Force India soft launches 2011 car VJM04
Formula One team Force India has unveiled its 2011car VJM04 online on Tuesday. The on-track launch of the car is expected later this week.
The team ran the first pre-season test session earlier this month with the interim version of its 2010 car. However, the team has confirmed that the next test session will see the new team car on the tracks.
Team driver Adrian Sutil and Scottish rookie Paul di Resta will take the wheels of the new car while last year’s Williams driver Nico Hulkenberg will take the reserve driver’s seat with the team this year.
The entire squad believes that the new car will be far more competitive than last year’s. Force India’s new technical director, Andy Green, is said to have had a major role in the new car. They have again used the Mercedes engine in the car, but have bought the gearbox and hydraulics package from McLaren Applied Technologies.
2011 marks Force India’s fifth year in the F1 series. In all these years, the best for the team was 2010, when it finished seventh in the constructors’ title, missing the sixth place to Williams by only a point.
Team owner and one of India’s biggest tycoons, Dr Vijay Mallya is expecting a strong season ahead for his team.
Addressing fans after the launch, Mallya said, “This year, there is even more to be optimistic about. We've got three race drivers that are hungry to take the next steps in their careers, whether that be points, podiums or wins. We have an experienced technical team that have the ingenuity, flexibility and drive to adapt to the new wave of rule changes, and we also have the tools and resources in our partnerships with McLaren Applied Technologies and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines to aim even higher.”
The coming season will be very special for the team in another way too, as the Formula 1 caravan hits Indian soil for the first time this October. Construction on the purpose-built Jaypee Group Circuit near Delhi is underway and the country anticipates seeing another festive event on its soil.
Earlier in the week, Mallya said, “The very special event, and one that I personally can't wait for, the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. What better place would there be to reach some of those aims than on our home soil?”
Among other new features of the car, the blade roll-hoop is a prominent one. This was introduced by Mercedes in 2010 and has been re-structured by Green this year for Force India. Moreover, the team revealed that its exhaust blown diffuser has been completely revised and some other changes in the next chassis are made to suit the new Pirelli tyres more efficiently.
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