Force India are hoping they can put on a good showing at Austin as Formula 1 action resumes this weekend after a fortnight’s break.
The Silverstone-based team are locked in a fight with McLaren for a top 5 finish, somewhere they’ve been for the majority of the season. Although they’ve recently fallen behind their rivals, having witnessed the Woking-based outfit raise their game with strong performances in Suzuka and Sochi.
Nico Hulkenberg, who has been outshone by team-mate Sergio Perez since the mid-season break, is eyeing to add to his points tally and is encouraged by previous form in the last two races at the Circuit Of The Americas track.
“I’ve had good results in Austin [P8 in 2012 and P6 in 2013] so I am feeling upbeat about this weekend.” the German told F1’s official website.
“It’s clear that some teams ahead of us have made a step forward recently, but we know that we can race well. I think it’s realistic to target points again this weekend and try to close the gap to fifth place.”
Perez has stepped up to become the team’s leading points-scorer during the second half of the campaign and feels that Force India have extracted the most out of their package in recent races and is looking to emulate that this weekend.
“I arrive in Austin feeling positive. I’ve scored points in every race since the summer break – five races in a row – and I think we’ve maximised what we could get out of those races.” said Perez.
“We’ve been racing hard, taking some chances, and making some excellent decisions with the strategy so hopefully we can continue to do so in the next few races.”
Team principal Dr Vijay Mallya is determined for his team to keep in touch with McLaren and make the most of any opportunities offered as the Formula 1 season enters its final stages.
“Fifth place is not that far ahead so it’s certainly not out of reach. It’s been a ding-dong battle all season.” Mallya said.
“As I said before Russia, we’re not giving up, whether it’s Austin, Sao Paulo, or Abu Dhabi we’ll give it everything we have! The final races of the season traditionally can deliver surprises and we must be ready to take any opportunity that comes up”
