Silverstone (UK): With a slew of rule changes coming into play in the Formula One Championships this year, Sahara Force India Team Principal Vijay Mallya feels it would be a “massive challenge” for a small team like his.
Mallya, however, said Sahara Force India was raring to go after a “satisfactory” pre-season testing stint.
“It’s been a massive challenge, especially for a smaller team like ours. That was why we put so many plans in place early last year to be ready for what has become a very different Formula One. All the hard work has paid off but it has been a very steep learning curve and a huge undertaking to get where we are today,” Mallya said ahead of the season opener Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16.
Refusing to predict his team’s chances in Melbourne, Mallya said, “It’s never easy to make predictions and this year there are so many more unknowns than usual. I think we can arrive in Melbourne feeling happy about the work we’ve done over the winter.”
Sahara Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg said he was satisfied with the pre-season testing.
“I think we’re pretty satisfied. In the final week in Bahrain we averaged 100 laps per day and made good progress. You would always like more time to test, but we’ve done as much as we could,” Hulkenberg said.
Asked about the new procedures and a new way of driving which will come into play this season, Hulkenberg said: “I feel comfortable, but I think this feeling will grow stronger during the season. The cars are different compared to last year: the corner speeds are lower because there is less downforce and the engine behaviour is quite different.
Force India’s second driver Sergio Perez also said that he was geared up for the new season. “It’s the first race of the year so I’ve been looking forward to this moment. I hope we have a great start of the season,” he said.
“The new rules are interesting and the cars are quite challenging. There is less downforce now, but a lot of torque from the engine so it’s quite a different feeling. You also have to think about managing the fuel load…Melbourne is a circuit with high fuel consumption.” (PTI)
