Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal

How satisfied were you with the results of the Italian Grand Prix?
Overall we are very satisfied that we’ve proved we are a competitive team and we can race with the best. Spa wasn’t a one-off. We still have four races to go, and I’m pretty confident that we’ll put on a good show. Japan and Brazil will probably suit the pace of this car, and we have an upgrade coming for Singapore, so let’s see how it goes. We have every reason to be pleased about the progress, but there’s a still a long way to go.

What did you think of Tonio’s performance, bearing in mind he stepped in with no proper testing?
Outstanding. He was hungry, and he really wanted to prove himself. He had 500% commitment. I was impressed and I think we made the right decision because in qualifying and in the race he did very well for us. I have every confidence that he will score points. He’s quick and he’ll only get better from here.

There’s a strong Indian influence in Singapore and you have connections there. Is that a race where you’d like to make an impact?
It would be very nice to perform well in any race where there’s a large Indian population. That would go for Abu Dhabi as well for sure, and definitely Singapore. The feedback in India has been absolutely brilliant. There’s been a lot of excitement, not just with the number of messages, but in the Indian media. And of course the Force India website has been flooded with messages from all of our fans. It means a lot to them, and they’re really proud now.

What will the aims be in Singapore?
I’d hope we could be again in Q3 and racing for points. We have a new upgrade coming, which features some modifications to the bodywork, the diffuser and the front wing. Every upgrade we’ve introduced so far this year has really given us a step forward so I am hopeful that we will be able to maintain our recent run of form. We do know however that it’s going to be tough as Spa and Monza were low downforce tracks and Singapore demands higher levels but we’ve set the bar high now. We need to keep pushing until the end of the season.

Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01)

Italy was a great weekend all round for you. How would you review it now?

I went to the race in Monza really determined to do well. I felt like I had missed a chance in Spa and, seeing how good the car was, I thought we could be on for a good finish. All weekend the car performed outstandingly and when it got to qualifying we knew we could do very well. We were a little surprised to be on the front row, but that’s what happens when you’ve got a good team working flat out as a tight unit – you just find that little extra. The race was amazing, it felt so good to be back in the front and finally getting those points.

How did it feel to get points after so long?
I was so happy for myself and for the team. We’ve been in points-scoring positions before but then never actually got them, so to finally get a points’ finish, and a good one, felt like we had got a good reward. It was getting a little frustrating for everyone but now we can really start putting that energy into moving forward. When I visited the factory last week it had made such a big difference to everyone. They were all smiling and even though they worked hard before, it was 110% effort now as they can see how everyone makes a difference.

What will your aims for Singapore be this year?
The track is quite challenging, with lots of corners and changes of direction but it’s also quite fast, like a cross between Valencia and Monaco. I enjoy street racing and Singapore has that same feeling so I’m looking forward to it. Last year I didn’t have such a great race but this year we are in a very different situation. My goal will be to be focussed from the start of the weekend, do some solid work in practice and qualify well as a good grid position is very important here. For sure it’s then to get some more points. I feel we can definitely add to the total.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04)

You had a great weekend in Monza, although sadly it ended in retirement. How would you sum up your feelings about your comeback race?
Of course, it was not easy going into the weekend with very little testing, but the support I had from the team and belief from them helped me to feel comfortable. From Friday onwards I didn’t want to exaggerate, trying to learn everything about the car in two corners. I think we did the right step forward, lap after lap, run by run. Our target was to get a good Q2 position and then try to score points in the race, or get into the top 10. After that it went so well that we finished seventh in Q3, which was more than expected. And in the race it was awesome. When you come back after over a year and a half anything can happen, but I think we had a really strong race until the point when we stopped.

Do you feel you can improve on your performance this weekend?
I don’t think I’m yet at the pace where I was two years ago, when I was completely confident about the car. I think there is still a lot to come. It was a big shame for the team that we couldn’t score points in Monza, but I feel happy because fortunately I saw that once the car is fast and competitive I can give a good performance and I can fight with the big guys in the World Championship.

