Currently reading: Force India launches new F1 car
Force India is the 12th and final F1 team to reveal its new car for 2011

Force India is targeting fifth place in the Formula One constructors’ championship in 2011, with its newly unveiled VJM-04 car.

The team’s CEO Otmar Szafnauer said at today’s launch that the team was hopeful of bettering of last year’s seventh place finish. “We are targeting fifth place in the championship – and in order to do that we have to score points from the beginning and then all the way through to the end,” he said.

“To do that, we need strong development during the year – and if all goes well, then perhaps even a podium finish or two is an aim."

See the pics of the new Force India F1 car

Driver Adrian Sutil, who will partner Scottish newcomer and current DTM champion Paul di Resta, is set to start his fifth consecutive season at the team and is also confident that fifth place is achievable. “We’ve made some good progress together over the past four years and I’m excited to be part of the team when it takes the next step, which is hopefully to become a front running team,” he said.

The teams’ technical director Andrew Green, who designed the new car, stated that: “Everything is different, but visually a lot of it is subtle”.

The most prominent visual change is the blade-shaped roll-hoop, replacing the standard roll bar on the old car, he commented.

Dan Alcock

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