Force India

Force India

FIA Entry: Force India F1 Team
Car 14: Adrian Sutil
Car 15: Paul di Resta
Engine: MercedesV8
Team Principal: Vijay Mallya
Technical Director: Andrew Green
Race Engineer Car 14: Brad Joyce
Race Engineer Car 15:Gianpiero Lambiano

Stats as of end 2010

First Entered 2008
Races Entered 55
Race Wins 0
Pole Positions 1
Fastest Laps 1
Driver World Championships 0
Constructor World Championships 0

Team History

In 1991 Eddie Jordan made the leap from the lower formulae to F1 with the Jordan Grand Prix Team. Jordan Grand Prix raced with varying degrees of success until 2005, taking part in 250 Grand Prix, winning 4.

In 2006 Jordan was sold to Canadian businessman Alex Shnaider and was rebadged as Midland F1 – entered as the first Russian Grand Prix team. Midland had little success and by the end of 2006 the team was sold to Dutch car sports car makers Spyker and the entry changed to Spyker MF1. Spyker were as unsuccessful as Midland and at the end of 2007 the team was sold again, this time to Vijay Mallya, and Force India was born

Force India

For the 2008 season Force India used an updated version of the Spyker car, designated the VJM01, married to Ferrari engines. Adrian Sutil and Ginacarlo Fisichella were the drivers with Vitantonio Luizzi as the tester. The season wasn’t massively successful, Sutil missed out on potentially scoring points at Monaco when Kimi Raikkonen crashed into him, otherwise the highest placing they managed was 10th for Fisichella in Spain.

Mercedes Power

For 2009 Force India moved from Ferrari power to Mercedes engines. With the same drivers as 2008 the early part of the season showed that Force India VJM02 had made steps forward in performance. Sutil ran 6th in China, before aquaplaning off the circuit, and was as high as 2nd in Germany before another coming together with Raikkonen as he exited the pits. The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa proved to be the high point of Force India’s season. Fisichella, to the amazement of many on the grid, put his car on pole and brought the car home 2nd only to leave the team to substitute for Felipe Massa at Ferrari for the remainder of the season. Sutil followed up Fisichella’s points scoring exploits with a 4th in Italy now partnered by test driver Luizzi.

For 2010 Mercedes engines were retained, as was the driver line up the team ended 2009 with. The VJM03 was another step forward for the 2009 model and Force India scored points regularly in the mid-field. Sutil managed the teams highest race finish with a 5th in Malaysia and the team ended the season 7th in the Constructors Championship

2011

Test driver Paul di Resta replaces Luizzi for 2011 in the VJM04 chassis. With continuing support from Mercedes High Performance Engines and McLaren Applied Technologies Force India are looking to head the mid-field in 2011.

 

[RasputinLives]

Yes Rutherford I did ignore it. I deal with enough legal technically stuff at work that is trying to prove that something Isn't technically what it is.

Olivier I was under the impression VJ didn't own most of the team now days. I see a name change coming though.

 

[Il_leone]

VJ has powerful friends in places so don't be surprised he might find ways to slip through

Olivier The team actually has done better in the last few years since there is less involvement from VJ and their other owners Sahara don't want to get involved and have similar accusations of money laundering.

The important thing is the team is being run by people who know how to run a motor racing team

 

[Il_leone]

Rutherford I think the Palmer critics are getting louder somewhat and he's getting thrashed by Hulkenberg

Force India are not going to throw away a lot of points they have two reliable drivers

 

[Il_leone]

VJ has been hiding long enough in the UK and keeping a low profile from the world media.. its about time he is caught if he has nothing to hide

 

[Greenlantern101]

No but you have ignored my previous post on German criminal proceedings anyway.

Has VJ been on trial yet?

You can quote all the legal crap you want, feel free. But the facts remain the same. Bernie paid lots of money and was then free to go.

I wouldn't bet a single penny that the same won't happen with VJ

 

[Rutherford]

You can quote all the legal crap you want, feel free. But the facts remain the same. Bernie paid lots of money and was then free to go.

