By starting second and posting the fastest lap in the 2009 Italian Grand Prix, Adrian Sutil confirmed he was capable of getting the Force India to the front of the grid on the rare occasions when it was up to the task.

It hasn’t been the first time that the German been at the sharp end of the grid. At Monaco in 2008 he ran as high as a remarkable fourth from 18th on the grid in the un-fancied Spyker (until Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen ran into the back of him).

He matched Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in the Force India when the car was up to the task in 2009 and was as the team’s lead driver in 2010, regularly making Q3 qualifying runs and points finishes. He was even briefly talked about as a potential replacement for Michael Schumacher at Mercedes. But, with a new bunch of Formula 1 minnows snapping at Force India’s heels – and the talented Paul di Resta as team-mate – Sutil will have to step up his game to keep his stellar reputation intact.