07/11/2017
NEWS STORY
With fourth place in the bag, Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya believes the team can try something different in the two remaining races.
"To have confirmed fourth place in the Constructors' Championship for the second consecutive year is a wonderful achievement," he said ahead of this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the season.
"I'm incredibly proud of the entire team and delighted we have done so with two races in hand. It's already been our strongest season yet in terms of points scored and we are just 25 shy of the 200 points mark. It shows how consistent we have been all year.
"With fourth place secure, we have the freedom to take a new approach into the remaining races," he continues, "perhaps by trying some different things or different Friday drivers in the car to see what we can learn for next year.
"We can also be more aggressive with strategies and take more risks. We're still hungry for strong results and want to end the season on a high note. The race in Brazil this week is an opportunity to continue our run of strong performances at the very least."
Alfonso Celis Jr has already made a couple of FP1 appearances for the team this year, the most recent being in Mexico. However, the Silverstone-based outfit ran Russian F3 driver, Nikita Mazepin, and Austrian DTM racer, Lucas Auer, in the mid-season test at Hungary, so one of these two drivers could make their FP1 debut, especially with a two-day test scheduled for after the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
On the other hand, with an eye on engine partner Mercedes, perhaps the team might wish to try an upcoming youngster from the German outfit’s stable, having clearly struck gold in terms of Esteban Ocon.
Other than strategies and 2018 components, the most likely change the team is to make is to allow its two drivers off the leash, having been under strict team orders since the incident filled Belgian Grand Prix.
With the titles also decided, the sight of Ocon and Perez going head to head in both remaining races is something every fan would enjoy.