Force India aims for fifth in 2013

Force India will not be satisfied if it starts the season with anything less than the fifth quickest car in the field in 2013.
 
The Silverstone-based squad endured a slow start to this year but became one of the strongest outfits towards the end, with Nico Hulkenberg fighting for victory in the last race in Brazil.

Deputy team principal Bob Fernley reckons his squad's momentum can be kept going into 2013, when he is optimistic Force India can hit the ground running.
"We have to be very encouraged by the second half of the season," Fernley told AUTOSPORT. "The regulations are stable going into 2013.

"So apart from the development work you're going to do over the winter, fundamentally where you've finished now is where you start in March.

"So we have to be to be encouraged, it's a strong package.

"Can we learn something? We've had two seasons where we've been slow out of the box.

"It's caught us out. Hopefully in 2013 that won't be the case."

Although Force India finished seventh in the constructors' championship behind Mercedes and Sauber, Fernley said the team should not be aiming for any lower than fifth in 2013.

"If you look at the stats, since the summer break, Force India's the fifth best performing team and Vijay [Mallya] will expect us to start there, it's as simple as that," he added.

"Mercedes obviously have a lot of work to do. They have Lewis [Hamilton] going there, so that's going to be a renewed enthusiasm for what they're doing.

"They're a force to be reckoned with, but they've got to overcome the back of this season.

"From our point of view we've been strong at the end of this season and we want to carry that through to next year."

Force India announced it will unveil its 2013 car on 1 February.

Source: Autosport.com

Force India confirms 2013 launch date

Force India has become the first team to confirm the launch date of its new car - as the outfit plans to unveil its 2013 challenger on 1 February.

The Silverstone-based team, which ended its season on a high as Nico Hulkenberg challenged for victory in Brazil, plans to unveil its Mercedes-powered VJM06 at its home circuit.

Although the outfit has not confirmed either of its drivers for 2013, Paul di Resta is expected to remain on board for a third season.

With Hulkenberg switching to Sauber, the team is weighing up a number of drivers to line up alongside di Resta - including Adrian Sutil, Sebastien Buemi, and Jaime Alguersuari.

Formula 1's first official pre-season test of 2013 will take place at Jerez from 5 February.

Source: Autosport.com

Who could Force India plump for?

 

With Nico Hulkenberg's departure for Sauber confirmed, it leaves a very desirable midfield seat on the 2013 grid vacant. Sky Sports F1 Online assesses Vijay Mallya's options...

Paul di Resta is likely to be retained by Force India, but who could be his team-mate? We cast our eye over some of the contenders:

Jules Bianchi

The Frenchman could be a contender for a race seat at Force India, or elsewhere in F1 in general, after narrowly missing out on the Formula Renault 3.5 title this year. He retired from the season finale after a clash with eventual Champion Robin Frijns.

The 23-year-old is a member of Ferrari's Driver Academy and was appointed Force India reserve driver in 2012. He made an immediate impact - but not in a good way - with a crash during pre-season testing, limiting Force India's running in Jerez. He has redeemed himself somewhat since then and caught the eye in the Young Drivers' test at Magny-Cours in September, 

topping the times in both the VJM05 and Ferrari F2012. His Friday practice performances have not been particularly outstanding, but his form in World Series could keep him in contention and ensure that for the third straight season Force India promotes from within.
Speaking to French Eurosport in recent days, he appeared to certainly fancy his chances of making the 2013 grid: "I think next year is my best chance (of getting a race seat). We are working hard. With some good luck - in particular if one of the two drivers leaves Force India - we must continue in this direction."

Adrian Sutil

Sutil has a long history with the Silverstone-based team having driven for them in various guises since 2006 - when he joined as Midland F1's test driver, before graduating to a race seat in 2007 when the team became Spyker.
The German's exit from the team last winter was somewhat controversial with some speculation as to the impact his charge of GBH, for which he was later found guilty of and handed an 18-month suspended jail sentence for, had on the team's decision to replace him with Hulkenberg.
Clearly, though, the 29-year-old remains on good terms with the team and has been a regular in their hospitality unit at races this season. Indeed, Vijay Mallya admitted this week that he would strongly consider re-hiring Sutil should Hulkenberg leave.

Jaime Alguersuari

The youngest driver in F1 history has been making positive noises in recent weeks about a race seat in 2013, telling his Twitter followers: "Soon you will all know where I will be driving next year."

The 22-year-old was dropped after two-and-a-half seasons with Toro Rosso as the Red Bull junior team opted for a complete overhaul of their line-up for 2012.
Since then, he has taken on the role of Pirelli test driver and his knowledge of the 2013 tyres could be crucial in helping a midfield team get the edge on their competition.

