Force India set to start early on 2017 cars
The proposed Formula 1 rule changes coming in effect in 2017 means the cars will look significantly different for which Force India is set to start work on 2017 cars early according to team principal, Vijay Mallya.
With major evolutions in terms of aerodynamics and wide tyres proposed for 2017, the cars are expected to go faster by few seconds.
“2017 will be a whole different ballgame. My guess is that the cars will have to be ‘re-invented’ again,” Mallya said in an interview on Formula1.com.
“Force India will start early to stay ahead of the game,” he revealed.
Team punching above its weight
In the seven seasons (eighth running) for the Silverstone-based team, they have outperformed with limited resources and strengthened their position as a top midfield team.
“We like to run a good, tight ship, with a good atmosphere, good drivers and good commitment from our people. It’s the package,” Mallya said.
“If people say that the Force India package is punching above its weight, I take that as a compliment.”
Elaborating more on their performance considering their expenditure in terms of what other teams spend, Mallya agrees to the above statement.
“We have under 400 people - and I am sure that I don’t have to double the workforce if I want to go further up the grid. That is what I honestly believe,” stated the Indian team owner.
“Yes, I want to get better every year, but I also believe that doubling my work force is not the answer.
“If somebody tells me that to get to P4 I would have to go beyond 600 people, I very much disagree. We could also do it with our 380 people.”
On target
The team brought their ‘B-spec’ car in Silverstone which has put them in a strong place for a fifth place finish in the constructors’ championship as they battle against Lotus, Sauber and Toro Rosso.
“I have set my targets for the team, and we are doing very well in achieving them,” Mallya said.
“I will not get carried away saying that we will achieve P4 this season, but there is no reason why we should not target that in 2016.”
The team sits sixth, one point behind Lotus in the championship and expects to bring another upgrade in Singapore as the team tries to perform at the same level on all the tracks rather than some particular one’s.
“I always told my engineers that we cannot afford a car that is perfect on particular tracks and faints on others.
“We need a car that is competitive on every track - and I think that we have achieved that pretty successfully,” he said.
Previous article
Guest Blog - Carlos Sainz gives an insight into the life of a modern F1 driver
Next article
Tech analysis: The low downforce battle begins
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Teams | Force India |
| Author | Darshan Chokhani |
Why McLaren doesn’t doubt Ricciardo can escape his ‘dark’ place
Three points finishes from as many starts represents a decent opening innings on paper, but Daniel Ricciardo has endured a tough start to his McLaren career - only magnified his teammate's excellent form. Yet both he and the team have good reason to expect a turnaround soon.
What needs to “change” for Red Bull is ending Verstappen’s errors
OPINION: Going up against the dominant force of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton was always going to demand the best from Red Bull and Max Verstappen. But after making a couple more errors during the Portuguese Grand Prix, the Dutch driver showed there's a small gap he still needs to close in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight.
The "subtle" Red Bull upgrades that kept it in the Portugal F1 mix
Red Bull's Portuguese Grand Prix fortunes were decidedly second best to Mercedes', but the result skews the potential that the team had at Portimao. With a new set of updates, the team looks good going forward into the rest of 2021's spicy F1 competition
Portuguese Grand Prix driver ratings
The 2021 Portuguese GP will for several drivers go down as a weekend of missed opportunities amid imperfect track conditions that caused struggles with tyre warm-up. But the performances of a select few stood out from the crowd
The five key tests Hamilton passed to claim Portugal victory
Just as he did in 2020, Lewis Hamilton had to come from behind to win the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix. Only this time there were two rivals he had to pass, among the several challenges he had to overcome, on his way to securing a 97th grand prix victory
Imola 1994: Memories from Ayrton Senna’s F1 rivals
The tragic events of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix changed Formula 1 forever. Here, 17 of the drivers who took part explain how they coped with the devastating deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna.
The data that leaves both Red Bull, Mercedes uncertain of supremacy
Lewis Hamilton topped the crucial FP2 session on Friday as F1 returned to Portugal, but his Mercedes team cannot be sure it has the edge on its Red Bull rivals. As cool temperatures and wind combine with the still-slippery surface to present drivers with quandaries over set-up and tyre warmup, there's still everything to play for come qualifying.
How in-form Norris is staking his claim as Britain's next F1 champion
As a highly-rated Mercedes junior, George Russell is naturally billed as Lewis Hamilton's heir apparent where Britain's next Formula 1 champion is concerned. But he may face competition for that accolade from Lando Norris, fresh from a confidence-boosting run to third at Imola whose rise is being accelerated by his McLaren team’s revival
