The room is silent, and no one is speaking a word. Cameras are placed on either side, and the room is full of journalists. The two Sahara Force India F1 drivers, Adrian Sutil and Paul Di Resta, sit in a corner with their PR manager, rather tired and perhaps wondering why they’re still answering questions. With Indians pinning their hopes on their home team, both Sutil and Paul describe how they’re planning their path to a good season – with a podium finish or two if they’re lucky.
Adrian, you’ve been out of F1 for 14 months now, how does it feel to get back on the circuit?
Of course, it’s a very nice feeling and this is what I wanted to do. Last year was a different year without racing, a different experience, and it also made me realise that I still had a chance and a career in F1. Not much has changed, and there were still goals for me to achieve and the main thing was that I never gave up believing. Now that I am back there is plenty of work to do, and we hope this is a good year for us.
Were there any other avenues that you were planning to explore before you decided to come back to F1?
No, not last year to be honest. Last year was just a break. I was hoping to get a seat during this season, so I was just concentrating on Formula 1. But, for sure, if I wouldn’t have been able to get a seat this year, I would have had no choice but to move on. Possibly I would have gone to DTM or something like that. It is a very good championship, but it was really important for me to get back into F1 racing because if you’re not around for two years, people forget about you. I’m still young, and at the peak of my career.
Sahara Force India and you go back to 2008 when you first joined the team, so for your comeback, was it your first choice?
I had to look out for possibilities. But when I heard that Hulkenberg had left SFI to join Sauber, and the seat was free, this possibility changed into a reality. It was a good chance for me to come back into F1 with a team I know. There weren’t many options anyway, and though I was speaking to a few teams I could see it wasn’t going anywhere. I was just glad that this option came up because I had no plans to come back with SFI this year. I thought Hulkenberg was going to be the driver for this season too, but suddenly it changed. I saw a chance and leapt onto it. Also, I had nothing to lose. It was the only cockpit available in Formula 1, so I had to hope and wait, but I never stopped believing.
It’s the 3rd season for you Paul with the Sahara Force India F1 team and you’ve got behind the wheel of the VJM06, your thoughts on the car?
I think it’s quite a unique thing this year. The rules haven’t changed over the winter and that’s awesome. Essentially the car that’s been launched has more downforce than the car we had last year. We’ve tried to change the philosophy slightly and we want to make a more consistent car. The talk was to get the performance right and we achieved that last year in a few Grand Prix races where we had some good results like Singapore, Monza qualifying, and Valencia. So this year when we do get into that groove, we certainly hope to achieve that in the Australian Grand Prix itself (which they did, with both cars finishing in the points). I think it’s because the technical team has remained the same, we were able get that consistency. Every one gets into the fine details of the car, and I think this car is a step ahead than the one in the previous season.
What about you Adrian, you’ve driven it in Barcelona and got some good lap times as well?
It’s a very good car I must say. It is easy to drive and well balanced everywhere. Just small problems maybe, but those will be sorted out before the season starts. But with new tyres, it is well balanced. Of course we too, as drivers, have to learn and use our experience with the new tyres and we have to get used to them as the race progresses.
Problems?
Well, there is always room for improvement. Even if you are all trained, you have to always go on and improve your momentum and performance in the end. We have to work and concentrate harder. Every year there has been a big step up in the team, and now that I am back I can see some good developments within it. Some more people, a better structure, and improvement in small areas are all very important to the overall team success. As long as we are not really at the top there is always plenty of room for improvement and Formula 1 is a competitive sport, and where there is competition, you never stop working.
So, this year, the aim is to get a podium finish then?
Well, that is always an aim and everybody wants to be there. We know that the Sahara Force India fans want to see us up there, and our team doesn’t dream of anything other than that every day. Everything is possible, but we have to be realistic of course. Deep in your mind you have to believe it, else you cannot achieve it. I’m racing to win, and I hope it happens sooner rather than later.
Paul, you finished 14th overall last season. Is this season all about improving those standings?
14th, really – I don’t know? I don’t remember actually (Paul laughs while Adrian tells him how important it is to know your standings). Well, essentially, we head into Melbourne far better prepared than we ever have been and whether it’s because the rules are the same or because we’ve built a better car, I don’t know. No one from our immediate rivals like Williams, Sauber or Torro Rosso has done anything to determine which team is better than the other. We can be hopeful that we play to our strong points. It remains to be seen how we do once we’re out on the circuit, but we’re definitely pumped up and ready to go.
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