Formula One news

Force India not competitive yet

The Force India team will need more time and more races under its belt before being in a position to challenge for points this season, driver Adrian Sutil believes. The team signed a deal to use Mercedes-Benz engines for 2009, although the car is still being modified to better suit the new powerplant.

With the VJM02 not making its debut until February, it remains the most underdeveloped car on the grid thus far. With the Mercedes contract confirmed and a close working relationship with the McLaren team, Force India has potential to move up the grid although Sutil is remaining realistic. "There is potential in this combination. It's a difficult situation because there was not much testing, as we built the car in about 120 days, so it's hard to pick up," he explained to Autosport.

Progress is being made but will take time, according to Sutil

"We have a lot of things going on in the wind tunnel and it looks promising. The question is whether it is enough to make steps, because the others are not sleeping - they always develop. I am confident though, and right now I am quite happy that the car is working well. There are no reliability problems and that helps us a lot, but we do need mileage to understand the car." Although team owner Vijay Mallya would like to score points no later than in he Spanish Grand Prix on 10 May, Sutil is taking the season step-by-step as development continues.

The structure of the team has also been reshuffled since last year, with team boss Colin Kolles and chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne being removed from the team, and Mallya taking full control over the operation. "There is a very positive spirit," Sutil continued. "The atmosphere is good, and that's why I'm very happy now. There are no problems in the team and that makes it stronger, and it's always good if you feel part of a team. If there are problems, however, of course you start arguing, and that doesn't help. The baseline is very good right now - that means you can develop yourself well and have success more easily."

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