now he's just got to deal with it.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
It was a long race, starting from last on the grid after the gearbox change yesterday. We made a change to the soft tyres in the safety car period, using them for just one lap to get them out of the way as we felt we couldn't do longer stints with them. On the harder compound in the first stint I had a good pace but we struggled a lot with oversteer on the second so I couldn't get past Giancarlo. Then at the end I had a brake problem, which compromised the race but at least we finished this difficult Grand Prix, which was important. We had hoped for rain as we seemed to be very competitive in those conditions but that's how it is - now we can just look forward to Abu Dhabi.

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
Firstly congratulations to Jenson Button and Brawn GP for winning their first-ever world titles. Their performance this season has been quite staggering and they thoroughly deserve this success. For Force India, for sure we had expected much more from this race. Adrian did an amazing job in qualifying and we were confident we could have picked up another few points, but unfortunately he was just a victim of the accident. He deserved much more. Tonio's race was always going to be tough after yesterday's crash but he picked up another race finish - again by tailing home a Ferrari! We are all now really looking forward to Abu Dhabi. The car's working well, the drivers are confident and hopefully the track should suit us pretty well.

Ed
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Post by Ed » Thu Dec 03, 2009 2:08 pm

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview
30 October - 1 November 2009

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, from 30 October - 1 November, will be the finale of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship. A new venue on the calendar, it's one of the most talked about events of recent years on account of the sheer scale of the work involved in constructing the state-of-the-art Yas Marina circuit.

Over the course of just a few years, organisers have built a 25km sq man-made island known as Yas Island with 17km sq of luxury apartments, hotels, retail parks, theme parks and, of course, the circuit: a Tilke-designed, high-speed run through the island's marina district. The track itself is a feat of engineering, with unique facilities including a pass through a hotel lobby, underground pit lane exit and a straight running parallel to an airplane landing strip.

With a straight of almost 1km and three successive quick corners from turns two to four, average speeds are expected to be similar to Valencia, thus demanding a medium to low downforce configuration. As the Force India F1 Team has been competitive in these conditions before, the team is expecting is good showing in Abu Dhabi to end the season on a high.

Team Q&A
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
It's the final race of the year now, has this season matched with your expectations?
At the start of the year, we wanted points but I also wanted to show a genuine improvement in every area of the company. We have learned from the mistakes of last season and have really tightened up processes, procedures and working practices, which has ultimately helped us to score points and be proud of our achievements. I would say this year has even exceeded our expectations as we have secured a podium, pole and fastest lap. We can be really proud of this. All the same we have had opportunities we haven't been able to make the most of, for example Interlagos, Suzuka and Monza. This slightly mutes the satisfaction, but it does give a lot of cause for optimism - if we can get into a similar position next year and follow through all the chances we could be solid midfield in both championships.

What will your aims be for the final race of the year?
Brazil was a missed opportunity to score points. Adrian was in a prime position to get some decent points, perhaps even a podium, but it was not to be. But the Abu Dhabi aero configuration is roughly similar to Brazil and Valencia, and even though we can't expect rain, we can expect a reasonable level of performance in qualifying that should put us in a good position for the race. We could technically move up a position in the championship as we're just 13 points behind Renault, but it will be tough so we need to consolidate what we have already. Toro Rosso have been looking very strong in recent races so it's a matter of personal pride to keep them behind. Ninth place in the championship is one position higher than last year and we need that improvement to validate all the progress we've made this year.

Abu Dhabi is a new venue on the calendar; what are your thoughts on the event?
Having new events on the calendar certainly keeps the series fresh and opens the sport out to new markets. I hear the venue is absolutely fantastic as well, so it will set new standards for Formula One. This too is very important, for the sport to keep evolving and looking at making improvements to track facilities, spectator opportunities and the whole 'experience' of going to a race. For Force India for sure it will be an extra special event as there is a large number of ex-pat Indians, which always gives us that little more of a push.

Driver Q&A
Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01)
We are going to a new venue this week. How do you prepare for new events?
The first step is always to look at the track map and the conditions you can expect at the event. Is there anything that looks different or challenging in the corners, is there something that you need to prepare for physically? I'll speak to my engineers about what they expect in terms of set-up and then the next step is to put it all together in the simulator. This gives a head start as you can make a basic set-up from this and use as a starting point in practice. You also know what to expect when you get on track.

