F1: Top 5 Races of Force India

Sahara Force India came into existence in October 2007 after the sale of Spyker F1. Co-owned by Vijay Mallya, the team came into prominence in the 2009 season after two lacklustre campaigns.

The Indian-licensed team has come a long way since its humble beginnings at Australia's Melbourne Park, where the team failed to bring both cars home. The last two seasons have been particularly successful for Force India, finishing the seasons fourth in the constructors' championship standings, ahead of both Williams and McLaren.

After a stuttering start to the 2018 season, Force India has found its consistency and is well on its way to challenge the likes of Haas-Ferrari and Renault.

Let us take a trip down memory lane and look at the top five F1 race results of Sahara Force India during its last ten years of operation.

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#5 2015 Russian Grand Prix

Strong drive and a stroke of luck handed Perez third-place at the Russian Grand Prix

Sergio Perez's strong drive at the Sochi Autodrom ensured a third-place finish for Force India in a highly competitive race. Third place at the Russian Grand Prix would be his best position in the 2015 season.

Force India put on a good show in qualifying with Hulkenberg and Perez locking the sixth and seventh places on the grid. However, Niko Hulkenberg had a horrid first lap where he spun and collided with Verstappen and Ericsson, ending his and the latter's race.

Force India's strategy to pit the Mexican early during a safety car stint allowed him to take the third spot. With ageing tyres, Perez found it difficult and made way for Bottas and Raikkonen on lap 52.

However, both Bottas and Raikkonen crashed the very next lap handing the podium place back to Sergio Perez. He went on to see the checkered flag and gave Force India a very memorable podium finish.

#4 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Perez's fifth podium with Force India

Sergio Perez's strong show at Baku earned Force India its sixth podium finish, which came after his previous podium at the same circuit in 2016.

The Mexican Wunderkind had a decent qualifying session where he finished Q3 in eighth place, a position below his teammate Esteban Ocon.

Force India had a nightmare of a start with the team's best-positioned driver crashing into Raikkonen, forcing an immediate retirement. This forced a safety car in the first lap itself, and as it turned out, it was not the last we would see of it.

A collision between the Redbulls during the final stages of the race forced them into retirement, ordering another stint of the safety car. Perez took advantage of the situation and switched to the Supersofts for the final flurry to the finish. Bottas' puncture and Vettel's loss of grip aided the Mexican on fresher tyres to slip past the German and finish the race in third place.

#3 2016 Monaco Grand Prix

Force India put on a strong performance at Monaco enduring difficult weather conditions

Brilliant drives by both the team's drivers ensured that Force India would write its name in the history books with a podium at F1's crown jewel race track. Sergio Perez finished the race third, while his teammate Nico Hulkenberg finished sixth.

The qualifying saw both the drivers of the team make it through to Q3. Strong drives from the German and the Mexican in the final session of qualifying ensured that they finished fifth and seventh respectively.

With unpredictable weather conditions, the drivers were forced to make tyre changes throughout the race. Force India-Mercedes took advantage of the weather and put Perez in a podium place after the second round of pitstops.

"Checo" Perez held his ground and took another podium for Force India. Hulkenberg maintained a decent pace throughout the race, and his moment of glory came in the final lap. The 2009 GP2 series champion overtook Rosberg in the last lap to finish the race ahead of the Mercedes, giving the team a tally of 23 points.

#2 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix

Force India put on a strong show at the Bahrain International Circuit

Sergio Perez finished the race in third place, earning him his first podium with the Mercedes-powered team. Additionally, this was Force India's first podium since 2009. Nico Hulkenberg too had a strong race and finished in the fifth place, earning the team 25 points in total.

The Mexican showed good pace in qualifying and put his team fifth on the grid. Hulkenberg, however, struggled and failed to clear Q2, managing only twelfth.

However, the VJM07 showed great race pace and was constantly in the thick of things at the top of the field. Perez and the German were third and fourth respectively at the closing stages of the race. However, Hulkenberg's car suffered energy harvesting issues, forcing him to settle for fifth place.

Sergio Perez showed great resolve and finished the race ahead of a resurgent Daniel Ricciardo with a gap less than five-tenths of a second.

#1 2009 Belgian Grand Prix

Giancarlo Fisichella with Vijay Mallya

Force India announced itself on the world stage as a formidable team with a brilliant second place finish at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Interestingly, this was the team's first points on the board after struggling for 29 races.

Force India showed great pace in the practice sessions with a good show by Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil. The Italian driver continued his good run of form into qualifying and gave Force India its first ever pole position, finishing ahead of Trulli's Toyota with a slender margin of less than one-tenth of a second.

Fisichella started the race strong but had to give-up his spot to Ferrari's Raikkonen. There were instances when Fisichella posed a threat to Raikkonen, but the Finn held his ground, and Force India finished the race in second place, less than a second behind the Ferrari.