Force India VJM02
 Giancarlo Fisichelladriving the VJM02 at the2009 Spanish Grand Prix | |||||||||||
| Category | Formula One | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Force India | ||||||||||
| Designer(s) | James Key(Technical Director) Mark Smith(Design Director) Ian Hall (Chief Designer) Bruce Eddington (Chief Engineer, Composites) Dan Carpenter (Chief Engineer, Mechanical Design) Simon Gardner (Head of R&D) Richard Frith (Head of Vehicle Science) Simon Phillips (Head of Aerodynamics) | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | Force India VJM01 | ||||||||||
| Successor | Force India VJM03 | ||||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Carbon fibre composite monocoque with Zylon legality side anti-intrusion panels. | ||||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Aluminium MMC uprights with carbon fibre composite wishbones, trackrod and pushrod. Inboard chassis mounted torsion springs, dampers and anti-roll bar assembly. | ||||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Aluminium MMC uprights with carbon fibre composite wishbones, trackrod and pushrod. Inboard gearbox mounted torsion springs, dampers and anti-roll bar assembly. | ||||||||||
| Length | 4900mm | ||||||||||
| Height | 950mm | ||||||||||
| Axle track | 1480mm (front) 1420mm (rear) | ||||||||||
| Wheelbase | 3200mm | ||||||||||
| Engine | Mercedes-BenzFO 108W 2.4LV8,naturally aspirated,mid-mounted | ||||||||||
| Transmission | McLaren,7 forward gears + 1 reverse,semi-automatic | ||||||||||
| Weight | 605kg (with driver, by regulations) | ||||||||||
| Fuel | MobilHigh Performance Unleaded (5.75% bio fuel) | ||||||||||
| Lubricants | Mobil 1 – for higher performance, lower friction and better wear resistance | ||||||||||
| Tyres | Bridgestonewith Forged wheels to Force India specification | ||||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||||
| Notable entrants | Force India F1 Team | ||||||||||
| Notable drivers | 20. Adrian Sutil[1]21.  Giancarlo Fisichella[2]21. Vitantonio Liuzzi | ||||||||||
| Debut | 2009 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| Last event | 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
TheForce India VJM02wasForce India'sFormula Onecarfor the2009 Formula One season.It was revealed in a low-key press event, after the car's first test at theSilverstone Circuit,on February 28, 2009, before a public test at theCircuito de Jerezin Spain the following day.[3][4]TheNorthamptonshire-based team's car is decorated in the colours of theIndian flag,and was driven by the same drivers as in 2008 –Giancarlo FisichellaandAdrian Sutil.[3][5]
The VJM02 was the first British-based foreign F1 car to utilizeExxonMobilfuel and lubricants asMobilbrand, in whichEssoandExxonwas used onRed Bull RB138 years later along with Mobil from 2017, as they are currently ExxonMobil brands from 1999. The VJM02 was also the firstMercedes-powered non-McLarenFormula One carsince theSauber C13in the 1994 season.
Development
[edit]
Two men instrumental in the early design of the VJM02, chief technical officerMike Gascoyneand team principalColin Kolles,were released from their contracts in late 2008, after a conflict with team ownerVijay Mallya.[6]The team decided late in development to change from aFerrarito aMercedesengine,along with McLarengearboxesand hydraulics.[7]Adapting to these new components required a minor redesign of several parts of the car, including the suspension, side-pods and the rear aerodynamics.[7]In making such a late switch, the team chose to forfeit testing time in favour of development time, but were confident that the change gave them a better car than would otherwise have been the case.[7]
At the2009 Bahrain Grand Prix,a revised floor and diffuser for the VJM02 were introduced, as well as an upgraded front wing and reprofiled sidepods. Driver Giancarlo Fisichella welcomed the upgrades, claiming the car's current lack of downforce will be addressed by the new modifications.[8]The team brought further updates at the2009 European Grand Prix,which worked very well, giving the team their first podium finish at Spa, a day after Fisichella scored an unexpected pole position.
