'Fundamental' issue with Force India's F1 car is holding it back
Force India admits its new Formula 1 car is being held back by a 'fundamental' problem that is affecting its balance in corners

The Silverstone-based F1 team has had a difficult start to the season, struggling for pace and scoring only one point, thanks to Esteban Ocon's 10th place in Bahrain.
Force India has been chasing a cure for an issue that first emerged in pre-season testing, which has held back aerodynamic development.
"It started probably between the Barcelona tests and Melbourne," said technical director Andrew Green.
"We were a bit dubious about the data we were receiving, whether it was real or not, and then we needed to perform more tests on the car and some additional logging, instrumentation, to see if it was a real phenomenon or not.
"Everything we have seen so far suggests it is real, so we have been attacking it to try to instigate a change, but as of yet we have yet to make any real inroads into it."
Green said the early indications of what he refers to a "fundamental underlying issue" pointed to its CFD and windtunnel data not aligning with how the car has performed in the real world.
"It is not a tunnel issue, it is a full-size issue," he added. "It doesn't match tunnel or CFD.
"The tunnel and CFD match, but unfortunately they don't match reality."
Green said that the fluctuating balance at the rear was also making it difficult to evaluate other car parts, like the new front wing trialed in Bahrain.
"We are still very confident the front wing does what we wanted of it," he said.
"But it was designed to go with a car that generates more rear load, which we don't have at the moment.
"Once that load appears and you put the wing on, that generates even more rear load so it is a double whammy."

Green said it was "incredibly difficult" to judge Force India's potential because "it is very difficult to manage the rear tyres when you have a fluctuating rear load".
He hopes an update planned for next month's Spanish Grand Prix will help cure the problem, but admitted it could be more serious and related to its underlying car concept.
"With a clean sheet of paper we could probably solve it straight away, but we don't have a clean sheet of paper, we already have a car that exists," Green said.
Renault Sport chief technical officer Bob Bell said it was "surprising" how far back teams like Force India and Williams are this season, but said things could change quickly if they discover the root cause.
"Sometimes you can push it a little too far and the windtunnels or CFD don't tell you the truth and you just go over the edge," he said.
"When you discover what that is and you fix it you can take quite a step forward."

Previous article
Is F1 finally set for its big-three battle royale?
Next article
Formula 1 urged to think 'seriously' after spate of unsafe pitstops

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Teams | Force India |
Author | Scott Mitchell |
'Fundamental' issue with Force India's F1 car is holding it back
Trending
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
Why the demise of F1's hypocritical spending habit is cause for celebration
For too long, F1's richest teams have justified being able to spend as much as they want because that's the way they've always conducted their business. STUART CODLING says that's no reason not to kick a bad habit
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is no guarantee
The diva that stole a march on F1’s wide-bodied opposition
In 2017 new F1 technical regulations were supposed to add drama - and peg Mercedes back. STUART CODLING looks at the car which, while troubled, set the stage for the wide-bodied Formula 1 era
The themes to watch in F1’s Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. BEN ANDERSON looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak