Sutil pleased to be in top-10 in drivers standings

Sutil finished sixth, ahead of Mercedes Nico Rosberg, after passing him in lap number 50 of the 71-lap race.

Force India finished sixth, one position better than the last year, in the constructors championship ahead of Sauber.

"I'm really happy about the result today. It completes a great weekend where everything went to plan. I had a good feeling in all the sessions and the team did a brilliant job to give me such a good car today. We also made the right calls with the strategy because we knew there was a chance to beat Mercedes, and that's exactly what we did.

"So I'm very happy with my sixth place – it's the best way to end the year and it also means that I move up to ninth place in the drivers' championship, which was my aim," Sutil, who was 11th in drivers' standing last season, said.

Paul Di Resta, who was eighth in the race, was also happy to have done well in his rookie season.

"My eighth place today is a great result after quite a tough race for me. There was a concern with the gearbox around half way through the race so the team told me to just try and bring the car home.

"In the final stint it was just a case of managing the gap to Kobayashi behind me and we had enough to do that quite easily in the end. So that’s the end of my first season of Formula 1 and it’s been a great year, especially now we have finished sixth in the championship," the Scot said.

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal, said the team had fantastic 2011 season and  the result will inspire them to do better in the next season.

"Today's result is the perfect way to end what has been a tremendous season for Sahara Force India. I am also very pleased that we could move Adrian up to ninth in the drivers’ standings.

"As a team we have taken great strides forward this season and now is the time to congratulate everyone who has contributed to that. We head into the winter in good spirits and determined to come back even stronger next year to pick up where we left off," Fernley said.