Force India Formula1 fan and hopeful Prasad Rao is excited about Force India’s prospects in 2010. With some much needed stability he is certain that they will be a Force to reckon with!
2009 season was underlined as a “Brawny” season; there was little joy for the remaining teams. Though the might of the Brawns faded towards the end of the season, their early season advantage gave them the cushion to clinch both the titles in their debut season. To me it seemed more like a season of revivals – first Brawns, then the Red Bulls and then even our very own Force India team!! The Ferrari, Mclarens too did revive – but with the expertise and money at their disposal, every one expected them too!!
Force India team had its own achievements & celebrations to be satisfied with. I had good time writing on Force India whole of last season and my optimistic notes were pleasantly converted into reality. Since the inception of Force India, there always has been optimism when it comes to their car finishing races or scoring points. But this got cleanly substituted with confidence of podium finishes. Now, if a Force India car goes on to win a Grand Prix, it seldom would be a surprise. Expectations have changed, enthusiasm is at its peak but few things remain the same for season 2010. The team has retained Adrian Sutil of Germany and Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi as its racing drivers.
The Team Principal, Dr. Vijay Mallya, has always shown his interest & faith in the German driver and is equally happy to assign him with an Italian partner who has a great potential. However, I feel only time will tell if the fancied Giancarlo Fisichella also from Italy will be missed by the team. The team remains confident and full of zeal for the upcoming season. So am I.
Consistency is the key at this stage in the team's further development after a solid performance in the last season. For the first time in many years the team has had a collective decision of continuing with not only the same driver line-up, but also the same engine and senior management. With this stability now in place, a Force India fan can bubble with curiosity to witness a stronger performance in 2010 in what can be labelled as a transitional season for the team. Sutil is adamant that he wants to score points on a regular basis and expects the team to finish in top five of the constructors table. For Liuzzi, it is more of a proving point where he can showcase his talent and cement his place with better performances and justify the team management’s faith in him.
During last month’s testing in Jerez, Force India placed two young drivers for the test drive with the objective to hunt for a talented test driver for the team. Paul di Resta and JR Hildebrand both got their first taste of the Force India Formula One Team’s 2009 challenger, the VJM02, at the Circuit de Jerez in southern Spain. On day one, twenty-one year-old Indy Lights champion JR Hildebrand got on the track in the morning to familiarize with the circuit to prepare for the coming two days. The young American completed 49 laps with a best time of 1:20.537, the fifth quickest time of the morning. As track conditions improved overall times dropped and his lap was eventually the 10th quickest of the day. Scot Paul di Resta took over the VJM02 during the latter half of the day and worked similarly to get fully comfortable in the car. With weather clear and good mechanical reliability, the 23-year-old completed 46 laps with a fastest time of 1:19.369, the second quickest lap of the day.
Day two was very much progressive. Paul posted the second quickest time of the morning, 1:19.411, and completed 58 laps. JR got into the car for the afternoon session completing 49 laps with a best of 1:20.517. The final day was marred with light showers and JR managed to complete 41 laps with a best time of 1:19.873. While the winter tests were good, the pre-season testing with the seasoned drivers taking to track will actually show the true pace of the 2010 challenger.
With the much needed stability, the new 2010 season promises to be filled with some exciting but unpredictable finishes. It’s not only the battle of so many teams but also the internal team rivalry that would be adding spice - Hamilton - Button, Alonso (One time Ferrari Abuser) - Massa, etc. Michael Schumacher’s comeback is surely an icing on the cake. What remains to be seen is whether experience conquers speed or shall speed outpace experience. Talking won’t play any role in the sword fight; time to gear up and zoom towards the chequered flag!
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