What are your impressions of Yas Marina and Abu Dhabi?
Yas Marina looks like it will be a great facility - very luxurious and a great working environment for the team. However I don't think the track will be massively challenging. It has a long straight, but there are a lot of second gear corners as well, which might hurt us a little bit. The good thing is everyone is starting from the same platform, so it will be a little bit of a surprise when we arrive.

Do you think you can repeat your Brazil qualifying performance?
Saturday was a good day for us in Brazil but I would have been happier to get that result in the race. I was hoping a lot for that, so it's a bit disappointing. But I'm happy because at least something worked out during the weekend, we showed our performance really well in qualifying. We have to take that and carry it to the next race. Whether we can repeat in Abu Dhabi we will have to see, but it's a relatively low downforce track and we have performed well in these conditions before so I am optimistic.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04)
The last race in Brazil was your best finish for the team since your Monza debut. How was the weekend?
The result was not too bad but obviously the race was compromised when we had to start from the back after the accident in qualifying. We had a good pace in the rain and I think we could have started from the front row as Adrian showed. Starting that far behind in the dry of Sunday was always going to be tough but I pushed hard and could again fight with the Ferrari and Toro Rosso. We were hoping for some rain in the middle of the race but it didn't come, so we had to accept that it would be difficult to make up any more places. All this considered, the result was OK although we didn't score any points, which is always the aim.

Tonio, you're now approaching the end of the season. You made your Force India race debut in Italy and have four races under your belt now. What are your thoughts on the season so far?
Getting back into the car in race trim had always been my aim for 2010 and it came earlier than expected! Of course it wasn't the best way to go racing again, but at least we know Felipe is OK now. It's been a big challenge to get back into the rhythm of driving, particularly at circuits I don't know, such as Singapore. I've also had a bit of bad luck, such as qualifying in Suzuka [where gearbox problems limited running] and Brazil with the accident in Q2, but I've always pushed as hard as I could. What we have shown is that when the car is performing well, as it was in Monza, we can be very quick. I'll keep pushing until the end and am still optimistic of scoring my first points for Force India in Abu Dhabi.

Based on this, what will be your strategy going into the final race of the year?
We really want points - it's important for the team and for myself. We'll be giving 100% until the end, in practice, qualifying and the race. We have done some laps of Yas Marina in the simulator and it looks like a great facility. The track seems very interesting and could suit the VJM02 very well as there are a few long straights and a tricky middle section. It's also good to visit new venues so I'm looking forward to this race.

Force India Abu Dhabi Grand Prix points of note:

Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi have been pushing hard in the simulator to be as prepared as possible ahead of the race. Each driver has completed more than two race distances apiece.

Tonio's 11th place in Brazil was his best race finish for Force India this season. The Italian did not finish in Monza and was 14th in both Singapore and Japan.

Adrian and Tonio have both visited Abu Dhabi on previous occasions. Adrian was present at the launch of the race in 2007 and Tonio has visited a few years back. Dr Vijay Mallya is a regular visitor to the UAE and has an apartment in Dubai.

The Abu Dhabi GP is the closest to the team's homeland of India. With approximately 25% of Abu Dhabi's population Indian ex-pats, it's also a big race for fans.

With the race taking place in twilight hours (sunset is scheduled at 1753 on race day), the team's schedule will change to coincide with this. Thursday will be a 'normal' working day, but leave and meal times will shift +3 hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures are expected to be cooler during this time.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: View from the pit wall with Force India's chief engineer, Dominic Harlow:
Abu Dhabi will be one of the most eagerly awaited new race debuts in some time. The track and facilities are immense and a very interesting weekend is in store. We expect it to be quite hot obviously, but the twilight timing to the sessions will mean track surface temperatures will not be as high as they could be.

The lap includes a very long straight, over 1km, with three high energy brakings and predominantly slow, second or third gear, quite technical corners with a surprising amount of gradient change.

On the reliability side cooling will be the main focus, and for performance finding the right downforce level and understanding the factors that will dictate race strategy. It looks like being a great season finale and we'll be pushing as hard as ever to finish with some more points.

Ed
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Post by Ed » Thu Dec 03, 2009 2:08 pm

2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Free Practice Report

Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
FP1: 7th 1:44.688 (14 laps)
FP2: 11th 1:42.180 (28 laps)

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
FP1: 17th 1:46.239 (22 laps)
FP2: 15th 1:42.530 (33 laps)

30 October 2009 - The Yas Marina circuit got its first taste of Formula 1 today as the impressive facility in the heart of Abu Dhabi's newest development came alive with the first day of practice ahead of the final round of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship on Sunday.

