Force India: Jules Bianchi and Adrian Sutil will have to wait for Barcelona

Now that Force India has unveiled the VJM06 that will compete in the 2013 Formula 1 World Championship, the only thing left is to know the identity of the driver who will support Paul di Resta during the upcoming season. While it was hoped that more information would be available before the Jerez tests in Spain, Force India has decided to prolong the suspense. Indeed, after saying a few weeks ago that a decision was likely before the first tests, Robert Fernley indicated at the VJM06 presentation that the names of the second and third drivers would only be revealed after the Jerez tests. Until then, the Indian team will rely on Paul di Resta and call upon James Rossiter, the simulator driver at the Silverstone factory, who from 2005 to 2008, was a test driver with Honda and Super Aguri.

The second Force India driver will thus only have the two weeks of testing in Barcelona to acclimatize to his team and car before heading to Australia for the first Grand Prix of the season: “I don’t think it will be a disadvantage,” says Robert Fernley, deputy team director. “Most of the work we do in Jerez concerns the systems, so we’re pretty good with Paul [di Resta]. It’s a major part of what we do. He provides us with stability and his technical feedback is excellent, which is why it’s quite important for us to optimize the Jerez tests with Paul because they are the first tests and he is the reference for that. It’s easy for a new driver to catch up as soon as these issues are resolved. Hopefully, he’ll have a car that’s quite manageable by the time we go to Barcelona.” And Fernley adds: “Most of the work these days is done in the simulator, so as long as we can drive, what we will do will be of quality, if we have the necessary conditions for it. As long as the weather is good in Barcelona, there shouldn’t be any problem with the driver’s progression.”

Nonetheless, the absence of a decision regarding the second driver raises some questions, especially as rumors recently suggested that the team was facing financial difficulties so severe that Bernie Ecclestone himself had to step in to save the team. For several weeks, the decision for the second Force India seat seems to be between Adrian Sutil and Jules Bianchi, with the Frenchman benefiting from Ferrari’s support in the context of a potential engine supply agreement from 2014 onwards. However, in light of possible financial difficulties, the team might, according to some, be tempted to opt for a paying driver. Robert Fernley, however, assures that the decision will be made « to benefit the team and not necessarily based on financial imperatives », even adding that it is actually highly likely that this won’t be the case ».

The deputy director of the Indian team acknowledges, however, that the choice of driver could depend on future technical directions: « What we are trying to do is advance our technical programs and, in the coming weeks, we should be able to put everything in place. […] It’s about where we want to go in 2014, but that’s only part of the equation. Yes, we’re trying to balance everything, but it would be too simplistic to say it’s related to the engine. We’ve always had to deal with these imagined stories that Paul [di Resta] was linked to Mercedes: it’s total nonsense. However, there is a solid link with Jules [Bianchi] and Ferrari, but it’s not related. » And Fernley reminds that Mercedes is not the only technical partner of the team: « This is the last year of the partnership with McLaren Technologies […] and again it is part of the discussions we are having about where we are going and what we are doing to move forward. So, at the moment, there are a lot of things to consider on this side for Force India. »

But Nico Hülkenberg’s departure to Sauber also seems to explain the time Force India wants to take to properly tie things up: « We didn’t expect Nico to leave, so it was a surprise for us and everything we’re doing is to ensure that the i’s are dotted before we reach this new milestone and have the right contracts in place to make sure we can go where we want. »