Sebastian Vettel Fastest After Final Practice At Malaysia
Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel has ended the final practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix fastest overall, ahead of the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton. Adrian Sutil impressed many to finish 3rd, as Force India continue to thwart their rivals. The tyres once again were the major factor of the session, which remained dry.
The third and final practice session of the weekend began in scorching weather conditions, as Jules Bianchi became the first of many drivers to instantly take to the track once the session began. Despite the majority of the field only completing one installation lap, Mark Webber was one of the few who decided to continue circulating early on as the Australian driver set the first timed lap of the day with a 01:44.486. However, with Red Bull carrying out their belated race simulation work, that time was instantly thwarted by the Caterham duo.
With the Malaysian Grand Prix an extremely important race for Caterham, it was unsurprising to see the duo of Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde trade fastest times at the top of the timing sheets early on. Giedo van der Garde finally worked his way down to a 01:40.900, before the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen stormed to the top with a 01:38.474. Nico Rosberg was quick to displace the 2007 World Champion at the top, before the Force India of Adrian Sutil continued his impressive return to the sport with 01:37.933 to rise to the top.
The Marussia duo of Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi became the first two drivers to switch to the medium tyre compound, as Lewis Hamilton asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:37.527. Nico Rosberg returned to the top as the session progressed with a 01:36.949, as Jenson Button slotted into 2nd position for McLaren. Lewis Hamilton was quick to return to the top for Mercedes, however, as the teams and drivers continued their preparations for the all-important qualifying hour.
As the session entered its closing stages, many drivers returned to the Sepang International Circuit to complete their final runs of the session. Sebastian Vettel managed to rise to the top for Red Bull with a 01:36.435, however uncertainty still surrounded the Pirelli tyres ahead of the qualifying session. Sergio Perez utterly destroyed his front tyres after an almighty lock-up during the final minutes, as McLaren continued to struggle within the midfield.
With Pirelli’s hard and medium tyre compounds still keeping everyone guessing within the Formula 1 paddock, many are still unsure who will reap the rewards during the all-important qualifying hour later in the day. Rain still remains a threat at the Sepang International Circuit, as the drivers and teams now crunch the numbers prior to qualifying.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m36.435 20 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m36.568s + 0.133s 17 3. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m36.588s + 0.153s 19 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m36.613s + 0.178s 20 5. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m36.806s + 0.371s 19 6. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m36.807s + 0.372s 18 7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m36.822s + 0.387s 16 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m36.946s + 0.511s 14 9. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m36.949s + 0.514s 24 10. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m37.302s + 0.867s 14 11. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m37.359s + 0.924s 11 12. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m37.538s + 1.103s 12 13. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m37.6$5s + 1.250s 23 14. Romain Grosjean Lotus Renault 1m37.690s + 1.255s 14 15. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m37.936s + 1.501s 16 16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m38.294s + 1.859s 17 17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.376s + 1.941s 16 18. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.425s + 1.990s 15 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m38.995s + 2.560s 18 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m39.717s + 3.282s 21 21. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m40.209s + 3.774s 18 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m40.495s + 4.060s 18
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Sebastian Vettel Unperturbed By Rivals Race Pace
Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel has stipulated that he is not worried by the race pace of his nearest rivals, despite both Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso leapfrogging the German during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel started the race on the front of the grid, alongside team-mate Mark Webber.
Despite Red Bull’s blisteringly quick qualifying pace, the duo struggled during the 58-lap race in comparison to the likes of Ferrari and Lotus. Both outfits’ displayed superb race pace on the Pirelli tyres, with Kimi Raikkonen in particular only requiring a two-stop strategy as he stormed to his 20th race victory of his career. Sebastian Vettel could only manage 3rd in the race, after initially struggling to overtake the Force India of Adrian Sutil after the German rose to the lead through not pitting.
However, Sebastian Vettel remains confident despite his rivals seriously competitive race pace in comparison to his own. Prior to the start of the season, many predicted that Lotus looked strong with their race pace. During the race, Kimi Raikkonen was both strong with his pace and kind to his tyres, as he stormed to victory +12.451 seconds ahead of Fernando Alonso. Sebastian Vettel is taking the many positives from the opening race weekend, including the team’s stellar qualifying performance.
