After surging from anonymous backmarker to genuine victory threat in the space of a few incredible months in 2009, Force India consolidated its place as a top-10 contender last season.
Its 2010 campaign saw fewer of the dramatic highs of 2009’s pole and podium, but nor did it feature the wild fluctuations in form that saw Force India plunge to the back again shortly after its summer heroics the previous year.
Late in 2010, the team did start to dip off the pace, and its challenge for this year is arrest that slight decline, and prove that its natural habitat is now in the thick of the ‘best of the rest’ battle behind the title contenders – despite worries that several departures from the design office will affect its form.
F1 track record
The arrival of Indian entrepreneur Vijay Mallya at the end of 2007 brought stability to this Silverstone-based team after four changes of ownership in as many seasons.
The team began life as Jordan in 1991, when charismatic Irishman Eddie Jordan decided to move his ultra-successful outfit from the junior series to Formula 1.
The squad arrived with a bang – its attractive green 191 chassis earning fifth in the constructors’ championship.
After that the harsh realities of F1 hit, and it would be three seasons before Jordan reached the podium, and another four before it won a race – although it achieved that goal in epic style as drivers Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher finished one-two in the infamously chaotic 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.
Two more victories followed in 1999, when Heinz-Harald Frentzen looked like he might even snatch the title for Jordan.
That proved to be the team’s high point, for Jordan was ill-equipped to match the lavishly funded manufacturer squads that flooded into F1 in the early 2000s.
A shock win in Brazil in 2003 provided a last hurrah for the team, which slithered ever further down the field before being bought by Russian Alex Shnaider’s Midland corporation in early 2005.
Even before the team’s 2006 relaunch as MF1 Racing there were rumours that Shnaider had already lost interest, and sure enough a Dutch consortium took over later in the year.
Their reign also proved short-lived.
Midland was renamed Spyker, in deference to the Dutch sportscar company that formed part of the ownership group, but the car firm’s financial troubles threatened to filter down to the F1 operation.
The team pressed on amid this uncertainty, but with little money to spend and no stability, the cars were firmly rooted to the back of the grid.
The arrival of Mallya finally gave the hard-working squad – which was duly renamed Force India – some cause for optimism.
When 2008 didn’t deliver the hoped-for breakthrough, Mallya wasted no time in making changes.
Out went Ferrari engines, tech chief Mike Gascoyne and team manager Colin Kolles, in favour of Mercedes engines and McLaren transmission, in a new technical partnership that gave Force India access to a top team’s kit without contravening anti-customer car rules.
The deal came together late and led to a faltering start to 2009, but once up to speed, the revamped Force India flew.
Although Mallya had set a target of getting on the podium by the inaugural Indian GP in 2011, that ambition was ticked off two years ahead of schedule as Giancarlo Fisichella stunned F1 by taking pole at Spa on merit, then fighting for victory and finishing second.
Adrian Sutil came close to another pole and podium at Monza two weeks later.
The 2009 Force India was a demon on low-drag tracks, but a midfielder at best on more sinuous venues, so finding more consistency was the goal for 2010.
This was duly achieved as well, for although Force India wasn’t fighting for wins at all last year, neither did it ever tumble right to the back, instead settling into a very respectable new regular position in the second half of the top 10.
Strengths: McLaren/Mercedes tie-up is a big asset, and team is still determined to prove it can recapture the form it showed in Jordan’s greatest days.
Weaknesses: Lacks resources compared to top teams, and has lost a lot of design personnel to Lotus as well as former tech boss James Key leaving for Sauber.
What it brings to F1: Great underdog spirit and can tap into India’s sporting passion and make Mallya’s nation love F1.
F1 highlight: Fighting for the title as Jordan, fighting for wins in 2009.
Lowest ebb: Years of uncertainty and underperformance as Midland and Spyker.
Goal for 2011: Get back on the podium, maintain 2010’s top-10 form.