Force India has rubbished suggestions that it faces an uncertain future following rumours of severe financial problems.
Deputy team boss Bob Fernley told AUTOSPORT that reports suggesting the squad was in trouble were untrue.
"There is absolutely no substance to it," he said.
Team owner Vijay Mallya's airline Kingfisher has been struggling
financially, failing to generate a profit since its launch in 2005. Late
last year it was forced to ground its fleet.
Fernley said Force India was not affected by the problems surrounding Mallya's companies and it was pressing on as usual.
"Our shareholder Vijay and Sahara are incredibly strong," he said. "They don't need partners.
"As we speak, we are putting together and implementing an expansion programme that Vijay talked about at the end of last year.
"And all that is going ahead and moving forward. For the last four
years, coming now to our fifth year, the team has been financed without
any dependence on the shareholders' companies that they own.
"There is absolutely no substance to it anywhere and that's the thing that's very distressing."
When asked if the team can continue unaffected by problems with Mallya's companies, Fernely said: "Correct. And it does."
He also denied the Silverstone-based squad had talked to any possible buyers.
"We have had no discussions whatsoever with any buyers at all," he said.
Source : Autosport.com
Force India says it is not planning to announce its second driver in time for the launch of its 2013 car.
The Silverstone-based team is, together with Caterham, the only
Formula 1 outfit yet to confirm its second driver for the upcoming
season.
Jules Bianchi and Adrian Sutil are believed to be the main candidates to partner Paul di Resta.
Force India will launch its 2013 car - the Mercedes-powered VJ06 - on February 1 before it begins testing at Jerez four days later.
Deputy team boss Bob Fernley told AUTOSPORT on Friday however that the launch will not be used to announce its second driver.
Asked if Force India would confirm its line-up during the event, Fernley said:
"No. The launch is to launch the VJ06."
Fernley said the timeframe for announcing the team's second driver was
"probably before the first test".
He also denied the team would use the test to evaluate drivers for the seat.
"[That's] very unlikely," he said about the possibility of using the test to trial candidates.
Source: Autosport.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hwLcwnu_E9s
Paul di Resta thinks that a more aggressive pre-season development
programme is key to helping Force India achieve its podium ambitions
this year.
The Scotsman, who is staying at the team for a third year even though
his new deal has yet to be officially confirmed, reckons it vital his
outfit builds on a strong end to the 2012 Formula 1 season
.
"The car is looking good," he said on the AUTOSPORT Stage with KX at
AUTOSPORT International. "On paper you can see what they have tried to
achieve, and it is achieving what they want to do.
"We just need to ramp up the development. Last year we got stalled a bit towards the end of testing.
"We started very well but people were bringing developments and we didn't do that.
"The team of people at Force India will ramp that up, and we need to start the season higher if we want to be competing with the likes of Lotus and Mercedes."
With his Force India team ending last year with Nico Hulkenberg
leading in Brazil, di Resta believes that podium finishes are on the
cards for the season ahead.
"I think we can," he said. "We nearly achieved it in Singapore and that is the thing on the cards this year.
"Vijay [Mallya] and the team are focused on achieving that. Our
competitors, Williams and Sauber, they achieved that last year and we
nearly did it, and the main thing we should focus on should be
consistency.
"When
we do get the chance to finish on the podium, we should understand why
and repeat it the next week - that is the main thing.
"Having a fluke result would shine but equally you would be down the next week if you did not come close to achieving it again."
Di Resta had his seat-fitting for the 2013 car at the team's factory
on Friday. But the identity of his team-mate has yet to be revealed.
He admitted to some surprise that the line-up had not been finalised.
"I don't think it is a great position to be in at nearly middle of
January and not know who it is," he said. "But the team have said that
they will announce it when they are ready so I have to respect that."
When asked who he would like alongside him, di Resta said: "As long
as the team-mate is fast, and has respect for me and is a team player,
that is all I can ask for.
"It is when you get somebody who only has their own ambitions in
mind... nowadays in F1 you need to work as a unit and you can see it
gets a bit political, and that is how the sport is driven."
Source:Autosport.com
Paul di Resta has declared himself 'more up for the fight than ever',
having acknowledged that he needs to get back in the Formula 1
spotlight after a tough end to 2012.
As Force India team-mate Nico Hulkenberg starred with performances such as leading the race in Brazil, di Resta's season tailed off following his fourth place in Singapore.
Despite having been at the forefront of early driver market speculation, he was unable to secure a top drive and remains at Force India this year.
Asked in an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT whether he felt he
could get himself 'back in fashion' in 2013, di Resta replied:
"Certainly hope so. I will be ready to smash out the beginning of the
year.
"I am absolutely up for the fight. More eager than ever."
He admitted Hulkenberg, now at Sauber, would be a key target.
"It will be quite nice to race Nico without having team orders," said
di Resta.
"He will be the main competitor for us - Sauber and Williams.
"The team are well focused and happy after that difficult bit of the
year. My team around me also went through the emotions of it. They were
equally as frustrated as I was with it."
Di Resta said the winter break had helped him get over his late-2012
troubles, especially given that on-track progress had been elusive.
"I've forgotten about it," he said.
"It
was right to have a month off, as much as I would have wanted to be in
the car the next week and getting over it, maybe it wasn't the right
thing, because nothing seemed to be changing. You could show good signs
and nothing came together."
Although there were spells in 2012 when di Resta was a regular top-10
runner, his season did not feature any headline moments such as the podium finishes that helped bring Sauber's Sergio Perez to McLaren.
"We've missed the flukey results and the podiums, but I think as a team we wanted consistency far more," di Resta said.
"To do what they have done is score a podium one weekend and then
have a ninth place. It automatically cancels it out and you start again.
You want to be able to build on that."
Source :Autosport.com
Force India has rubbished suggestions that it faces an uncertain future following rumours of severe financial problems.
