Force India aims to match Williams in 2015

Force India technical director Andrew Green reckons his Formula 1 team should be able to fight with Williams in 2015, thanks to planned improvements to its engine and aerodynamic testing.

The Silverstone-based F1 squad enjoyed a strong start to the 2014 season - reaching as high as second in the constructors' standings after Sergio Perez made the Bahrain Grand Prix podium.

But Force India's form tailed off as the season wore on, and it eventually lost out to a resurgent McLaren in the battle for fifth in the final table.

The team recently announced a deal to use Toyota's windtunnel facility in Cologne, starting in 2015, and Green reckons Force India will be a much more competitive proposition next season.

"I'd like to think we could take a step in closing the gap, given that we know if we can solve the deficit we have in the handling characteristic of the car, there's significant laptime to be had," Green told AUTOSPORT.

"Hopefully we can get up and at least be chasing Williams.

"That should really be where we're at, and I think we can do that with all the things we're putting in place for next year, and the windtunnel testing.

"Mercedes are [also] doing a good job with the engine over the winter.

"We're very excited about what they're bringing for next year and what we've learned to add to next year's car.

"I think we should be back where we were at the beginning of the season."

FORM LOOKS WORSE THAN IT WAS

Green said Force India had actually maintained its deficit to the leading Mercedes works team across the balance of the season, but argued other teams had simply jumped into the gap as they improved at a faster rate.

"We track our progress relative to the polesitter, depending on the track - because we know which tracks our problems are at - and we haven't been that far from tracking Mercedes," Green added.

"The fact is that Mercedes has been that far in front and there's been quite a big gap.

"At the beginning of the season there was quite a big group of cars behind us and we looked quite tasty.

"What happened over the course of the season was that teams popped into that gap.

"It looks like we've effectively gone backwards in the rankings, but our performance relative to the top guy hasn't really changed that much.

"We were adding things to the car and it was making a difference - it just wasn't really showing because of our position.

"Until we start putting more people behind us, it's not going to show on track."

Autosport.com

Force India to use Toyota windtunnel

The Force India Formula 1 team will use Toyota's windtunnel facilities for all its aerodynamic testing during the 2015 season and beyond.

The Japanese manufacturer's windtunnel in Cologne is regarded as one of the best in Europe, and it has been used by several teams in recent years.

Ferrari used the facility while it worked on upgrading its own windtunnel.

Team boss Vijay Mallya labelled the move as one of the "most significant decisions" in Force India's history.

"The decision to use Toyota's facility in Cologne is indicative of our ambitions to continue as a competitive force in Formula 1," said Mallya.

"It's one of the most significant decisions in our history and gives us access to what is regarded as one of the finest windtunnels in the world.

"We have used the facility previously on an ad hoc basis and we are aware of the advantages of basing all our aerodynamic research in Cologne.

"It will strengthen our approach and give us a solid base to build upon for the years to come."

The decision to focus on the Toyota tunnel comes amid a rule change for 2015 that means F1 teams can only nominate one windtunnel.

Appendix 8 of the sporting regulations states: "Each team may nominate only one windtunnel for use in any one 12-month period. The first nomination must be made on or before 1 January 2015 and no re-nominations may be made for at least 12 months."

Force India said its own windtunnel facilities in Brackley will remain operational for external customers.

Autosport.com

Abu Dhabi GP - Race - ForceIndia drivers quotes

Nico Hulkenberg, 6th
"I'm very happy with this result. After struggling with the car on Friday and in qualifying, I think we can be proud of today's race and our performance is a good sign for next year as well. The car performed at its best; I had a good balance and I had the confidence to really push. There were just a few laps after the pit stops when I was managing the tyres, but other than that it was flat out all the way. The long final stint on the supersoft tyres was brave, but it turned out to be a great strategy by the team and it really worked out well."

Sergio Perez, 7th
"The points today helped me to finish in the top ten of the championship, which is an important achievement after a great year. I think we could have been even higher up today, but we probably stopped too late for the final pit stop. If we had been on the supersofts a bit earlier then maybe we could have been closer to Button at the end of the race. Looking back at the season overall I think everyone in the team has done a tremendous job and we should feel very happy about what we have achieved. I've enjoyed this season and now that I know the team I'm looking forward to coming back stronger in 2015."

Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal and managing director
"Today we saw a captivating race that demonstrated how far we have come this season. Everyone in the team performed superbly, from the team on the pit wall that devised a very effective strategy, to the pit-crew who pulled off four good stops. Equally, the drivers were superb and Nico and Sergio didn't put a wheel wrong on track. We battled with world champions today and we beat them fair and square -we finished with both cars ahead of the Ferraris and one Red Bull. Nico's penalty was harsh and it surely cost him fifth place, which would have been thoroughly deserved. Even though tonight's result was not enough to claim back fifth in the championship, we can look back to our season with pride. We scored the highest points tally in the history of the team, 155 points, and we finished with both cars in the points on ten occasions. I want to congratulate everyone in the team, both here at the track and back in Silverstone, for their effort this season, and encourage them to take this year as a spur for even greater things to come in 2015."

F1.com