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Force India to celebrate 200th F1 start in Austria

This weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix will mark the 200th Formula 1 race for Force India.

Sergio Perez, Force India VJM11

Sergio Perez, Force India VJM11

Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Sergio Perez, Force India VJM11
Sergio Perez, Force India VJM11, Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team R.S. 18
Sergio Perez, Force India VJM11
Sergio Perez, Force India VJM11 sparks
Sergio Perez, Force India VJM11
Sergio Perez, Force India VJM11

Formed through the acquisition of Spyker by liquor magnate Vijay Mallya, Force India has grown in stature since its first season in 2008, turning itself from a perennial backmarker to a creditable midfield squad.

It finished fourth in the championship in the last two years, beating manufacturers like McLaren and Renault.

“After a challenging weekend in France we hope that Austria will bring better fortunes,” Mallya, who recently stepped down as a director but continues to serve as the team principal, said.

“It’s our 200th race weekend and it would be nice to celebrate the milestone with a special result. It’s been a long journey since 2008 and I’m very proud of the results we have achieved, especially in 2016 and 2017.

“It’s an incredibly busy time of the season with four races in five weeks and the fight in the middle of the grid remains very close. We will keep working hard to be at the front of the midfield as the season progresses.”

Force India stalwart Sergio Perez, who has scored five of the team’s six podium finishes, added: “200 races is a very special moment for the team and it’s been a big part of my life for five years now.

“I have a lot of memories here, including five podiums. When I look back to when I joined at the end of 2013, I never thought we would have had this kind of success together. We have grown a lot together and I have enjoyed the best years of the team.”

Force India currently sits sixth in the teams’ standings, 12 points off McLaren, after recovering from a difficult start to the season, the root cause of which was a lack of correlation between CFD and on-track performance.

 

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