Force India's chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer says finishing fourth in the Formula 1 standings this year feels better than the same achievement last season, due to the manner of the accomplishment.
The Silverstone-based team racked up 187 points, out-scoring nearest rival Williams by 104 points, compared to 35 points in 2016, after scoring in all but one race in 2017.
That dominance over the other midfield teams left Force India in its own class behind the frontrunners and, given its small budget and the major regulation changes, left Szafnauer in praise of the operation.
"To deliver fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship two years on the bounce is a huge achievement," said Szafnauer. "We can feel very proud of our performance this year."
When asked if that achievement felt better this year than in 2016, he replied: "In some ways yes, because the challenges over the winter were far greater delivering a car that had very little carry over from 2016.
"Changes to the regulations are always difficult, but we were able to consolidate our position and even strengthen it. We secured fourth place in the championship this year with two races in hand and ended the season with over 100 points advantage to fifth place."
That success has been the culmination of many years of hard work, investment and strong leadership.
"It’s been a long journey and it’s actually taken us ten years to get to this level," Szafnauer added. "There are no quick fixes in this sport and we’ve gradually put the right ingredients in place to achieve the results we have today.
"We continue to invest in the right people and the engineering core, led by Andrew Green, has remained consistent for a number of years with a real harmony in the way we approach things.
"We’ve also taken sensible strategic decisions, such as our choice of wind tunnel and engine partner and the way we chose drivers who are the best fit for this team.
"The backing of new sponsors, including BWT, has been essential in helping us take those final steps and deliver the high development rate."
Force India has retained Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon for 2018.
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