You can probably drive around Monza with your eyes closed, but will things be harder in Singapore?
I don’t know about with my eyes closed, as it was only the fourth time I raced at Monza. I started my racing career in Germany, so I didn’t do my scholarship in Italy! For sure Singapore will be much tougher. We’ve been working in the simulator to get to know it better, but it will be a much tougher event. We’ll have to see how the car is there because it’s a completely different circuit, with really high downforce, so everything can change.

Force India Singapore Grand Prix points of note:

• Force India will be running another upgrade for the Singapore GP. This is the latest stage in development (following on from the Valencia upgrade) and features a new front wing package, bodywork modifications – including changes to the mirror mountings – bladed rear wheel spinners, front bargeboards and a diffuser and an engine cover update.
• The team will gradually acclimatise to the time zone, starting work during the day and gradually coming into the track later throughout the week to be on European time. There are no special preparations for the night race since the lights in Singapore are brighter than daylight in some countries so Force India won’t be using reflective paint or extra markers, the only difference will be on the pit wall where some extra lighting will be used due to the shadows thrown by the floodlights.
• Adrian’s weekend performance in Italy was his best F1 performance to date. He started from second position – his best qualifying performance and first front race row start since the final round of the Japanese F3 championship at Motegi in October 2006. It was also the first time Adrian had started alongside Lewis Hamilton since the Euroseries F3 race at Zandvoort in 2005. The fourth place finish was also his highest in F1 to date.
• Adrian has historically performed well on street circuits. In 2007 at Monaco he secured the quickest time in free practice and was running in 4th position in the 2008 race until Kimi Raikkonen ran into the back of the car. Adrian is also the F3 lap record holder at Monaco and finished third at the 2006 Macau Grand Prix.
• Tonio’s Italian Grand Prix qualifying was also his best F1 starting position. His performance in the race was also his most competitive yet until a driveshaft failure led to his retirement on lap 22. Tonio has never raced at the Marina Bay Circuit as he was the team’s test and reserve driver last year, but he has approximately 50 laps of the track on the simulator.
• Singapore Grand Prix: View from the pit wall with Force India’s chief engineer, Dominic Harlow:
• As the only F1 race to run almost all sessions at night Singapore is definitely one of the more demanding and spectacular circuits.
• The layout is anti-clockwise around the city’s waterfront and, because it uses public roads, includes bumps, kerbs, man-hole covers and extreme cambers. It’s subject to a lot of improvement and rubbering in, and is very tough for the drivers. The car’s cooling system and brakes are worked very hard, and of course the ability to deal with the road undulations is important.
• There have been some changes to the circuit since last year’s inaugural event, which could change the pitlane time loss and therefore race strategy. Getting a handle on this as well as setting up our car with some revised high downforce aerodynamic components will form part of our programme for the practice sessions.

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1. Italian Grand Prix Preview – 10-13 September 2009 Following its inaugural points and podium at the Belgian Grand...
2. 2009 Italian Grand Prix Race Report Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01): 4th +31.131secs Tonio Liuzzi...
3. 2009 Italian Grand Prix Free Practice Report – 11 September Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01): FP1: 3rd 1:24.471 (24 laps)...

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FP3: 1st 1:23.336 (21 laps)
Q1: 7th 1:23.576 (10 laps)
Q2: 4th 1:23.070 (9 laps)

Q3: 2nd 1:24.261 (5 laps)

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):

FP3: 7th 1:23.849 (21 laps)

Q1: 8th 1:23.578 (12 laps)
Q2: 5th 1:23.207 (9 laps)
Q3: 7th 1:25.043 (5 laps)

For the second consecutive race, the Force India Formula One Team will start from the front row of the grid as Adrian Sutil put in a superb performance to secure second position for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix. Tonio Liuzzi, racing the VJM02 for the first time this weekend, will start from an impressive seventh position, marking the first time the team has achieved a double top 10 start.

