Force India to launch VJM04 at Jerez test

2011 F1 season

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Yelmer Buurman, Force India, Abu Dhabi, 2010

Force India’s 2011 F1 car will make its first appearance in the second test of the year at Jerez.

The VJM03 will remain in service for the first test 2011 at Valencia.

Chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer told Reuters the new car will be revealed at Jerez:

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.
Otmar Szanfnauer

The Jerez test is on February 10-13th.

The team is yet to confirm its 2011 driver line-up with Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg understood to be vying for a place at the team as well as 2010 drivers Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi.

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2011 F1 season


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Image © Force India F1 Team

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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20 comments on “Force India to launch VJM04 at Jerez test”

  1. Interesting choice, turning up with the 2010 car. Maybe they’re looking to get a good baseline of information when the new car is ready?

    1. A good baseline of information between the new unknown tyres and the well known current spec aero

      1. I suppose that, and still having to get the driver deals in place.

        And given how much they dropped off after losing part of their technical staff in 2010 they will need all development time they can get.

  2. I think this is a smart move, Valencia is mostly start-stop kind of track, by missing it it’s not a big deal. And by using old car they can focus more on tire related testing.

    1. F1 tests at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, I think, rather than the Street Circuit:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_Ricardo_Tormo

      So the Valencia test will be at a conventional circuit rather than a stop-start track.

      1. then that will hurt their testing program by a bit. will be interesting to see how they perform compared to lotus & sauber.

  3. I think this is further proof they are having problems with developing their 2011 car because they lost key technical personnel right when the basis of new car was starting to develop.
    They could take a big step back this year.

    1. Or they don’t have enuf budget to hire new technical staff & maybe lack of money could also be a reason behind this delay.

      1. It isn’t only money, the good enough replacement had to be plucked from a rival F1 team and contracts this guys sign prevent them from getting employed by a rival for a certain amount of time after contract termination. They had an in-house replacement but the question is are they good enough?

        1. But their supply of in house replacements will have dried up a bit. After they lost James Key to Sauber his replacement then announced he was heading for Lotus (with a bit chunk of the staff).

          So the new guys will be hard put to finish everything in time.

          1. where is Bob Bell. I thought he would join FI but no news. I dont think they are running old car due to loss of technical people. They skipped first test in 2010 as well so nothing new

  4. I hope someone other Liuzzi gets a seat. He just doesn’t really do much for me.

  5. Anyone else completely impatient for them to announce their 2011 drivers? Just sign the Hulk already!!

  6. It would be dream to see Hulkenberg and Paul Di Resta as FI drivers. If that happens FI will have a formidable lineup and If the car is any good they will be scoring points consistently.

    I just dont understand why they signed a multi year contract with luizzi.

  7. FI have been launching the car at Jerez every year so it doesn’t surprise me to see them doing the same this year as well. Although the experience of the current staff may actually have something to do with it. I would like to see Sutil as one driver with Di Resta and Hulkenberg sharing the other car seat. So one race could be Sutil and Hulk and the next could be Sutil and diResta.

  8. Red Bull tried it last year & they came up with something hope it produces some good result for the team.I am not a fan of that,I believe as they still don’t know who will drive for them they don’t have the right direction to set up the car according to the driver that will drive for them.

  9. If the new FI is going to be a complete dog many it’s better that Paul Di Resta has to wait another year for his chance… let the more experienced Luizzi set up development for 2012 perhaps….

  10. Perhaps they’re going to use the first test as a driver shoot-off?

  11. Now THAT would be something else. I want it to be televised.

  12. paul di resta is the only man for the seat i have followed his career for many years now and it would be a big mistake not to give him the job

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