Force India reveal their VJM05

© Force India

Force India launched their 2012 F1 car at the legendary Silverstone track.

The VJM05 is the 5th car from the team, after they purchased the Spyker squad at the end of 2007. They will be powered, again, by Mercedes engines and will be driven by Scottish rookie Paul Di Resta, who had an impressive debut year in 2011, and the German hot shot Nico Hulkenberg, who took a back seat in 2011. 

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The car also made its track debut around the Silverstone circuit, with Paul Di Resta having the chance to drive the car.

(c) Force India

The British based team want to build on an impressive 2011, finishing a best of 6^th in the constructors title. They mainly target the Lotus team, who they narrowly missed out to 5^th place in the constructors. Di Resta said after the reveal “The thing we’re going for this season is a stronger start than we did last year, Our momentum towards the end of the year was incredible and I think everyone is still on a buzz from that and it would be great to start from where we left off, I want to do better, that’s my main focus. Last year we were very close to coming fifth as a constructor and we met our ambitions by finishing sixth.”

Di Resta and Hulkenberg both have 1 season of racing in F1 to their names, and they “hope” they can work well together and help “progress” throughout the season. Hulkenberg said after the launch of the VJM05 “I was very happy when I found out because last year, sat on the sidelines wasn’t easy, But still a good year because Force India gave me the opportunity to prove my skills on Friday mornings. I think I improved and continued to learn in 2011, but in different ways. Obviously I wasn’t driving, but behind the scenes, on the pitwall seeing how everything worked – these are all things that should help me in races.”

(c) Force India

The car itself features the dramatic, and dubbed “ugly”, nose cone. Like the Caterham and Ferrari, also revealed today, the 2012 racer has the stepped chassis just before the front wheels. This confides with the 2012 regulations and gives the car as much air flow as possible being located to the underside. Andrew Green, Force India’s technical director, expects many teams to follow the stepped nose. He also revealed that the team are extremely “proud” of what they have achieved and that they have a lot of confidence, despite only being a “small team”. He also revealed that last year helped them gain “experience and understanding” of the car’s aerodynamics and performance. Green also thinks the banning of the blown diffuser will “close the field” up. He also added that  “We’ve got a new front wing which sets up all the basic structures along the car and it’s a big step for us.”

(c) Force India

Here are some additional statements from the drivers:

Paul Di Resta: “Seeing the new car built and complete for the first time is always an exciting moment. It’s when you realise that all the waiting is finally over and the season is beginning for real. I’ve had a good winter and I’ve recharged my batteries, but now I’m fully focussed on 2012 and looking forward to the start of testing. There’s a really positive feeling in the team, good stability and hopefully we can pick up where we left off at the end of last year.”

Nico Hulkenberg: “I saw the new car in the wind tunnel a few times and followed its progress during the winter. It looks aggressive and fast, but we won’t know where we stand until we get out there and compete against the others. Preparations for the new season have been full-on with simulator sessions and lots of fitness training. I feel ready to get back to racing and I’m excited to find out what the new car feels like next week.”

Force India are really looking to push forward in 2012, after an ever improving 2011 season. We will have to wait and see how they weigh up against their rivals.