Force India unveils the VJM04

After opting to test in Valencia with its 2010 car, Force India has finally unveiled the VJM04, the team’s 2011 challenger. The single-seater revealed is the second vehicle this season to feature a blade-style roll hoop design.

The VJM04 will have its first taste of track during this week’s testing at Jerez, starting on Thursday. The 2011 Force India challenger is the first car created by the team under its new technical director Andrew Green.

He explains that the team expects to increase performance with some changes that have been programmed for the car throughout the season. Force India has higher ambitions for the season and doesn’t forget that they will have a grand prix at home this year.

“There are some big developments in the pipeline, probably bigger than this team has seen for quite a while. I think we're looking for a much stronger finish to the season, and we do recognise the fact that there's an Indian GP on the calendar, and we are an Indian team. The plan is to be putting stronger performance on the car through the year that will lift us up the ranks.”

The big focus from Force India was on aerodynamics. In fact, Green explains that “the cars we have produced here have always struggled at the high downforce tracks - they always been 'slippery' cars. We've identified a problem, and now we have to fix it, and it means that potentially there's another strategic aero change coming as well.”

Besides the roll hoop design the VJM04 has been developed wih undercut sidepods and a complex front-wing concept.

Having finished seventh in the overall constructors standings in 2010, Force India will be willing to improve this result and will be counting on British driver Paul di Resta, current DTM champion, to help Adrian Sutil to do so.