Force India launch VJM03 (Pictures)
Force India VJM03
Force India have revealed their 2010 F1 car, the VJM03.
The team say the car is an evolution of last year’s VJM02 – but they expect it to be strong on more than just low-downforce tracks. Here are the first pictures of the VJM03.
The team are using Mercedes engines for the second year in a row. They are one of few teams to being 2010 with the same drivers they ended 2009 with – Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi.
Liuzzi will give the car its first public run during testing at Jerez tomorrow.
The team has also announced Paul di Resta has joined them as a reserve driver and will participate during some Grand Prix weekends on Fridays.
Designer Mark Smith said the new car is an evolution of last year’s VJM02, which scored the team’s first ever points with second place at Spa:
The VJM03 is definitely an evolution of the VJM02 in terms of the design philosophies we have developed at Force India over the last year. We are very happy with the direction, therefore we have opted to evolve the car rather than significantly revise.
Obviously one of the major aspects we have had to contend with are regulation changes which have had a considerable impact on some aspects of the design of the car. The removal of refuelling from races increases the amount of fuel needed to be stored in the cars – almost twice the amount we ran in 2009. There is a compromise now: either make the car much longer or wider, or, as we have done, a combination of both. This of course has influenced the mechanical design solutions and also the aerodynamics, specifically with respects to the diffuser and bodywork.
Even with the ban of double diffusers for 2011, we recognise that we still have to push as much as we possibly can in this area in 2010 as we have targets to meet and the double diffuser is a key development aspect of the car.
The VJM02 was a relatively low drag car that showed well on the low downforce tracks. As was demonstrated throughout 2009, that was a useful attribute but as we go into 2010 we have tried to maintain a high level of aerodynamic efficiency, but we recognise that our championship position will be enhanced by a general level of performance that is suited to all types of circuits. We have, we believe, quite an efficient car overall.
Mark Smith
Read more from the team: Sutil, Liuzzi and Szafnauer interviews
Force India VJM03 launch pictures
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Force India VJM03 launch video
2010 F1 car launches
- Virgin Racing launch VR-01 (Pictures)
- Renault R30 launched (Pictures)
- BMW Sauber C29 launched (Pictures)
- McLaren and Ferrari’s 2010 cars side-by-side (Pictures)
- Compare the new McLaren MP4-25 with last year’s car (Pictures)
- McLaren MP4-25 launch pictures
- 2010 Ferrari F10 and 2009 Ferrari F60 side-by-side (Pictures)
- Ferrari 2010 F1 car pictures
Images (C) Force India F1 Team
typo: it should be VJMO3 in the 1st line
dont like the livery but i have always liked their desiign i like specially that type of nose
You beat Autosport!
Keith always beats autosport!
Good looking car. I’m a fan of the orange, white and green livery.
In fact, he even beaten the Force India own site…
Quite uninspired, I had a my fingers crossed they were going to do something good this year after an impressive run towards the end of 09. Having said that one thing I have come to realise over the years is a car doesn’t need to look fast to be fast.
By the end of 2009 the VJM02 was a fairly handy chassis and the Mercedes engine remains the benchmark.
With that in mind, a logical development of the VJM02 (which is what the VJM03 appears to be) around the larger fuel tank is a sensible solution, especially for a team on a tight budget. The new car looks fairly neat and tidy. Unless Force India have made any major design errors, the VJM03 should keep the team well ahead of STR and the new entrants while allowing them to scrap with Renault, Williams and Sauber for points.
Sadly, modern F1 regulations are so tightly defined that the days of Colin Chapman/Gordon Murray-style great leaps forward and F1 cars looking radically different from one another are over.
Have a closer look. This car has a few nice suprises it seems.
I formally request we ban shark fins.
I second that! We need all teams’ mutual agreement to ban this fugly shark fin, all freakin’ thanks to Red Bull started this in 2008. Holy cow!
It’s great advertising space, they’ll be staying me thinks.
No one needs the extra ad space – the teams don’t have enough sponsors to cover the rest of the car!
And this fin (like the McLaren one) hides the logo on the rear wing. Who are Isher? What does Kingf sell?
Kinfisher is bear brand and kingfisher airlines.
Denied – I think they look awesome!
I hope Force India do well this season, really love the livery as well. shame 90% of everyone go “OH No – its exactly the same as last years.” -So ? :S it looks good , they dont NEED to change it.. so why change it?
Yeah, Ferrari need to use another livery as well.
Shark Fins look cool. The new McLaren looks hot. No ban on Shark fins.
I agree – they’re awesome.
Those are the colours of our national flag geemac
I know I know. What I meant to say was that the VJM01 had that gold, red and white look which didn’t quite work. So I’m glad they stuck with the VJM02’s orange white and green livery.
I like the fct they have kept it becuause it gives a uniform and offers stability to a grid slot that has had so many names throughout the years. Forece India incarnation has lasted 3 years now , I hope they remain to show they aren’t just making up numbers.
I think the colours look great too, and it doesn’t matter any more that it looks like a Toyota on TV…
I thought those winglets they have near the cockpit were illegal 2009 onwards..
