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.

 

[Il_leone]

Plutus
RasputinLives

Why am I not surprised a bunch of shady owners using F1 to launder their money

To me it just does not seem like Force India have serious ambitions in F1 like Red Bull . They've had a car that has led races and been on pole but seem content to grab minor point placings rather than seriously want to push to challenge the top 4

they are more happy with being the best of the midfield runners

I hope Hulkenberg does not get screwed again

 

[sushifiesta]

Red Bull has more than double the budget and more than triple the income of Force India, how can they compete? It is absolutely ridiculous to question their ambitions. Frankly, I think Force India are the second biggest success story in F1 since the 2009 regulations shake up (second to Red Bull of course). They have gone from a team barely better than the equivalent of Marussia/Caterham today to a team that is towards the front of the midfield, no mean task.

The owners seem to have issues that are getting worse over time, but Force India are not alone in that - just look at Lotus. Aside from any financial issues they might have now or in the future, the F1 team themselves are doing an absolutely fantastic job.

 

[Il_leone]

sushifiesta We're led to believe both Sahara and VJ's empire are multi billion businesses but it seems they've used some underhandedness lately to mask their financial situation

My point is they have not kicked on since 2009 they seem quite happy to be a midfield team. The car beginning first half of the year was actually good enough to get podiums

Sahara have bought nothing to the team since buying a stake in the team from VJ. The F1 team like Lotus are making the best of the situation despite the shady owners but the owners seems to happy accept being perennial midfield runner

 

[RasputinLives]

I see what you are saying sushifiesta however Force India were born from the ashes of the Jordan/Spyker/Midland team and have basically managed to get the team back to where they were before the budget fell away. It is impressive but to me not the equivilent of a Caterham/Marussia getting the same results.

 

[Titch]

Force India are certainly mid field contenders, I think they do well with the resources that they have. Shady? Well you have to do something to compete with the wonderfully squeaky clean ? Big teams.

 

[Il_leone]

Titch At least those teams are not being wanted by the local authorities for financial irregularities which appears to include fraud

 

[Titch]

I wonder why?

 

[teabagyokel]

There has certainly been a steep upturn in fortunes since Force India took over - although as RasputinLives says it is true they haven't quite returned to Jordan's level, neither Midland or Spyker had the skill or patience to produce such an upturn.

 

[Slyboogy]

I wouldn't say they are 'content' to stay in the midfield.

Just look at the driver they hire compare to the rest of the midfield, they have all been their on merit, you might argue Sutil, but remember, before he got dropped, he had his best season. Remember this is a team also struggling for money.

Their however owners clearly have issues.

 

[Fenderman]

It should also be remembered that in their Midland and Spyker days it was poor financing that lay at the heart of their difficulties, probably more so than a shortage of engineering expertise.

 

[Plutus]

Plutus
RasputinLives

Why am I not surprised a bunch of shady owners using F1 to launder their money

To me it just does not seem like Force India have serious ambitions in F1 like Red Bull . They've had a car that has led races and been on pole but seem content to grab minor point placings rather than seriously want to push to challenge the top 4

they are more happy with being the best of the midfield runners

I hope Hulkenberg does not get screwed again

Why is money laundering a contradiction to sporting ambitions? One has nothing to do with the other, even if the sport is being abused for such thing.

You cannot seriously compare Red Bull to Force India. The amount of money being thrown into the projects by their owners is vastly different and will in long term if invested in the right people give the team spending more money an advantage. Red Bull also have a lot of the best engineers in F1 and two of the best drivers. Things that Force India cannot afford as well as doing major R&D.
In consideration of the fact that money is important Force India is doing very well within their own terms. Look at the rivals that are ahead of them. They are spending at least twice as much as Force India.

 

[nenoste95]

This year two promising drivers ride Force India, in my opinion we will see them on the podium three or four times

 

[teabagyokel]

nenoste95 - On the basis of this week's test, I don't think it is possible to disagree.

If Hulkenburg gets the chance I believe he'll bring back the bacon.

 

[nenoste95]

teabagyokel I'm sorry, I'm not english..what do you mean with "bring back the bacon"?
From your point of view Lotus preferred Pastor instead of Nico only for economically reasons?

 

[RasputinLives]

Bring back the bacon = get good results/Be succesful.

 

[nenoste95]

RasputinLives thank you!

teabagyokel Also in my opinion Nico will have a great chance this year, and I don't think that he will fail

 

[Titch]

I do hope we see good results for the Hulk this year, he's a talented driver.

 

[teabagyokel]

Sorry, nenoste95, it is "bring home the bacon" anyway!

Could be someone's big chance if they've got a Mercedes or Ferrari engine.

 

[nenoste95]

teabagyokel Haven't they a Mercedes engine?

 

[teabagyokel]

Yep. Sensibly picked an engine that's not Renault.