Force India have confirmed they will not attend the first pre-season test in Jerez in any capacity, despite previously confirming they would run their 2014 car.
The Silverstone-based outfit had always planned to delay the launch of its 2015 car, the VJM08, until the second pre-season test in Barcelona, but had planned on running ‘development parts’ on last years car in Jerez.
A spokesperson has now confirmed they will not be in Jerez on “efficiency grounds” because of the “limited learning opportunities” the test would present.
It’s rumoured the team has run into financial troubles with shareholder Subrata Roy currently in prison and Vijay Mallya recently being forced to sell assets in order to raise funds.
The spokesperson however says finances aren’t the reason for the absence in Jerez and it is a purely strategic decision.
“The decision was taken at the end of last week,” they added. “We were planning to go there but we decided it was better to focus on Barcelona. When we weighed it all up, the best decision was not to go.”
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