Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Recommended for you

F1 Belgian GP: Antonelli fastest as Hamilton crashes at end of FP3

Formula 1
Belgian GP
F1 Belgian GP: Antonelli fastest as Hamilton crashes at end of FP3

Super Formula Fuji: Ohta charge denies O’Sullivan maiden win

Super Formula
Fuji
Super Formula Fuji: Ohta charge denies O’Sullivan maiden win

Rovanpera provides comeback update during Rally Estonia visit

WRC
Rally Estonia
Rovanpera provides comeback update during Rally Estonia visit

The surprise highest points scorer in MotoGP's European leg

MotoGP
The surprise highest points scorer in MotoGP's European leg

How Colapinto has survived and thrived in the hothouse intensity of F1

Feature
Formula 1
Belgian GP
How Colapinto has survived and thrived in the hothouse intensity of F1

Why Hamilton sees Mercedes as ‘still the team to beat’ at Belgian GP

Formula 1
Belgian GP
Why Hamilton sees Mercedes as ‘still the team to beat’ at Belgian GP

WRC Estonia: Unbeatable Pajari leads after perfect Friday

WRC
Rally Estonia
WRC Estonia: Unbeatable Pajari leads after perfect Friday

LIVE: F1 Belgian GP commentary and updates - Hamilton crashes at the end of FP3, Antonelli remains fastest

Formula 1
Belgian GP
LIVE: F1 Belgian GP commentary and updates - Hamilton crashes at the end of FP3, Antonelli remains fastest

Force India VJM06 launch: New car a total rethink

Force India has opted for a complete redesign of its car for the 2013 Formula 1 season, according to technical director Andrew Green

The VJM06 was unveiled at Silverstone on Friday morning.

While the team enjoyed a strong run-in to its 2012 campaign, scoring points in the last eight straight races and leading 30 laps of the Brazilian finale, Green said increasingly marginal performance gains had prompted a complete redesign over the winter.

"It's a new car, we didn't hold back," he said.

"Performance gains are getting harder and harder to find given the regulations stability, so we couldn't hold back.

"We had to redesign basically everything to maximise the potential of the car.

"The time we took to understand the car at the end of the year actually helped us tremendously with the design of this one."

Green said the need to optimise Pirelli's 2013 compounds had also been a major influence in the VJM06's formation.

"We've done a lot of work analysing how we use the tyres, so we have incorporated a lot of detail into this year's design," he explained.

"On top of that we have bolted on extra downforce on, that's always the case.

"Keeping the tyres working in their sweet spot is the key to the current car, so we gave ourselves more options with this design [in order] to look after the tyres.

"[The 2013 compounds] are the one thing we don't really understand at the moment, and we won't until we start running them.

"That will drive our winter test programme massively. Our focus in testing will be all around the new tyres, [although] even then it's going to be tough to get the complete picture running around Barcelona in five degree ambient [temperatures]."

Force India VJM06 - full coverage:

New Force India VJM06 unveiled
Force India VJM06 in pictures
Force India delays driver decision
Bianchi had been set to stay as reserve

Previous article Ferrari F138 launch: Fernando Alonso sure missing test right call
Next article Force India: No second driver announcement before Barcelona test

Top Comments

Latest news