Formula One Racing Team, Force India, can move up the ladder and secure a place in the top five of Formula 1’s constructors’ championship in 2014. This statement comes from the deputy team principal for Force India, Bob Fernley.
Force India finished sixth in 2013, with Paul di Resta securing his best finish of fourth in Bahrain, and the team has a target of securing a position in the top five of the championship for next season. Force India will race in the 2014 season with an all-new driver duo. Recently, the Silverstone based squad signed Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez to replace Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil.
Fernley believes engine performance will be the crucial factor in the next season, and Force India will be in a position to move forward.
“It has to be higher next year,” Fernley said. “If we have made the right decision on the powertrain, and we won’t know that until we start running, we have got to be looking at podiums and at least fifth place next year. That will be the target. “Obviously, we were the first [customer] team to sign our engine deal, which has been in place in March and we were probably one of the first teams to switch over to the 2014 design, so we are very optimistic.”
The car’s aerodynamic performance will be a less significant factor contributing to competition between the teams, Fernley expects. The new 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 power units will be a bigger part of the performance equation than the previous generation engines were.
“The biggest differentiator will be the power unit, so what you need is a chassis that is going to be of good quality, but I don’t think it is going to be as critical on the aero as in recent years. “That will change as time goes on, but certainly in the first half of next year and possibly all of next year, it’s going to be all about the power units. “There are so many variables with reliability, with ERS [energy recovery systems], with fuel-flow systems. “Somebody is going to get it right, someone is going to get it wrong and what you don’t know is which camp you are in. “If we are in the camp that has got it right, then we are on the right track.”
With the new 1.6 liter turbocharged engines, the 2014 season is likely to be more interesting. But, on the other hand, F1 fans will miss the rumble of the V8’s.
Source : ACI