Hulkenberg set the twelfth fastest time of the qualifying for the Brazilian GP

Nico Hulkenberg (Q2: 1:11.976 - P12): “It was a pretty straightforward day and actually the whole weekend has been smooth on my side of the garage. It’s just that we haven’t been as competitive as we would like and for various reasons the car is not in complete harmony with this track. It’s been quite difficult to find a rhythm and be consistent - so from that perspective P12 is probably the most that was possible today. Tomorrow I think we can challenge for points and maybe the weather will mix things up.”

Sergio Perez (Q1: 1:12.076 - P17*): “It hasn’t been an easy weekend for us and we knew today would be a struggle because of the lack of running on Friday. So our focus has always been on the race and I think we made quite a lot of progress in final practice by concentrating on long runs rather than qualifying preparation. The race here at Interlagos is always quite unpredictable so I still believe we can have a good result tomorrow and leave here with some points.”

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal & Managing Director: “Today's qualifying session saw very different situations for our drivers as a result of previous events. Nico produced a very good lap and he probably extracted nearly all the potential of the car. His position, and the long run pace he showed yesterday, mean he is well placed to fight for points tomorrow. In Checo's case, it was a matter of prioritising his race preparation, especially in the light of his grid penalty and the problems that side-lined him yesterday.

So our decision was to concentrate on maximising his chances of making up the positions on Sunday. He has a tough challenge ahead of him, but if he makes the most of the opportunities that arise, he could still leave with some points. Brazil always produces unpredictable races and, should that be the case, we will need to be ready.”

*Expected to start from P18 following a grid penalty.

Sahara Force India