Sahara Force India has confirmed that Mercedes AMG test driver Pascal Wehrlein will drive for the team at the upcoming testing session in Barcelona, Spain beginning on 19 February. The 20-year-old German will spend two days behind the wheel of the team’s 2014 car, the VJM07.
The car was initially delayed due to outside influences. I predicted this back in early Decemberskoop wrote:this doesn't sound very good, but when it comes to news bild isn't very accurate or reliable. i've to admit i don't know it is with sports.
At the time they had hoped to make it but obviously that didn't happen. Now they do have serious financial constraints which has caused further delays but they are still hiring staff and remain convinced that funds will be available within a week or so.Fri Dec 05, 2014 5:59 pm
The worry lies with the car itself which has a major problem and it's looking tight for Jerez
It's also bollox.WaikeCU wrote:http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/sirot ... ce-report/
Sirotkin is going to be FI's test driver, but there's an issue with his sponsor money. The reason FI isn't going to Jerez is because Sirotkin's money hasn't been deposited yet. By not going to Jerez, they save 500.000 euros. At the moment it's 90% sure they will be at Barcelona.
Sounds very troublesome times ahead tbh.
Would be a huge letdown for Hulkenberg imo, because he seriously deserves a better drive than this.
Oh dear.multisync wrote:It's also bollox.WaikeCU wrote:http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/sirot ... ce-report/
Sirotkin is going to be FI's test driver, but there's an issue with his sponsor money. The reason FI isn't going to Jerez is because Sirotkin's money hasn't been deposited yet. By not going to Jerez, they save 500.000 euros. At the moment it's 90% sure they will be at Barcelona.
Sounds very troublesome times ahead tbh.
Would be a huge letdown for Hulkenberg imo, because he seriously deserves a better drive than this.
As I say I predicted they were not likely to make Jerez in December because there was an issue with the car and when they don't a new unrelated reason suddenly appears...
As it stands they don't have a car built yet that's why they won't be there. The tub hasn't even been crash tested yet ...
Very sad about all this. Hope they pull something together. No car built and no crash test at this stage is a very bad position.the red part is something frightening if you look at it.
Force India denies rumours of financial collapse
Force India has denied reports it is now just the latest F1 team fighting for mere survival.
The Silverstone based team took on and almost beat the British grandee McLaren in 2014, but it will begin the new season by sitting out the first winter test at Jerez.
It has triggered speculation Force India, whose co-owners Vijay Mallya and Subrata Roy are suffering well-documented off-track troubles, is on the verge of insolvency.
Indeed, the highly-respected German publication Auto Motor und Sport on Thursday repeated rumours of Force India falling so behind in bills to key suppliers - such as one that provides the all-important carbon fibre - that it is the reason for the delayed debut of the VJM08.
But chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer insists the delay is more about the move from the team's own wind tunnel to the state-of-the-art Toyota facility in Cologne.
"We want to see some of the results flowing into the car for the Barcelona test," he said.
Szafnauer said he is "90 per cent" certain Force India's 2015 car will be fully up and running for that second test, beginning on 19 February.
He said sitting out Jerez altogether is "saving us 500,000 pounds. The engine and transmission tests, Mercedes can do for us. So we wouldn't be learning too much," Szafnauer insisted.
And he hit back at the reports of financial doom for Force India.
"We employ 380 people and they all get their salaries on time," Szafnauer said. "We have just presented new sponsors and if things were really bad we wouldn't have gone to Mexico to introduce the team.
"I can say 'We are still alive'. And everything is going according to plan."
That is in direct conflict to what I was told.??Blanchimont wrote:Pretty much the same story here http://f1-insider.com/formel-1-verpasst ... isonstart/ . This insider seems to be the original source of the previous articles.
The article claims that EPM, the monocoque manufacturer for Force India, did produce but not deliver the monocoque for 2015 as some bills weren't paid. Total debts are said to be around 50m €. Wages aren't paid currently for the FI staff and the lack of money makes it unlikely that the team will be at Melbourne.
I hope this is not true...
