Vijay Mallya is confident Force India's VJM05 is the best car the team have ever produced and will give them a chance to close the gap to the front.
Force India owner feels team have built a challenger
Vijay Mallya is confident Force India's 2012 challenger is the best car the team have ever produced and will give them a chance to close the gap to the front.
The VJM05 performed strongly during pre-season testing and was relatively gremlin free compared to most of the other teams.
Having enjoyed their best season in 2011, finishing sixth in the Constructors' Championship, the Silverstone based outfit are looking to take another step forward this year.
And Mallya feels the VJM05, coupled with "some healthy in-house rivalry" between Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg, will give them the boost they need.
"From our side there is no doubt that Andrew Green and his technical team have done an outstanding job to deliver a well-balanced car," he told Force India's
official website.
"I would even go as far as saying the VJM05 is the best engineered car we have produced and the detail of the design is beautiful. It's a car we believe can help us take another step forward.
"Driver-wise I'm extremely excited by our line-up this year. Nico and Paul are both young and hungry, and will ensure we squeeze every last thousandth from the car.
"There will be some healthy in-house rivalry, too, which will be fascinating to watch, and I believe that we will get better results in the long run by having two drivers pushing each other on."
Midfield battle
Mallya also feels the midfield pack will be even closer this season as Force India battle Lotus, Sauber, Williams and Toro Rosso, with Caterham also looking to join the group.
"I remain cautious on making predictions, simply because there are so many unknowns," he said.
"Our analysis suggests that we could see one of the closest grids in years, especially in the upper part of the midfield. Even so, our stated goal remains the same - to see Force India continue progressing and challenge the established teams that lie ahead of us."