Adrian had started the day strongly with the fastest time in the morning’s free practice. He then followed this with a solid Q1 performance, securing the 7th fastest time. He made just two runs in Q2, finishing with the fourth best lap to ease into Q3 for the second time this year. Adrian completed just three laps in Q3, setting his quickest time on his final lap to secure a career-best second position and an all Mercedes engine front row.

Tonio progressed to Q2 thanks to the 8th quickest lap. His best lap of Q2, a 1:23.207, was just shy of Adrian’s best for 5th position – and allowed Tonio through to Q3. A great performance on his debut then enabled the 28-year-old Italian to capture his highest-ever starting position of 7th.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)

After the results yesterday and this morning, we wanted to fight for the pole position. We knew the car was up to it and that’s what we showed in qualifying today. We have a great package, this circuit suits us very well as we have an incredible top speed and also a good downforce package so the efficiency of the car is really good. I’m starting on the front row with Lewis for the first time since F3 and I’m really happy he is next to me, he’s a good friend but we will fight hard for it. I have a lot of respect for him. It’s going to be very difficult start with the KERS cars around me but the race is long, I’ll do what I have to to defend my position and have a good strategy. If the race pace is OK we can gain positions and even if they get past me I have a good, fast car on the straights so it’s going to be tight.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)

Two weeks ago I didn’t expect to be on the grid so this is a fantastic result – better than we expected. The team made a great effort and gave me a lot of support to reach this target. They never gave up and we had a great Friday and Saturday. The race will be difficult physically and mentally but I like the fight, the team are fighters and we will give the maximum in tomorrow’s race. I’m definitely looking forward to racing in front of my home crowd.

Dominic Harlow, chief race engineer

Today’s Qualifying session showed that Spa was not merely a one-off but that we are genuinely competitive. Both drivers and everyone in the team have done a really excellent job so far this weekend and have put us in a strong position for tomorrow’s race.

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and managing director

I’m absolutely delighted with this weekend’s performance so far. We’ve been very strong all weekend and both drivers have been outstanding. Adrian has really showed a great maturity to achieve his best-ever starting position, while Tonio has been a revelation on his debut. Although qualifying is just one part of the equation we are feeling quite upbeat about tomorrow’s race now.

Related posts:

1. 2009 Italian Grand Prix Free Practice Report – 11 September Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01): FP1: 3rd 1:24.471 (24 laps)...
2. 2009 Italian Grand Prix Race Report Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01): 4th +31.131secs Tonio Liuzzi...
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Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):

4th +31.131secs

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):

DNF Lap 22 Mechanical

Adrian Sutil has secured another points finish for the Force India Formula One Team in today’s Italian Grand Prix. The 26-year-old German finished in a fighting fourth position, under half a second from the podium, marking his highest finish to date and his first points since the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix. To compound this success Adrian also posted the fastest lap of the race.

Tonio Liuzzi, making his Force India race debut this weekend, was running in sixth position at the start of the race, however his race was cut short when his car developed a driveshaft problem.

Adrian’s five points bring Force India’s total to 13 overall, just seven points from BMW and Renault.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)

It was a great race and the car was performing really well. At the start we knew it would be really difficult to defend our position against Kimi and his KERS button and then I was stuck behind him the whole race. I was really quick but I just couldn’t find a way past him as the KERS had such a big effect on the circuit. Going into my second stop we had a chance to overtake him in the pit lane and I was pushing really hard but I was a bit late on the brakes into the box. I think I have to say sorry to the mechanics for going a bit wide! But still they did a great job there. The race pace overall was very good but finally the one-stop strategy worked better than the two stop. All the same we scored a lot of points and I am really, really happy for myself and all of the team at the track and back in the factory and wind tunnel.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)

Finally, I am racing again and I gave it 100%. We didn’t make any mistakes and everything was perfect until we were in a great position, but that’s racing unfortunately. I had an unusual problem, the transmission started making a strange noise and then I lost drive and couldn’t push. That’s racing it was just a shame as we didn’t have a reliability problem until now, but that’s how it is. We won’t give up though until the end of the season, we want to get lots of points and I am sure we will make it.

