Sahara Force India opened its Hungarian Grand Prix weekend with two productive sessions in the scorching Budapest heat.
Nico Hulkenberg
“Today was fairly reasonable: it was a routine Friday and we did a lot of running with no big issues. We got through all the test items we had on our list, so from that point of view it was a very smooth day. We still have some work to do on our one lap pace, so we can find a little time there, but when we look at our long run pace we are in a good shape. The car felt okay, which is promising at this early stage in the weekend. The key factor come Sunday will be tyre management, as in almost every race. The weather is uncertain, but it will still be hot whatever happens and we will need to make the best of this situation.”
Sergio Perez
“It’s been a difficult day, especially during running with the prime tyres. We need to go through all the data we have gathered, every single lap, and analyse it to solve the few issues we have been having. On a more positive note, we seem to be more competitive when it comes to race pace. We just need to address a few set-up options to make the most of the very tight battle in the midfield. Grid position is crucial here in Hungary because it is very difficult to overtake, so it will be important to qualify well, and this will give us a good chance on Sunday, especially with the really hot temperatures we’re expecting.”
Vijay Mallya, Team Principal & Managing Director
“It has been a busy day on a track that has been constantly changing and improving. We have been trying different things on the two cars, working to achieve a good balance and we were happy to complete more than 120 laps with no problems. Our race balance is promising, but we still need to work a little on the qualifying side, especially because this is a track where a good starting position is crucial. Our tyres are performing very consistently so there is a good platform on which to build overnight.”