Nico Hulkenberg says the new Force India VJM09 "still feels like home" as a result of the team's evolutionary approach to this year's car.
Force India finished 2015 in impressive form, with the team's B-spec car - introduced mid-way through the season - helping it finish fifth in the constructors' championship. This year's VJM09 looks visually similar to its predecessor and has seen Force India post some quick times during the first pre-season test.
Hulkenberg was fastest on the third day of the test, and asked if the car felt very different, the German replied: "No.
"It’s not a completely different car - you feel that this is probably an evolution of where we finished off last year, and it still feels like home.
"I think the potential was more or less there [from the start]. Obviously we had a test programme and we went through different set-up options, just usual testing really."
With development driver Alfonso Celis having driven on two of the opening four days of testing while Hulkenberg and team-mate Sergio Perez only had one day each, last year's Le Mans winner admits he wishes he had more track time under his belt.
"Yes, of course, if you give us more time we’ll always take it. But the reality is that we don’t have it, so we’ll make the most of what we have."
Force India winter diary part seven - Shooting the drivers
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