British GP: Nico Hulkenberg says new Force India F1 car is working

With a raft of changes on the car, including the novel 'nostril' nose, Hulkenberg and Perez finished eighth and 13th respectively in Friday practice.

Around Silverstone, a high-speed track normally a bane for Force India, Hulkenberg finished 1.232 seconds adrift of pacesetter Nico Rosberg in his Mercedes.

"It was a positive day for us," said Hulkenberg. "We've found some good things with it.

"We've made a step forward in performance, especially at this kind of track, which is a big aero track, high-speed dominated, which used to be our Achilles heel. Now the car feels stronger, definitely.

"We are still exploiting the car, the set-up, the options, but so far, so good. The rear grip, rear load, in particular has improved."

Asked by AUTOSPORT about the team's prospects for the weekend, Hulkenberg added: "On Sunday we definitely want to challenge for points.

"It will still be tough. You have Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull buried in the front. They are really quick, so that's the first six [places] more or less already.

"Behind them Toro Rosso seems strong. Today they were flying, especially on the long runs, and then I hope it's us somewhere there.

"Of course, I wouldn't discount Williams. They struggled, but it's often like that, they struggle on a Friday and bec ome much stronger.

"So I expect a competitive and tough weekend. Points are not going to come for free on Sunday. We're going to have to fight for them."

Perez also feels he now has a car with which he can battle at a track where Force India may have otherwise struggled for points.

"We can be happy with what has been a very positive start with the B-spec car," he said.

"We got good mileage, so there is plenty to analyse and learn, but I feel we have definitely taken a step forward, which is what this team was expecting.

"It is always a complex task to learn about all the new parts in just a couple of sessions, but by the last run of the session, I was feeling comfortable, and that's promising for the race.

"Qualifying will be interesting because there are many directions in which we can go and we'll need to choose the right one."