And their website is down..no surprises there??
Looks very simple against what we’ve seen already, much like the Renault. The livery looks good though, another of few that works with the green Bridgestones. I hope they have a decent year this year. I’m sure they can be semi-regular points scorers what with the kitty stretching all the way to 10th now.
Still think the shark fins and sidepod veins should be banned though, they really ruin the look of the cars.
How would they get water and oil back to the engine without Sidepod Veins???
I don’t get it…
Wait, yes I do! I would have thought these technological cars probably use something far superior to veins… like anti-gravity, or fairy dust, or something
Or LSD.
the nose looks like renault form last year
i was about to say that. i hate it
Looking good!
I hope they don’t have to wait until Spa to shine.
Shark fin looks Veeeeeery like McLaren’s interpretation. Are they using a flat BMW nose? Very conservative design, but we haven’t seen the diffuser yet.
i guess force guys had the same sharkfin last year, i guess it was part of Monza or Spa upgrade..
I like it… nuff said!!
@ varun… appendages are allowed to within a certain radius around the cockpit
Hope those appendages are banned as well in the coming season. They look ugly and a way to fix outboard mirrors to the cars. I miss inboard mirrors so dearly that now only Renault, McLaren and Mercedes GP have them. Freaking thanks to Ferrari for starting this up.
Looks good!! de nose seems a lot different!!
Car looks good.I love this livery and hope they will score consistently this year.
Looking really good!
Adrian Sutil = Worst helmet design of 2010?
He has changed his helmet livery when Force India launced the VJM01 with that gold-ish livery. Sad, I prefer his original helmet when he first entered F1.
Is it the longest car in the field now?
From the photos atleast, it looks to be extremely long. Or is it just me?
It is now the car with most alcoholic brands on it
I counted 4, and plenty of small other names. The company’s health seems sound, inspite of those notices being served to them.
Is that Royal Challenge and Signature along with Whyte & Mackay and Kingfisher? Don’t recognise the first two.
They are top brand alcohols in India.. also part of UB.. not sure if they are marketed to UK..
Kingfisher is a quid a bottle in Morrisons right now! Cracking beer. Lol
All are brands owned by Mallya.
Oh yes thats Royal Challenge and signature right there… It almost looks like theyre goin to run VJM03 on alcohol this year..
Is there anything in the white & mackay glasgow sponsor and new scottish race ace being with force India this year. I am hoping – being a Scot and all that – hoping I get a chance to cheer for another native. It seems a while since coulthard was on the track, until this happens I’m afraid it’s mclaren all the way!
This looks like 2009 VJM 02. I cant see the front tires smaller than the rear ones.
Another car quite devoid of sponsors, apart from Mallya’s own companies/brands (Kingfisher, White & Mackay, Signature and Royal Challenge)
Does Mallya own Whyte & Mackay? I thought their connection was that they were di Resta’s sponsor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whyte_and_Mackay
owned by UB,which is owned by mallya..
Whyte and Machey is a part of Mallya owned UB group.. But still they have lost one sponsor from last year-Reliance..
they have lost icici as well..
gained reebok i think..
Icici left the team some time between the 2009 launch and Australia.
Reebok have been there since Malaysia 2009.
They have lost Reliance though
Good spots on the sponsors. I think Reebok were signed during the course of last season.
they even lost gitanjali brand which was positioned just above Whyte & Mackay on side pode
They gained Zapak though
Keith… whyte and mackay was on the car even last year
Yeah I know.
The car looks okay, maybe because the shark fin is white and the background in these pictures is white but for me the shark fin doesn’t look as bad as on some of the other cars. But I still don’t like the side pod aero pieces where they have mounted the mirrors, if I could ban one piece of aero on the grounds of looks I think it would be those rather than the shark fin.
I quite like their launch video available in their website.
Not loading for me.. Shud try again later??
Can u post the link pls??
its on their site or rather try downloading it directly http://www.forceindiaf1.com/backoffice/video_converter/flvideo/104.flv
The front nose looks very R29.
And that really really scares me.. Worries me rather..
It worries me too.Why Renault????
Keith Can you upload the pics of Diffuser?
Have to disagree, R29 nose was a lot stubbier/bulkier.
At first sight I didn’t think much of the car, but on closer inspection there’s a lot of interesting detailing on there – especially underneath the front section in the “snow-plough” zone.
Agree. To me it looks like they’ve spent a fair chunk of change under that nose, feeding the floor and sides inside and outside the bargeboard / sidepods.
Another team with downward pointing brake ducts.
It really doesn’t look like the R29. If I’d worked on the FI nose I’d be very offended. It looks much more similar to the VJM02 nose. It’s much sleeker and less cumbersome than the R29, it’s hard not to be.
You won’t see a nose like the R29s this year because it restricts air flow to the diffuser.
http://i50.tinypic.com/22yqvq.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/1zxuutk.jpg
wow… the car looks great.
Keith, can you do the usual comparison. VJM02 vs VJM03.
