Force India to muse driver decision this weekend
Both Adrian Sutil and Jules Bianchi are testing for Force India in Barcelona, team boss Bob Fernley says one of the two will be the teams second driver.
Feb.21 (GMM) With just three weeks until the circus congregates in Australia for the 2013 opener, Force India is still yet to name Paul di Resta's teammate.
To that end, Adrian Sutil - the team's long-time German driver who sat out 2012 after his assault conviction - is testing the new VJM06 in Barcelona on Thursday.
Indeed, some see Sutil versus Bianchi as less about a head-to-head talent 'shootout', and more a question of which one is better backed by a supplier of expensive turbo V6s.
Ferrari looks set to lose its engine customer Toro Rosso to Renault in 2014, and so Force India - currently powered by Mercedes - would be a good replacement for the Maranello marque.
"First of all (with engine customers) we can test more engines and having no tests during the season we can collect a much wider database," said engine boss Luca Marmorini.
"In this sense it's very good having customer teams."
Ferrari driver 'academy' star Bianchi will drive the 2013 Force India on Friday, arming the Silverstone based team's bosses with the information for a decision.
Asked on Thursday if that news will come next week, deputy team boss Bob Fernley said: "It would be good.
"We'll try and get all the information we've been collecting to the shareholders this weekend and then it's their decision," he told British Sky television.
Fernley said Force India will treat Sutil and Bianchi fairly in Barcelona, and confirmed that "obviously one of them" will be di Resta's teammate in 2013.
Share Or Save This Story
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
Defendant ordered to pay £250,000 legal fees in Felipe Massa F1 title case
Felipe Massa’s F1 2008 lawsuit will proceed to trial
Felipe Massa's £64million legal claim update: Judgement reserved after three-day hearing
Lewis Hamilton backed for Ferrari F1 championship push by Emerson Fittipaldi
Oliver Bearman admits Lewis Hamilton resurgence complicates Ferrari F1 dream
Why Charles Leclerc’s battle of the brakes has left him trailing Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton backed for Ferrari F1 championship push by Emerson Fittipaldi
Remembering one of the strangest finishes in NASCAR history at Iowa
Inside Nurburgring turf war: The conflict from different perspectives
One month to make the Chase: Who’s safe and who’s running out of time?
Why Aston Martin is a better destination on the F1 driver market than it seems
How the McLaren MP4/8B's engine blow-up changed F1 history
The novelty of Cadillac is starting to wear off - but that's a compliment
Is the MP4/8B McLaren’s greatest what-might-have-been?
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments