Force India score maiden points in China

Shanghai, April 14 (IANS):

Paul di Resta brought his Force India back home in eighth place at the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix here Sunday, getting his team’s first points at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Fernando Alonso won the race in his Ferrari ahead of Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes‘ Lewis Hamilton, who finished second and third.

Di Resta, who started 11th on the grid, bags four points from his effort and is 10th in the drivers’ standings.

His teammate Adrian Sutil’s race was ruined after he was hit from the back by Sauber rookie Esteban Gutierrez on Lap 4, damaging the rear wing of his car.

Sutil pitted and was forced to retire after flames were seen coming out of the VJM06 brakes. He now lies 12th in the standings with six points while Force India dropped a place to be sixth in the constructors’s standings on 14 points.

Di Resta was satisfied with the result. “I was battling with Nico([Hulkenberg) on the opening lap, but unfortunately there was some contact with Adrian (Sutil) down at the hairpin, which put me on the grass and set me back three or four places.

“After that I was stuck in the pack, my tyres were graining, and I couldn’t really make much progress. It wasn’t until the third stint that I was in some clean air and the pace of the car was very strong. I was pushing all the way and I knew it would be very close after the final stop with Grosjean and Hulkenberg.

“But the pit crew did a top job; they kept their nerve and we managed to stay ahead of both of them.”

Sutil was obviously disappointed at his retirement. “It’s always a shame not to finish a race and I had a good chance of scoring more points today,” said the German.