After a tumultuous period under the guise of Jordan, Midland and Spyker, Formula 1’s Silverstone-based team was rebranded as Force India for 2008. The squad is celebrating its 200th Grand Prix at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix and Motorsport Week reflects on some of the team’s standout moments.
Sutil shines in the rain (Monaco, 2008)
Force India’s maiden campaign was largely forgettable but in Monaco sophomore driver Adrian Sutil starred, making progress in wet conditions in the gold, white and red VJM01. Sutil was running in fourth position during the dry closing stages but the pursuing Kimi Raikkonen touched a wet patch of circuit on cold brakes as he approached the Nouvelle Chicane, and his Ferrari slithered into the rear of the Force India, causing terminal suspension damage. Sutil tearfully unleashed his emotions once back in the garage but his efforts would have been for nought anyway – he was set for a 25-second penalty for overtaking under yellow flags earlier in the race.
Pole, podium, points (Belgium, 2009)
Force India overhauled its livery in favour of a patriotic colour scheme and gradually emerged as a lower midfield contender. But few expected Force India to take pole position – yet that’s exactly what happened at Spa-Francorchamps as Giancarlo Fisichella roared to top spot in the unpredictable 2009 campaign. Fisichella preserved the lead at the start but relinquished it to Raikkonen after five laps, yet the Finn was unable to escape, the pair separated by around a second for much of the race. Fisichella crossed the line just 0.939s behind Raikkonen to notch up both Force India’s first podium – and first points.
Another front row – and nearly a podium (Italy, 2009)
In the days of qualifying with race fuel onboard it undoubtedly affected the grid order – which was what happened at Monza in 2009. The two-stopping cars qualified on a lighter fuel load, a situation that aided Sutil, as he profited from Force India’s straight-line speed to put his VJM02 into second place. In race trim, Sutil – along with Lewis Hamilton – fell behind the one-stopping Brawn GP cars, while a mistake at his second stop cost him crucial time, allowing Raikkonen to move ahead. Hamilton’s last lap crash promoted both Raikkonen and Sutil, and the German agonisingly missed out on a podium place by just half a second. He did, though, bag the fastest lap.
Hulkenberg makes a splash (Brazil, 2012)
Force India firmly established itself in the midfield in 2010/11, regularly scoring points, but it was at 2012’s swansong where the team came so close to glory. Nico Hulkenberg, two years after his stunning pole position, thrived in similarly slippery conditions at Brazilian Grand Prix venue Interlagos, battling for victory with McLaren pair Hamilton and Jenson Button. As rain intensified, Button and Hulkenberg stayed out on track – the correct call when a few laps later the Intermediate-shod drivers had to stop for slicks as the rain receded. Hulkenberg passed Button on lap 18 and maintained the lead until he half spun on lap 47, handing the advantage to Hamilton, whose large deficit to the front-running duo had been eliminated by a Safety Car period. Hulkenberg regrouped and sensed an opportunity for victory, but an attempt at passing Hamilton into the Senna S a few laps later backfired as they collided. Hamilton was out, while Hulkenberg continued, but classified fifth after a drive-through penalty.
Dancing in the dark (Bahrain, 2014)
Mercedes’ engine supremacy at the start of Formula 1’s hybrid era was good news its customer teams, and while Williams and the Renault-powered Red Bull team, as well as Ferrari, typicaly held an advantage over Force India, it still had its days in the sun. Or rather, twilight. While a fierce battle raged between Mercedes team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, the fight for third was also a frantic affair, involving Force India, Williams and the Red Bull drivers. Perez ultimately won out over team-mate Hulkenberg, and resisted a late charge from the recovering Daniel Ricciardo, to claim third by four-tenths of a second. It ended Force India’s five-year wait for another podium, and provided redemption for Perez after his McLaren stint.
Party like a Russian (Russia, 2015)
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Formula 1’s second visit to the semi-permanent Sochi Autodrom was substantially more frantic than its maiden sojourn – and Perez was in prime position to profit. Having qualified in seventh position, Perez pitted during an early Safety Car period, caused by Romain Grosjean cannoning his Lotus into the barriers, to hold third place. Perez valiantly tried to hold on to position on used tyres as he faced pressure from Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas and Raikkonen. The Red Bull driver exited with suspension failure but both Finns overhauled the ailing Perez – only for them to collide on the final lap. Perez thus leapt from fifth to third to add to Force India’s trophy haul.
Street Fighting Man (Monaco, 2016)
Perez started from seventh in wet conditions in Monaco but gradually moved up the order – and the timing of his sole pit stop for dry tyres proved beneficial, overhauling Nico Hulkenberg and Nico Rosberg, having also profited from Kimi Raikkonen’s crash and Sebastian Vettel’s stop for Intermediates. It meant Perez emerged in third position once all of the front-runners were on slicks, and, with no more stops required and the weather remaining consistent, all he had to do was stroke the car home. And that’s what he did.
Azer bout that (Azerbaijan, 2016)
Both Force India drivers were rapid upon the sport’s first visit to Baku – a trait that has remained since – though Hulkenberg and Perez squandered chances, Hulkenberg by spinning in Q2 and Perez by crashing in FP3 that resulted in a gearbox change, relegating him from a front-row start to seventh. Perez made up two positions at the start and picked off Ricciardo through strategy to run fourth, and was set for third for close rival Raikkonen had an impeding five-second penalty. Perez, though, ensured he was third-on-the-road by completing a late move on Raikkonen, giving Force India a second podium in the space of just three events.
Prickly pink panthers (Belgium, 2017)
Force India overhauled its livery for a striking pink look in 2017 and while it scored a record points haul and solidified fourth in the standings, it failed to take a podium finish – and much of the attention rested on the relationship between the experienced Sergio Perez and young upstart Esteban Ocon. The pair almost clashed in Canada, did collide in Azerbaijan (costing a potential podium) and brushed wheels in Hungary, though the infamous moment came in Belgium, hitting each other not once but twice on the run towards Eau Rouge. The second of those damaged both cars, compromised the result, and prompted a vitriolic war of words between the two. Force India, understandably, imposed team orders for a handful of events.
Baku on the podium (Azerbaijan, 2018)
Force India had scored only one point in the opening three rounds of 2018 but Perez stayed out of trouble in a race where several front-runners hit trouble. Team-mate Ocon scuppered his chances when he clashed with Raikkonen, while the Red Bull drivers famously eliminated each other after making contact under braking for Turn 1. That left Perez fifth and when Sebastian Vettel went wide into the first corner after a misjudged attempt at wrestling the lead from Bottas it drew him into the clutches of Perez, who moved into fourth. That became third when Bottas sustained a dramatic puncture with just three laps remaining and was forced out – Force India was back on the podium.
