A Force To Reckon With: Adrian Sutil And Paul di Resta

After six years in the business and with six races remaining, we caught up with race drivers — Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil to talk about their journey from being the whupping boys in Formula One to a top class team.

Adrian Sutil

FHM: Adrian it’s great to see you back in F1 and in Force India colours. Even after a gap of a year, you still are one of the fastest drivers in the circuit. How did you manage to stay focussed and razor sharp?

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AS: It’s a tough job. I follow a healthy diet and there was some serious training during the wintertime or off-season. I knew I had to stay very fit because the fitter you are, the longer you will last in the season. With experience, I have learned how to conserve energy. I have always been focussed on F1 and even after a year’s suspension I never gave up hope and I am happy to be back.

FHM: You have been with Force India since the beginning. What is the progression you have seen that has made this team into a highly competitive unit?

AS: Yes, I have been with the team for 5 years now. We started at the back of the grid but we have fought well and our first success came in 2009 as the car was very fast, which was a great motivation for us. Then we started building a more consistent car that was suitable for most of the tracks apart from perhaps, the fast straight stretches and as a result, we scored more points. Since 2010, we have been in the top 10, actually even better. Our next challenge is the biggest one – of winning races. You must keep in mind that it took Red Bull seven years before the team starting winning GPS, so we too are getting there. Also, if you compare other teams, our budget is a lot less and we have still managed to achieve quite significant strides. So currently we are a very efficient and thoroughly professional team.

FHM: You, most probably, had the least pre-season test time. Is this a disadvantage for you as there is a lot of criticism over Pirelli tyres?

AS: Of course it was a difficult start for me as the announcement came just a couple of days before the first race. But my years of experience didn’t let me down and I was off the F1 circuit for only a year. So I was still familiar with the car and the requirements to manage tyres. Also, the team ensured that I understood the dynamics and the equipment in the car. So now I am back in the groove and I am really enjoying my work.

FHM: Which team do you consider as a direct rival?

AS: I think it is the former champions, McLaren. This is a testimony to our team – how we have evolved and are direct rivals to one of the most successful teams in F1 history. They are only a couple of points ahead of us, so we will try our best and try and score as many points as possible.

Adrian Sutil: Grand Prix entered: 103. Highest race finish: 4 (x1). Highest grid position: 2 (x1). Date of birth: 11 January 1983. Nationality: German. Place of birth: Starnberg.

Paul di Resta

Paul di Resta burst into the Formula 1 scene in 2011. Touted as the next big thing, the rookie didn’t disappoint as he finished 6th at the Singapore Grand Prix on his debut year. This year the Scotsman is 10th in the 2013 Driver’s Championship table and his best outing has been the Bahrain Grand Prix where he finished 4th.

FHM: After qualifying 5th at the British GP, you were disqualified and had to start from the back of the grid. But you finished the race at 9th place. Was this one of the toughest races for you?

PdR: British Grand Prix is always a tough race. But yes, it was a difficult challenge given the situation that I started at the back of the grid. We were looking to get some points and it was quite satisfying that we finished strongly at 9th even though I made some small mistakes.

FHM: At the moment, Force India is fighting for the 5th position with McLaren in the Constructor’s Championship… What do you think will be a realistic season finish for the team?

PdR: We have beaten them on different occasions this year and though we lost points in the last few grand prix, there is no reason we can’t bounce back. We will keep fighting till the end and we do have a realistic chance. To finish 5th would be a great achievement for us, and it will also be our best season finish.

FHM: There is no clear number 1 driver in the team. Does that add more pressure on both you and Adrian?

PdR: It’s all about quality and if both the drivers can get the desired results then it is very positive for the team. What matters is that we have to good enough to be in the car and produce the desired result and be competitive.

Paul di Resta: Grand Prix entered: 52. Highest race finish: 4 (x2). Highest grid position: 5 (x2). Date of birth: 16 April 1986. Nationality: British. Place of birth: Uphall, Scotland.

Rise of Sahara Force India

2007: Vijay Mallya buys the struggling Spyker team.

2008: Team name is changed to the Force India Formula One Team. Renault driver Giancarlo Fisichella joins Adrian Sutil. The car’s chassis is also improved.

2009: Cars performance improves because of Mercedes-Benz engines. Fisichella breaks the point jinx as he finishes second in the Belgian GP. Promising season takes an abrupt turn as Fischella runs off to the Ferrari paddock mid season. Team tosses the helmet to reserve driver Tonio Liuzzi.

2010: Consistent performance by both Sutil and Liuzzi gives the team their best finish in the Constructor’s Championship – rank 7. Career best finish for Sutil as he finishes fifth at both Malaysia and Belgium.

2011: In October, the Sahara India Pariwar, becomes a co-owner of the team with an investment of $100 million. The team is renamed Sahara Force India. More exciting news as the team finishes 6th comfortably, just 4 points behind Renault. It is the most successful year for the team till date as the rookie Paul di Resta finishes 13th, while Sutil finishes ninth.

2012: Sahara Force India has the most talented driver line – Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg. The latter shows a lot promise and the team manages to finish a respectable seventh.

From the October 2013 issue of FHM India.