ForceIndia Confirms Sutil

Finally ForceIndia confirms Sutil as a team mate of Paul di Resta, This was much awaited and expected by F1 pundits. This is also a first time i have seen, a F1 team announcing second driver at the start of third winter testing. 
  
No doubt he is the best in the market and he's done some extraordinary job for forceindia in the past. 
 
I can say, nothing he did wrong in the past when he was driving for SFIF1,  apart from Shangahi Incident, which made his life U-turn. 

As a Forceindia fan i want to him on the podium or either his team mate. Hope he'll do best in 2013. Fingers croseed 
 
Thanks 

Force India to muse driver decision this weekend

With just three weeks until the circus congregates in Australia for the 2013 opener, Force India is still yet to name Paul di Resta's teammate. 

To that end, Adrian Sutil - the team's long-time German driver who sat out 2012 after his assault conviction - is testing the new VJM06 in Barcelona on Thursday. 

But also hot in the running is Jules Bianchi, the rookie Frenchman who was reserve driver last season and is strongly supported by Ferrari, and handled by Felipe Massa's manager Nicolas Todt. 

Indeed, some see Sutil versus Bianchi as less about a head-to-head talent 'shootout', and more a question of which one is better backed by a supplier of expensive turbo V6s. 

Ferrari looks set to lose its engine customer Toro Rosso to Renault in 2014, and so Force India - currently powered by Mercedes - would be a good replacement for the Maranello marque. 

"First of all (with engine customers) we can test more engines and having no tests during the season we can collect a much wider database," said engine boss Luca Marmorini. 

"In this sense it's very good having customer teams." 

Ferrari driver 'academy' star Bianchi will drive the 2013 Force India on Friday, arming the Silverstone based team's bosses with the information for a decision. 

Asked on Thursday if that news will come next week, deputy team boss Bob Fernley said: "It would be good.

"We'll try and get all the information we've been collecting to the shareholders this weekend and then it's their decision," he told British Sky television.
Fernley said Force India will treat Sutil and Bianchi fairly in Barcelona, and confirmed that "obviously one of them" will be di Resta's teammate in 2013. 

Source: www.worldcarfans.com

Adrian Sutil Q&A

Thursday at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya saw Adrian Sutil back in a Formula One car for the first time since November 2011, as he looks to reclaim the Force India race seat he lost to Nico Hulkenberg. Sutil knows that whether the team choose him or their 2012 reserve Jules Bianchi to partner Paul di Resta this season will be down to more than just pace, but after some impressive times from his 78 laps the German feels he’s done all he can, as he explained exclusively to Formula1.com…

Q: Adrian, after 452 days away you are back in the cockpit again: what does that mean to you?
Adrian Sutil: Oh boy, it feels great to be back. It is so much fun and I never would have imagined that I’d miss all that so much.
Q: What does it mean to be back at Force India: almost nobody knows the team like you do…
AS: That's very true. I've spent six years with this team including the year as a test driver. They gave me the chance to come into F1 in 2007 and they gave me the chance to come back for this test. I'm very thankful for this possibility and I just wish that it goes on - and on and on.
Q: No problems at all getting back into the swing of things?
AS: No, I'm trained well and I'm very motivated - but also relaxed at the same time.
Q: A full day of testing requires excellent physical conditioning. How long have you been back in training for - or have you never actually stopped?
AS: I never stopped training because deep down I always believed in coming back.
Q: What has changed on the car since you last drove it?
AS: The team had a very strong finish last season. As I did not drive last year’s car it's hard to compare for me. But I'm convinced that Sahara Force India will also have a strong and competitive package for this season and my hope, of course, is that I can be with them to prove it. (laughs)
Q: After some hiccups in the first two hours where you aborted your running after each lap, things went pretty smoothly for you. Were you surprised at how easily you were able to slip back into things?
AS: I had hoped it would be that way. Racing was my business for many years and you don’t lose that - look at Kimi Raikkonen. I started slowly because I wanted to get in the best possible position - and from there it worked. I was doing a good programme, even going out with low fuel. Sure, the tyres need getting used to, but that is just a matter of time - not a serious issue to get a headache over.
Q: Your hopes were always high that there would be a chance for you to join Force India again: how are the chances right now?
AS: Let’s wait and see in the next couple of days. My manager and I did all we can to make the decision easy for the team. Now we can only wait and cross our fingers.
Q: What are the biggest obstacles? The press rumours would have it that it is a question of engines: you and Mercedes or Jules Bianchi and Ferrari…
AS: Ha, this is Formula One so it is natural that there are so many rumours around. To be honest I focus on driving. My relationship with Mercedes has always been good and hopefully they are heavily interested in having me in the car this season.
Q: The season opener in Melbourne is three weeks away - how much longer can Force India hold off on their decision?
AS: My understanding is that the test next week in Barcelona will definitely feature both drivers from Force India’s 2013 driver line-up.
Q: Should you be the lucky one, what’s on your agenda before Australia? More training, more simulator work?
AS: Business as usual - training and staying positive!