“No, I’m not worried.” Explained Sebastian Vettel, when asked whether he was seriously worried about his rivals pace. “I have to admit sometimes that other people are faster. I think we can be very happy today. We had a great qualifying session this morning and this afternoon unfortunately didn’t quite work the way we would have liked but it’s a long season, a long way ahead of us, so good points to start. Surely we wanted a little bit more but there’s no reason to be disappointed.”
After dominantly securing pole position for the race, many were understandably expecting Sebastian Vettel to romp into the distance and secure what would’ve been his 27th race victory. Instead, the German was thwarted by Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso and even Adrian Sutil. He will be striving for revenge next weekend at the Malaysian Grand Prix, as he aims to reassert his authority over the sport.
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Kimi Raikkonen Storms To Superlative Victory At The Australian Grand Prix
Kimi Raikkonen has stormed to an impressive victory at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, during a 58-lap race which was dominated by the ever-changing Pirelli tyres. The Finn was followed home by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, with reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel a distant 3rd for Red Bull.
Despite locking-out the front row of the grid during qualifying earlier in the morning, the Red Bull’s advantage was thwarted during the opening race of the season as tyre strategies dominated proceedings. At the start Sebastian Vettel stormed into the lead for Red Bull, whereas the German’s team-mate of Mark Webber visibly struggled off of the line and was robbed by the Ferrari duo and Lewis Hamilton. The local hero continued to struggle during the opening lap, whereas Felipe Massa aimed at catching race leader Sebastian Vettel at the front.
Lewis Hamilton became locked in a grueling battle for 4th with the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, with the Finn eventually muscling his way around the Briton during the frenetic opening laps. The first laps of the race were disastrous for the two local drivers, as Daniel Ricciardo fell to the back of the pack for Toro Rosso after fellow countryman Mark Webber’s terrible start. Jenson Button became the first driver to pit for new tyres on Lap 5 for McLaren, with the Briton being followed into the pits during the next few laps by many others including Mark Webber.
Sebastian Vettel leads at the front as the pack negotiates Turn 1.
Whilst many drivers decided to pit early for new tyres, Felipe Massa began to seriously catch the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel for the lead. Eventually the reigning Champion elected to pit from the lead on Lap 8, whereas the Ferrari duo elected to remain out on track with Felipe Massa in the lead. The next lap saw Felipe Massa finally decide to pit, as team-mate Fernando Alonso took the lead ahead of the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen. The duo also pitted on Lap 10, allowing Lewis Hamilton to assume the lead for Mercedes.
Pastor Maldonado struggled greatly during the opening stages of the Grand Prix, as the Venezuelan driver skipped through the gravel at Turn 1. Further down the order saw McLaren’s Sergio Perez visibly struggle for grip, as he plummeted through the pack. Kimi Raikkonen began to display his superlative pace after his opening pit stop for Lotus, whereas Lewis Hamilton remained in the lead for Mercedes despite not yet pitting. However, the 2008 World Champion elected to pit on Lap 14, thus handing the lead down to team-mate Nico Rosberg.
Once the German driver had also pitted for Mercedes, the lead was surprisingly assumed by the Force India of Formula 1 returnee Adrian Sutil. Many expected the German driver to also pit soon after taking the lead, however after starting the race on the medium tyre the German driver was able to remain out on track much longer than predicted. Sebastian Vettel was unable to catch and overtake the Force India, with Felipe Massa close behind the reigning World Champion.
Whilst Adrian Sutil continued to command the race at the front, Mark Webber pitted once again for Red Bull. The Australian driver was followed a lap later by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, who pitted earlier than his team-mate to try and perfect the “undercut”. Adrian Sutil and Sebastian Vettel pitted together on Lap 22, with the Force India driver amazingly exiting the pit-lane ahead of his fellow compatriot. However, Fernando Alonso stormed around both of them after they exited the pit-lane, as Felipe Massa led out in front.
