Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsForce India

Force India struggling to make final test

Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley admits the team is struggling to make the start of the final test with its 2015 car.

Having previously delayed the debut of the VJM08 until the second test, Force India subsequently abandoned plans to run its old car at Jerez. The team then admitted the new car was unlikely to make the second test, and with three days between the end of T2 in Barcelona and the start of the final four days of testing, Fernley now says there is no chance of seeing Force India's 2015 car before February 26.

Asked if Force India would race in Melbourne, Fernley told the BBC: "From the information I have today and knowing what we do, the answer is yes.

"The question for me is only how much of the third test we will participate in. We won't make the second test at all - although we are looking at taking the '14 car there to do a little bit of driver and tyre work.

"I'm hoping we will make the start of the third test with the '15 car, but we have to get as much of it as we can."

The season-opening Australian Grand Prix takes place on March 15.

Click here to see the full gallery of Force India's 2015 livery launch

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.