Sebastien Buemi

Buemi was the other driver to be released by Toro Rosso at the end of the 2011, but has stayed within the Red Bull stable, acting as test driver for the senior team.
Alongside his testing and demonstration duties in 2012, the Swiss driver competed at the 24 Hours du Mans for Toyota, sharing a car with Sky Sports F1 pundit Anthony Davidson.
The 23-year-old's junior career was unspectacular with second in the 2007 F3 Euroseries the only highlight, and he remains an outsider for the seat.

Heikki Kovalainen

The Finn has impressed many in the paddock with the job he has done at Caterham, re-establishing some of the creditability he arguably lost during two uninspired years at McLaren.
Kovalainen is out of contract at the end of the current season and has publicly admitted he was looking around for other drives in F1, with even his position at Caterham not looking completely certain. But looking good in an uncompetitive car is one thing and you have to wonder how fresh in the minds of Team Principals' his stint at McLaren remains, the final year of which saw him finish a lowly 12th in the Drivers' Championship.
Looking back on his career - he won the World Series title in 2004 and finished second in the inaugural GP2 Series - the 31-year-old clearly has pace, however, he remains an outsider, with younger drivers with better funding a potentially more attractive proposition.

Source: Motortweets.com

Force India: Hulkenberg move ill-timed

Force India believes Nico Hulkenberg will miss the chance to realise the team's potential after leaving to join Sauber for 2013.
 
The German driver confirmed in October that he will race with Sauber next season after two years with the Silverstone-based squad.

Force India finished behind Sauber in this year's standings, but it outscored the Swiss squad in the final part of the year.

Deputy team boss Bob Fernley reckons Hulkenberg's departure comes at an inopportune moment for the German given the team's form over the season run-in.

"I think so," Fernley told AUTOSPORT when asked if Hulkenberg would miss Force India's potential. 

"If you look at the stats since the summer break, the Force India car was clearly the fifth best performing. 

"We're still quite a distance off the top four, but since the summer break we've forged ahead of all the others."

Fernley admitted, however, that Force India was sorry to see the German driver leave.

"We're very sad to see Nico go," he said. "He's been a great asset to the team. We've enjoyed having him around and it's a loss to us. There's no question that we're sad he's leaving."

Force India will keep Paul di Resta for 2013, with the Scot's partner yet to be named.

Di Resta struggled to match the performance of Hulkenberg in the second half of the season, but Fernley denied the reason for that was that he was focused on trying to secure a drive elsewhere.

"No, I don't think so," Fernley added. "Up to Singapore, Paul had dominated and Nico was feeling down. Since Singapore it went the other way around. 

That's how it's gone with them all season, they're so close.

"It's hard to judge. You get those runs. He's just got to dust himself down and get ready for the new season."

Source: Autosport.com

Force India to announce driver this week

Force India is set to announce the identity of Paul di Resta's 2013 teammate. 

The Indian news service IANS said that although the official announcement has been delayed, the Vijay Mallya-led team is finally almost ready now to make the call. 

"The announcement should take place next week," a 'top source' at the Silverstone based team was quoted saying late last week. 

"Adrian (Sutil) looks the best bet to partner di Resta as he has got the required experience in formula one. At the same time, Mr Mallya also considered all other available options," the unnamed source added. 

It is believed the others under consideration are Kamui Kobayashi, who has been raising funds through a fan website, and the sponsored Brazilian Bruno Senna. 

The source said Force India's Ferrari-linked 2012 reserve driver Jules Bianchi is not experienced enough to seriously compete with German Sutil for the seat. 

As for Force India's existing 2012 driver di Resta, the source commented: "He was always expected to carry on. He has delivered so far and it makes sense to retain him." 

Source : http://www.worldcarfans.com/

Force India seeking talent, not money

Force India says speed rather than money will be the deciding factor in who lines up alongside Paul di Resta next year.
 
The Silverstone-based team is expected to confirm its 2013 driver line-up in the next few weeks, with a host of names having been linked with the outfit.
Although Paul di Resta is understood to be certain to retain his drive, the identity of his team-mate is not yet clear, with Sebastien Buemi, Adrian Sutil, Bruno Senna and Kamui Kobayashi having been linked with it.

Force India chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer thinks it vital that the outfit finds a quick replacement for the departing Nico Hulkenberg, because that will ensure it gets the best out of di Resta too.

"I am a believer that you need someone like that," he told AUTOSPORT. "Not everyone does, and it is a subconscious thing.

"You think you are driving the best you can, but there is nothing like competition for us humans to really sharpen our focus, attention and skills in all sort of stuff. 

"If you have competition you end up driving yourself more."

Force India is expected to announce its line-up at its Christmas party, which takes place in the middle of December.

"We will announce everything in a couple of weeks," said Szafnauer. "We have a pretty short list of candidates now."

Source: Autosport.com