Force India!

[jens]

Shame they have got so little attention, but especially after the last race and based on this season they deserve their own thread. :cool:

Sutil's P6 in China before crash seemed like an anomaly. Fisichella's P9 at Monaco seemed like an exception due to suitable circuit. But Fisi's P10 at Silverstone (3 secs behind P7 and from 16th position on the grid) and performance shown at Nürburgring indicate that their pace is for real on a consistent basis. Together with Red Bull Force India has probably been the fastest improving team over the season - the fact that Sutil managed to match the pace of Ferraris in Germany is just literally plain amazing!

Still incredible to see this team genuinely fighting in the midfield and driving in the points on merit! :eek: Still baffling, from where have all those improvements come from, especially as we are talking about an underfinanced team. There is arguably a co-operation with McLaren, but FI still designs the car by themselves and how much of a help/improvement can they get from the "bigger brother" if they are already starting to beat them? What is the background of all this success? Gascoyne got sacked last November and it's only now, when FI is experiencing a significant turnaround. Feel sorry for Mallya - he must be thinking that what on earth should he do to get championship points.

[Valve Bounce]

Maybe Super Aguri can answer your questions.

[Sonic]

They are the new Minardi. The little team everyone loves. However they do seem to have a bit of a monkey on their backs about these first points; the car seems magnetically attracted to hitting Ferarri's! Perhaps thats what McLaren have given them! ;)

I think Sutil's China pace was an anomaly down to his confidence in those conditions - but since Silverstone the pace has been real, and aside for some bad luck (both in quali and races) they already have a regular top 8 finishing car.

I think its also fair to say that 5 years ago they would already have picked up some points due to reliability issues for other cars, but the stupid rev limit and development freeze have banished those days for now.

[555-04Q2]

the car seems magnetically attracted to hitting Ferarri's!

Its the other way round, Ferrari's tend to hit them!

Good results for the Force this season, they are looking pretty sharp :up:

[Sleeper]

Their pace over the last few races has been quite a surprise, particularly when youlook at the resources they have compared to McLaren, Renault and BMW, all of which they were beating in Britain and Germany.

[wedge]

Their pace over the last few races has been quite a surprise, particularly when youlook at the resources they have compared to McLaren, Renault and BMW, all of which they were beating in Britain and Germany.

There's bit of McLaren underneath

[keysersoze]

There's bit of McLaren underneath

. . . which makes it even more astonishing that they are quick. :D

[Sleeper]

There's bit of McLaren underneath
Considering the problems that McLAren are having I'm not sure how much this technical partenrship is worth.

Maybe FI should offer McLaren assistance on helping out with their aero problems? :p

[wedge]

Considering the problems that McLAren are having I'm not sure how much this technical partenrship is worth.

Maybe FI should offer McLaren assistance on helping out with their aero problems? :p

Merc engine and transmission must be a nice and tidy package and Brawn can testify (engine-wise) so I reckon it helps developing the car without compromising the whole package.

And I think McLaren are fine aero-wise! B-spec/new package or whatever you wanna call it, seems like McLaren just might have the car sussed.

[Koz]

They are the new Minardi. The little team everyone loves.

Yeah, exactly. The name of the team bugs me though. I'd have prefer Force Mallya (same with USGP).


I think its also fair to say that 5 years ago they would already have picked up some points due to reliability issues for other cars, but the stupid rev limit and development freeze have banished those days for now.

Wanna tell that to Kimi?
Maybe Ferrari are using Kool-Aid instead of gas... :p

[christophulus]

I'm glad to see they're progressing and have re-thought my criticism of Fisichella and Sutil. Fisichella has made a few decent moves in the past races and Sutil has the speed, if not the reliability/experience/luck.

If Toro Rosso make a leap forwards at the next GP (and looking at Red Bull there's no reason to think they won't) we'll be in the unusual situation of not really having a (very) slow team in the field, it's been a while since that happened!

[woody2goody]

Force India were the stars at the Nurburgring.

If Adrian didn't crash into Kimi he had a shot at beating the Brawns, and Fisi was brilliant from a poor grid position.

