Force India unveil 2018 car, the VJM11, but no word on team’s new name

Force India have unveiled their new car, the VJM 11, which they hope will help them defy the odds once again in 2018.

The car was revealed in Barcelona ahead of the first winter test getting underway at the Circuit de Catalunya.

While there remains no word on what the team’s new name may be, both the car and drivers Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon’s overalls were distinctly lacking in team name branding.

“I think they’ve gone with their own school. That nose with the innovative holes either side of the nose which only Force India had is still there,” said Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz.

“The sidepods look decent, not quite as tight as some of the leading teams. The rest of the bodywork looks pretty sensible. Nothing earth shattering from the car from what I can see but you never know what’s underneath and how the car will change before Melbourne.”

The Silverstone outfit have finished fourth and ‘best of the rest’ in the previous two seasons, and are frequently heralded as F1’s best pound-for-pound team due to their consistent results on a slender budget.

They will be aiming to hold off their rivals and challenge the leading lights again this year, and are once again armed with a talented, and often feisty, driver pairing in Perez and Ocon.

However, Force India are also anticipating a tougher test than ever, with McLaren, Renault and Williams all expecting major improvements with bigger budgets.

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[“Source-skysports”]