I wouldn't bet a single penny that the same won't happen with VJ

"A lot/ lots" is a relative term. Thus, the financial sanction is connected to the pecuniary circumstances of the accused.
Despite the fact, we have to assume that he is innocent.

 

[Rutherford]

Rutherford I think the Palmer critics are getting louder somewhat and he's getting thrashed by Hulkenberg

It was bound to happen, what else was the audience going to expect?
After all the flirting Renault did with many other drivers, who seemingly weren't interested, they had to face it, it was Palmer, who was going to be Hulkenbergs team-mate for 2017.
They didn't even want him.

 

[Il_leone]

Rutherford Looks like Hulkenberg has made good move from Force India to Renault to show he is a very fast driver

As for Palmer you're right he was not first choice but at the moment he can't put a clean weekend together yet

As for Perez _ I thought Ocon was going to beat him this weekend but he did race very well to recover from his poor position. Ocon I think once he gets back to the European circuits then he might start to really shine

 

[Olivier]

It seems tha VJ was granted bail and he was out within 3 hours of his arrest.

 

[Il_leone]

granted bail means he can't leave the UK so prolonging trying to extradite him back to India

 

[Bill Boddy]

Giving him bail means that he is believed to be a person who is not likely to abscond or be a danger to the public, it also means that he will not be a drain on the country's resources by being kept in one of Her Majesty's prisons.

 

[FB]

I suspect they will have taken his passport off him to reduce the risk of him absconding. He could, of course, take up residence in the Ecuadorian Embassy

 

[teabagyokel]

... and then claim to be detained without charge when he's sheltering in an embassy to avoid facing charges.

Wonder if Eric Cantona would turn up for Vijay.

 

[Il_leone]

well as long as Force India the team don't suffer.. that team would be enticing for potential buyers you know certainly more attractive than poor Manor

 

[RasputinLives]

At the beginning of the season I scoffed when Force India claimed they were aiming for 3rd in the constructors this season. I'm looking at it now though and wondering if we should take then seriously. They are not that far behind Red Bull, both in pace and in the constructors championship, and a this has been done in a car they claim to be poor and completely unbalanced. There update is due soon and is supposed to be a lot better.

Given that news, and the fact they have two drivers on form who are consistently scoring points, should the mighty Red Bull being taking a look over it's shoulder?

 

[cider_and_toast]

I posted in my opening Spanish GP thread that I thought Force India were clearly the 4th best team on the grid at the moment. I'm not sure if they have the resources to push Red Bull to third but you never know.

I was somewhat surprised listening to the channel 4 commentary on Saturday when they described Williams as being the 4th best team on the grid. It shows that in some peoples eyes, Force India are under the radar.

Also, they score serious kudos points for having an all pink car. Its beyond refreshing to see a team do something different and off the wall with their paint job.

 

[FB]

You didn't see Brundle's grid walk I presume? He asked Bernie if he was going to buy Force India to which Bernie replied, "Yeah, and you're going to drive for me". Brundle said he was up for the challenge

Perhaps we could see the return of Brabham? It would be quite interesting to see Bernie come back as a team owner as it was from this position that he managed to destroy FISA and create FOM. Poor old Liberty Media may regret putting the old feller out to pasture when he wasn't ready for it.

 

[RasputinLives]

Oh I think he'd change team name too Ecclestone just to give everyone a reminder that he was there. Then he'd set about campaigning for a more equal share of the prize money for the smaller teams

 

[Il_leone]

cider_and_toast

On paper the best driver line up from the midfield and therefore ought to be the 4th best team is Mclaren if only Honda can come up with a decent motor

Currently over 1 lap definitely Renault in Hulkenberg's hands and Massa's Williams are faster than Force India but over a race distance the Force India seems to be very gentle on the tyres

The team is benefitting from two abled and capable drivers who know the value of bringing the car home in one piece. I think 4th place is theirs unless Mclaren or Renault make huge gains with their more vast resources

Williams are far too reliant on Massa at this stage and will struggle to up

 

[FB]

Do we need a Perez versus Ocon thread or does no one really care? Ocon hits out at Perez in Force India civil war