FORCE INDIA KEEPS ITS COOL
Free practice in Baku saw the Force India VJM09 sport a couple of bulges on its engine cover, below the ‘Kingfisher’ logo. The bodywork had been widened in that area because the size of the ERS cooler, placed above the gearbox, was bigger in Azerbaijan. Better ERS cooling helps for reliability but also serves to increase performance, as a higher transfer of electricity no longer results in overheating.
The update exudes some flavour from the evolution Mercedes had launched on its W06 at last year’s Canadian Grand Prix. As a reminder, if Force India does buy its power unit and transmission (a 2015-spec model) from the German manufacturer, the Silverstone-based outfit is in charge of developing the peripherals around it, including the coolers.