Force India: Perez will start on the second row and hopes for a podium
Author of the 5th fastest time in qualifying, Sergio Perez will even start in 4th place this Sunday in Belgium. The ambitious Mexican even hopes to fight for a podium in the race. Nico Hülkenberg, who qualified 11th, will be aiming for points.
The Force India cars were particularly fast on the straights this Saturday. On the long and fast Spa-Francorchamps track, such characteristics provide a significant advantage: the Force India cars regularly set the fastest time in the first sector of Spa.
The two Indian single-seaters will therefore be difficult to overtake in the race, which already gives wings to Sergio Perez, who will start 4th following Romain Grosjean’s penalty: « It was really a good day and I am very satisfied with my lap in Q3. We were able to improve the car’s balance compared to yesterday and it gave me a lot of confidence, probably like never this season. The car behaved much more predictably and that allowed me to ask more from it in every corner. (…) I see no reason to say we can’t fight for the podium. Today’s performance has given me a lot of optimism for the rest of the season ».
Nico Hülkenberg, eliminated by Carlos Sainz in Q2 by less than a tenth, cannot legitimately harbor such ambitions: « I am not satisfied today because we had the potential to be well positioned in the top 10. During my last lap in Q2, I made a small mistake in the first corner: I simply locked the tires and missed the apex. On top of that, we had a small issue with the turbo, which cost us a bit of speed and time exiting the corners. »
It should finally be noted that with his 11th place, Nico Hülkenberg will start last among the drivers equipped with a Mercedes engine, which does not bode well for an entirely easy comeback in the race.
