Malaysian GP: Force India picks up 8 points

Sahara Force India recorded its first double points finish of the season with Paul di Resta securing seventh place and Nico Hulkenberg ninth in the dramatic and rain-hit Malaysian Grand Prix, in Sepang on Sunday.

The 55-lap race, won by Ferrai's Fernando Alonso, was stopped after first eight laps due to heavy rain.

At the break, India's Narain Karthikeyan was in P10 which meant that Hispania had ended a lap within points for the first time. Karthikeyan had not gone into the pit lane at the time for wet tyres as most of the drivers had done.

However, Karthikeyan eventually finished 21st, just ahead of team-mate Pedro de la Rosa.

Sergio Perez brought about the best-ever finish for Sauber after finishing second, ahead of pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren.

Force India enjoyed a good result by picking up eight points after Resta started in the 14th position on the grid and Hulkenberg in the 16th.

Mercedes' Michael Schumacher was last among points in the 10th position while defending champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull was behind him, finishing outside the points bracket.

Di Resta said that had it not been for the clash with Williams' Pastor Maldonado, he could have done even better. He was, although, satisfied with the result.

"I did pretty well until Maldonado hit me just before the red flag, which spun me around and cost me about three places. At the restart our pace was very good on the intermediate tyres and we were able to get well up the order and stay with the leading group.

"We were a bit lucky with some of the issues for cars ahead, but in races like this you need a bit of luck and given where we started I think we can come away from here very happy with this result," the Scot said.

Hulkenberg too was happy about having won his first points of the season that too in treacherous conditions.

"I think today's performance with two cars in the points is a great team result and I'm very happy to pick up my first points of the season," he said.

"I have to say that the wet conditions today were some of the worst I've raced in and the visibility was almost zero before the race was stopped.

"It was much better when the race restarted, but I struggled with the balance of the car on the intermediates, so it was just a case of trying to stay in the points and catch Vergne ahead," the German said.