Force India now aiming to beat Red Bull to fourth in F1 standings

The team achieved its best result of the 2015 F1 season in the Austrian GP, where Nico Hulkenberg finished sixth, having held off Williams's Valtteri Bottas for the first half of the ace, while team-mate Sergio Perez was ninth.

That gave Force India its first double-points finish since the season-opening Australian GP and moved it above Lotus and into fifth in the constructors' championship.

Four-time champion team Red Bull is 24 points ahead in fourth, and deputy team principal Bob Fernley believes the B-spec Force India could close that gap.

"Fourth is the next target," Fernley told AUTOSPORT.

"Of course, we have to be realistic, so let's wait till Silverstone, but if it delivers level of performance we think it will do, then we are hopeful."

CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS AFTER AUSTRIA:

The Silverstone-based team suffered delays with its development following a switch of windtunnels over the winter and missed much of pre-season testing.

Force India has been adding parts for its B-spec to the car since Monaco, with the final evaluation of the package taking place in Austria.

"I'm very proud of the team, they have done an amazing job," said Fernley.

"We're at the end of six-month programme since we started the aero reconstruction with the new philosophy and moved to a new windtunnel at same time.

"The new car will be the first test of that move but I'm very encouraged by it.

"We were slightly up against it after the Barcelona test but we have delivered phenomenal reliability and dug deep.

"The reliability comes from the factory and design, [and we've had] excellent, aggressive strategies and two super drivers who have taken every opportunity which has been given to them.

"Fortunately, others have tripped up along the way.

"If you had asked me in Australia if we would be remotely close to fifth place, never mind in fifth place after eight races, I think I would have snapped your hand off. It's a thrill."