The initial practice got underway at 13:00hrs local time owing to the later start of Sunday's race, with the 'afternoon' session kicking off at 17:00hrs. As a result drivers got the opportunity to experience the track in daylight, twilight and ultimately under the lights to get an accurate picture of expected conditions in the race.

The Force India Formula One Team had a strong start to the weekend, with Adrian Sutil setting the seventh fastest time in the morning and the 11th in the afternoon. He did however have a slightly shortened day as a brake problem emerged in the morning and lost him some time. The afternoon however was productive as he tested the two tyre compounds for the weekend and different balance options. Tonio Liuzzi used the sessions to also evaluate the set-up and aero balance of the VJM02 on the new track and recorded the 17th quickest time of the session in the morning and 15th in the afternoon.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)
The car was performing well today, although we still have some work to do to get the balance right. We are missing a little grip on the harder tyre but it's going well with the softer compound, although we are struggling with warm up on both. We lost a little time with a brake problem in the morning but it didn't affect our programme too much as the grip was not really there at the start. At the end of the first I was still able to do 25 mins and two runs and got a good position in FP1 and could follow it up in the second practice too. The circuit is OK, but I miss some of the high speed sections you find in other tracks. There are a lot of second gear slow sections and the flow is not really there, but it's still a big challenge as it's very slippery so you are always fighting with oversteer. There wasn't a problem with the changing light as the lighting is very good: you still know it's at night but you can really see clearly. Driving into the sunset was OK - I don't think there will be a problem on Sunday.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
It's a great facility here, still quite slippery with the dust but it was very interesting to drive in such different light conditions over the day. It went quite well today. I think we are very competitive and have a very strong car on higher fuel loads. We still need to work a lot on the low fuel conditions as we are not spot on but I think we are going in the right direction with the car and can be happy with the progress we made today. We knew it would be hard but it's not easy for anybody with this high temperature to find a balance but I am positive for tomorrow.

Dominic Harlow, chief race engineer
Today's objectives were to allow the drivers to familiarise themselves with the circuit in the real world rather than on the simulator, ensure our cooling and brake system fundamentals were suitable, validate our wing level selection and understand the tyre behaviour as usual. We completed these steps and will review the results overnight. Adrian lost a bit of track time in both sessions with some minor issues, but this hasn't caused any setback. What is clear without needing to look at any data however, is that this is a world-class race track and will definitely deliver an excellent event this weekend.

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Post by Ed » Thu Dec 03, 2009 2:08 pm

2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Qualifying and Final Free Practice Report

Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
FP3: 9th 1:41.372 (22 laps)
Q1: 18th 1:41.863 (10 laps)

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
FP3: 14th 1:41.675 (20 laps)
Q1: 17th 1:41.701 (10 laps)

31 October 2009 - The Force India Formula One Team could not capitalise on the form shown in yesterday's practice in qualifying ahead of this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Tonio Liuzzi and Adrian Sutil suffered a disappointing elimination in Q1 and will line up from 17th and 18th positions respectively for the UAE's inaugural race tomorrow.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)
A very short session with a lot of problems. The car didn't seem to have any grip at all, particularly on the rear, and there was just so much oversteer that I was just struggling to keep the car on the circuit. I'm obviously very disappointed and we need to figure out what happened. The focus will now be on the race; there's still a long way to go and of course I will try my best to get a good result.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
I was pretty happy on the first run of Q1 as the car felt really good and I was confident that we had the pace to get through to Q2. But then after we changed the tyres for the second run we had a strange problem in that the grip was not there any more. It felt weird to drive with so much less grip compared to the run before. Usually the tracks improve as we run more but this was very strange. We should have been in Q2 so we have to understand how this happened - whether it was the tyres or the tyre pressures, we need to work on this now. For sure with a lot of fuel we showed a really good performance yesterday but starting so far back will not make it easy, although in Brazil we did show that we can get very close to the points from this position. It will be difficult but I think 10th will be possible tomorrow, but points are always the aim.

