Stability a strong point for Force India - Szafnauer

Chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer believes the stability of Force India's foundation is among the team's biggest assets.

The Silverstone-based outfit has been hailed as a model of consistency in the last few seasons, performing at the top of F1's mid-field and finishing fourth in the Constructor's standings for two years running.

No major changes have occurred at the pink squad over the winter, a status quo which Szafnauer views as one of Force India's main strengths.

"Our budget is similar to last year, we have a few more people on board, so we're around 405 now," Szafnauer told Auto, Motor und Sport.

"We hired a few people in important areas. Our strength is that we have stability in the team. All key figures have remained, we can build on that.

"Our simulator has been upgraded again. The calculation models are always getting closer to reality. We can always trust them better.

"Esteban [Ocon]and our new test driver [Nicholas] Latifi are regularly in the simulator. This is an area where we have improved."

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While Force India's 2018 budget is indeed on a similar level to last year's funding, estimated at $140M, power unit costs have come down this year thanks to the introduction of the new three-engine limit.

Szafnauer insists however that any money saved in one department will automatically serve to boost another.

"It's true that we'll be saving a bit this year, but we'll be spending more elsewhere," he says.

"The halo costs money. We scored more points in 2017 than ever before. This will increase the entry fee. And we have one more race. That means more travel costs, more parts. And the rest we invested in more people."

Last year, Force India brought on-board German water company BWT, a rare case of an F1 team bringing in a new sponsor to the sport.

The American executive believes F1's difficulties in securing major sponsorship underlines the sport's needs for change.

"Companies do not spend as much money on sports sponsorship as they used to. That's why we need to increase our viewership," he says.

"Then it will be easier to find sponsors again. Liberty's activities to expand the fan community could eventually help us attract sponsors again.

Well over half of Force India's annual budget is sourced from FOM income, or prize money. The large proportion only underscores the team's need to hold its own in the mid-field in 2018.

Is fourth place in the Constructors' standings a mandatory target this year?

"It's required to insure value for money," says Szafnauer."But not only because of the money. I hate to take a step backward!"

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