Vijay Mallya: We can beat Williams

In Hungary for the first time this season, the Sahara Force India team did not score any points due to the double retirement of its drivers. However, the boss of the Indian team is convinced that his team can compete with the best teams in the paddock.

The Indian recalls the few months when they managed to get ahead of Williams F1, up until the 9th Grand Prix of the year: « Yes, it was nice in the last two months to see a historic team behind us. At the Hungarian GP, we were extremely unlucky. Sunday was the first race where we didn’t score points. If I think back to the first months of this season, what I would like to say is that I wish we had done better in qualifying. We had problems that weekend, without which we would probably have qualified better, and some of the questions wouldn’t arise. Budapest is a circuit that influences part of the result when you see our starting grid.

Of course, I know you can only score points during the race, and apart from Hungary, we have indeed scored points in every race. It’s huge for us; a few years ago, we were struggling for a single point. So we have made a big step forward. I always tell my team never to underestimate the opposition, and we don’t intend to. We must continue to develop this car, as we will still have the same base in 2015.

We were in 4th position until the 8th race, and we are now 5th which is good. We didn’t expect to move forward so quickly and achieve this goal so fast. The point difference between Ferrari, Williams, McLaren, and us is not as significant as we thought, we need a better race to move forward. So, as long as we are close enough, I’m not worried at all. That’s Formula 1. We must never forget that in the last race, points will be doubled which can change everything again. There are many unpredictable factors in the final constructors’ standings, even in the world drivers’ championship. We have to maintain the pace against the other teams. Because we can still catch up with these teams, there’s still a long way to go.

He then talks about the return to form of the Williams F1 team, thanks in part to the Mercedes engine: « I wasn’t surprised because they chose the Mercedes engine, just like us, and the power unit is really, really important this year. Like us, they have the best power unit, so that certainly gives them an advantage over where they were last year. And don’t forget, during pre-season testing Williams showed their pace. It was clear they would be very competitive. In fact, I was a bit surprised they didn’t have much better races at the start of the season as they are now. So we will certainly not make the mistake of underestimating them. Can we catch Williams? Yes, we can. We have to work hard for that too, but as I said, there’s still a long way to go. They did an excellent job and need to be congratulated for that, no doubt in the same way that we do ours unexpectedly, like a midfielder from a small team. The opportunity is there. »

He believes that the Force India team is a good model for small teams that want to grow: From the time when this team was being created, we saw the situation, we now know that we made the right decisions. In terms of engine supply, we have established technical partnerships first with McLaren, now with Mercedes. We have people who are motivated and creative, and not people at the factory who complain about what they don’t have; the people who are there are committed to doing the best with what they have.

We are all here to race and get on the podium to score points. I think this objective is very clear. My team doesn’t need to be reminded of that. I believe the guys in design and production, as well as the racing team, are very encouraged by the fact that since my takeover, we have made the right choices with the drivers. I am very proud of our driver duo, which motivates the team.

He reflects on the reason for choosing Nico Hülkenberg and Sergio Perez for this year and believes it’s the best pair of drivers he’s ever had: « When we decided to renew our lineup for 2014, it was clear that we wanted Nico Hülkenberg, and there was a lot of speculation about who the 2nd driver would be. I had discussions with my team and I had just one point to make – Checo Perez had been chosen by McLaren. Let’s forget about his last season; if McLaren sought him out, it’s because he’s worth something. McLaren is a top-tier team. So obviously, he has talent, which is why we had to have him. We are very happy with him. Looking at each of them individually, I must say their driving styles are different. They are two very competitive and talented drivers. »

He also assessed his team: « We deserved a bit more luck. Take what happened this Sunday. Take what happened in Montreal. If those incidents hadn’t occurred, it would have meant we would have scored more points. Mother Nature didn’t smile on us as much as I would have liked. But anyway, we take it in good spirits. »

Fighting is the team’s objective for Vijay Mallya, who is satisfied with the best season in the team’s history.

« The DNA of this team is to fight for every point and every position, it’s not a question referring to the first or second half of the season. There’s no strategic decision in itself that boosts performance. Performance comes from what’s in the car and the way the drivers drive. Whatever the strategy established, there is not necessarily a positive result at the end. Our team knows the work: it means always taking the maximum points, this maximum of points will determine our position in the constructors’ championship. Every race we focus on performance. [We have done] 11 races [and scored] 98 points – even if we could have had more points if we had been luckier. »

Vijay Mallya also revisited one of the recurring debates in recent months, the possible return of customer cars or the possibility of teams entering three cars, which could spell the end for smaller teams: « Customer cars would be a disaster. Not just for the paddock but also for the sport. The DNA of F1 has always been based on passionate teams. When you look at the beginnings of teams like Ferrari, Williams, Brabham, or McLaren, they were all entrepreneurs and racing enthusiasts who made F1 history. It is part of our DNA. And if a small team gets ahead of a larger team, the enthusiasm and support from the fans is fantastic. My understanding from the feedback I’ve received is that in the recent races where Williams has been very strong, the level of fan excitement has almost doubled. People love to see a small team take over a big one. Why should that change? »