Was Force India's fifth place in F1 2015 a fluke?

Force India's fifth place in this season's Formula 1 constructors' championship represents a remarkable achievement for a team unable to run its upgraded car until midway through the year.

But with McLaren failing this season following the introduction of the Honda engine and Lotus barely producing an update of any description given its financial status and impending Renault takeover, it could be said Force India has fortuitously inherited fifth.
The key now will be to prove this season is not a one-off, and deputy team principal Bob Fernley believes the team can build for 2016, and on into '17 when the regulations are set to change.
Fernley told Autosport: "Consolidating our position is key for '16, and giving ourselves - as an independent team - the best platform to build a competitive '17 car.
"Credit to the team. They dug deep in the first half of the season and optimised the opportunities in the second half."

Windtunnel switch was key
The team was always aware the introduction of its B-spec car would be delayed, primarily given the necessity for proving results in a new windtunnel.
Earlier this year Force India switched to the Toyota facility in Cologne as the team felt it had gone as far as it could with the one previously used in Brackley.
Fernley added: "The biggest single change to us was the windtunnel where we knew it would hurt us badly for the first half of the season, and there was nothing we could do, but what a great decision we made in the end."

A-spec performed above expectations
Force India had to run with the A-spec for the first eight races, with drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez in the top 10 on seven occasions between them, collecting a total of 31 points.
"Our goal was to extract the maximum out of it and really be there at every race to pick up whatever we could," said Fernley.
"Our team was amazing in the fact they dug so deep to get what was an under-performing car delivering very, very good results."

B-spec proved the wait was worth it
From the outset at the British Grand Prix in July, the team's improved package, sporting a heavily-revised chassis, was an instant success.
Problems arose in the subsequent race in Hungary as Perez and Hulkenberg suffered suspension and front-wing failures respectively over the course of the weekend, since when the results have been impressive.
Fernley said: "We had a few issues with the B-spec, but it has ultimately delivered the performance and results we fully expected.
"We're a team that has consistently punched above its weight from day one, but this result is justification for all the effort, work and investment that has been put in over the years."

Autosport.com 
 

Force India can be fourth, says Perez

Force India can challenge Red Bull and Williams for a top-four position in the Formula 1 constructors' championship in 2016, according to Sergio Perez.

After finishing a best-ever fifth overall in 2015, 51 points shy of Red Bull and 121 behind Williams, the Mexican believes the team can take another step next year.

"Finishing off the season the way we did provides us with a much stronger platform for next year," said Perez.

"We're expecting other teams to move up. You don't know what will happen with Lotus/Renault, McLaren-Honda, those kind of teams, but we expect them to be up there fighting us.

"There is a lot of hope we can do better than fifth next season.

"I understand to move up to fourth is a big ask, but we have to be aiming for Red Bull and Williams.

"But I believe in the team and believe it can be a fantastic season next year."

Perez goes into 2016 on a high after a strong finish to the 2015 campaign, a season he considers to be his best since arriving in F1 with Sauber in 2011.

"It was a pretty good year," said Perez on reflection.

"Of course the year at Sauber in 2012 when I scored three podiums, was great.

"But the consistency I've shown this year, the way I've driven, that has been more important than results or scoring more points than ever in a Formula 1 season.

"The most important thing is the level I managed to achieve in terms of driving, in terms of confidence, experience. It was my best season so far.

"A major contributor to that was knowing the team, having a good atmosphere around me."

Autosport.com

Abudhabi GP - Race - Force India Quotes

Sergio Perez, 5th
“It feels great to end the season with a strong performance and I’m very satisfied with how everything has gone this weekend – both in qualifying and the race. We pushed hard to try and beat Vettel today, but he had too much pace on the supersofts and it wasn’t possible to hold him back. The rest of the race was straightforward for me, with no big dramas, because I was on my own looking after the tyres. When I was running fourth I was pushing very hard to stay within Vettel’s pit window, which took a lot from my tyres and meant that Ricciardo was able to get close to me at the end of the race. Fortunately I had enough left to hold him off. I think we got the maximum that was available to us and we can be proud of our performance. Looking back on the whole season it’s been my best year in Formula One and the most successful year for the team. There is a lot of potential for next season and we will be aiming even higher.”
Nico Hulkenberg, 7th
“The race was a bit of a struggle at times, and I had a hard job on my hands. The start was pretty good - everyone went to the inside so I stuck to the outside. It was a brave move and I was able to make up a few places. However, I had a lot of understeer and it was difficult to get the car to turn in, especially at a track with so many tight corners, so I suffered in the first two stints. The final part of the race was a bit better and I was able to get into a rhythm, which was important to keep our position. It was a tough race so it was a really good result to come home with seventh place. It's been a good season for the team and we will be aiming to build on it over the winter months. From a personal point of view, it hasn't been one of my best years but it gives me an opportunity to learn from what happened and come back stronger. I am already looking forward to 2016 and working hard to make sure we are competitive from the first race of the season”
Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“We end the season with a strong result and 16 world championship points – the most we’ve scored at any race this season. The strong result is the ideal way to conclude the most successful season in the team’s history. The car has been working very well here and the team has done a fantastic job to deliver our most competitive performance of the year in terms of outright pace. Today’s result shows just how much progress we have made this season and gives me confidence ahead of 2016. The second part of the season is testament to the hard work of everyone in the team and highlights the upward direction the team has followed in the last few years. We will celebrate this year's results, but we know we cannot rest on our laurels: we're already at work on our 2016 cars to pick up where we left off tonight and be competitive from the start of next year’s championship.”

Formula1.com

AbuDhabi GP - Saturday qualifying - Force India quotes

Sergio Perez, 4th
“Fourth place on the grid is a great result for us and I’m very pleased with our strong performance all the way through qualifying. We’ve made some good decisions this weekend with the changes we have made to the car and it’s taken us in a very positive direction. I think the analysis we carried out after the weekend in Sao Paulo has really paid off and we’ve learned a huge amount. All of my laps this evening were very clean and tidy, and we managed to get the maximum from the car. The challenge tomorrow will be keeping some very quick cars behind me, but I also think we have a good chance to make up some positions at the start. I have the confidence in the car to really push and there is definitely the potential to come away with a great result this weekend. In many ways it’s a shame that tomorrow is the final race of the season because the car is working very well at the moment and I’m enjoying the racing so much.”
Nico Hülkenberg, 7th
“It was a good qualifying session for the team, although I feel I could have been higher up the grid. I was pretty happy with my laps, especially the one in Q3, so to find myself in seventh actually feels a little bit disappointing. We need to look at the data and figure out where we lost time and what we can do to recover it. Looking ahead to the race, we’ve been working hard to improve our race pace and hopefully the changes we have made will pay off tomorrow. The car is quick on the straights and the balance has felt good from the start of the weekend. Starting from the fourth row, we have every opportunity to score a good result tomorrow.”
Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer
“We’ve looked competitive in every session leading up to qualifying, so I think tonight’s strong showing is a fair reflection of our performance level at this circuit. Both Checo and Nico did a great job this evening with clean laps in all the sessions to secure fourth and seventh on the grid. It gives us a good opportunity to end the season with an equally strong race result, especially as we can race relatively free from pressure having already secured fifth place in the championship. The big question tomorrow is how our race pace will compare to our competitors because we saw on Friday that there are very small margins between all the teams. Whatever happens we will fight hard to sign off 2015 with a good helping of points.”

Formual1.com