Felipe Massa’s chances of a strong result were scuppered when the Ferrari driver pitted on Lap 24, which saw the Brazilian driver exit behind both Alonso, Vettel and even Sutil. Pastor Maldonado’s race failed to improve, as the Williams driver spun out of the race at Turn 1 on Lap 26 and beached his car in the unforgiving gravel. Nico Rosberg followed the Venezuelan driver into retirement shortly after, with an electrical fault striking the German’s Mercedes.
As the race progressed light rain began to sprinkle down upon the Albert Park street circuit, however it failed to amount to anything like the rainfall witnessed the day before. Lewis Hamilton struggled greatly on his set of medium tyres, and was passed by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso before he pitted for a second time. This handed the lead to Kimi Raikkonen, who elected to pit shortly after despite a promising display of pace from the Finn at the front.
Fernando Alonso assumed the lead at the front of the pack, whilst reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel pitted on Lap 38. When the Spaniard eventually pitted once again on Lap 40, Adrian Sutil once again assumed the lead of the race after a superlative display of pace from the Force India driver. Daniel Ricciardo became the next driver to retire from the race of Lap 42, after a broken exhaust on the Toro Rosso.
Just prior to Adrian Sutil’s final pit-stop of the race of the super-soft tyre compound, Kimi Raikkonen streamed around the Force India driver at Turn 14 for the lead of the race. After taking the lead, the Finn simply romped into the distance to secure his first win at the Albert Park street circuit since 2007. Adrian Sutil’s race ended miserably, after his switch to the super-soft tyre failed to work and he plummeted through the order.
Such misfortune failed to find Kimi Raikkonen, who led home a podium which included a combined six World Championships with Fernando Alonso 2nd and Sebastian Vettel 3rd. The “Iceman” will unquestionably be looking to replicate such successes next time out at the Malaysian Grand Prix next weekend, at a venue where the Finn secured his maiden Grand Prix victory in 2003.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Australian Grand Prix Albert Park, Australia; 58 laps; 307.574km; Weather: Cloudy. Classified: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1h30:03.225 2. Alonso Ferrari + 12.451 3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 22.346 4. Massa Ferrari + 33.577 5. Hamilton Mercedes + 45.561 6. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 46.800 7. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1:05.068 8. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:08.449 9. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 1:21.630 10. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 1:22.759 11. Perez McLaren-Mercedes + 1:23.367 12. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:23.857 13. Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap 14. Bottas Williams-Renault + 1 lap 15. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap 16. Pic Caterham-Renault + 2 laps 17. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth + 2 laps 18. van der Garde Caterham-Renault + 2 laps Fastest lap: Raikkonen, 1:29.274 Not classified/retirements: Driver Team On lap Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 40 Rosberg Mercedes 26 Maldonado Williams-Renault 25 Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1
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Adrian Sutil Finally Confirmed At Force India
Force India have finally confirmed German driver Adrian Sutil alongside Paul di Resta for the forthcoming season, after months of speculation as to who would eventually secure the final seat on the grid. This will see Adrian Sutil complete a return to Formula 1, and embark upon his fifth season with the Silverstone-based outfit.
After Nico Hulkenberg switched to Sauber after last season, Force India were left in a conundrum as to who to elect to partner Paul di Resta. Over the winter period, numerous drivers had been linked to the outfit, including the likes of Bruno Senna, Heikki Kovalainen, Jaime Alguersuari, Jules Bianchi, Adrian Sutil and even Narain Karthikeyan. Throughout recent weeks, that long list had shortened somewhat leaving only Jules Bianchi and Adrian Sutil as likely candidates to secure the final vacancy on the grid.
For the second test at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, Force India confirmed that both Paul di Resta, Adrian Sutil and Jules Bianchi would test the new Mercedes-powered VJM06 machine. This cemented the fact that either Sutil or Bianchi would eventually secure the drive, and only several weeks prior to the start of the season the Silverstone-based outfit have confirmed that the 30-year-old German has been the successful candidate.
