Force India owner and team principal Vijay Mallya believes fifth in the constructors’ championship is now an unrealistic target for the Silverstone based team.
Mallya had high hopes that Force India, which has steadily improved season by season, could manage to go one better in 2012 than it did last season when they finished sixth in the standings.
That now isn’t an achievable target according to the Indian billionaire.
“We were sixth in the constructors’ championship last year and we had the objective this year of coming fifth,” he said. “However, the improvement of Lotus has been exceptionally dramatic, so I think to target fifth is probably overreaching our capabilities for this year.”
The aim now is to target sixth, which would mean overhauling both Williams and Sauber which stand nine and 36 points ahead respectively.
“We should at least target sixth, where we finished last year,” added Mallya.
When asked what the focus was for the remaining races, the 56-year-old highlighted the need to improve the car if it’s to achieve sixth.
“It’s a complete package. It’s the car on the track, and whether it’s the set-up, whether it’s the downforce, whether it’s the tyres, at the end of the day the whole thing has to come together as a package.
“Fundamentally it’s a good car. We just need to put a few more points in our pocket, that’s what’s important.”
