Di Resta Reveals VJM06

Paul Di Resta cut a rather lonely figure, as he solely unveiled the Force India’s new 2013 machine.

(c) Force India F1 Team

The Scot is the only confirmed driver at the midfield squad, the team are still finalising their line up. Gossip in the F1world suggests that Jules Bianchi, who is part of Ferrari’s Young Driver Academy, will take up the vacant seat. However Adrian Sutil, Jaime Alguersuari and Heikki Kovalainen are still in contention too.

Deputy Team Principal Bob Fernley did say on the second driver decision “I expect we will announce the two remaining drivers before Barcelona.”
 

However the big reveal was not about the drivers, but in fact the car. The team kicked off its 2013 season with the visually stunning VJM06. The covers came off at the Silverstone circuit, in its now iconic “Wing”. The former Jordan squad are based on the circuit’s grounds, and did a similar launch last year.

Like Ferrari, who unveiled their car just a few hours before, the Force India team have decided to ditch the unflattering “stepped nose” in favour of the optional “vanity panel”. It creates a sleeker look to the front end, meaning three of the four teams that have launched their new cars have chosen this option.

Team Principal Vijay Mallya said at the launch "The VJM06 doesn't look massively different to its predecessor, but beneath the skin we've looked at every detail to try and find more performance. I've followed the development of the car closely and I'm proud of what we have achieved. The objective now is to make sure we build on the promise of last year and have a strong start to the season.

He later said "I'm feeling very good, I must say, at the moment I'm working very closely with my team of people, and that's changed slightly in different departments. We're all trying to do the best job possible. Whether it's managing time and being in the best frame of mind or whether that's on track performance and the finer details of the car set-up, ultimately it's all about performance and results.

“I know the way this team works and they know how I work. When it all gels well we can obviously see the results we get. We just need to make sure we can achieve that on a more consistent basis.”

The car is the third to be designed by Technical Director Andrew Green. He spoke about his latest masterpiece, sating "It's a brand new car from the ground-up - everything is new. We discussed carrying over big chunks of last year's car, including the chassis, but decided not to. There were still some gains to be had with the chassis, so we elected to take the performance benefits. The biggest change that everybody is going to notice this year is the fairing on top of the nose to hide the 'step'. It's neutral as far as the car's performance is concerned but tidies up the flow over the top of the chassis."

Paul Di Resta was the sole driver at the launch, but showed his excitement about the season ahead. He said "Seeing the car built and complete for the first time is a special feeling. I've followed its progress in the tunnel and it looks very impressive - aggressive and fast" before adding "now I'm just eager to get out there and see where we stand compared to our competitors. After the winter I feel refreshed and keen to get back to business."

Like the new Ferrari F138, the car is more of an evolution compared to a revolution. The team are hoping that they can steadily improve on last years seventh in the constructors. Di Resta revealed that fifth is the teams overall aim, "The main focus is a team ambition - speaking as one of the team drivers - which is to re-take sixth in the constructors' championship, with fifth as a target."

Di Resta then took the new car for a shakedown on the Silverstone circuit. It was the first time he had driven the car, and the sound of the Mercedes V8 echoed around the Northamptonshire countryside. 

A new sponsor also made its debut along with the VJM06. TW Steel, a Dutch Watch Maker, confirmed the move from previous team Lotus. They will become the teams official Time Keeper. "We know the merits of being involved with a team competing in Formula One and the brand awareness that brings." said chief executive and co-owner of TW Steel Jordy Cobelens. 

"Sahara Force India has such a strong following around the world, notably of course in India, a key growth opportunity we've targeted for TW steel's ongoing development."

The logo will appear on the car, driver suits and team equipment.