Source: Formula1.com

A solid first day of work in Barcelona for Sahara Force India

"With Melbourne less than a month away the team is gelling nicely", said Jakob Andreasen, Chief Race Engineer.

Sahara Force India began its Barcelona test session today as Paul Di Resta spent the day in the VJM06 and clocked up 82 laps of the Circuit de Catalunya.

 

Day One Statistics:

Chassis: VJM06-03
Laps: 82 laps
Mileage: 382 km
Fastest lap: 1:24.144
Classification: P8 of 12
 
Paul Di Resta: “The first day of running was mainly about tyre work and making some comparisons with Jerez. I was running on the hard and the mediums and we got a good feel for them once again. We also did an aero programme this morning, which is part of the correlation work as we evaluate some of the new parts going on the car. The plan is for more of the same tomorrow.”
 
Jakob Andreasen, Chief Race Engineer: “It has been a solid first day of work in Barcelona with Paul. We’ve put into effect what we learned in Jerez and made some useful comparisons, especially in terms of tyre evaluation.
After the aero programme this morning, we did some shorts runs with new aero components and then moved to longer runs later on.
The track conditions were not at their best this morning, but from midday onwards things started to improve and the cloud cover kept the track temperatures relatively low.
With Melbourne less than a month away the team is gelling nicely and the new personnel and structures we have put in place are working well.”

Source: motorsport.com

Force India confirms Sutil test drive

Adrian Sutil will drive for Force India at this week's Barcelona Formula 1 test, as he vies with Jules Bianchi for the second race seat.


The 30-year-old German had a seat-fitting with the Silverstone-based squad last week, although Force India insisted at the time that it was only a 'possibility' that he would form part of the line-up in Spain.

On Monday, the team announced that Sutil will get behind the wheel of the VJM06 on Thursday, the third day of the test. 

Confirmed 2013 racer Paul di Resta will conduct driving duties on Tuesday and Wednesday while last year's tester Bianchi will take over from Sutil on Friday.

Sutil has 90 world championship grand prix starts to his name; 73 in Force India machinery and the rest for the same team under its former guise as Spyker.

Source: Autosport.com

Sutil has seat fitting with Force India

Adrian Sutil has had a seat fitting for Force India ahead of a possible outing for the Silverstone squad in next week's Barcelona test.


The German is a strong contender  for the vacant seat alongside Paul di Resta, with 
Jules Bianchi also in the running.

The team is not expected to make any announcements about its second driver this week, but confirmed its plans for the Barcelona test would be revealed on Monday.

"Adrian has had a seat fitting with the team this week," a spokesperson told AUTOSPORT.

"At this stage, the test driving schedule for the Barcelona test is not finalised but there is a possibility Adrian could be involved.

"The driving schedule will be communicated on Monday next week."

Source: Autosport.com 
 

Bianchi hopeful over Force India drive

Jules Bianchi believes he has now done enough to prove he is worthy of Force India's second Formula 1 race seat for 2013.
 
Force India has yet to decide who will partner Paul di Resta this year, with reserve Bianchi vying with former driver Adrian Sutil for the opportunity.
Bianchi tested for Force India at Jerez on Friday and was second quickest behind Kimi Raikkonen. 

The Frenchman admitted that there might have been doubts about his ability in his early Force India outings, but reckons performances such as at the Magny-Cours test last year and at Jerez should erase those.

"I think now they know me," he told AUTOSPORT.

"On Friday mornings in the free practice sessions I was not the best at first, it's true.

"After Magny-Cours I was a lot better. At Magny-Cours I showed the team that I was quick, and I did here again.

"So it's positive, but it's not in my hands. I just try to do the best when I drive the car and that's it."

Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley told AUTOSPORT last week that the squad had initially wanted to keep Bianchi in the reserve role for one more year before Nico Hulkenberg's departure to Sauber disrupted that plan.
But whatever Force India's previous intentions, Bianchi reckons he has proved he should be racing now, and hopes for some certainty before the second test at Barcelona.

"I do feel ready. I've had quite a bit of mileage in Formula 1 now and I feel ready to drive in a race," he said.

"So even if the plan was to stay a third driver for two years, now the plan has changed and I'm ready.

"I hope by Barcelona it will be decided who the second driver is."

Source: Autosport.com

Narain to join Force India?

Chennai: The doors of Sahara Force India Formula One team seem to be opening for Narain Karthikeyan. Ever since Vijay Mallya bought the F1 team in 2007, the businessman has been dismissive of Indian drivers even as he tested Narain and Karun Chandhok in a simulator a couple of years back.

But the 2013 season, scheduled to kick-start on March 15, could finally see an Indian behind the wheel of a tricolour-liveried machine.

The official pre-season test has already begun, but the Silverstone-based team are the only outfit who have not yet confirmed their second driver — a teammate for Scot Paul di Resta.

Sources say that Narain, who has managed to get more financial backing than last year, has already been offered a reserve driver role at Force India, but the 36-year-old is keen on landing a proper race drive.

“As soon as Narain’s long-term sponsors Tata increased the budget for 2013, talks with Force India began. Unlike the past, the negotiation has been a lot more positive. As reserve drivers don’t have much of a role in F1 these days, Narain is only interested in the second driver seat. If talks fail, he will probably go to America for IndyCar series where a couple of teams have already shown interest,”said a source.

Adrian Sutil and Bruno Senna were earlier linked with the Force India seat, but Brazilian Senna on Wednesday signed up with Aston Martin for the World Endurance Series raising Narain’s hope.

Narain represented backmarkers Hispania Racing in 2012 and the beleaguered Spanish team are now out of F1.

At last year’s Indian GP, F1 star Lewis Hamilton and the sport’s flamboyant boss Bernie Ecclestone suggested that a move to Sahara Force India could do wonders for Narain, the team and the country.

Source: Deccanchronicle.com 

Di Resta confident his new car will be a Force to be reckoned with next season

Paul di Resta believes a leaner, keener and happier Force India team are ready to make an impact in Formula One this season.

Di Resta enjoyed a solid two full days of testing in the VJM06 at the Circuito de Jerez, clocking up 181 laps, before a further half day today following a morning run from James Rossiter.

For the Scot, the extended track time was simply an extension of the good vibe he has picked up on at the team's Silverstone factory this year.

In development: Paul Di Resta reckons Force India are building a strong car for next season

'Their approach this year has changed,' said Di Resta.

'Something seems to have taken on another level in terms of the department, with how we are working and networking.

'It's difficult to put into words what it is. It's just everybody appears quite relaxed but equally keen and eager, and relatively quite content with the car 
we have developed.

'Given the reliability of the car over the past two days, that gives you a direction as to where it is.

'We're achieving a lot, putting in the miles, everybody is organised, the parts are arriving on time, we're pushing the departments to the extreme to make sure they come up with bigger and better things.

'So we're working away as a team. Everybody in the garage looks a bit leaner, the sun has been shining and it has been a good few days.
'Given where we finished last year, and with some of the results we had, we're certainly hoping to go up a stage.

Testing: The young British driver is putting in the laps at Circuito de Jerez in Spain this week

'Whoever you are battling with, the aim for a team like us is always about getting the next constructor ahead of us.'
Despite scoring more points last year than in 2011, the team slipped a place in the standings from sixth to seventh as Sauber especially took a notable leap forward.

For now, the first impression of the new Force India for Di Resta is a good one, although in F1 such an opinion can be deceptive given the difficulty in determining the opposition's level of competitiveness.

'I feel very comfortable in the car, and on the first two days we achieved the most mileage,' said Di Resta. 'I would definitely say there is an improvement, although essentially the car is an evolution of last year not a revolution.
'But it's the most downforce we've driven with for a long time, it's gone another stage up.

Up for the challenge: Di Resta is confident of catching the likes of Sauber this season

'As we need to come out stronger in Melbourne, this is the time of the year to explore your avenues.

'I'm not saying you need to take risks, more of having an open view to give you more direction going forward.'
Given the lack of a full-time team-mate this week, with Force India now the only one without a second driver, Di Resta has found himself leading the team.