Do you have pics of the diffuser?
follow the link to Craig Scarborough’s post Keith included here:
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2010/02/09/force-india-vjm03-and-vjm02-compared/
He has a drawing and comments on their diffuser design.
For some reason this car still looks like a low downforce runner to me. Hope it’s less of a niche car than last year’s though.
LOL at crash happy Sutil in the second pic
ha, looks like he can’t wait to smash up the grid!
Interesting that Mark Smith has said they are planning to go back and put the adjustable front wing flaps on the car, which they stopped bothering with during last season, since they think there may be more scope for using them this year.
Hopefully thats an indication that this years car will be able to make better use over a wider range of tracks! Hope so, really like these guys. Used to love Minardi who were always underdogs but knew how to have fun! Was totally gutted when Kimi got past Fisi at Spa last year, i even swore in front of my little boy! Whoops.
Probably more an indication that being able to adjust the front wing during the race will be more useful to adapt to changing fuel loads.
Do de front wing flaps enable the driver to adapt better to changing fuel loads?
That would be a good reason to get good at using them.
Personally I like it.
Initial feeling is it looks like a mish mash of last years Renault (nose) with last years Brawn front wing and Red Bulls 2008 side pods (front view)
Inimitable !!!!!
I’m a general F1 fan rather than a follower of any one team, obviously being british, i cheered button on to the end last year, and thought it was a deserved victory, but aside from that, i’m rather a sucker for the underdog-coming-good. In that respect, i wish Vijay, Sutil and Liuzzi all the best this year, they work hard, settle for what points they can get, and i truly hope that they show the “new” guys how a small low-budget team should be run… go for points, hold your own, don’t be upset with low qualifying positions, and unlike Ferrari, just because they’re not winning, don’t just give up to concentrate on next year’s car.
Go Force India, i predict their first F1 win this year, and really hope that it happens for them, there isn’t a more deserving group of people in the paddock in my opinion!!
And what a fantastic looking car by the way!!
Some comments have been deleted. Trolling and insulting other commenters is not allowed: F1Fanatic Comment Policy
What does trolling mean, keith?
“Trolling is the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet, generally on message boards”
All though there can be a fine line between trolling and playing devil’s advocate or being someone who generally holds contrary opinions. More uptight internet communities often consider people who express views outside their own to be trolls no matter how logical or reasonable the view is.
it looks clean
I think Fore India did a good job with their means.
They now have an OK technical team, engineering support from one of the best teams in F1, probably the Benchmark engine.
The car looks an improved version of last years car. As last years car was not to bad, showing real good on fast tracks, this is a good sign.
The livery is a little bit nicer, with simpler lines.
Yes i like it, hope the new teams will all be at this level or better in a year or 2.
Thanks Keith for bringing some sanity here. I am not used to pple insulting others on this forum, that is why iam always here for good info.
Good work mate! Keep it up!!
Farce India and Renault are the only new cars so far that aren’t last year’s RB clones.
It’s quite surprising that even though Brawn was the winning car last year, nobody has decided to base their new aerodynamical design on last year’s Brawn.
Usually the field was split in two main directions as far as the approach in building the chassis.
This year the engineers have almost unanimously declared Adrian Newey’s last year’s Red Bull as having the superior solutions.
That’s quite inmpressive I must say.
farce india? is that a slip of the tongue?
The FI actually has the Red Bull V-shaped nose, although it is rather small.
What about sauber? they’ve made a pretty radical car
My God! The same colours and the same design of 2009 car! Criativity is low there…
That’s only because of your poor observation and lack of attention to detail.
Beside, they DON’T have to change the livery every year… If a livery is good, why change it?
Looks good. Let’s hope they can improve on last year’s performance.
Does anyone know why there is a small wing only on one side of the airbox?
That is a camera mount
Looks good, not a lot to add really, except the snowplough area seems well developed. Oh and FI I think is the only car on which the green ‘eco’ striped tyres look good! Anyone know what the zigzag where the mirrors used to be is for (on fourth studio shot from above)?
And I’m loving Liuzzi’s helmet, class!
Liuzzi’s helmet looks the awesome.
Here are more pics guys! http://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7922&start=15
This one might be good to swap with the current one:
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/9403/vjm0809.jpg
It obiously should be 2009 and 2010.
It looks like Force India have taken a similar approach to the diffuser that Red Bull did last year. However, as Red Bull lowered and flattened the rear of the car over the diffuser in order to create a path of air to pull air out of the diffuser, it looks like Force India have raised the diffuser exit and then narrowed the rear of car towards this raised center section of the diffuser.
dunno, where to write this as there is no forum, here is a pic of the new lotus 2010 car
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81365
loving the colours. ver nice indeed. very short nose?
Force India is official. We will see if they can improve on last years podium.
I cant wait to see the Red Bull and USF1 cars!
I wouldn’t hold your breath too long for one of them.
Have you noticed where the mirrors are attached?, they will be as good as useless.
I meant to ask this ages ago, were do you think the wing settings we see on the presentation cars would be used, its defo not Monza but not quite Monaco?
really good looking car! big improvement from last years car!
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81365
PHOTO LEAKED FROM LOTUS!!!