Mallya 'Its been a massive challenge'

(Sahara Force India Formula One Team)

 

'It has been a massive challenge, especially for a smaller team like ours' that was Sahara Force India's team principal Dr Vijay Mallya's assessment when asked about how Winter testing had gone for the Silverstone based squad.

 

The team had an impressive 2013 F1 campaign challenging the struggling McLaren team in the Constructors championship eventually finishing in 6th place behind the Woking based squad.

 

This year however, Formula One has set the reset button by introducing a huge variety of rule changes, the biggest of which is the switch from 2.4 litre V8 engines to 1.6 litre V6 turbocharged power units. Team's will also have to use a new technology called Energy Recovery System or ERS.

 

Force India have shown impressive pace and reliability throughout Winter testing and along with Mercedes AMG F1, Williams Martini Racing and McLaren have emerged as one of the teams to beat this season. However it is an extremely long season ahead and if Formula One absolutely anything is possible.

 

Dr Mallya also revealed that 'the prospect of Formula One driving forward technical advances for road cars is an exciting one'.

 

He believes that the team can be 'quietly confident' with the progress that has been made over the Winter with the new VJM07.

 

When asked about what the team are expecting in Melbourne Mallya said:

 

'Its never easy to make predictions and this year there are so many more unknowns than usual. I think we can arrive in Melbourne happy about the work we have done over the winter. How that will translate to the race weekend is hard to say, but I think it's important that an element of unpredictability has returned.

 

He went on to say that 'There is plenty of interest around Formula One at the moment and that's a good thing'.

 

For 2014, Sahara Force India have two new drivers in Nico Hulkenberg who re-joins the team following a year at the Sauber F1 Team while Sergio Perez joins the team after a year at McLaren.

 

Nico Hulkenberg heads to Melbourne having never completed a racing lap at the Albert Park circuit despite competing in three events at the circuit. He is hopeful however that his luck will change this season.

 

Hulkenberg believes that following a successful winter test programme in which the team made progress following each outing that the team are well prepared for the start of the new season.

 

His new team mate Sergio Perez said that he has been waiting for the start of the new season for a long time and finds the new regulations interesting and challenging. Perez echoed Hulkenberg's comments saying that he also feels that the team are well prepared for the first race in Australia and although testing had its ups and downs the overall feeling in the team is a positive one.

 

The team have been tipped to win at least one Grand Prix this season, however only time will tell as to how the team can react to the rate of development this season.

 

©Ben Johnston 2014