Mallya: Force India to maintain F1 momentum

Team principal Vijay Mallya is reluctant to place lofty goals on his Force India squad, carefully suggesting the team will carry momentum into the 2017 season.

Force India was the latest F1 squad to show off its challenger for the new regulations following on from Williams, Sauber and Renault.

The team came off a solid season in 2016 when it finished fourth in the Constructor’s Championship behind Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari.

After a tense battle with Williams, Force India ended the season with 173 points, 45 clear of the Grove team.

“We don’t underestimate the scale of the challenge ahead of us, especially with the sport undergoing a huge overhaul of the technical regulations,” Mallya said.

“Simply repeating our performance level of 2016 will be a big task in itself.

“I don’t want to set goals or targets other than to say that we intend to maintain the momentum we have built up in recent years and carry it into the new season.

“There are too many unknowns to say more than this.”

Team incumbent Sergio Perez is buoyant about the prospects, citing team stability as a strength going into the season where he will line-up beside newcomer Esteban Ocon.

The week-long F1 launches continue tomorrow when the champion Mercedes squad will unveil its wares for Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg’s replacement Valtteri Bottas, a day ahead of launches for McLaren and Ferrari.