Sahara Force India 2017 Australian Grand Prix Preview
As the first race weekend edges closer, we’re bringing you all the latest ahead of the 2017 Australian Grand Prix.
Keeping in theme with their new colour change, here’s what the Sahara Force India Formula One team have to say about the 2017 Australian Grand Prix.
Sahara Force India 2017
Team Principal – Dr Vijay Mallya, reflects on the start of a new season in Australia.
“Scoring points is a realistic objective”
VJM – “I always say that Melbourne is a great place to start the season and this year, there is so much to be excited about!”
“With the new generation of cars making their race debut – it’s interesting for the teams, the media and most importantly, the fans. Let’s hope we put on a great show to kick-off the season in style.”
“We will race in our new colours for the first time in Melbourne. BWT have given us a very exciting livery and they have generated a huge buzz among the media and the fans! The VJM10 looks stunning and it’s great to see such a positive reaction on social media.”
“As for our expectations this weekend, it’s still not easy to make predictions – even after eight days of testing in Barcelona. Qualifying on saturday will give us our first indication of the true pecking order.”
“Testing taught us a lot of things and we’ve identified where we can improve – which is exactly why we got to testing.”
“We’ve addressed most of these things in time for Melbourne and we’re in good shape.”
“The VJM10 is largely reliable and clocked up 785 laps in testing – we took encouragement from our long run pace and we’ve got to approach the early races believing that we can pick up where we left off from last year.”
“We arrive in Melbourne feeling optimistic and confident that scoring points is a realistic objective.”
Sahara Force India 2017
Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez revs up for the new season and one of his favourite races on the calendar.
“I am confident that we can score points from the very first race.”
Sergio Perez – “The first race of the year is always good fun. We’ve had a long winter to recharge the batteries but now, I just want to go racing again.”
“Australia is the best place to start the season – it’s a great country and I really enjoy going there. There is so much to do in Melbourne and it’s a fun weekend – even if it is busier than some of the other races.”
“It’s important not to get distracted – we want to start well and get back into the race weekend rhythm and get on with our work.”
“The track itself is quite enjoyable and it’s a challenge to drive because it’s almost a street-circuit. It starts the weekend very green and as you go on, you get more grip and more confidence in the new car.”
“I am confident that we can do well and score points from the first race – Australia is a place where anything can happen! We have seen some very unpredictable races in the past and you never know what opportunities turn up in a race so you have to be ready at all times to take them.”
Sahara Force India 2017
Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon prepares for his Sahara Force India debut and his first full season in Formula 1.
“The team welcomed me and made me feel at ease straight away.”
Esteban Ocon – “I am feeling great after a long winter and I’m very excited to go to Melbourne – it will be the first time racing at Albert Park for me so I don’t really know the track. Last year – I went there and I liked what I could see.”
“It’s a proper old-school track and those are the sorts of circuit that I really enjoy – of course, it’s not easy when you don’t know the track in advance so it’s especially important to learn quickly in Friday sessions and then listen to the feedback from the engineers.”
“Whether it’s where I can be faster or where we can make the car quicker – I will listen. I think I have all the tools around me and all the people to do that.”
“Joining this team has gone very smoothly from my perspective – the team have welcomed me and made me feel at ease straight away. I feel very comfortable about the way we work and I feel this will help me give my best in Australia.”
“I think we have done a good job as a team during winter testing and I also feel confident because of all the simulated work we did over the winter. We continue to push on the simulator and I was at the factory a few days ago for final preparation for Melbourne.”
“I was very open to the team and told them I’d be available at HQ as much as they needed me over the winter and I feel satisfied with the work that we have done so far.”
“I think on track we have to extract everything we can from the car, this is our objective and we’ll go out and do the best we can and see where we are.”
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Thank you to the Sahara Force India Team for the information & images.