Force One F1 India

Sutil 9th, Fisichella 11th for Force India

Force India came tantalizingly close to scoring its maiden point with Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella benefiting a rung each from Jarno Trulli’s safety car infringement to finish ninth and 11th respectively in the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Sutil initially finished 10th and Fisichella 12th in the roller-coaster season opener but Toyota’s Jarno Trulli, who had finished third, subsequently lost his podium place after the stewards slapped a 25-second penalty on him for passing under the safety car in the closing laps.

It turned out to be Force India’s best result since its 2008 debut and things in fact could have been even better for the Silverstone-based outfit.

Running fourth when the first safety car was deployed, Fisichella looked set to score Force India’s first F1 points in the season opener before a pit-stop blunder. Sutil, meanwhile, found himself tangled in the first lap, losing part of his front wing and limping into the pit. Having dropped to the rear of the field, the German nevertheless drove a measured, consistent race to claim his best result in over a year.

Tags: adrian sutil, F1, Force India, Giancarlo Fisichella