Autosport - 5 March 2015 | Page 19

F O R C E I N D I A T E C H A N A LY S I S WorldMags.net FRONT SUSPENSION Force India has adopted a Mercedes-style lower wishbone, which narrows the angle between the front and the rear leg to get it as far away from the leading edge of the sidepod as possible. This should get more airflow to the underfloor and enhance its performance. It’s a good step forward. SIDEPOD/REAR-END PACKAGING compromises and it’s only when you do a new car that you can tidy it all up. Everything is tighter and more efficient in the sidepods and Coke-bottle area throughout the field, and Force India has done the same. 19 Force India has done a lot of tidying in this area. With the new regulations last year, there were inevitably some NOSE DUCT The relatively conventional nose has Red Bull-style S-ducting from the underside of the nose through to the upper surface, which helps get better airflow through the front of the car and make the neutral central section of the front wing work more efficiently. This should maximise the airflow between the front wheels and under the sidepods. MERCEDES ENGINE AERODYNAMIC DETAIL It’s good news for Force India that it still has what seems to be the best engine package. Not only will it give the performance, but it also means that things are stable from 2014. With the same engine, a strong driver line-up and a decent test, the team goes to Melbourne in good shape. Force India has proved it has a very good understanding of the car. Details such as the louvres in the rear-wing endplate and the turning vanes on the leading edge of the sidepods were both ideas that came from within the team. The question is how much things are held back by the winter problems. WorldMags.net MARCH 5 2015 AUTOSPORT.COM 19