Sahara Force India endured a tough qualifying session for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix as both Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez were eliminated in Q1 and will start the race from 17th and 18th positions respectively on the grid.
Hulkenberg's fastest lap of 1:28.365 was good enough to take him to Q2.
"Barcelona is always a big test of downforce and car balance, and that's where we are struggling at the moment, so it made for a difficult day. To be honest, I was hoping for a bit more than P17 because I was P12 in final practice, but it was much hotter and windier this afternoon which didn't help us," the German racer said.
Perez, who managed a best lap of 1:28.442, said it hasn't been an ideal weekend for the team so far.
"We just don't have the performance in the car at the moment and, on a track with so many high-speed corners, that really hurts your lap time. However, we have to remain optimistic about the race: we may be starting in a low position, but that doesn't mean we cannot fight hard and we know that our race pace is looking more competitive," the Mexicans said.
Deputy Team Principal Robert Fernley said, "The race won't be an easy one, but there's no doubt that both drivers will push hard to move forward and will be targeting some points.