I think both drivers will be safe for next year now. Fisi's had three really good races in a row, and Sutil had a really good weekend in Germany. I think they'll do well in Hungary :)

[woody2goody]

I'm glad to see they're progressing and have re-thought my criticism of Fisichella and Sutil. Fisichella has made a few decent moves in the past races and Sutil has the speed, if not the reliability/experience/luck.

If Toro Rosso make a leap forwards at the next GP (and looking at Red Bull there's no reason to think they won't) we'll be in the unusual situation of not really having a (very) slow team in the field, it's been a while since that happened!

The middle of last year was a bit like that, then Force India slipped back again.

[wedge]

I think both drivers will be safe for next year now. Fisi's had three really good races in a row, and Sutil had a really good weekend in Germany. I think they'll do well in Hungary :)

Completely agree.

Fisi has been a sensation recently, a baptism of fire. Wasn't that long ago when (I included) scalling for him to retire.

[V12]

I'm glad to see they're progressing and have re-thought my criticism of Fisichella and Sutil. Fisichella has made a few decent moves in the past races and Sutil has the speed, if not the reliability/experience/luck.

If Toro Rosso make a leap forwards at the next GP (and looking at Red Bull there's no reason to think they won't) we'll be in the unusual situation of not really having a (very) slow team in the field, it's been a while since that happened!

It's all relative though, and however close you are to the front (in terms of speed or time), if you're at the back more often than not - then you're considered slow. I could say that its already been a while since we've had a very slow team in the field - I remember when I first started watching F1, qualifying within a couple of seconds of pole meant you would quite often make it into the top 10 (in the days of 26 car grids!). Now it means you're last.

Also, the last race set a record for the most number of unlapped cars running at the end of the race, 17. Only Hamilton was lapped and he wouldn't have been if it wasn't for the fact his first lap was completed at the wheel of a disintigrating tricycle.

For better or for worse (and I don't think it's all for the better), the speed differential between F1 cars has come down drastically in the last couple of decades.

[keysersoze]

With Liuzzi saying he's contracted to a race seat in the team for next year, silly season could get interesting for both Sutil and Fisi.

[jens]

Despite Fisi's recent decent performances, I still think he will be kicked out of the team by this season's end. His only chance to survive was to destroy Sutil (like he did in the beginning of 2008), but as Adrian shows some incredible pace from time-to-time, then I'm afraid Fisi's days are numbered in any case.

[stevie_gerrard]

They have been overacheiving this season, which has been great to see. They just need that break now of points, and they will soon be reguarly competing for the bigger positions.

[Sleeper]

Merc engine and transmission must be a nice and tidy package and Brawn can testify (engine-wise) so I reckon it helps developing the car without compromising the whole package.

And I think McLaren are fine aero-wise! B-spec/new package or whatever you wanna call it, seems like McLaren just might have the car sussed.
I dont know, we've seen McLaren jump up to similar leves before at Bahrain and Monaco to be followed by a slump so we shall have to wait and see.

Besides, my point was that they've spent so long firefighting their own cars problems that I just cant help but think they havnt been able to offer much to Fi beyond an engine and gearbox package (admitedly that is the best package on the grid, but still...).

[race_director]

Force India is a good team. they are trying very hard for points. have been impressive this year.

But like past years when a back pack teams. perform's well in a season. its not able to perform well the following season due to all the resources for development for the next years cars is used this year itself. Hope that one day we will have all all teams withing a hundred of a second in the future.

Force India is not a small team. considering the networth and assets of teams owners Mallya.

Hope to hear Indian Anthem on podium some day.

[woody2goody]

Force India is a good team. they are trying very hard for points. have been impressive this year.

But like past years when a back pack teams. perform's well in a season. its not able to perform well the following season due to all the resources for development for the next years cars is used this year itself. Hope that one day we will have all all teams withing a hundred of a second in the future.

Force India is not a small team. considering the networth and assets of teams owners Mallya.

Hope to hear Indian Anthem on podium some day.

Well it's not such a wild hope to be honest. They are getting better, and I reckon Fisi could grab a point or two this weekend.