Force India F1 VJM02 2009 car unveiled

http://www.dancewithshadows.com/autoindia/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/force-india-vjm02-photo.jpgForce India, owned by India’s liquor and airline baron Vijay Mallya, has officially revealed its 2009 car.

Photo: Force India VJM02 Formula One car

We are not going to say the Force India F1 VJM02 is a looker. But then none of the other Formula 1 cars are anything great to look at either. The new regulations restricting design flourishes, plus the new small rear wing makes them all look a little wimpy. No matter.

For now, here are a bunch of photos of the Force India F1 VJM02 car.

Force India VJM02 F1 car photo

For the ultra-patriotic among us, there is a lot of orange and green and white on the VJM02. The nose is all green, and the tip is white. The sidepods are orange, and the rear wing is all white with Kingfisher logos wherever you look.

Adrial Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella remain Force India F1’s drivers for the 2009 season.

Photo: Giancarlo Fisichella, Vijay Mallya and Adrian Sutil (from left to right)

There is a lot of McLaren Mercedes in the VJM02 – the engine, gearbox, hydraulics and KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System). This is a much more comprehensive deal than the engine deal which Force India had with Ferrari in 2008’s JJM01 F1 car.

The car took some time for its official reveal, but initial indications are that the car looks like a decent attempt in the aerodynamics department. AutoSport magazine said that influence of Mike Gascoyne who left the team are visible in the design. The nose is high unlike most other designs in 2009, and wings look pretty standard fare. There is a movable portion in the three-element front wings as new rules demand, and there is a small turning vane under the nose cone. Recently, Force India launched the Fast and Gorgeous reality show on MTV to select four girls who would travel with the team and host parties.

Some Formula One observers have said that there seems to be a bit of borrowing from the McLaren Mercedes 2009 car. Understandable as large parts of the car from the Woking outfit. McLaren might not introduce their KERS for the inaugural Grand Prix at Melbourne; which would mean that even Force India F1 VJM02 may not have it. The impact of the KERS on racing this season is pure guesswork at this point, as no one knows for sure if the additional complexity of the KERS is worth the extra power boost. We will see very soon.

The good part for Formula One fans in India is that this year, if all goes well, Force India really has a chance unlike last year when they failed to score. There is the possibility that we might see the team in Indian colours doing battle in the middle of the race grid and occasionally sneaking past for a challenge to the front-runners.

After a day’s testing, everyone seems cautiously optimistic if you cut through all the PR talk. Vijay Mallya has already said that this year, the team has no excuses. In an year when one of his main businesses – Kingfisher Airlines – is not doing too well, Mallya cannot afford to have his team lagging behind again. He said that the team should aim for regular points finishes, better qualifying performances and starts.

After the initial testing of the car at Jerez, Giancarlo Fisichella, the senior driver for the Force India F1 team said he was surprised and happy. True, the test was cut short due to troubles and he could finish only 31 laps on his first day out in the VJM02, but said the car was consistent even under heavy braking, but needs to work on oversteer and traction.

As the tests progress, Force India is likely to make many changes to the setup and the aerodynamic elements of the 2009 VJM02 car as more data comes in and problems and solutions are being worked upon.

Mallya, talking at the launch of the Force India VJM02, said that he definitely would like to see an Indian driver behind the wheel of a Formula One car due to his patriotic feelings, but the time is not right. Mallya has not been open to any of the current crop of Indian racing drivers such as Narain Karthikeyan or Karun Chandok, though Karun Chandok may get a chance in the future. If the team delivers, we supsect there would be some pressure on Vijay Mallya to get an Indian driver into Force India. Let us see. For now, enjoy the photos of the Force India VJM02 we have for you here.