FP1 & FP2 - Monaco GP report: Force India Mercedes

Sahara Force India had a productive day to start the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, despite the weather conditions reducing running in the afternoon session.

Nico Hülkenberg

“I think the morning session was pretty straightforward and the one from which we can draw the most positives. I could only manage one run in the afternoon before the rain came, and it would have made little sense to run given that the rest of the weekend will have very different conditions. It’s a logical decision for the team, but it’s a shame for the fans as they didn’t get to see much running in FP2. We managed to go through all our preparation work that we would normally do on a Friday: there is room for improvement with our setup but we should be able to carry it out on Saturday when we get back on track.”

Sergio Perez

“We achieved even more than we expected this morning, managing to include some long runs in our programme. We did some experimentation with our tyres and, although the track conditions were not ideal, we decided to try some higher fuel runs. We learnt a lot this morning and we were quite optimistic about our prospects in the afternoon session, but unfortunately the rain cut the amount of running we could do. We couldn’t do all of the tyre testing we hoped for, but we should be able to do that in FP3 and have enough time to study the data ahead of qualifying; in the end, everyone is in the same conditions. What matters is that the car is giving me the confidence to push it hard, which is really all you need around a place like Monaco.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal

“Rain always affects proceedings, but even more so when the forecast for the race is dry: it would have made little sense to go out and risk damage in order to get data of little significance. Both drivers are quite happy with the initial balance of the car, and we were able to plan our session to give them as much track time as possible, which is crucial to build their confidence around this track. Given the reduced amount of running in the afternoon session, the bulk of our work was done in the morning: we managed to complete our planned programme with no interruptions, getting some good mileage and information. We knew of the likelihood of rain disrupting FP2, so we included a few runs on high fuel in the morning session, which was a decision that paid off. In a place like Monaco, where every mistake is punished, it was important not to have any incident which could sideline us for the session, which thankfully did not happen. Our plan included both longer and shorter runs in order for us to optimise our setup ahead of Saturday’s qualifying: of course, the time lost to the rain in the afternoon means FP3 will likely be busier than originally expected, but it’ll be the same for everyone on the grid.”