The new Formula 1 season starts this weekend in Melbourne. Force India will be looking for the top five in the constructors' championship in 2012. The team has gradually moved up the grid in the last couple of years and aims to take it to the next level this year.
Team principal Vijay Mallya: After the long winter months I think we are all looking forward to the start of the new season. Our testing form has looked competitive, but its only when we get to the first race that we really get a feel for the pecking order and how well everyone has done over the winter.
From our side there is no doubt that Andrew Green and his technical team have done an outstanding job to deliver a well-balanced car. I would even go as far as saying the VJM05 is the best engineered car we have produced and the detail of the design is beautiful. Its a car we believe can help us take another step forward.
Driver-wise Im extremely excited by our line-up this year. Nico and Paul are both young and hungry, and will ensure we squeeze every last thousandth from the car. There will be some healthy in-house rivalry, too, which will be fascinating to watch, and I believe that we will get better results in the long run by having two drivers pushing each other on.
As for Melbourne, its a city I enjoy visiting immensely and the track has produced some good races over the years. It was in Melbourne that Force India made its debut back in 2008 and its a good opportunity to reflect on how far we have come in the last five years.
As for expectations, I remain cautious on making predictions, simply because there are so many unknowns. Our analysis suggests that we could see one of the closest grids in years, especially in the upper part of the midfield. Even so, our stated goal remains the same to see Sahara Force India continue progressing and challenge the established teams that lie ahead of us.
Force India Preview: Mallya hopeful for next step forward in 2012
- Published on 13 Mar 2012 15:30
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Team profile
- Team name Force India
- Base Silverstone, India
- Sergio Perez 11
- Sergio Perez 11
- Nico Hülkenberg 12
- Adrian Sutil 14
- Adrian Sutil 15
- Lance Stroll 18
- Adrian Sutil 20
- Nico Hülkenberg 27
- Nico Hülkenberg 27
- Esteban Ocon 31
- Esteban Ocon 31
- 96,021 comments on Force India
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