Force India Australian GP - Melbourne Friday practice report
Force India press release
Sahara Force India made the most of mixed weather conditions in Albert Park as the 2012 season got underway with free practice for the Australian Grand Prix.
Paul Di Resta
"Difficult to say too much about the first or second session because the conditions were so inconsistent with the rain showers. Even so, we made the best of it and focussed on assessing the aero package we have here and managed to learn a few things. We also made some set-up changes between the two sessions and the car felt better in the evening, so that was positive. The difficult thing is that we didn't really get an impression of where everybody is in terms of performance, so there are still lots of unknowns going into tomorrow."
Nico Hulkenberg
"Both FP1 and FP2 had mixed conditions, especially FP2 with the heavy rain, which arrived just before the start of the session.
But we made the best of it and I ran on the full wets, the intermediates and the soft tyres when the track had dried out. It's difficult to read much from the times because not everyone ran the soft tyres and there were lots of different fuel loads, but the main thing for me is that I have a good feeling with the car already."
Jakob Andreasen, Chief Engineer
"On days like this you just have to be patient and wait for the right opportunities, but it's better to play the waiting game than run when the conditions are not ideal. Overall I think we were on track at the right times and on the right tyres, and it's always worth going out even if there's just a small thing you can learn. When we were on track we did some work evaluating our aero package and got some useful data. The most important thing is that we made the most of the dry periods to get the drivers into the rhythm of the track."
Paul Di Resta (VJM05/02)
FP1: P13 1:29.881 18 laps
FP2: P61:31.466 13 laps
Nico Hulkenberg (VJM05/03)
FP1: P121:29.865 17 laps
FP2: P2 1:29.292 19 laps
Share Or Save This Story
When Paul Di Resta beat Sebastian Vettel to the F3 title
Paul Di Resta cautious about the WEC's future: "What's good never lasts forever"
Why Peugeot swapped Jean-Eric Vergne for Stoffel Vandoorne in WEC 2026
Otmar Szafnauer reveals failed Kimi Raikkonen bid involving "Angry Birds" founders
Esteban Ocon explains why he collided with Sergio Perez so often at Force India
Former Force India F1 boss Fernley dies aged 70
Inside AJ Foyt Racing’s transition: Hauger’s arrival, Ferrucci’s future, and the Pierson waiting game
David Coulthard explains why Robin Raikkonen's rise resembles Max Verstappen's
Alex Marquez explains bizarre crash on straight: "Your body isn't ready for that"
“Nothing is guaranteed” for Elfyn Evans as WRC title race still open after Saudi Arabia cancellation
Italy’s next F1 world champion?
What's behind the talks between the FIA president and Fernando Alonso over ADUO?
Fernando Alonso is right to sound the alarm about F1 - but history seems to be repeating itself
F1 doesn't need to change its VSC rules despite Lando Norris' Spain loss
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments