Force India drivers will be treated equally
Andy Stevenson stated that Nico Hülkenberg and Paul di Resta will receive the same treatment in 2012, and neither will be advantaged.
Paul di Resta will compete in his second season in Formula 1 with Sahara Force India in 2012. The Scottish driver will have Nico Hülkenberg by his side, who will be returning to F1 after spending a year as Force India’s reserve driver. Both men have a similar experience in F1, and neither will be given an advantage by the Silverstone-based team.
«We have never had a policy of having a number one driver. Both our drivers receive exactly the same treatment, they have the same equipment at their disposal, » said Andy Stevenson to Sky Sports.
The sporting director of the Force India team believes that Nico Hülkenberg should adapt very quickly to his new environment, which could put di Resta under pressure.
Paul will be under pressure. It’s his second year in Formula 1 as a full-time driver and it will be difficult for him. Nico has already proven that he can be very, very fast.
The Indian team managed to finish the 2011 season in 6th place in the constructors’ championship, just 4 points behind the Lotus Renault team, and the goal will be to do even better in 2012. Stevenson believes that Force India can aim for at least fifth place among the constructors. He even thinks that a top 3 – that is, finishing ahead of Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, or Mercedes is something achievable!
I think, from a realistic point of view, that we must aim for the top 3. I would never say top 4; I think there is a real possibility for us to get there (to break into the top 3). Fifth place is what we are looking for at a minimum. We want to be fifth or better placed.
To achieve this objective, Stevenson is relying on the VJM05 – which is set to make its track debut in Jerez starting from February 7th. He believes this single-seater is better than its predecessor, things seem promising but only the reality of the track will confirm the simulations carried out.
From what I’ve seen so far, it looks really, really good, but we need to get it on track. We know the key figures – we were confident in the car we designed, but we don’t know what the others might have done. So until we get to those initial tests to see what the other cars are capable of, it’s hard to say, added Stevenson.
