Force India: Spain will show true pace
ByAutoSport
Published 21/01/2015 at 17:09 GMT
Force India believes the true pace of its new VJM08 Formula 1 car will not be clear until the Spanish Grand Prix, when a major upgrade is scheduled for introduction.
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
The Silverstone-based F1 outfit is switching windtunnels for 2015 after concluding a deal to use the Toyota facility in Cologne.
But with Force India's use of the Japanese car manufacturer's tunnel only beginning in the last few days, it will be several months before any improvements find their way onto the track.
Force India reveals new look for 2015
The late start with the tunnel has also contributed to the team's decision to delay the introduction of its new car, which will not be running at the first test at Jerez.
Technical director Andrew Green believes that development progress with the new car will be rapid though, once those first updates appear at Barcelona.
"Throughout 2015, we will be looking forward to bringing updates to the car from start to finish," he said.
"The first significant package should be at the beginning of the European season and it will be the first batch of upgrades based solely on the work done at the new windtunnel."
Progress in improving the car should also be helped by a ramping up of the team's CFD facilities, which was completed at the end of last year.
Force India CEO Otmar Szafnaeur reckoned that the benefits of that investment will not become clear for several months either.
"We have increased our CFD capability so that we are now at the maximum capacity permitted by the regulations," he said.
"That came on-stream late in 2014 so the benefits will only become apparent towards the middle part of the season - in line with the new windtunnel programme."
The new VJM08, which will appear at the second pre-season test at Barcelona, is an evolution of last year's car - even though the nose looks different because of the 2015 rule changes.
The biggest concept difference is under the skin, with the team changing its rear suspension to a new hydro-mechanical system to replace the old torsion springs.
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