Force India limits running to baseline laps
Friday in Spa-Francorchamps was all about the weather as both free practice sessions were affected by heavy rain showers causing Sahara Force India, just like most other teams, to complete limited running.
Paul Di Resta, VJM05/02:
FP1: P11, 2:15.812, 11 laps
FP2: P4, 2:51.333, 3 laps
“Not much to say after a day when we spent most of our time in the garage waiting for the rain to stop. There were a few moments when the rain eased up this morning, so I managed to do some laps on the wet tyres, but it was very tricky and there were some very wet parts of the track. We did a few runs to check over the car, but there was a limited amount we could learn today. You have to feel for the fans who didn’t see much action. I hope they didn’t get too wet.”
Nico Hulkenberg, VJM05/03:
FP1: P13, 2:16.785, 10 laps
FP2: P9, 2:59.125, 5 laps
“It was just one of those days in Spa – the sort of weather you often experience here. It was wet when we woke up and the rain stayed with us all day. It was cold, too, and quite chilly in the car. We did a limited programme because there was no point taking the risk on such a wet track. We think it will be dry tomorrow, but at least we have some experience and data from the wet conditions because you never know what the weather will do in Spa.”
Jakob Andreasen, Chief Engineer:
“We were expecting a wet day so the priority was to try and make the best of very difficult conditions and to be ready in case there was a break in the weather. When the rain eased up during the morning, both drivers went out and got a feel for the car in these conditions. Having completed some wet baseline runs, they now have some knowledge to draw upon in case the rain returns later in the weekend. If anything the showers were heavier this afternoon so we chose to remain in the garage for most of the session. Both drivers did some exploration laps and practice starts before the chequered flag came out.”
