Force India hopeful before German Grand Prix, again

Halfway through what has been a season of mixed results for them, Formula One team Force India will aim to convert good qualifying performances into points starting with the German Grand Prix here this week.

"What is clear is that we have an excellent driver line-up and a car that is improving race by race, which gives us cause to be optimistic about the second half of the year. However, we know there is a big task ahead if we are to catch our closest competitors, Toro Rosso and Sauber," said Chairman and Team Principal Dr. Vijay Mallya.

Talking about the British Grand Prix where the team finished without points, Mallya said, "Looking back on Silverstone, we have to view it as a missed opportunity. With confusion on the pit wall, we failed to convert our excellent qualifying performance into points, which is incredibly frustrating.

Force India have 12 points from nine races so far this season. "These things happen in racing, but we have put measures in place to ensure such a situation cannot happen again."

The team's German driver Adrian Sutil is hoping for a strong showing at his home Grand Prix. "The Nurburgring is a great place to go racing. It's my home Grand Prix and the atmosphere is always very special there. Plus, there's a lot of history associated with the place. When I go back there it reminds me of my early racing days when I was just starting out in cars and driving in Formula BMW and Formula 3. I've spent a lot of time there and I know the circuit very well. Since I've been in Formula One, I've raced there twice," he said.

Paul Di Resta warned of treacherous weather conditions that might affect the race's outcome.

"It's usually quite cold and it rains a lot. So that could be a major factor for the weekend, just as it was in Silverstone. I think we should be quite positive going into the race. After strong qualifying performances in Valencia and Silverstone, we'll be working hard to try and get a race result that reflects our pace," he said.