It is almost certain a replacement for Nico Hulkenberg will be in place for the second test in Barcelona in a fortnight.

But at the present time, Di Resta is enjoying the responsibility, as he said: 'It's not affecting me one bit. I'm working away with the people I feel I have to, and in my third season with the team it's good to have the challenge of developing my feedback.

'We're working away on the small details, as we normally do, but my opinion is obviously being well respected by the team.'

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Jerez test driving schedule

 

Following the launch of the VJM06 last week, attention now moves to the first pre-season test in Jerez, Spain. The first week of running will be a chance to collect data, complete systems checks and work on baseline set-up. 

Paul Di Resta will be the man in the cockpit for most of the test and will complete the first couple of days. He will hand the VJM06 over to James Rossiter on Wednesday afternoon to give the British driver a chance to benchmark the VJM06 against the team’s simulator model and progress the simulator development programme. James will also drive on Thursday morning with Paul back in the car on Thursday afternoon.

The final day of running on Friday will see Jules Bianchi behind the wheel of the VJM06. Having spent 2012 as the team’s third driver, Jules will be able to provide the team’s engineers with further comparison feedback between last year’s car and the VJM06. 

Driving schedule
Day 1 = Paul
Day 2 = Paul / James late in the afternoon
Day 3 = James in the morning / Paul in the afternoon
Day 4 = Jules


Source: Forceindiaf1.com (Official ForceIndia website)

Di Resta: I’m keen and eager to get back in the car

Now into his third season with Force India, Paul di Resta outlines his plans for 2013 with the brand new VJM06.
The 2012 season was a long one for everybody – did you have a chance to chill out over the winter?
It was a well-timed break, after the first year with 20 races in the calendar. Given the intensity of it at the end of the year, with three double-headers, everybody needed that break to recharge their batteries and get their focus on 2013. That one month off gives you a chance to understand things more and I’m quite happy to now look ahead to the new season. We’re always keen and eager to get back into the cars. I think the winter is more important for the race team who travel – the pressure that revolves around them is much higher than it is for us. They go through the mental stress of getting the car prepared over the race weekends and they are away from their families.
How have you approached your preparations this year and are you raring to go?
Last year I had some good productive training with Gerry Convy and I think this year I can actually read my energy levels and really look at when is the right time to be training, when you feel ready, and when you feel strongest. I’ll be able to manage that a bit more this year and I think my baseline is a lot higher. I’m keen and eager to get back in the car and get back to business. Looking ahead everyone is in good form in the factory. The relationships are very strong, the structures in some departments have changed, and I think all the boys are ready for it. Looking at the design aspects of the car, the rules haven’t changed, so effectively it’s an evolution of what we had before
How important is it for the team to have a stronger start to the season this year?
That has to happen and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t. I think the pressure is on all the departments to make sure we start better, last year we underperformed, certainly until the European season kicked in. We did get some good results before that – in the rain in Malaysia and in Bahrain, where we just got everything together and managed to achieve something remarkable that early in the season. We need to launch a car, understand it, and bring a race package to it – whether that’s at the Barcelona test or in Melbourne – that needs to make the car quicker than when it rolled out on the first day.
This year DRS use in qualifying is restricted to the official zones. How will that change things?
In my mind I see it as a safer approach and it’s what most of the drivers want. I think ultimately the bigger teams with more downforce had the advantage, because they were coming out with double DRS systems and so on. Also, it was touch and go where you could use DRS. Some teams could use it through the corners, whereas we were closing it. I think the new regulation maybe brings it back to the teams that haven’t got quite as many resources as the top teams. Ultimately it’s fine as long as the FIA make sure the DRS is quicker over the lap and it gives you the switch and the gear ratio choice for overtaking – that is why it was introduced. It’s not there to be a performance-enhancing device in qualifying.
Everyone sampled prototype 2013 tyres in Brazil. Any thoughts on the changes?
We’ve tried the construction change, but it wasn’t the 2013 compound, which I think is going to be different. It will be interesting to see how it will affect the car. The day we tried them in Brazil we experienced the hottest track temperature all year – it was baking hot! They performed well. Pirelli has done a very good job over the last couple of years and the tyres do what they should do – they wear out and when you put a fresh set on you go quicker! Last year we probably saw a few issues where there were not enough pit stops. We want to see races with more pit stops and more strategy coming into it.
How optimistic are you heading into this season?
I’m feeling very good, I must say. I’m working very closely with my team of people, and that’s changed slightly in different departments. We’re all trying to do the best job possible. Whether it’s managing time and making sure you’re in the best frame of mind or whether that’s on-track performance and the finer details of the car set-up, ultimately it’s all about performance and results. I know the way this team works and they know how I work. When it all gels well we can obviously see the results we get. We just need to make sure we can achieve that on a more consistent basis.