“I’m delighted to be back in Formula One, especially with a team I know so well.” Enthused Adrian Sutil, “I’m very happy and I want to thank Sahara Force India for giving me a second chance. Having been away from the sport, I’m even more determined to achieve my goals in Formula One. Things went really well at the Barcelona test last week and it almost feels as though I’ve never been away. Driving the car felt so natural and I was able to get back in the groove quickly and find the limit. Now my focus is on making the most of the final test session this week, working with the team in the simulator and getting myself in the best possible shape for Melbourne.”
Adrian Sutil will return behind the wheel of the VJM06 on Friday to continue his preparations for the season ahead at the third and final test, and will continue to do so on Saturday before Paul di Resta reassumes driving duties on Sunday. Adrian Sutil’s Formula 1 career began in 2007 with Spyker, and continued with the outfit once they were rebranded as Force India in 2008. The German has since started in 90 Grands Prix, finishing a personal best of 4th at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix.
After failing to greatly impress during his first stint in Formula 1, Adrian Sutil will naturally be eager to rekindle his competitiveness in the sport once the season gets underway at Australia next month. Last year saw Force India enjoy a relatively competitive season the midfield, and both Sutil and di Resta will be striving to continue such results in 2013.
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Adrian Sutil: “Now We Can Only Wait And Cross Our Fingers”
Adrian Sutil made his first appearance behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car since the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix yesterday, when the German driver carried out a days testing for Force India. This comes amid continued speculation as to who will partner Paul di Resta at the Silverstone-based outfit this season.
For many months, the F1 fraternity has been awash with rumors and speculations as to who will eventually partner Paul di Resta at Force India for the new season. Since Nico Hulkenberg’s departure to Sauber, the team have yet to shed any official light on who will replace the German. Despite the team remaining as coy as possible on the subject, many drivers have been linked to the outfit in recent months including the likes of Jules Bianchi, Adrian Sutil, Jaime Alguersuari, Bruno Senna, Heikki Kovalainen and Narain Karthikeyan.
Jules Bianchi is also striving to secure the final seat at Force India.
With only several weeks to go before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, this list of possible drivers has whittled down somewhat to Jules Bianchi and Adrian Sutil. Both drivers have now driven the new VJM06 machine, and both have been associated with the team for many years. However, we are still none the wiser as to who will eventually be given the nod to team-mate Paul di Resta. The Briton has already explained how he has no preference over who is eventually chosen, but Sutil has confirmed that he and his manager have done all they can to secure the drive.
“Let’s wait and see in the next couple of days.” Explained Adrian Sutil, when asked how his chances of returning stood after his day testing. “My manager and I did all we can to make the decision easy for the team. Now we can only wait and cross our fingers. It was a good day and nice to be back in a Formula One car once again. My understanding is that the test next week in Barcelona will definitely feature both drivers from Force India’s 2013 driver line-up.”
The third and final pre-season test at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya begins next Thursday, and will be the last time any of the drivers’ will be officially able to turn a wheel before Friday practice in Australia. Adrian Sutil seems quietly confident he can complete a return to the sport with Force India, yet many within the world of Formula 1 believe Jules Bianchi should be offered his chance to shine in the sport.
One other rumor within the paddock is that Force India’s future engine supplier could well be influenced by the driver the team eventually chooses. Adrian Sutil has a strong partnership with current engine supplier Mercedes, however Jules Bianchi could bring Ferrari engines to the team in the future due largely to his links to the Scuderia’s young driver programme. With Mercedes well advanced in the design of their 2014 engine, could Adrian Sutil’s relationship with the German marque prove a pivotal factor in his F1 future?
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Jaime Alguersuari Focusing On Pirelli Test Drive Role In 2013
Former Formula 1 driver Jaime Alguersuari has explained how he will continue to strive for a full-time Formula 1 drive, despite his recent confirmation that he will not race for Force India in 2013. After a season away from a full-time drive testing for Pirelli and commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live, Alguersuari was confident of returning in 2013.
