What result for Force India at home?
This weekend will host the very first Indian Grand Prix in F1 history. It's an eagerly awaited event for Narain Karthikeyan (current driver for HRT on this occasion) and Karun Chandhok (reserve driver for Team Lotus), as well as for Force India, the first Indian team in the discipline. But what result can the Silverstone-based structure expect for this grand debut?
For Vijay Mallya, this Indian Grand Prix represents a dream come true. For the Indian entrepreneur, it is a significant step in his country’s encounter with motorsports: Motorsports in India are reaching a new level, as is sport in general. We are all very excited.
And the co-owner of Force India added: « This weekend will be important for the team and we are determined to be as competitive as possible ». Indeed, the team based in Silverstone, Great Britain but of Indian nationality will race for the very first time at home, in front of its audience. And it’s about making more than just a good impression.
However, a new Grand Prix means a new track, and Force India, like all other teams, will have to discover it other than on a simulator… This does not discourage Robert Fernley, the team’s number two, who is enthusiastic about tackling this new challenge and confident in his team’s ability to be competitive at the Buddh circuit: “We will try to score points and have a good race,” even adding, “We believe the type of track should suit our car.”
However, the team has been battling for several Grand Prix with the Sauber and Toro Rosso teams for sixth place in the Constructors’ World Championship. The Force India cars qualify well but Adrian Sutil and Paul Di Resta struggle to deliver in the races. As a result, Sauber is now only nine points behind Force India in the standings with 40 points, while Toro Rosso seems to be consistently improving with 37 points scored at this stage of the season…
However, earlier in the year the team’s objective was clearly to dislodge Renault from fifth place in the constructors’ standings… Objective revised downward at the end of the season despite the difficulties encountered by the Enstone team (lack of competitiveness, conflict with Nick Heidfeld…).
But regardless of the outcome of the race on Sunday for Force India, this Grand Prix weekend will be memorable for the Indian team, determined to perform well on home soil and proud to race in front of a crowd very likely supportive of their cause.
