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[Blwe_torch]

Chandhok's F1 debut ends in disappointment, Liuzzi wins points
PTI, Mar 14, 2010, 06.22pm IST

SAKHIR: Karun Chadhok's F1 debut didn't last long but Vitantonio Liuzzi's ninth place finish earned Force India two invaluable points from the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix which was eventually won by Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, on Sunday.

While the best Karun could have achieved was to complete the race, Adrian Sutil's 10th place on the starting grid had raised Force India hopes for a good finish.

The German driver, however, dropped out of point race after an opening lap scramble to eventually finish 12th and it was his Italian team-mate Liuzzi who took the onus on himself to ensure that the Vijay Mallya-owned outfit gained something from the season opener.

In contrast, Hispania driver Karun's Formula One debut was a blink-and-miss affair with the Indian forced into an early exit by a bump in the circuit.

"It was only my fifth lap of the circuit here and I found a bump I didn't know was there before and it launched me off," rued the Indian.

The 2010 season opener got off to a chaotic start and Sutil's VJM03 was among the cars that spun in the start, pushing the Force India driver down to the second last position.

Sutil tried to claw his way back and rose through the cluttered mid-field but that was not enough to finish among the points.

Fernando Alonso began his Ferrari career with a victory ahead of team-mate Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton of McLaren.

Alonso was ecstatic after with a splendid start to the season and with his new team.

"It is a great win today. It is very special to be back on a podium, but really special with Ferrari. There is no better way to start a good relationship.

"We managed to finish 1st and 2nd with the team. We have a very good base. We have to keep working and it is time to push," Alonso said.

Massa, who had suffered a nasty crash last season, was also happy with the result and also praised team strategy.

"Thanks to God I am fine and very happy. The race was really good and fantastic for us. I lost a position to Fernando in the first corner. The car is perfect and I was on soft tires and I was fast later on hard tires.

"It was not easy race. The team did a great job. Montezemolo was pushing very hard. I am very happy and this is my best start of the season. It is a fantastic start. Our engineer was speaking to me every lap to save fuel and this helped a lot over 25 or 30 laps," he said.

Hamilton said the turn four laps hurt him today.

"Congratulations to Fernando and Felipe. For us I lost a bit of ground at turn four. I was in a very bad position and Rosberg passed me. It is very difficult to follow here. Nevertheless I am very happy. We need to continue to push even if the team did a great job already," he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/racing/top-stories/Chandhoks-F1-debut-ends-in-disappointment-Liuzzi-wins-points/articleshow/5682801.cms

[Blwe_torch]

Sutil regrets missing a top 6 finish in Bahrain
PTI, Mar 15, 2010, 06.56pm IST


NEW DELHI: After being positioned nicely at 10th on the grid and a fast car at his disposal, Force India driver Adrian Sutil believes a top six finish just slipped through his fingers in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Sutil, who went on to clock the second fastest lap of the season opener in Bahrain's Sakhir circuit, saw his point hopes being dashed after a cloud of smoke from the back of Mark Webber's car blinded him and his VJM03 spun to drop down to the second last position.

"I think in this race my pace was good enough for the top five or top six," said Sutil who eventually finished 12th.

His teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi brought smiles with his ninth place finish and Sutil reckoned the outfit was good enough to be regularly among points.

"We are able to run in the top 10 very easily and scoring points should be possible in the next races so we keep that momentum at the moment," Sutil explained.

Liuzzi was naturally elated having scored his first points for the Silverstone-based outfit.

"We saw that we had a really great performance compared to last year and the car is improving. The team is doing really great job and that's why I like this team," said the Italian.

Liuzzi said Force India's comparatively limited resource notwithstanding, the team was good enough to give its big brothers a good run for their money.

"The teams ahead of us invested a huge amount of money. But our group is trying to show that with small resources with a heart you can make a really great job anyway," he said.

Hispania's driver Karun Chandhok's mood, however, was sombre and the Chennai driver sounded apologetic after his much-anticipated F1 debut did not last even three minutes.

"Sorry, this was my fifth lap on this track. I hit a bump in the new part of the circuit, I was not that much experienced in that part of the track as I had driven only four timed laps over the weekend," Karun said after the race.

"I was pushed on exit curb, trying to bring tyres in gently, I did not know that part of the circuit. I want to thank my mechanics for accompanying my first laps on this track and the whole team for a great week-end and long sleepless hours. Now let's look forward to start again in Melbourne," he added.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/racing/top-stories/Sutil-regrets-missing-a-top-6-finish-in-Bahrain/articleshow/5686778.cms