Source: F1pulse.com

Mallya: Podiums are certainly a clear ambition

Force India team principal Vijay Mallya talks about his ambitions in Formula 1, now into its sixth season.
The new season is upon us. How excited are you to see the VJM06 come to life?
I think everyone in the team is very excited about this car and eager to go testing and see where we stand. With stable technical rules the VJM06 doesn’t look massively different compared to its predecessor, but beneath the skin we’ve looked at every detail to try and find more performance. I’ve followed the development of the car closely and feel proud of what we have achieved so far.
You’ve given great consideration to the driver line-up for this season. Are you closer to finalising things?
Paul (di Resta) will race with us for a third season. He has delivered some great performances for us over the last two years and gives us the consistency we need going into 2013. He had a difficult end to last season, but we’ve worked hard to understand those issues and I believe he can step up another level this year. As for his teammate, we had a shortlist and have considered every driver who is available. We are very close to making our decision and I can assure you that we will arrive in Australia with one of the most exciting pairings on the grid.
You announced an investment programme for the team late last year. How is that progressing?
The programme is underway and we are currently looking for the land to build our new wind tunnel. The team has done a remarkable job with the resources that we already have, but if we want to realise our long-term ambitions we need to give our engineers the best tools available, starting with a state-of-the-art wind tunnel. The more immediate benefits of our investment are already in place for 2013 with greater CFD capacity.
What will be the objectives for the year ahead?
We begin 2013 hungrier than ever before. We ended last season with a very competitive car and we even led for 30 laps in Brazil. That’s given everyone a taste of what it feels like to race at the front and shows what we can achieve when everything comes together. We were unlucky to miss out on a podium last year on several occasions so that is certainly a clear ambition for the year ahead. The first objective is to hit the ground running and have a strong start to the season. That’s been our weakness for the last couple of seasons so we need to build on the momentum and carry on where we left off in 2012.

Source: F1pulse.com

Bianchi had been set to stay as reserve

Force India has admitted that it had planned to run Jules Bianchi as its reserve driver for two years before considering him for a Formula 1 race drive.
 
The Silverstone-based team launched its 2013 VJM06 on Friday, with only lead driver Paul di Resta in attendance.

Bianchi, who drove for Force India in free practice on nine grand prix weekends in 2012, is one of several drivers in contention for the second race seat, with Adrian Sutil and Bruno Senna both considered leading contenders as well.

Speaking at the launch of the new car, Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley told AUTOSPORT that the departure of Nico Hulkenberg had disrupted the team's long-term driver plans.

"The idea of the Nico/Paul partnership not continuing into 2013 wasn't our plan," said Fernley. "Obviously it slightly de-railed our programme.

"If we'd had an ideal world we'd have liked to run Jules for two years as a third driver.

"Is Jules ready to go into a primary seat? Yes, he is. Absolutely. But we've just got to make sure we tick all the boxes now."
Fernley said that having two drivers on board for the first test of pre-season at Jerez next week was not as important as getting a revised long-term plan in place with its line-up.

"We have all these long-term plans and we want to make sure the decisions we take are the right ones," he said.

"And we don't have to rush those decisions. Today [at the launch], a lot of the talk is about why we don't have other drivers here.

"Well, the key objective today is to launch the VJM06 and two new partners with our programme. We only needed one driver to do that.

"When we go to Jerez, there's no better person to do all the baseline work and get the car ready for Barcelona, than Paul.
 
"Paul will be the key focus for Jerez. After that, the shareholders will be ready I think to announce the three-driver line-up, which will see us into 2013 and hopefully longer term."

No shootout
Fernley dismissed the idea of holding an on-track evaluation of the various candidates for the 2013 line-up.

"We've got a number of people pooled that we want to look at for the primary drive, and a couple of people that we want to look at for the third driver programme," he said.

"We don't need to evaluate the people we're looking at - we'll make the decision and they'll go straight into the programme.

