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The Force India VJM02 is Force India's Formula One car for the 2009 Formula One season. It was
revealed in a low-key press event, after the car's first test at
the Silverstone Circuit, on February
28, 2009, before a public test at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain the following day.[3][4]
The Northamptonshire-based team's car is
decorated in the colours of the Indian flag, and is driven by the same
drivers as in 2008 - Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil.[3][5]
Development
Two men instrumental in the early design of the VJM02, chief
technical officer Mike Gascoyne and team principal Colin Kolles, were
released from their contracts in late 2008, after a conflict with
team owner Vijay
Mallya.[6] The
team decided late in development to change from a Ferrari to a
McLaren-Mercedes engine,
along with McLaren gearboxes and hydraulics.[7]
Adapting to these new components required a minor redesign of
several parts of the car, including the suspension, side-pods and
the rear aerodynamics.[7]
In making such a late switch, the team chose to forfeit testing
time in favour of development time, but are confident that the
change gives them a better car than would otherwise have been the
case.[7]
At the 2009 Bahrain Grand Prix, a
revised floor and diffuser for the VJM02 were introduced, as well
as an upgraded front wing and reprofiled sidepods. Driver Giancarlo
Fisichella welcomed the upgrades, claiming the car's current lack
of downforce will be addressed by the new modifications.[8]. The
team brought further updates at the 2009 European Grand Prix,
which worked very well, giving the team their first podium finish
at Spa.
Technical specifications
New rules in place for the 2009 season require cars to have
narrower and higher rear wings and wider and lower front wings,
designed to reduce air disturbance to following cars and hence make
overtaking easier.[9][10] Slick tyres will be
re-introduced into Formula One, after being absent since 1998.[11]
This will increase the VJM02's tyre grip by about 20%.[11]
The VJM02 may feature a Kinetic Energy Recovery System
(KERS), which will allow energy which would otherwise be wasted
while braking to be re-used in set amounts per lap, via a boost
button on the driver's steering wheel.[11]
This is the result of new rules for the 2009 season.[11]
The VJM02 will use the same system from the McLaren MP4-24,
however the VJM02 did not use the system in the early races. Then
reports came that Force
India will not use the Kinetic Energy Recovery System
(KERS) system this season.[12]
Complete Formula One
results
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position;
results in italics indicate fastest lap)
† Driver failed to finish, but was classified as they
had completed >90% of the race distance.
Photos
References
External
links
Adrian Sutil[1]
Giancarlo
Fisichella[2]
Wikis
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