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal

It’s been another great weekend for Force India. We thought the podium would be a dream here going into the weekend and at the end of the race we were less than half a second away. Adrian drove a fantastic race and richly deserved those points. Tonio too almost had a perfect start to his Force India race career, but unfortunately we couldn’t give him the reliability he deserved. Nevetheless he has marked himself out as a real star and I am sure that he will get his own points opportunities further down the line. We can go to Singapore on a real high now. We know the car is good and with more to come development-wise for this race we can be very confident of continuing this form.

Related posts:

1. 2009 Italian Grand Prix Free Practice Report – 11 September Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01): FP1: 3rd 1:24.471 (24 laps)...
2. 2009 Belgian Grand Prix Race Report Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01): 11th +42.636secs Giancarlo Fisichella (car...
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FP1: 3rd 1:24.471 (24 laps)
FP2: 1st 1:23.924 (28 laps)

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):

FP1: 16th 1:25.689 (29 laps)
FP2: 12th 1:24.921 (39 laps)

The Force India Formula One Team today had a strong opening day of practice in advance of Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, the final race of the European season.

Adrian Sutil recorded the fastest time of the day in the afternoon’s second free practice session after setting an encouraging third quickest lap in the morning. His programme focussed on evaluating the VJM02 in low drag configuration, completing back to back tests of different wing levels and assessing the tyre options available this weekend.

Tonio Liuzzi, making his Force India race debut this weekend, completed 68 laps over the two sessions as he quickly got to grips with the VJM02 under racing conditions. His morning’s best time, a 1:25.689, was the 16th quickest time of the morning while he finished the session with the 12th best lap following steady improvement over the day.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)

Everything went well today. The car was working perfectly and we can be very happy about the result. It was a very, very good time that came as a result of some good work, a great set-up and getting the tyres to work well. We didn’t try specifically to go fastest but if you are on top of your game and the car is working well there’s no reason why you couldn’t be P1 at the end of the session. It was a very productive day on a very cool track and it’s good to have some fun right now.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)

Today was much better than the straight line testing! It’s a completely different approach as you get used to the rhythm, the braking points and I think it’s a great challenge. We went for longer runs and covering a race distance and everything is going in the right direction. For now I am taking it a bit easy as I want to get used to the tyres and the car and tomorrow we will work on the lap time for qualifying. We knew we would have a competitive car and I felt the balance was good, and there is still at least half a second more as I had some traffic on some of my fastest laps. It’s just the beginning of the weekend but I am really happy about how it went. I think the car is responding really well and we are optimistic for tomorrow.

Dominic Harlow, chief race engineer

A very good first day back in a race seat for Tonio, and a productive programme from Adrian. We lost some time with Adrian’s car at the start of FP2 following a planned engine change, but once back on track he made good progress. The car seems to be performing well at lower downforce in race trim, but as usual at this demanding circuit there is plenty of work to do to prepare for qualifying.

Related posts:

1. 2009 Italian Grand Prix Qualifying and Final Free Practice Report Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01): FP3: 1st 1:23.336 (21 laps)...
2. 2009 Italian Grand Prix Race Report Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01): 4th +31.131secs Tonio Liuzzi...
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The team this time out will have a different look, with Tonio Liuzzi joining Adrian Sutil in the driver line-up following Giancarlo Fisichella’s switch to the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team.

We’ve managed to secure some chats with the principal people in the team…

Team Q&A

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal

Spa was obviously a great race for the team. Are you confident this is a genuine reflection of the team’s performance right now?

