Sutil expects best ever season start

The German had his first taste of Force India's 2010 car in yesterday's Jerez test, and although rain affected most of the day, Sutil said he learned enough to know that the team had produced a good car.

"I had a very good feeling straight out of the garage," he said. "We did one hour in the dry and did three runs and it gave me a good idea of where we are.

"It looked really good during the winter, the numbers we got were very good and I'm pleased it showed the same performance on the circuit because it's always something else when it runs.

"It's early days, but I've never had such a good feeling before the season. That's why I'm looking forward to the race."

Last year Force India's preparations were delayed by a relatively late decision to switch to Mercedes engines and McLaren transmission systems, and it took until mid-season for the team to hit form. But this time Sutil is expecting a much stronger start.

"It feels very good to be well prepared," he said. "It's a much better feeling and if you release a car and it works then you start the season very differently.

"Last year was already a step. We knew we were late and needed to update our car pretty quick, so we were aware that the first few races weren't that strong. But this year could be different. We want to have consistent performance throughout the season from beginning to end and I think we can achieve it."