However, as the rumors continue to circulate as to who will eventually team-mate Paul di Resta at Force India, Jaime Alguersuari has confirmed that he will not line-up on the grid in Melbourne next month with the Silverstone-based outfit. Instead, the Spanish driver will continue to focus on his Pirelli test driver role, as well as keeping up to scratch with driving a Formula 1 car.
With many other drivers including Jules Bianchi, Adrian Sutil and Narain Karthikeyan also eying up the sole remaining vacancy at Force India, it was also rumored that Alguersuari would instead move to DTM for the forthcoming season should a return to Formula 1 fail to materialize. However, this particular endeavor by Alguersuari has been thwarted by former F1 driver Timo Glock at BMW. This therefore means Alguersuari will once again spend a motor sport season only testing for Pirelli, although the 22-year-old is confident he can one day complete a return to Formula 1.
“When a driver in his best racing form leaves F1, he needs to keep his currency up,” explained Jaime Alguersuari to AutoSport. “That’s why I’m very happy to have this Pirelli deal, because I can still be active, can still run in the car and can understand the tyres. I’m still ready to jump in and race this year and do the job I should do. Possibly I did close other opportunities in other series but now I’m concentrating on this [the Pirelli test drive]. Maybe in the future I will look at other things.”
With Jaime Alguersuari seemingly out of the equation at Force India for 2013, it is widely predicated that the second and final drive on the grid with Silverstone-based outfit will be a “shoot-out” between reserve driver Jules Bianchi and former driver Adrian Sutil. Jaime Alguersuari however will continue his work with Pirelli, in the hope that one of the teams decides to replace one of their drivers throughout 2013.
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Adrian Sutil Confirmed At Force India For Barcelona Test
It has been confirmed that German driver Adrian Sutil will complete one day of testing with Force India at this weeks second pre-season test around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. This comes amid continued speculation as to who will eventually team-mate Paul di Resta at the Silverstone-based outfit.
With the new season quickly approaching, Force India remain the only team on the grid who have yet to officially confirm their full driver line-up. Currently only Scotsman Paul di Resta has been confirmed for the new season, with several drivers including Adrian Sutil, Jules Bianchi and even Narain Karthikeyan still within a chance of securing the final seat on the 2013 grid.
Once again Force India will test three different drivers during the four days of testing at Barcelona this week, with Paul di Resta scheduled to open the week with driving duties on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Briton will then hand the VJM06 over to former team-mate Adrian Sutil for Thursday before Frenchman Jules Bianchi once again brings proceedings to an end on Friday. With the absence of Narain Karthikeyan from Force India’s driving line-up, many perceive this week’s test as a “shoot-out” between Sutil and Bianchi as to who will eventually team-mate di Resta.
Adrian Sutil’s entire Formula 1 career was spent with the Silverstone-based outfit, which began when the team were then known as Spyker back in 2007. Once the team was rebranded as Force India, Sutil remained with the outfit until 2011 when he was replaced by Nico Hulkenberg following his altercation with Eric Lux, the Chief Executive of Genii Capital, at a nightclub in Shanghai. Should Sutil get the drive and complete his return to the sport, it’s undeniable that it will be his final chance to impress with a team eager to begin battling at the front.
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Narain Karthikeyan Linked To Force India Drive
Former Jordan and HRT driver Narain Karthikeyan has become the latest driver to be linked to the remaining race seat at Force India, amid continued speculation as to who will eventually team-mate Paul di Resta. The last seat for the Silverstone-based outfit remains the only vacancy on the 2013 grid.
With only several weeks remaining until the season opening Australian Grand Prix, Force India remain the only team on the grid without a fully confirmed driver line-up, after Marussia and Caterham signed Luiz Razia and Giedo van der Garde respectively to complete their driver line-ups for the forthcoming season. Many drivers have been linked to the vacancy at Force India, including the likes of Jaime Alguersuari, Adrian Sutil, Jules Bianchi and now Narain Karthikeyan.