We went to Spa with a continuation of our Valencia upgrade, which we knew would give a big step up. We genuinely believed we would get two cars into Q2 and be at the top of this session, but pole was beyond even our hopes! But after that we set the bar very high and the podium was just a dream. I think we will be hard pushed to repeat this in Monza but we certainly will go there confident we can surprise a few people. I don’t think anyone would count us out now.

How will Monza suit the VJM02?

If you are quick in Spa generally you will go well in Monza so I would hope we would be again top of Q2 and in the hunt for points. I do think KERS will play a big part this time in Monza so, as Kimi showed in Spa, it may be difficult to run ahead or stay ahead of the KERS-equipped cars. That’s not to say we won’t give it a good shot though.

You have a new driver line-up this time out – how do you see this pairing?

We obviously have a new race driver pairing in Adrian and Tonio, but the two of them have been team-mates for the past one and a half years. They know each other well, they know how the team operates and they know the cars so we really should be able to pick up where we left off last weekend. I expect Tonio will take some time to get up to speed on Friday but I think he will be on it pretty much by qualifying. I am sure that’s his goal as well.

Driver Q&A

Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01)

How are you looking forward to Monza?

I can’t wait for Monza. Giancarlo had such a good weekend in Spa, with pole and then the podium, that it’s really made me want to get in the car and do the same. For various reasons I didn’t feel like I personally got the results in Spa I felt we could have so for sure I will want to go better in Italy. We’ve got a good car, I feel very confident in it and in the team and our top speeds have consistently been amongst the quickest in the field so I think we have a good shot at getting another good finish.

What is special about Monza for you?

Monza is one of those tracks that have so much history about it. Even coming into the circuit in the morning you see the old banking, the grandstands and think about how much racing has gone on here. The crowds are just incredible too. You can sometimes hear the crowd even over the engine so the atmosphere is always amazing. The track itself can be quite tricky to get right, particularly under braking into the chicanes, so everything about the event is interesting for me.

In Monza you have a new team-mate – how do you feel about this?

I think it’s a great opportunity for both Giancarlo to go to Ferrari and achieve a dream and also for Tonio to finally get some race mileage in the car. Of course it’s a shame it happened because of Felipe’s accident but it’s an opportunity for both Giancarlo and Tonio as well. Having a change mid-season isn’t a problem for me – I’ve had this situation once before in 2007 – and I know Tonio very well now we’ve spent two years together in the same team. He’s a good guy and we work well together, he’s always been very open with information and he’s done a great job in the testing and development. Together I think we can carry on the progress we’ve made so far and get some good results.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04)

Tonio, it’s the eve of your first race with Force India. How do you feel?

I’m really looking forward to it. I was hungry to be back in the race seat again as it was my aim for the future and it’s happened in a good way – for Monza, my home race and this year. I think it will be a big test for me to show what I can do. It’s a good opportunity for me to show what I can do after one and a half years of being a third driver.

What have you been doing between Monday, when your seat was announced, and now? How have you been preparing?

Of course I’ve kept myself fit and I’ve been trying to get closer to the team and get closer to the routine a race driver does, getting used to all the procedures of a race driver; so the starts, steering wheel, seat position, and so on. For sure I’ve been giving it more than 100% on the fitness side as I need to be ready and fit for Monza.

Do you feel any extra pressure making your F1 comeback after a year and a half away from racing?

There will be pressure but I am confident I will get back into it quickly. I am just one and a half years out of racing and in 2008 I did a lot of mileage with Force India as they gave me the chance to do more than 15 test days. I am also fully involved with the team in the development of the car. For sure it won’t be easy but I think Monza is the best place to restart. It’s smooth, really fast with lots of straights and not too many corners and I’m pretty confident that we will be straight away setting a good pace.

Do you have any aims for the race and the rest of the season?

For sure to give the best to the team and to try and bring as many points as possible. After Spa we set big aims for the future but it won’t be that easy to finish on the podium for the remaining races. My biggest dream will be to get a podium, but being objective the most important thing is to score as many points to bring the team up the team championship order.

