Force India tighten grip on 5th spot after 10 points in Mexico

Mexico City: Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez helped Force India strengthen their hold on fifth place in the team standings by finishing seventh and eighth in the Mexican Grand Prix here.

It was a welcome result for Hulkenberg after retirements in Austin and Sochi while home hero Perez was happy to do his bit for the team's cause.

The 10 points here were vital for the Silverstone squad which is set to finish fifth for the first time. They have 112 points with two race remaining while their nearest rival Lotus are sixth with 71 points.

"As a team I think we performed extremely well today. Up until the safety car we had worked hard to get Checo and Nico in a competitive position, and we made the right decisions when the safety car appeared," said team boss Vijay Mallya.

"Nico was on course for a two-stop strategy so the safety car played nicely into his hands, but Checo was unlucky as it compromised his one-stop race plan. Even so, he made the one-stop strategy work and did a fantastic job of protecting the tyres and holding on to a well-deserved eighth place.

"It was important to score well with both cars today and it means we have extended our advantage over the teams behind us to strengthen our hold on fifth place," Mallya added.

For Perez, it was a an unforgettable week as Mexico returned to the F1 calendar after 23 years.

"What a week this has been here in Mexico! The atmosphere has been amazing and there were so many special moments. The race today was probably one of the most difficult of my career because I was very unlucky with the timing of the safety car, which really didn't help my one-stop strategy.

"We chose not to pit when it came out because we thought there was a chance to jump Nico [Hulkenberg] and Felipe [Massa], but in reality that didn't happen. Then the team told me that the cars behind had all pitted and fitted new tyres, so I was a bit worried because I knew the final fifteen laps would be very difficult.

"To stay ahead of them and finish in eighth place is probably one of my best performances in Formula One and I am very happy I could score points in front of my home crowd. I am very lucky to have this huge support from my country and I will remember this weekend forever," said the Mexican.