The Force India driven by Bianchi in 2013 and powered by Ferrari in 2014?

Following Nico Hülkenberg's departure, there is still a seat to be filled at Force India. While an announcement is expected before Christmas regarding the future of the Indian team, Jules Bianchi remains firmly in the running for a full-time position. He notably benefits from the support of Ferrari, which Force India would like to use for their engines starting in 2014.

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Rédigé par Par

Of all the teams still having a free seat for the 2013 season, Sahara Force India is undoubtedly the most sought after. Indeed, contenders are jostling at the doors of the Silverstone factory to fill the spot left vacant by Nico Hülkenberg after his move to Sauber.

While an announcement is expected before Christmas, according to the Indian press agency IANS, which relies on a top source within Vijay Mallya’s team, Adrian [Sutil] seems to be the safest bet to team up with Paul di Resta as he has the required Formula 1 experience, even though Mr. Mallya is also considering all available options.

Thus the names of Kamui Kobayashi and Bruno Senna have also been circulating insistently for several weeks, both men now having some experience in Formula 1 and being willing to pay to drive in Formula 1, even though Force India claims to prioritize talent over money. The Japanese and the Brazilian thus join the list of long-time contenders such as Jaime Alguersuari, Sebastien Buemi, and naturally, Jules Bianchi.

The Frenchman, currently the third driver for the Indian team, is nonetheless considered by the aforementioned source to be too inexperienced to hope for a permanent position. In 2011, however, this did not deter Vijay Mallya from appointing Paul di Resta as a main driver with the support of Mercedes, the team’s engine supplier.

The engine, indeed, could be the key to Jules Bianchi’s salvation at Force India. According to the Finnish newspaper *Turun Sanomat*, the French driver might have genuine chances of being promoted to a full-time position in 2013, like all the test drivers at Force India before him. With the upcoming engine regulation changes starting in 2014, Force India is considering adopting the Ferrari V6, which would encourage them to appoint Jules Bianchi, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy. We eagerly await Christmas to find out if Santa’s sack will bring us the assurance of having another third French driver on the starting grids, while we await the extension—or not—of Romain Grosjean.

For the record, before opting for the Mercedes V8 in 2009, during its first season in 2008, the Force India team had used the Ferrari V8, inherited from the Spyker era.

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