Dominic Harlow, chief race engineer
After our first runs in Q1 both drivers reported that their cars were reasonably balanced, but lacking a bit of grip compared to the earlier practice session today. It was then a strange situation as we ran a further set of option tyres with both cars and just couldn't find enough grip to improve the performance enough for Q2. The car has been strong all weekend in race trim, plus there are some elements in this event that will add to the unpredictability tomorrow so we'll do our utmost to finish the season with a strong race.

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Post by Ed » Thu Dec 03, 2009 2:09 pm

2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race Report

Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
17th

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
15th

1 November 2009 - The Force India Formula One Team secured ninth position in the constructors' championship in today's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Tonio Liuzzi and Adrian Sutil finished in 15th and 17th positions respectively in the first-ever event at the Yas Marina Circuit. With starting positions relatively far down the field, scoring points was a tall objective, however both Adrian and Tonio enjoyed close battles throughout the race with both Renaults - Adrian overtaking Grosjean on the final lap - and the Ferrari of Fisichella.

The team finishes the season with a total of 13 points, with one podium, one pole position and one fastest lap to its name.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)
We had some problems at the start of the race with the tyres and had to stop earlier than expected to change to a new set. The two stop strategy was the right one and the race went OK although we obviously didn't get any points, which was the aim. All the same it has been a very good season, naturally with a lot of ups and downs, but we've gone massively forward from the beginning of the season to the end. I think we can be very proud of this progress.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
Overall I thought we got the maximum from the car today but unfortunately we had a problem with the brakes more or less from the beginning of the race so we couldn't really fight for positions. I was behind the Williams at the start and one of the Toyotas in the middle of the race so we were pretty much mixing it in the midfield. We had a problem with the soft tyres in the first 15 laps that caused a lot of oversteer so I think it is the maximum we could have achieved. We knew it would be difficult to score points and although I would have liked to get some on the board at the end of the season I am happy we have showed some good form in these five races.

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
Of course points would have been a fitting end to the season, but sadly we could not achieve them today. All the same both drivers gave it absolutely everything until the final lap and I couldn't have asked for more. It's been an excellent season for Force India this year and I would like to thank the entire team, both at the track and at our bases in Silverstone and Brackley, for their outstanding commitment and skills that have led to this success. We have achieved our objectives and then some more and can only build on this over the winter into 2010.

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Post by Ed » Thu Dec 03, 2009 2:10 pm

Force India young driver test starts in Jerez
Jerez test report - day one of three

1 December 2009 - Paul di Resta and JR Hildebrand both got their first taste of the Force India Formula One Team's 2009 challenger, the VJM02, at the Circuit de Jerez in southern Spain.

Twenty-one year-old Indy Lights champion JR Hildebrand took to the 4.337km track in the morning to complete baseline runs and circuit familiarisation to prepare for the coming two days. The young American completed 49 laps with a best time of 1min 20.537, the fifth quickest time of the morning. As track conditions improved overall times dropped and his lap was eventually the 10th quickest of the day.

Scot Paul di Resta took over the VJM02 after the midday lunchbreak and similarly worked through a programme to get fully comfortable in the car. With weather clear and good mechanical reliability, the 23-year-old from West Lothian was able to complete 46 laps with a fastest time of 1min 19.369, the second quickest lap of the day.

Paul will continue in the car tomorrow morning before JR takes over in the afternoon.

JR Hildebrand
I was really impressed with the ability of the car. It is different in every way to what I'm used to, both in terms of the outright speed, but also in terms of the characteristics of the car and how it behaves, brakes and drives through corners. Having raced on ovals I'm used to a high top speed, so that wasn't too much of a shock, but the amount of load it runs and how much speed you can carry through the corner took some getting used to. The track was clearly improving throughout the morning, so based on the program we were running, in terms of relative pace we were doing pretty well. I felt I was getting there and was starting to get the most out of the car, particularly towards the end of the morning. I think we still had some free time in the car. I lost my best lap by using a bit too much of the road and on my last run I just flat spotted the tyres straight out of the pits, which made a drastic difference in how good the car was and I really couldn't get the ultimate laptime from it. It was a little bit frustrating from the standpoint of losing the last two runs, but we were fifth quickest when my day was effectively done so I was pretty happy with my first outing.

