Force India braced for tougher 2016

The Silverstone-based outfit finished a best ever fifth in the constructors' championship this year after capitalising on an upswing in pace from its B-spec car that arrived at the British Grand Prix.

Looking ahead to its prospects for 2016, Force India COO Otmar Szafnauer told Motorsport.com: "Toro Rosso with a new power train and their two good drivers with twice the experience, they are going to be good.

"I can't see McLaren and Honda staying where they are forever, and they will one day come good. So even people that we beat, there's no guarantee that you are going to beat them.

"It will be difficult. But for sure we will look forward as to how can we beat the guys in front – so it will be a fierce fight.

"We have to plan our resources properly and just continue doing what we are doing."

2017 looming

One issue that will likely take on increasing importance next year is when teams switch over all their resources to preparing their 2017 cars.

For smaller outfits like Force India, it could be make or break to their campaigns as they will not have the budget to run parallel development programmes.

"A big thing next year is going to be when do you switch from 2016 to 2017?" he said. "Because 2017 is such a big change, we are going to have to make a strategic decision on when do you swap.

"People at the back will swap early, maybe people at the front will swap early, but the guys in the middle that are fighting for position it is much harder."