Giancarlo Fisichella rounded off a spectacular weekend for Force India by finishing second at the Belgian GP on Sunday.
Force India’s success drought is over. After zero returns and back-benches in 29 races, Vijay Mallya’s Formula One team reached its first-ever points scoring finish with second position to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen in the Belgium Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday.
On Saturday, the team’s lead driver Giancarlo Fisichella had stunned the big guns by gaining pole position, or the advantage of starting first on the grid. Carrying the momentum to Sunday, the Italian converted the advantage into eight points. “This is a great moment for India. I feel proud to have put India on the podium,” a jubilant Fisichella said after the race.
Since its F1 start, no one had given Force India a second glance. The ignominy of going points-less had resulted in experts saying the team was there to make up the numbers.
“This is a fitting response to our critics. We have proved our competitiveness and the fact that we are not here to roam around at the back,” Mallya said. However, despite not scoring points, the team was finishing mid-field, hinting that success was a question of when, and not whether.
These historic gains will also prove to be an advertisement for the sport — that a team with a limited budget can outclass the big spenders.
In 2008, Force India spent approximately $120 million compared to Toyota’s $450 m, McLaren’s $430 m, Honda and Renault’s $395 m each and BMW’s $365 m. This year, its budget has been further reduced. An ecstatic Mallya said his team’s performance showed that money is not enough to buy results. “We have a small budget.
However, we have the right kind of focus. The team is not short on resources but we spend the money carefully, consciously and wisely. The team is a highly-motivated, tightly-knit family,” he said after the race.
Fisichella’s flawless driving at the demanding Spa-Francorchamps circuit will also help change the image of the team, from an also-ran to a force to reckon with.
Former Williams designer Peter Stevens believes this to be among the most extraordinary results in the history of the sport. “A pole position and a podium finish from a team whose spending is nothing compared to some of the big manufacturers is truly incredible. This result will improve F1’s health and would encourage the new teams joining the sport next year,” he said.
That 2009 was going to be different from their debut year was apparent from the start. The team switched from Ferrari to Mercedes Benz for its engine and hydraulics. The change of management too played its part. “2009 is Force India’s first year. We have a new approach to design and development,” Mallya said.
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