Formula One: Force India Enters this Season

Today in Mumbai, India, the VJM01, the first version of the Force India Formula One team race car, was presented.

Vijay Mallya, an Indian billionaire and owner of the Force India F1 team, is very proud to be a part of the Formula One championship.

The car, as for its technical aspects, is identical to the Spyker F1 race car that competed on the circuit last season. The only difference is that the overall team budget increased from $70 million last season to $120 million for the upcoming season.

A white base with gold sections are the main colors of the Force India F1 team race car.

The main sponsor, Kingfisher, is an Indian airline company and a popular beer brand in India. Both of those companies are the property of Mr. Mallya himself.

The team's engineers must learn more about the car in order for it to evolve in the right direction.

To assist with the evolution of the car, specific drivers were chosen. 

Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil will be the drivers for this next season, while Vitantonio Liuzzi will act as the third driver for Force India. Both primary drivers don't expect to rake in points at every grand prix.

According to Mr. Mallya, Fisichella and Sutil were carefully picked and were the best drivers available for the team.

The main objective for Mallya is to have a competitive car when India hosts its first grand prix in it's history in 2010.

Mr. Mallya is also conscious that many Indians will follow the team's progression, but they must be patient and shouldn't expect great results instantly.

(Pictures: The VJM01, Force India F1.)