Italian Grand Prix: View from the pit wall with Force India’s chief engineer, Dominic Harlow:

Monza is a great way to round off the European season. It’s the oldest permanent Grand Prix circuit still in use, and the cars still run on the original road course main straight. The length of the straights means the teams run their lowest drag and downforce configurations, only about 70% of what is possible at a slower circuit. This in turn results in the highest top and average speeds and hence the shortest race time.

Over 200mph is commonplace in Monza with cars approaching this velocity three times a lap. The track is hard on brakes with three chicanes interrupting the flow and the chicane kerbs are always taken very aggressively. From an engineering perspective it will be a challenge to optimise the cars for this unique environment without the traditional pre-race test.

Of course you can’t fail to be moved by the atmosphere and history of the place combined with the parkland setting at the end of summer.

Force India Italian Grand Prix points of note:

Tonio Liuzzi will be taking over car number 21 following Giancarlo Fisichella’s switch to Ferrari. Tonio has been the team’s test and reserve driver since the start of the 2008 season. He last drove the VJM02 in a straight line aero test at Kemble airfield, UK, on 3 September where he tested the Monza downforce configuration.

Tonio’s last F1 race was the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix with Toro Rosso. To date he has contested 39 Grands Prix, with a career-best result of sixth coming in the rain-lashed 2007 Chinese Grand Prix. He has scored a total of five points, including one point on his race debut.

Adrian and Tonio have both driven in two Italian GPs; Tonio in 2006 and 2007 and Adrian in 2007 and 2008. Tonio is actually a race winner at Monza, having taken victory at the Italian round of F3000 in 2004.

Force India achieved its first-ever Q2 result at Monza last year when Giancarlo Fisichella started in 12th position. At the time it was the team’s best starting position.

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Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal, commented, ‘Giancarlo and his management team approached me yesterday with the proposal from Ferrari. For any Italian driver, a Ferrari race seat is a long-held dream and for Giancarlo it was no exception. No one should stand in the way of this. Furthermore the agreement will secure Giancarlo’s long-term future with Ferrari and it would be incorrect to jeopardise this, particularly when Giancarlo has made such a vital contribution to Force India.

‘We would like to stress that we have not agreed any financial settlement with Ferrari. This agreement has been made in good faith and for the good of Giancarlo and the sport in general. A competitive Italian driver in a Ferrari for Monza is a positive story for Formula One, which can only help raise the sport’s profile in these difficult times.

‘We would like to thank Giancarlo for all his help over the past one and a half seasons and for delivering us our first World Championship points last weekend. He has been an integral part of the team and we owe him a great deal for his input behind the scenes and performance out on track. We wish him all the best for the future.

‘For Force India, this sport is a team effort and removing one part, even a major one, will not significantly affect our performance. The competitiveness of the team seen in Belgium was a result of hard work in the factory and wind tunnel and we have further developments coming for the final races, so we are confident this momentum can be sustained. We are now looking forward to a strong finish to the season.’

Giancarlo commented, ‘I am very grateful to Vijay Mallya for allowing me this opportunity to drive for the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team. It is true that it has always been an ambition to do this, and for Vijay to have allowed it to become a reality is very generous. I hope in my turn I have helped Force India grow up and be on the right path to achieve their own ambitions. They are now a very competitive team and I wish them all the very best.’

A decision regarding the driver of car number 21 will be made in the coming days and no further comment will be made on this front.

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11th +42.636secs

Giancarlo Fisichella (car 21, VJM02/04):

2nd +0.939secs

Giancarlo Fisichella has finished a nail-biting Belgian Grand Prix in second position – just one second from first place – marking the Force India Formula One Team’s first-ever World Championship points. The eight points now bring Force India to ninth position in the constructors’ championship and Giancarlo to 14th in the drivers’.

