06/01/2011
NEWS STORY
Force India has announced that it will use its 2010 car for the first pre-season test, aiming to launch its 2011 version at Jerez a week later.
"We've carefully considered our plans for the start of the season and the introduction of the new VJM04," the team's Chief Operating Officer Otmar Szafnauer told Reuters.
"The team will participate in all four pre-season tests," he continued, "and we will use the VJM03 for the first test in Valencia before the VJM04 makes its test debut in Jerez the following week."
While only Ferrari, Toro Rosso and Sauber have officially announced that their launches will take prior to (or at) the Valencia test, it's presumed that all the other teams, with the possible exception of Hispania, will be running their new cars.
"Starting a test later with the new car gives us a couple of weeks more wind tunnel time when we are at our most productive to get the parts released for the new car," added Szafnauer. "There is always a trade-off between running the car early and getting increased information for the aero department and we believe it will work to our advantage, given our size and resources."
The Silverstone-based outfit has yet to announce its driver line-up, and while Adrian Sutil will lead the team it remains unclear who will partner him. While Tonio Liuzzi has a contract for this season, there is widespread speculation that Scotland's Paul di Resta could be given the nod.