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Sahara Force India, Vijay Mallya's Formula 1 team, took 7th place in this year's Constructor's championship with 109 points. Can the Indian team improve in 2013?
It's a really difficult question to answer. Billionnaire Mallya confirmed in November that his team would invest several million dollars in new technology for the next season of the World Championship. Will that be enough? Will that produce a faster car?
Drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and Paul Di Resta, drove very well all year long and made relatively few mistakes. Both finished fourth once, but is the Force India car strong enough to win a race? Probably not, unless under very special circumstances such as what happned in the rain in Brazil when Hulkenberg led the race for quite a while.
Nico Hulkenberg
11th in the Driver's Championship with 63 points
Best place in qualifications: 4th (once, Germany)
Best race result: 4th (once, Belgium)
Retired twice
Paul Di Resta
14th in the Driver's Championship with 46 points
Best place in qualifications: 4th (once, Singapore)
Best race result: 4th (once, Singapore)
Retired once
The Mercedes-powered VJM06 proved to be a reliable race car, if not super fast. In fact, the Force India looked to be more performant in race trim than in qualifying. That probably has to do with the behaviour of the tricky Pirelli tires.
There was also some financial issues to solve a few month ago when the High Court of Hyderabad issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya in a case of cheques bouncing filed by the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
Back on the track, Scot Paul Di Resta was pushed hard by Hulkenberg, with both men extracting maximum from midfield machinery. Di Resta will continue with Force India next year, despite suffering a wretched end to the season. He scored just two points in the final six races this year, and knows he has to do better next year if we wants to move to a bigger team.
His teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, was relieved to be back on the front line with Force India after a year on the bench, and impresses with a fifth-place finish in Valencia and fourth at Spa. Hulkenberg led brilliantly in the wet at the final round in Brazil before dropping back to fifth after tangling with Lewis Hamilton of McLaren who signed for Sauber for 2013.
It's a really difficult question to answer. Billionnaire Mallya confirmed in November that his team would invest several million dollars in new technology for the next season of the World Championship. Will that be enough? Will that produce a faster car?
Drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and Paul Di Resta, drove very well all year long and made relatively few mistakes. Both finished fourth once, but is the Force India car strong enough to win a race? Probably not, unless under very special circumstances such as what happned in the rain in Brazil when Hulkenberg led the race for quite a while.
 |
| Photo: Sahara Force India |
Nico Hulkenberg
11th in the Driver's Championship with 63 points
Best place in qualifications: 4th (once, Germany)
Best race result: 4th (once, Belgium)
Retired twice
Paul Di Resta
14th in the Driver's Championship with 46 points
Best place in qualifications: 4th (once, Singapore)
Best race result: 4th (once, Singapore)
Retired once
The Mercedes-powered VJM06 proved to be a reliable race car, if not super fast. In fact, the Force India looked to be more performant in race trim than in qualifying. That probably has to do with the behaviour of the tricky Pirelli tires.
There was also some financial issues to solve a few month ago when the High Court of Hyderabad issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya in a case of cheques bouncing filed by the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
 |
| Photo: Sahara Force India |
Back on the track, Scot Paul Di Resta was pushed hard by Hulkenberg, with both men extracting maximum from midfield machinery. Di Resta will continue with Force India next year, despite suffering a wretched end to the season. He scored just two points in the final six races this year, and knows he has to do better next year if we wants to move to a bigger team.
His teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, was relieved to be back on the front line with Force India after a year on the bench, and impresses with a fifth-place finish in Valencia and fourth at Spa. Hulkenberg led brilliantly in the wet at the final round in Brazil before dropping back to fifth after tangling with Lewis Hamilton of McLaren who signed for Sauber for 2013.