Formula One team's drivers Germany's Nico Hulkenberg and Mexican Sergio Perez pulled back the covers on the new team colours they hope will bring them success in the 2015 season
Nico Hulkenberg
Mexico City: Formula One team Force India's drivers Germany's Nico Hulkenberg and Mexican Sergio Perez pulled back the covers on the new team colours they hope will bring them success in the 2015 season on Wednesday.
Nico Hülkenberg (L), Force India Chairman Vijay Mallya (C) and Sergio Perez (R) pose. Pic/ AFP
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The duo revealed the new colours, a combination of silver and black with the team's traditional colour of orange streaking from the nose cone to the rear of the car in two symmetrical curves, in a museum in Mexico City, which belongs to Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim who is Perez' sponsor.
The car sporting the new colours also offered a tantalising glimpse of what the model for the 2015 season will look like with changes to the front of the chassis and the nose. Force India's billionaire Indian owner Vijay Mallya was especially proud of the new livery. "I love the addition of silver, which makes the car appear more sleek and aggressive and I'm sure it's something that will appeal to the fans as well," purred Mallya.
"Our traditional team colours remain integrated in the livery, but we've given it a very modern twist." With regard to the shape of the car there has been a lowering at the front of the car of the chassis and the nose. "The front of the car looks very different from what we had developed previously," said Technical Director Andrew Green.
"It is a redesign that involved a lot of work over the winter, as the new regulations caused a loss in terms of downforce and we've been working to claw back all that performance." Green and Mallya will be looking for Force India to improve on their respectable sixth place finish in the constructors championship last season.
However, they will not be testing the new car in the first formal session of testing in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, from February 1-4, preferring to send out the older car instead. The new model will first feature in Barcelona later in February.
The unveilings of new cars for the 2016 campaign will really get underway next week with both McLaren and Ferrari revealing their respective cars via the internet on January 29 and the 30th respectively. The top two teams from last season Mercedes and Red Bull will unveil their respective cars in more usual fashion just before the first test session in Spain.