Force India's B car the VJM08-B passes the FIA crash tests at its second attempt

It was announced yesterday evening that Force India's B-spec car the VJM08-B is on track to make its Formula 1 test debut following the Austrian Grand Prix after having passed its crash test at the second attempt.

The car suffered a marginal failure at the first test shortly after the Spanish GP in mid-May, but with corrections made by the team it was given the green light following the race in Monaco.

Despite a two-week delay, the revised Force India is set to hit the Red Bull Ring for the two-day in-season test on June 23-24 that immediately follows the track's grand prix.

In an interview with the media yesterday, Force India's deputy team principal Bob Fernley said that the errors did not help them but is happy to report that the car should make it for the test in Austria later this month. Fernley stated the following:

'We failed the first test, but it was pretty marginal. In the end it was tiny, and although it put us back a week or two, it was pretty clear we would get through the second one. There are a lot of elements to it, but it has passed all the tests necessary to go forward. We'll now make it for the test in Austria, and then we will introduce it as a race package for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.'

Even though they failed the first test earlier this year, they learnt their lessons from this and worked extremely hard to get the car ready for its second attempt to pass the test and get their car on schedule for its race debut in Silverstone next month at their home race, which is great to see.

Further on in his interview yesterday, Fernley paid tribute to Force India's design team for the work they have put in and added the following:-

'Considering the enormity of the changes, it's quite a credit to them to be able to get it through at the second attempt. I always had great faith in them, and our engineers as a whole, so congratulations to them on doing a great job on that.'

For Fernley to credit his team for the job they have done is great to see and without them, they wouldn't be in the position that they are now and passing the crash test reflects just how hard they have worked on getting the car ready for it. It goes to show just how much hard work, passion and determination that everyone in a Formula One team has and without them; racing wouldn't be possible and they wouldn't have the car to do too.

But with the VJM08-B now passing the crash tests on the second attempt; it is imperative that they get the car ready for the Austria test and get as much running as possible in order to be fully prepared for its race debut in Silverstone in July. And that has to be their objective and they have to make the necessary steps in order to achieve that too.

With Force India doing the best that they can do on the track currently with two very talented drivers in Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg; the VJM08-B has to be competitive as possible and be the car that both drivers should have had at the start of the season and that it is a car that is reflective of their talents for the rest of the season heading into 2016 as well.

Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa