The under-pressure Adrian Sutil matched his best result of 2011 in Brazil.
| Adrian Sutil | Paul di Resta | |
| Qualifying position | 8 | 11 |
| Qualifying time comparison (Q2) | 1’13.261 (-0.323) | 1’13.584 |
| Race position | 6 | 8 |
| Laps | 70/71 | 70/71 |
| Pit stops | 3 | 2 |
Force India drivers’ lap times throughout the race (in seconds):
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | |
| Adrian Sutil | 87.926 | 79.958 | 79.468 | 79.793 | 79.305 | 79.229 | 79.224 | 79.19 | 79.222 | 79.484 | 79.437 | 79.664 | 80.318 | 83.209 | 93.507 | 78.478 | 78.505 | 79.08 | 79.235 | 78.67 | 78.075 | 77.809 | 78.018 | 78.29 | 78.552 | 78.305 | 78.259 | 78.189 | 78.339 | 78.967 | 82.366 | 92.497 | 77.563 | 77.636 | 77.31 | 77.161 | 77.578 | 77.375 | 77.586 | 78.429 | 77.63 | 78.502 | 77.287 | 77.639 | 81.176 | 92.479 | 78.098 | 77.433 | 78.64 | 77.536 | 77.477 | 77.362 | 77.398 | 77.532 | 77.41 | 77.737 | 78.776 | 77.392 | 77.405 | 77.235 | 77.519 | 77.527 | 77.646 | 77.54 | 78.005 | 78.148 | 78.162 | 79.533 | 78.65 | 78.155 | |
| Paul di Resta | 89.186 | 80.93 | 80.199 | 79.774 | 79.881 | 79.669 | 79.974 | 79.518 | 79.736 | 79.973 | 79.834 | 80.115 | 79.543 | 79.713 | 79.679 | 79.973 | 84.632 | 93.162 | 78.599 | 78.546 | 78.26 | 78.364 | 78.292 | 78.698 | 78.153 | 78.59 | 78.32 | 78.844 | 78.556 | 78.944 | 79.128 | 78.768 | 78.575 | 78.544 | 78.587 | 78.677 | 79.422 | 79.118 | 79.236 | 82.93 | 94.135 | 78.716 | 78.377 | 77.908 | 77.924 | 78.025 | 77.785 | 77.947 | 78.95 | 78.203 | 78.16 | 78.85 | 79.012 | 78.372 | 78.074 | 77.602 | 77.763 | 78.447 | 79.342 | 77.733 | 77.636 | 77.497 | 77.752 | 77.452 | 77.986 | 77.647 | 79.001 | 78.408 | 78.583 | 79.056 |
Adrian Sutil
| Start tyre | Soft |
| Pit stop 1 | Soft 21.097s |
| Pit stop 2 | Soft 20.9s |
| Pit stop 3 | Medium 21.138s |
Sutil reached Q3 for the fifth time in the last six races, equalling his season-best qualifying position of eighth for the fourth time.
He had a strong run in the race, using a three-stop strategy to catch and pass Nico Rosberg for sixth place: “It completes a great weekend where everything went to plan,” he said.
“I had a good feeling in all the sessions and the team did a brilliant job to give me such a good car today. We also made the right calls with the strategy because we knew there was a chance to beat Mercedes, and that?óÔé¼Ôäós exactly what we did.
“So I?óÔé¼Ôäóm very happy with my sixth place ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ it?óÔé¼Ôäós the best way to end the year and it also means that I move up to ninth place in the drivers?óÔé¼Ôäó championship, which was my aim.”
Paul di Resta
| Start tyre | Soft |
| Pit stop 1 | Soft 20.745s |
| Pit stop 2 | Medium 21.767s |
Di Resta was three-tenths of a second off his team mate in Q2 and that was the difference between which one of them reached the final ten. He started 11th.
Force India continued their recent trend of splitting strategies between the two drivers during the race, and not for the first time it didn’t work out as well for Di Resta.
Running two stops to Sutil’s three left him with a particularly slow middle stint. On top of that he was nursing a car problem: “There was a concern with the gearbox around half way through the race so the team told me to just try and bring the car home,” he said.
Di Resta finished eighth: “In the final stint it was just a case of managing the gap to [Kamui] Kobayashi behind me and we had enough to do that quite easily in the end.”
Nico Hulkenberg
Drove Di Resta’s car in first practice.
2011 Brazilian Grand Prix
- Sutil voted Driver of the Weekend for Brazil
- Vettel “definitely affected” by gearbox problem – Webber
- 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix: complete race weekend review
- Vote for Brazilian GP driver of the weekend
- Red Bull: Gearbox glitch hands win to Webber
- McLaren: Button wanted to pass Alonso without using DRS
- Massa makes 100 Ferrari starts but no podium
- Ferrari: Alonso slips back on medium tyres
- Mercedes: Two-stop strategy leaves Rosberg vulnerable
- Force India: Sutil equals best result of the year
Image ?é?® Force India F1 Team
ed24f1 (@ed24f1)
28th November 2011, 13:24
Another really stunning drive from Sutil! His pace was outstanding throughout the race, and great work to him and the team to jump Rosberg.
