Monza, Italy: Satisfied with the results but not content to rest back on the fine show so far, Force India heads to the Italian Grand Prix to consolidate their form with a second successive double-points finish this weekend.
The Italian Grand Prix will be the final race of the European season before the FIA Formula One World Championship embarks on a quintet of races in Asia and South America.
Force India heads to the event looking to consolidate the form it showed at the previous event in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, where it secured its third double-points finish of the season.
"Yet again Spa was a good track for us, ultimately yielding a double-points finish for Adrian and Tonio. These points were crucial for us in the constructors' championship, moving us 18 points clear of Williams for sixth but it also showed that we're back in business for the second part of the season," said Vijay Mallya, Force India chairman and team principal.
"The pace and the handling were both encouraging and with similar configuration tracks coming up in Monza, Japan and Brazil, we're hoping that this performance can be replicated," he added.
Mallya conceded that it would not be easy for Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi from here on but hoped the two drivers would deliver nonetheless.
"Of course, we know that the on-track fights will intensify and it's not going to be easy to consolidate our position but we feel the momentum is with us now. Adrian and Tonio both raced very well and we've been given a real boost by the double points," he said.
Looking back at the Belgian Grand Prix, Sutil said it was good to come out with points after an exciting race.
"Belgium was a great race weeked for us and something we really needed to take us into the second part of the season.
It started well in practice, with the car very easy to drive and responding well to changes. It felt quite easy to go out and set quick times. So right from the start, I believed we were in for a shot of a good finish," he said.
"Fifth was pretty much the maximum we could do and I was delighted we could hold onto it with the weather changing and then the safety cars. At the end, only the championship contenders ahead of us. So we can be satisfied," he added.
Sutil said attaining top speed would be a problem here but hoped to fetch points once again.
"We don't have the top-speed advantage we had last year. So it's going to be another close weekend but we do know that we are amongst the quickest and that gives us a big chance to be in Q3 and then getting in the points. I got a great finish there last year, fourth; my best finish in F1 so far and to get that again would be amazing," he said.
"Of course, there's a huge championship battle going on ahead of us. So getting towards the front isn't going to be easy but I'm confident the team has got its momentum back after the double-points finish in Spa and we're all going to Italy very optimistic," Sutil said.
Teammate Liuzzi echoed his views and said he was looking forward to racing on his home track.
"Next up, I've got my home race in Italy, which is the same race I made my Force India race debut last year. It holds such great memories for me. Going into the race, we had just had a fantastic result in Spa. So the whole team was on a high and we knew we had a great car going into Monza," he said.
"I got the call and of course, I was pretty nervous but I tried to build into the weekend and gradually improve. Then in qualifying, I got into P7, which was such a fantastic feeling.
Unfortunately, in the race I had a mechanical problem when I was running in the top six but I really felt that I had done the maximum I could do," he added.
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