New Force India is a huge step forward
FORCE India’s new car represents “a significant step forward” from its 2011 counterpart, and should allow the team to go for its aim of finishing a minimum of fifth in the 2012 constructors’ championship, according to bosses.
The VJM05 was unveiled to the world’s media at Silverstone yesterday, and had its first outing around the track in the hands of driver Paul di Resta.
Bob Fernley, Force India deputy team principal, said he believed the new season would be “challenging” for the squad, but was confident in the ability of drivers Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg to deliver good results.
He said: “I’m very excited about the new car. It’s a significant step forward on last year’s.
“But a lot of how well we do with it will depend on how well our competitors have done. We are trying as hard as we can to make sure we secure that minimum fifth place but there isn’t a team out there that isn’t capable of pushing us, and I think it’s going to be very challenging.
“I think the fifth place fight is going to be one of the highlights of the season.”
Speaking at the launch of the new car yesterday di Resta praised the work of the designers and engineers at the team’s factory over the winter, and said he was looking forward to getting it to the track.
He said: “If the car goes as well as it looks we will be on for a good one.
“It’s difficult to say when you’re a midfield team exactly what we want to achieve, but as long as it’s better than last year I will be happy.
“Nico and I are both relatively the same age – very young – but I think we will work well together. We are good friends but equally I think we will be very constructive, have that competitive nature and hopefully bounce off each other and extract a bit more performance out of the whole team.”
Di Resta’s team-mate Hulkenberg was also vocal in his praise of the new car.
He said: “I am very excited for the new season. I like what I have seen – the car looks very neat and tidy, and it looks quick. Now we have to prove it is quick on the circuit as well. But it looks good.
“It’s very competitive in the midfield. Obviously our goal as a team is to come fifth in the constructors’ championship, but there are a lot of teams that want to take a step forward, raise their game and move up the ranks and in the constructors’ world championship so it’s not going to be easy.
“But I feel confident we have a good package and that we can take the momentum from last year, where we had a very strong finish of the season, into the beginning of this season, and get some good results.”
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