Paul di Resta
Today was very constructive and we achieved what we wanted to achieve, which was to get familiar with the car and build up to speed slowly to fully prepare for the rest of the test. We tried a few different things, worked on a few set-up items and certainly went forward. That was the main goal, just building up on my side, learning more and moving forward together with the team. The VJM02 is certainly impressive and although I am still learning, I felt I could get to grips with it fairly quickly. I've driven the McLaren twice before and this experience has helped me today, but for sure there's a lot of difference between the last time and today. It's obviously a new circuit and the car is built to the new regulations with slick tyres and less downforce but it behaved as I expected and we didn't have any issues at all. We were quite fortunate in that we got a lot of time and there weren't many stoppages. I wasn't trying to go for a time as such, just to get the most out of the car and myself to set up for the coming two days. In the end I could set a good time, but this wasn't the overall goal for today. The team will have a different approach tomorrow and we will be testing some 2010 development parts but the aim will be to get as much track time as possible and see how it goes. I'm looking forward to getting back in there and working with the team again.

Dominic Harlow, chief race engineer
Today's programme allowed both drivers for this test some time to familiarise themselves with the car and team, and complete what amounted to a baseline for the rest of the week. Both of them did a very solid job, and allowed us to carry out background tests that will feed into our 2010 development. These included some aerodynamic measurements and fuel system modifications as well as a large number of smaller items. We are satisfied with having achieved our objectives today and look forward to continuing this work tomorrow.

Testing data
Driver: JR Hildebrand (am) / Paul di Resta (pm)
Track: Circuito de Jerez, Spain
Best lap time: JR: 1min 20.537 / Paul: 1min 19.369
Laps completed: Total 95 (JR 49 / Paul 46)
Kilometres completed: 412km (JR 212.5km / Paul 199.5km)
Air temperature: High of 17C
Track temperature: High of 24C
Weather: Sunny in the morning, overcast in the afternoon but cold throughout

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Post by Ed » Thu Dec 03, 2009 2:10 pm

Force India young driver test continues
Jerez test report - day two of three

2 December 2009 - Paul di Resta and JR Hildebrand continued their progress in the Force India Formula One Team's young driver test at Jerez circuit, southern Spain. Paul was in the car first this morning and after completing installation runs and some initial set up work, went on to run some 2010 development items and conduct some fuel system evaluation. The 23-year-old posted the second quickest time of the morning, 1:19.411, and 58 laps.

JR took over for the afternoon session and conducted a similar programme of basic set up and evaluation of the VJM02 with a simulated 2010 fuel tank load. With colder conditions and light rain in the early part of the afternoon the 21-year-old American Indy Lights champion completed 49 laps with a best of 1:20.517.

JR will continue tomorrow morning, with Paul taking over in the afternoon.

Paul di Resta
Yesterday the programme was to get comfortable in the car and to see how everything worked. I was able to get to a reasonable level quite quickly after one run so I felt prepared and had progressed enough for the team to be able to use me to test some development items, which will of course help them in 2010. We had quite a structured programme this morning of running back to back set-up for 2009 and 2010 and both long and short runs, but it went pretty well. I'm up to speed now and I understand what I can do to improve my own performance. Equally each run we are doing something different so I need to keep learning and giving feedback so the team can get the information they need too. I hope they feel they can use me now.

JR Hildebrand
When we first started running we were testing different brake settings, which really didn't work very well for me. The first couple of runs were really spent working on that and then getting to grips with the track again, particularly as the grip had improved. Coming into this test I was concerned I wouldn't be able to maximise the high speed cornering of the car, but I was able to get the most out of the two high speed sections of the track so I was really happy with this progress. On the run I got the best time we were running on a particularly conservative engine setting so I was pretty satisfied, even if the lap time didn't really show on the timesheets. In terms of my comfort and confidence however both were way up today and I am actually really happy with how today went.

Dominic Harlow, chief race engineer
We completed more than 100 laps between Paul and JR today to build on yesterday's positive start. We concentrated on looking more at the effects of 2010 regulation changes during today's test and that has produced some interesting results for us. A good effort from the team and the drivers today in executing the programme and we look forward to continuing the test tomorrow.

Testing data
Driver: Paul di Resta (am) / JR Hildebrand (pm)
Track: Circuito de Jerez, Spain
Best lap time: Paul: 1min 19.411 / JR: 1min 20.517
Laps completed: Total 107 (Paul 58 / JR 49)
Kilometres completed: 465km (Paul 252km / JR 213km)
Air temperature: High of 18C
Track temperature: High of 22C
Weather: Overcast in the morning, light rain over lunch and early afternoon

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