Ten points from the opening two races is a solid start to Force India's 2017 season and they are hoping to build on that even further at this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.
Sergio Perez has scored eight of the team's ten points and after leaving the cold and wet Chinese track, the Mexican is looking forward to the warmer conditions of the first night race of the year.
“I feel pretty happy about the way we have started the year. Eight points from two races is a good achievement and shows that we are working well as a team. I still think a better result was possible in China, but we can't complain about where we ended up because it wasn't an easy race considering how cold and wet it was on Sunday,” he said.
“Bahrain is always a track I enjoy and I think racing at night has made the event more exciting. I still smile when I remember our podium finish in 2014 – it's one of my best memories in Formula One. My big battle with Jenson [Button] in 2013 is also something I remember.”
The track in Sakhir provides a harsh test for the F1 cars and racing at night means it's no longer as demanding on the cooling system as it used to be in the past. However, that said, the conditions are still something teams have to take into account when setting the car up for their drivers. The circuit can also be very windy, as it is not far from the coast and in the open spaces of the desert, and that contributes to unsettling the car and blowing sand on the track, reducing grip.
“It's a circuit that always produces good racing and overtaking opportunities. In the past you always had to worry about looking after the rear tyres because there are so many big acceleration zones, but maybe it won't be such a factor with this year's tyres,” Perez continued.
“With the 2017 regulations the learning curve is very steep. The team is working really hard with the development of the car and we made some progress in China. There are more developments coming this weekend and hopefully we will feel the benefit straight away. It puts extra emphasis on the Friday sessions as we try and understand all the test items and how to get the best performance from them.”