Narain Karthikeyan’s sudden link to the Indian outfit comes after it emerged that the 36-year-old would be able to bring wealthy sponsorship money to the team with Tata, which would essentially see Karthikeyan pay for his drive within the team. The topic of pay drivers has been rife throughout the paddock of late, however it has become a well known fact that some teams up and down the grid require such income to continue their existence in sport.
“As soon as Narain’s long-term sponsors Tata increased the budget for 2013, talks with Force India began.” Explained a source in the Deccan Chronicle. “Unlike the past, the negotiation has been a lot more positive. As reserve drivers don’t have much of a role in F1 these days, Narain is only interested in the second driver seat. If talks fail, he will probably go to America for [the] IndyCar Series where a couple of teams have already shown interest.”
Should Narain Karthikeyan complete the switch from the ashes of HRT to Force India, he would become the first Indian driver to secure a full-time race seat with an Indian outfit. Although this would be an ideal PR opportunity for the Indian Grand Prix later in the year, Karthikeyan’s previous record is unarguably against him with the likes of Adrian Sutil and Jules Bianchi in the mix.
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Scorpion Racing Eying Up HRT Takeover
It has been confirmed that a group of Canadian and American investors are eying up a possible takeover of the HRT Formula 1 Team, after the Madrid-based outfit failed to stay afloat in the expensive world of the sport. The group of investors, known as Scorpion Racing, are allegedly striving to secure the twelfth slot on the grid for the 2013 season.
Although Formula 1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone appears to be backing Scorpion Racing’s bid to purchase the ailing Spanish team, it is widely believed by many within the paddock that the planned resurgence will have to wait until the 2014 season. With the forthcoming season only weeks away, it is highly unlikely that the sports governing body, the FIA, will permit the team to compete in the new season.
When HRT entered liquidation at the end of last season, it is believed the final slot on the 2013 grid was closed. This naturally means that Scorpion Racing will have to wait until 2014 before they can begin competing in the sport. Although Scorpion Racing is only in the early stages of its purchase of the HRT F1 team, German newspaper Bild is already linking former Force India driver Adrian Sutil to the outfit. However, F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes it is too late for Scorpion Racing to be included in the forthcoming season.
“I’ve spoken to them and told them to get in touch with the FIA and ask for an entry,” explained Mr. Ecclestone to the Press Association. “They want to buy all the bits from HRT, then form a company and ask for an entry, but I personally don’t think it will happen. It’s all a bit too late. Maybe they could do it for next year.”
It has been rumored that Scorpion Racing would operate out of a base within Silverstone, instead of utilizing HRT’s still relatively new factory in Madrid. It is expected that the investors will complete the takeover of HRT towards the end of the week, enabling them to begin preparations for their endeavor into the tough world of Formula 1.
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Force India Reveal February Launch Date For New Car
Force India have revealed the date for the launch of their new 2013 machine, the VJM06, ahead of the 2013 season and the start of pre-season testing at Jerez. Just like their preparations for the 2012 season, Force India will unveil their new car at their home circuit at Silverstone on February 1st.
After a relatively successful 2012 season, Force India is targeting fifth in the Constructors’ Championship next season, following on from their competitive end to the 2012 season after Sauber-bound Nico Hulkenberg led the majority of the season finale at Brazil. Despite this competitive end to the season, neither Paul di Resta or Nico Hulkenberg were able to finish on the podium all season, which saw the Silverstone-based outfit finish 7th in the Constructors’ Championship with 109 points scored.
Force India currently remains the only team with both seats still vacant, although it is strongly predicted throughout the F1 fraternity that Scotsman Paul di Resta will remain with the team for 2013. However, di Resta’s team-mate for next year remains a hot topic throughout the world of Formula 1, with many drivers including reserve driver Jules Bianchi, ex-Force India driver Adrian Sutil, Jaime Alguersuari and Bruno Senna all rumored to be linked to the second seat at the team.
The Silverstone-based outfit will be eager to get pre-season testing underway in early February at Jerez, after Force India struggled during the early stages of the 2012 season, therefore putting the team on the back foot for the remainder of the year. The first pre-season test is scheduled to begin on February 5th at Jerez, before testing moves swiftly to Barcelona on February 19th.
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