"As long as the baseline work is done and we can bring the second and third driver in for Barcelona [on February 19], they're going to be competitive straight away."

Source: Autosport.com

Force India delays driver decision

Force India will not announce its second driver before the second Barcelona test in mid-February.
 
Deputy team principal Bob Fernley said his squad had no concerns about going through the first winter test without having confirmed Paul di Resta's team-mate as he is sure the second driver could catch up at Barcelona, where testing would ramp up.

Fernley had said last month that the second driver announcement would be "probably before the first test."

"The driver will be capable of doing an equal amount of time as Paul," Fernley said during the launch of the new VJM06. 

"It's only once the baseline has been set, which Paul will be doing in Jerez, do you really start to lean on the car and wind it up to get performance."

Fernley confirmed that Force India's 2012 reserve driver Jules Bianchi remained on the shortlist for the second race seat despite the Ferrari protege being at the Italian squad's launch instead.

"Jules is a significant candidate for what we're doing, along with Adrian [Sutil] and a few others," said Fernley.

He also denied that the delay in announcing the second driver meant the choice would be based entirely on commercial considerations.

"I have difficulty with the terminology of pay drivers," Fernley said.

"The drivers that are in Formula 1 are very good quality.

"The fact that they've got the skills to put a budget together as well would be complementary, not a negative.

"What I would like to think that talent is also given the opportunity when maybe it doesn't have the budget to go with it.

"What we do is see how things fit into our programmes and get the best drivers we can afford, and I don't think that's changed."

Source: Autosport.com

New Force India a total redesign

Force India has opted for a complete redesign of its car for the 2013 Formula 1 season, according to technical director Andrew Green.


The VJM06 was unveiled at Silverstone on Friday morning.

While the team enjoyed a strong run-in to its 2012 campaign, scoring points in the last eight straight races and leading 30 laps of the Brazilian finale, Green said increasingly marginal performance gains had prompted a complete redesign over the winter.

"It's a new car, we didn't hold back," he said.

"Performance gains are getting harder and harder to find given the regulations stability, so we couldn't hold back.

"We had to redesign basically everything to maximise the potential of the car.

"The time we took to understand the car at the end of the year actually helped us tremendously with the design of this one."

Green said the need to optimise Pirelli's 2013 compounds had also been a major influence in the VJM06's formation.

"We've done a lot of work analysing how we use the tyres, so we have incorporated a lot of detail into this year's design," he explained.

"On top of that we have bolted on extra downforce on, that's always the case.
"Keeping the tyres working in their sweet spot is the key to the current car, so we gave ourselves more options with this design [in order] to look after the tyres.
"[The 2013 compounds] are the one thing we don't really understand at the moment, and we won't until we start running them.
"That will drive our winter test programme massively. Our focus in testing will be all around the new tyres, [although] even then it's going to be tough to get the complete picture running around Barcelona in five degree ambient [temperatures]."

Source: Autosport.com

New Force India VJM06 unveiled

 
















Force India launched its 2013 car on Friday morning, becoming the fourth Formula 1 team to unveil its single-seater for the upcoming season.

The Silverstone-based squad finished the 2012 season seventh in the constructors' championship, but was one of the strongest teams towards the end of the year, with Nico Hulkenberg fighting for victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

"I've pushed the guys quite hard in areas that's outside their comfort zone," said technical director Andrew Green. "It is under the skin, you can't see it from here: rear suspension, front suspension, aerodynamics have all been pushed hard. 

"I think the guys have done a really good job over the winter and the car is a step improvement from last year. The car should be a lot more consistent, should be a lot easier to drive. We're looking forward to Jerez to see whether 
it does what it says on the tin." 

Hulkenberg has moved to Sauber for 2013, and Force India is yet to announce who will partner Scot Paul di Resta during the upcoming season.

Frenchman Jules Bianchi had been strongly linked with the drive, but the Frenchman was in Maranello during the launch of the new Ferrari F138. 

The new VJM06 car will be powered by Mercedes engines for the fifth consecutive season and it will take to the track today at Silverstone before it starts testing at Jerez next week.

"I'm eager to feel what the car is all about. We're giving it a short test today to get a bit of an idea," said di Resta, who admitted it was hard to make predictions for 2013.

"I think it's difficult to set yourself targets, especially at this point. It's consistency and working the momentum to carry over from last year.
"That's the focus, to have a car that gets into Q3 and put ourselves into strong positions."

Source: Autosport.com