Sutil Hopes to Sign Force India Extension in 2 Weeks

Yes, Force India does have a spare racing seat for the 2011 Formula One season, but Adrian Sutil hopes the situation will not go on for too long. After his manager Manfred Zimmerman said on Monday that his client hasn't signed any contract for the upcoming season (with any team), the media started speculating on the squad's 2011 lineup.

While several drivers were linked to that seat – including current reserve Paul di Resta, former Williams F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg and F1 veteran Nick Heidfeld – Sutil hopes to retain his position within the Silverstone based organization for another year. It would be his 5th campaign with a team that he initially joined as a tester, back in its Midland F1 days.

“It's a lot of fun to be with Force India, because we came from the back. Every year we improve, and 2010 was our most successful yet. We have to ensure that we maintain the trend, unlike at the end of this season where we got a bit lost,” Sutil is quoted by Bayerischen Fernsehen television, according to a report from the GMM news agency.

Sutil has been in the running for a seat with Renault in recent months, but the Enstone based team is likely to extend Vitaly Petrov's contract for at least another season, somewhere in December. Under the circumstances, there would be no better team Sutil could drive for in 2011 (from the ones that still have an open spot), which is why he hopes to seal his near future with Vijay Mallya's organization as soon as possible.

“I hope it happens in the next two weeks,” added the 27-year old German. “It would be nice to move into a really top team, but right now there are no such opportunities. So I'm very happy to stay with Force India for another season.”