It’s a really tough decision who to drop between him and Di Resta. Di Resta probably has more long term potential, but Sutil has really stepped up in the second half of the year.
smifaye (@)
28th November 2011, 15:27
Sutil for me would be the obvious choice. He has really impressed me over the second half of the year, and silently so. Hopefully the team bosses will see this and someone will give him a drive. He was always quick but seemed to get into too many crashes and silly mistakes. I sometimes wonder about his passion but maybe that is just his way. I hope to see Di Resta, Sutil and Hulkenberg on the grid next year. Just don’t know where.
Fixy (@)
28th November 2011, 20:59
Problem is Sutil started impressing now that his seat is at risk. I’d choose Hulkenberg over Sutil at any time, and Sutil’s had plenty of time to prove himself. Based on his 2011 performances, I’d’nt drop him, and Di Resta neither.
GeeMac (@geemac)
28th November 2011, 13:35
Very well done by the Force India boys. It’s a real pity one of these two will be dropped, they have both been very solid.
Klaas (@klaas)
28th November 2011, 14:21
Nothing is decided yeat at FI. I can’t see why would they drop one of the drivers as they are the best pair the team can afford. Hulk is overrarated.
Journeyer (@journeyer)
28th November 2011, 15:03
The guy got pole. In a Williams. Not sure how you can call that overrated.
But yes, FI do have an embarrassment of riches here.
Klaas (@klaas)
28th November 2011, 15:49
We all know he only got that pole due to weather conditions. It’s not like he got pole in a midfield car and won the race (like a certain Vettel did).
RumFRESH (@rumfresh)
28th November 2011, 17:22
@klaas I agree, his (HUL) performance throughout last season was far less impressive. A well-timed lap, got him pole. I’d keep Sutil and Di Resta at FI.
marcusbreese (@marcusbreese)
28th November 2011, 22:18
@Klaas I seem to recall it being quite damp when a certain Vettel got that pole/win. FWIW I think Sutil has been very impressive for the last two years, last year they so nearly held off Williams for sixth (with him scoring twice his team mates points) and this year they managed to get sixth (with fifth only four points away!). I’d very much like to see Hulk race, but I wouldn’t want it at either of those two drivers expenses.
Mustalainen (@mustalainen)
28th November 2011, 16:39
@klaas Judging from Sutil’s body language after the race I really think they have already dropped him. You can’t be sad after that stunning 6th place drive
James_mc (@james_mc)
29th November 2011, 22:39
Agreed. I think Saward’s theory (I think that’s who’d suggested it) was that by not announcing it the team is doing a duty to him so that his bargaining position is improved.
BasCB (@bascb)
28th November 2011, 13:46
Another dwindling Gearbox! Is it the end of the season (but Vettels was new), or something specific for Brazil, one wonders.
Really good drive by Sutil, certainly amongst his career highlights. It might prove to have been key to him possibly securing a drive in F1 for next year.
smokinjoe (@smokinjoe)
28th November 2011, 14:08
I love to see sutil in a better team ,great drive from him.Hulk and Di rasta will make a great pair for force india
Shomir (@shomir)
28th November 2011, 14:43
Great drive by Sutil!
he’s gonna be taking a big gamble on moving to Williams if he does though, the car might end up bad(by 2011 standards) again, or due to the better technical staff, could be a potential race winner! either way 2012 will either be the next stepping stone in his rather long F1 career, or the end of it.
nackavich (@nackavich)
28th November 2011, 14:52
Well if he does go to Williams they’ll have Renault powerplants to play with, so as long as the chassis is competitive you’d think the Williams would add some fire to the Renault/Force India battle.
Shomir (@shomir)
28th November 2011, 15:02
well that’s what im hoping on! Sutil’s a personal favourite of mine!
Advait
2nd December 2011, 5:46
Hes ma fav too…but hope dr mallya picks the rite choice…nd ll luv to see sutil and hulk getting seats for next seasn.(sry i like to type in short)
Eggry (@eggry)
28th November 2011, 16:19
I believe Sutil is the driver of the week. also I think Malya should not let him go.
Q85
28th November 2011, 21:12
people are saying he is only performing now his seat was under threat. But he has been the quicker of the 2 for months. Just no one has bothered to notice.
tflb1 (@)
28th November 2011, 21:56
Yes, he’s clearly been quicker since Valencia.
Rudy
29th November 2011, 0:38
Sutil is the result of talent and inteligent driver in a reasonable team. If Di Resta and Hulkenberg are better? Theory. Theory was also Fiscichella many years…Massa before Ferrari…
Sutil means an excelent driver today. (sorry my english, I speak spanish)
Maybe Williams, Force India, another team or neither? I hope next year Adrian will show his talent and maturity on a F1 again. Excellent race at Interlagos, a real difficult circuit.
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
29th November 2011, 2:15
Force India needs to have a good car next season, & they need to hire Paul & Hulk.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
29th November 2011, 19:48
Sutil is one of my contenders for DOTW. Great race for him, especially that last gasp move on Rosberg.
That said, I do think it’s time he moved on. I think it’s time the team moved on, try something new. It’s a gamble, considering they couldn’t have really finished higher than they did.