Giancarlo started from pole position, making an excellent start to lead the field through the first hairpin turn and round the first lap. An accident further down the field called for a safety car to be deployed and, despite strong defence on the restart he was unable to hold off the KERS-equipped Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen. Giancarlo then matched Kimi’s lap times lap after lap until they pitted on exactly the same lap (lap 14). Rejoining just metres from Kimi, Giancarlo continued to shadow the Ferrari until his second stop, which again came on the same lap (lap 31). Giancarlo was generally quicker than the Ferrari but Kimi’s use of KERS kept him ahead, leaving Giancarlo just 0.939secs away from scoring an unprecedented win.

Adrian Sutil had started from 11th position but was unfortunately a victim of a start line accident that cost him his front wing. The German was forced to pit and rejoined far down the field. A strategy adjustment to a one-stopper gave him opportunity to move to 9th position, pulling off some spectacular overtaking maneouvres in the process. He again finished a strong race within sight of the points in 11th position.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)

It was a great weekend for the team, particularly for Giancarlo. He did a great race today, second position, which is a big achievement for everyone. We have clearly made a very good step and I think today anything was possible and we can look forward to the next race. Personally I am a little disappointed as someone crashed into me at the first corner and the race was over at that point. I think it was Alonso, who went straight into my rear and turned me around and destroyed my front wing. In the end it was disappointing as the car had the speed and I tried to get back in the race but it was frustrating. I am still very happy with the car and for the team as second place is still a very good position. I hope I can get a similar result in Monza.

Giancarlo Fisichella (car 21)

It’s been another great day and it was an amazing result today. Before coming to Spa if you had asked all the team if we would have been happy to finish eighth we would have said it was a fantastic result but second is a dream, just great. Actually if I can be honest I am a little disappointed as I felt we could have won the race. I was unlucky with the safety car when Kimi came past me at the restart and overtook me with the KERS. Actually behind him I was quicker but with the KERS I couldn’t get past as it was impossible to be quick on the long straight. But we can’t take it away from the fantastic result, both at the track and in the factory to get this result. After yesterday I was pretty confident to score points, it’s positive for the championship and for the coming races. A big thank you to everyone.

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal

What a result. I am so proud of this race, which will ultimately go down in the history books as India’s first-ever World Championship points. It’s been a fantastic Saturday, fantastic race and to get our first podium and championship points is just unbelievable. We’ve worked so very hard to get this with a solid plan of upgrades coming through on the factory. Giancarlo drove a truly outstanding race. We can all be so proud of the entire effort.

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Around 6,000 fans have packed into the venue over the visits of the world’s top darts players, led by Phil “The Power” Taylor and James “The Machine” Wade, for the past three years.

The £400,000 Sky Sports-televised tournament will return to Glasgow next year for the ninth of 14 league nights, which will be held on Thursday April 8.

Current Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts champion Wade will be amongst the eight competitors, as will 14-time World Champion and four-time Premier League winner Taylor.

They are likely to be joined by five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld and former Premier League Darts finalists Terry Jenkins and Mervyn King.

With the top six players from the PDC Order of Merit following the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship earning automatic Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts places, alongside two Wildcards, there is fierce competition for spots in the remaining tournaments this year.

Players such as Ronnie Baxter, UK Open runner-up Colin Osborne and two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley are all in the running to battle for places.

Tickets for the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts will cost £30 for floor tables and £20 for tiered seats.

Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday September 1 exclusively to annual subscribers to the PDCtv area of the PDC’s official website (www.pdc.tv) before going on general sale on Monday September 7.

Tickets can be purchased on 0844 395 4000 or via www.ticketsoup.com.

Full Terms and Conditions of ticket sales are available at www.pdc.tv in the Tickets section.

ENDS

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Over 75,000 fans saw the 2009 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts, completing the event’s progression into the country’s largest indoor sporting event in just five seasons.

