FORMULA 1
SAHARA FORCE INDIA SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX PREVIEW.
Team Principal, Dr Vijay Mallya, hopes for another strong showing on the streets of Singapore
VJM: “The Singapore Grand Prix has already established itself as a firm favourite on the calendar. The organisers put on a fantastic event and I enjoy the unique atmosphere of the night race. It’s a venue where we’ve traditionally been competitive and we go there determined to build on our good track record.
“Singapore will give us another chance to optimise the b-spec version of VJM08 as we introduce another small update package. Having performed well on the high-speed circuits of Spa and Monza, we know we have the potential to get both cars inside the top ten, but it’s going to be quite a different challenge on the tight and twisty streets of Singapore.
“As I’ve been saying for a while, the midfield fight for fifth place in the championship is likely to go down to the wire. It was important to score good points in Monza to reclaim fifth place, but with seven races still to go we cannot afford to ease up. The development of the VJM08 will continue and we need to take every opportunity that comes our way.”
Sergio on Singapore
Sergio Perez targets more points this weekend in Singapore
Sergio: “I’m heading to Singapore feeling very positive. We’ve shown in the last two races just how competitive we can be and I’m confident we can have a similar level of performance in Singapore. The team is pushing hard to bring performance to the car and we’ve still got developments coming through which will help us a bit more this weekend.
“The Marina Bay track is one of my favourites and I’ve scored points every time I’ve raced there. I always enjoy driving on street circuits because you have to be aggressive and precise, and that suits my driving style. It’s quite bumpy, too, so you need a car with good stability to ride the bumps. It’s also one of the most demanding races of the year because of the heat and humidity.
“I’m now feeling more comfortable with the updated car. I made a big breakthrough in Spa and since then I’ve had the confidence to push and get the most from our package. It’s a good sign for the rest of the year.”
Nico on Singapore
Nico Hülkenberg looks forward to the challenge of Singapore.
Nico: “I’ve always enjoyed racing in Singapore and I think it’s one of the best events of the year. The city is buzzing and there’s a great atmosphere wherever you go. When it’s all lit up at night it looks stunning. I often wonder how much work is required to transform such a busy city into a racetrack. It’s clearly a huge logistical operation, but it’s definitely worth all the effort.
“The track layout has some nice features, but the first sector stands out for me – especially the fast right-hand kink of turn six and the braking zone of turn seven. You need a car that’s able to ride the bumps, can use the kerbs and gives you confidence through the low and medium-speed corners.
“I think the Singapore Grand Prix ranks as the toughest race of the year because of the heat. It’s physically draining and you’ve also got the mental challenge of racing so close to the walls with a small margin of error. We go there knowing we’ve made some good steps with the car over the last few races and aiming for more good points.”