Fourth coach of the season 2017 Formula 1 that we see, the second with Mercedes engine. This is the Force India VJM10, a car that is out of the trend that we have seen in the previous three, as we will explain now in our analysis. It has also changed its decor, with more predominance of silver-gray, continuing also with the black and the orange. Beware of him! Looks good and pretty, and will have one of the best engines of the current grill, so that could give war and even fight for Q3. As input, Vijay Mallya has wished to give a touch to Renault, who ensured that the teams with low budget it would be very bad in this season. Vijay has sent a message to Cyril Abiteboul, head of Renault F1, in which he said: “I Hope that Abiteboul will swallow their words“.
Starts the war before the cars roll even, Renault hopes to give a great leap and aspire to be 5th in the constructors ‘ world. The problem is that before you have computers very powerful, which do not want to be left out of the first squares. In addition, we may see a Williams, Toro Rosso and, of course, to a Force India strong to stand face-to-Renault and it will be very difficult to progress to where they want to. We all aspire to much before you know the actual performance and that of their opponents, but then the reality is another. However Abiteboul in part has reason, having a good budget is important, and again this year when the developments in aerodynamics during the season can change a lot the situation of the grill…
we Begin the analysis by the more striking and exotic that has brought us this Force India. The VJM10 is presented with an evolution of the morro with the holes seen in the previous design, only have to have it modified. The previous prototype was a nose quite wide, with two holes to the sides to let air flow towards the rear area. Not like their competitors, with a nose with the nose shortened, or narrowed at its tip to allow to pass more air through the area below or to the sides, but thanks to those two holes made in a nose-width, the air coming in an area higher than where they usually enter the air on the designs of the other teams. Well, in the case of the tenth F1 car for Force India, has remained part of the concept, only that the sandblasting of the tip of the snout has been modified, leaving a long nose and, between the latter and the two brackets that hold the front spoiler, two carbon fibre tubes (by attaching each bracket to the side of the nose) that stretch on the back with a flat fiber that reach almost to the turning vanes for channeling all of the air collected through the holes.
The front wing, suspensions, and other details of the front are similar to the views in the last season, only adapted to the new regulations, such as the case of the front spoiler, and wider and in the shape of a delta. But we must not let pass another great detail is also located in the nose. If we look closely, the fall of it is not progressive from the end of the monocoque to the tip, but there is a step that is reminiscent of the Ferrari F14T, 2014, and that I guess that they have done to adapt the layout of the channels that we have described in the previous paragraph or maybe to play a little with the anchoring of the suspension… So go down the nose and the two holes located at a height more correct. As I said, it is a unique solution of Force India and that we saw last year with some changes, but that seems that works for them and that no other team seems to have adopted.
as with the Sauber, Force India also appreciates the typical “mailbox” or slot, therefore, there is no S-Duct in this car, at least it could be covered or what will be implemented later. If we continue toward the back, we need to stand on the pontoons. They are quite small, have done a good job in this area, avoiding to extend them to the maximum extent permitted so as not to generate more drag. The air intakes are oval, quite small and high, as it seems that is the trend in this season. So let in more air for the lower area towards the rear. The air conditioners that are anchored into the sidepods are also different to those seen. The most conventional have been the Sauber and Williams, however, we saw that Renault had a design quite curved, while Force India have used a semi-profile which does not come to be connected to the fiber of the flat bottom, but remain at the mid-height.
we Also look at the turret or the airbox. It is oval and wide, divided into three channels. The decision of central air is triangular in shape and goes to the air that is injected into the combustion chamber thanks to the turbocharger. Not being as naturally aspirated engines, but Turbocharged, this entry should not be so great, and lets you dedicate two channels of the sides for cooling, according to the distribution of the engine can be for one thing or another. Usually, one is usually intended to cool the radiator of the oil of the gearbox and the other to bring air to the radiator for the air that is heated while passing through the turbocharger, that is to say, to cool the intercooler.
I don’t know if it is my impression, but it seems that the nuts are hollow, so could be using a system nut-brown as we have already seen in the last few years, certainly a good idea to improve the aerodynamic efficiency taking advantage of the air that is injected through the holes, cooling of the brakes that are on the inside of the wheel. Watching the car side, also you can enjoy some great bargeboards, but the design appears to be lengthened a little more back than in other cars, and with arrow-shaped or pointed, maybe that design is “guilty” of the conditioners that we previously did not reach all the way to the ground plane, but that is pinning at the mid-height of the pontoon. This concept of barbeboards seems to be geared to, not only reduce drag, but also withdraw to the external zone to the turbulent flow that is generated after the front wing or wheel. If you appreciate a detail, the bargeboard has a big grin right in front of the lower area of the pontoon so as not to impede the air traveling through it toward the rear…
behind is very compact. Have left a rear very clean and clear of obstacles, with a cowl of the engine very tight and set at the maximum. The output of the hot gases after the cooling seems to have been driven by the lowest zone, at least lower than the designs seen so far. The rear wing is wider and lower, with the endplates curved as is normal in the cases seen so far. Of course the diffuser did not want to show in the presentation, so that photographers will not capture the secrets that the VJM10 saved under its bottom. What is more evident is the huge fin of a shark, next to the Renault, is one of the most major and radical views until now. In the case of Force India is even bigger and flat at its termination. What the goal? To deal with the turbulence that influence now more by lowering the rear wing to that height.
conclusion, for me it is one of the cars that I liked aesthetically that we’ve been known for this season, not only by colors but also by the shape of the vehicle. If that aesthetic is transformed into aerodynamic performance, do not forget that they have the Mercedes engine and that is a plus, you could see a Force India one step ahead of where they were last season, and perhaps fighting with Williams to get into Q3. If a conceptual failure or reliability problems or overheating at the ceñirle both the “clothing” of the VJM10 do not prevent, will show. And going back to the beginning of this article, maybe by having less of your budget stagnate at mid-season by the development budget for as it says Abiteboul, but I think they might be ahead of Renault in the early races. We will not know until the moment of truth…
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