Technical specifications
[edit]New rules in place for the 2009 season require cars to have narrower and higher rear wings and wider and lower front wings, designed to reduce air disturbance to following cars and hence make overtaking easier.[9][10]Slick tyreswill be re-introduced into Formula One, after being absent since1998.[11]This will increase the VJM02's tyre grip by about 20%.[11]
The VJM02 had the option to feature aKinetic Energy Recovery System(KERS), which allows energy which would otherwise be wasted while braking to be re-used in set amounts per lap, via a boost button on the driver's steering wheel. The energy is stored in either a battery or a flywheel.[11]This is the result of new rules for the 2009 season.[11]The VJM02 was supposed to use the same system from theMcLaren MP4-24,however Force India did not use it during the season.
Season summary
[edit]
Overall, the VJM02’s performance was almost as poor as last season’s, only getting two points finishes, which ended up with them 9th on the constructors championship.[12]
Despite this, those two points finishes were remarkable: inBelgium,Fisichella got a surprise first pole position for the team and eventually finished second behindKimi Räikkönen,which eventually gave him a fill-in spot inFerrariin place of the injured Felipe Massa (Vitantonio Liuzzibeing his replacement),[13]while Sutil managed a fourth place and a fastest lap in the next race, theItalian Grand Prix.[14][15]
Sponsorship and livery
[edit]The car had a new livery, a white base paint with green and orange, denoting to the Indian flag and the Hindi heritage. BothKingfisherandMedionwere returned for the second year along with new sponsors;Royal Challenge,Whyte & Mackay,AirbusandReebok.
Complete Formula One results
[edit](key) (results inboldindicate pole position; results initalicsindicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Force India Formula One Team | MercedesFO108WV8 | B | AUS | MAL | CHN | BHR | ESP | MON | TUR | GBR | GER | HUN | EUR | BEL | ITA | SIN | JPN | BRA | ABU | 13 | 9th | |
| Sutil | 9 | 17 | 17† | 16 | Ret | 14 | 17 | 17 | 15 | Ret | 10 | 11 | 4 | Ret | 13 | Ret | 17 | ||||||
| Fisichella | 11 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 9 | Ret | 10 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 2 | |||||||||||
| Liuzzi | Ret | 14 | 14 | 11 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sources:[16][17] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
†Driver failed to finish, but was classified as they had completed >90% of the race distance.
References
[edit]- ^"Drivers: Adrian Sutil".GrandPrix.Inside F1, Inc. 2009-03-04.Retrieved2009-03-04.
- ^"Drivers: Giancarlo Fisichella".GrandPrix.Inside F1, Inc. 2009-03-04.Retrieved2009-03-04.
- ^abMatt Beer (2009-02-28)."Force India reveal their new VJM02".Autosport.Haymarket Publications.Retrieved2009-03-04.
- ^Matt Beer (2009-03-01)."Mallya: Force India have 'no excuses'".Autosport.Haymarket Publications.Retrieved2009-03-04.
- ^"Force India revamps itself".GrandPrix.Inside F1, Inc. 2008-11-07.Retrieved2009-03-04.
- ^"The new Force India".GrandPrix.Inside F1, Inc. 2009-03-01.Retrieved2009-03-04.
- ^abcMatt Beer (2009-03-01)."Force India admit timescale was tough".Autosport.Haymarket Publications.Retrieved2009-03-04.
- ^"New floor and diffuser for Force India in Bahrain".Formula 1 (Formula One Administration Ltd).2009-04-22. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-04-24.Retrieved2009-04-24.
- ^Matt Beer (2008-11-12)."Williams reveal 2009 wing package".Autosport.Haymarket Publications.Retrieved2009-03-02.
- ^"Whiting talks about the new F1 rules".GrandPrix.Inside F1, Inc. 2009-01-27.Retrieved2009-03-02.
- ^abcd"A beginner's guide to the 2009 rule changes".Formula1.Formula One Management. 2008-11-27. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-06-16.Retrieved2009-03-02.
- ^"2009 Constructors standings: Force India Mercedes".f1.27 September 2022.Retrieved27 September2022.
- ^"2009 Formula 1 ING Belgian Grand Prix".27 September 2022.Retrieved27 September2022.
- ^"Formula 1 Gran Premio Santander d' Italia 2009".27 September 2022.Retrieved27 September2022.
- ^"2009 DHL Fastest Lap Award".27 September 2022.Retrieved27 September2022.
- ^"Force India VJM02".StatsF1.Retrieved18 September2021.
- ^"All championship race entries, in a Force India VJM-02".ChicaneF1.Retrieved18 September2021.
External links
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