Suzuka: Force India driver Adrian Sutil says his team can pip Renault for fifth place by the end of the Formula One season.
Sutil has got every reason to be confident about Force India's upward rise in the Constructors' Championship ahead of the remaining five races in the season.
Force India, currently sixth in the standings, has collected 36 of its 48 points in the last five races with the best result coming in Singapore, where Paul di Resta and Sutil finished sixth and eighth respectively.
Sutil is confident that catching and passing the black and gold cars is possible.
"Things look pretty promising right now. And yes, I think it (overtaking Renault) is possible," the official Formula One website quoted Sutil as saying.
"We had a tough start and only really got into gear some races into the season. But, obviously, now we are on a good path. For me, it is better to start weaker and get stronger in the course of the season than the other way around. We are now in a good position - and given the fact that there will not be so many technical changes in 2012, my guess is that we will also be competitive next year."
Force India's chances of ending at fifth place also look good because of Renault's poor run in the last five races where the British team has managed just five points. Renault has 70 points courtesy drivers Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna.
Sutil attributes the recent success of the team to the improved reliability of the VJM04 car.
"The car has become more reliable and that is why Paul and I have both been able to deliver points. We haven't tasted that kind of success in a long time. My hope is that it stays that way because the fact is you need both cars in the points if you want to bridge a 22-point gap - and then get that extra point that gives us the lead (over Renault).
Talking about the race this weekend, Sutil said: "Suzuka is a very different track to Singapore - so we have to wait and see - but my guess is that we will be competitive. Our upgrades that we brought to Singapore worked very well, so there is no reason why we shouldn't do well here. And with the next upgrade for the Indian Grand Prix in three weeks we should be well off until the end of the season."
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