'We still need to lift our game' - Mallya

Force India boss Vijay Mallya has called on his team to up its game this season and take the fight to the likes of Sauber and Williams for podiums.

Force India has scored 28 points in seven races, but lies eighth in the constructors' championship behind rivals Sauber and Williams, which have both finished in the top three at races this year. Force India targeted fifth in the constructors' championship at the start of the year, and after both cars failed to finish in the points at the last race in Canada, team principal Mallya has highlighted the importance of scoring a big points haul soon.

"I think Canada showed once again that Formula One is hard to predict at the moment," he said. "It's seriously competitive with seven different winners in seven races, all of which is great for the sport - I would certainly go along with that. But while it's hard to predict, we still need to lift our game, especially if we want to target fifth or sixth in the constructors' championship. Yes, we've had one of our best starts to a season ever in terms of points scored, but the teams around us have also performed exceptionally well."

Mallya said Force India, which has only finished on the podium once before at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix, must get another top three result soon.

"The teams that we have been comparable with in the past few years like Sauber and Williams have been on the podium, and I'm sure our time will come, as long as we get things right. It's something we need to do sooner rather than later because we are quickly approaching the midway point of the season. I hope we can recapture our form in Valencia [this weekend], return to the points and demonstrate our potential."

Source: En.espnf1.com