That number is set to increase next year, with over 10,000 tickets going on sale for the O2 Arena kick-off on February 11 – which would be the biggest crowd in the sport’s modern era.

The Liverpool Echo Arena, Belfast’s Odyssey Arena and the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester all hold up to 8,000 fans to see the world’s best darts players.

“To be able to stage the opening league night of the 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts at the world-famous O2 Arena in London shows not only the popularity of the tournament but also the appetite for PDC darts,” said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.

“This tournament has grown each year since 2005, when only 600 fans attended the first league night in Stoke.

“To now be able to host over 10,000 fans at the O2 Arena as well as crowds of up to 8,000 at the UK’s other top indoor venues is a massive statement for the sport.

“No other indoor sport is able to match the excitement and value for money offered by the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts, which will travel to all four corners of the UK over three months.”

This year, the £400,000 tournament also returns to the BIC in Bournemouth, which previously hosted sold-out Premier League Darts in 2006 and 2007.

Following the visits to the O2 Arena and BIC in Bournemouth, the tournament moves on to the Odyssey Arena in Belfastand then to Exeter’s Westpoint Arena.

Visits to the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, Brighton Centre and the new LG Arena in Birmingham complete the first half of the 14-week league phase.

Cardiff’s CIA, the SECC in Glasgow and Sheffield Arena continue the UK-wide tour, before the Liverpool Echo Arena, AECC in Aberdeen, Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle and Trent FM Arena in Nottingham host the remaining league nights.

The top four players from the eight-man league table will then progress to the play-offs, which will be held at the Wembley Arena on Sunday May 23.

All nights are screened live on Sky Sports and will start at 7pm, and feature the world’s top six players, following the 2010Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, alongside two Wildcard selections.

Reigning champion James Wade, who overcame Mervyn King to lift the title at Wembley in May, will defend his title in the tournament, while four-time winner Phil “The Power” Taylor and Holland’s Raymond van Barneveld will also compete.

King and Terry Jenkins, the 2007 runner-up, are also likely to maintain their position within the top six of the PDC’s Order of Merit, but players such as Dennis Priestley, Ronnie Baxter and UK Open finalist Colin Osborne are all fighting for a spot going into the autumn’s major tournaments.

The 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts will again boast £400,000 prize money, including £100,000 to the eventual champion.

Tickets, priced at £30 for floor seats and £20 for tiered seats, will go on sale on Tuesday September 2 to Annual Subscribers to the PDCtv service at the PDC’s official website, www.pdc.tv.

Tickets will then go on general sale from Monday September 7.

2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts

2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts
Terms & Conditions of Ticket Sales
* For the pre-sale period, Annual Subscribers must have an active subscription at midnight on Thursday August 27 to qualify for this offer.
* Please note that all tickets may be subject to a booking fee and/or service charge.
* No football colours will be allowed into the venue.
* The PDC reserves the right of admission.
* Customers are respectfully requested to behave in an orderly manner at all times.
* Drunkenness will not be tolerated & perpetrators will be asked to leave the premises.
* Please do not shout out whilst the players are throwing.
* Session times are subject to change and the PDC will make every effort to give as much notice as possible should this be unavoidable. Please check with the Box Office or visit www.pdc.tv for any changes.
* Ticket holders are requested to take their seats at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the event. The PDC reserves the right to fill any seat after this time.
* The Broadcast may contain strobe lighting and smoke effects. Any person who may be adversely affected by such effects should take notice and take appropriate action.
*No tickets are to be re-sold at a greater price than the face value on the ticket. Any persons attempting to do so will have those tickets made void.
* Any spectators are reminded that the writing of any message deemed offensive or inflammatory on 180 cards or similar will lead to perpetrators being asked to leave the premises.
* Please note the use of flash photography is expressly barred as is any filming of the event for any purpose.
* Mobile phones should be switched off by all customers when in the main auditorium.

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