Mallya anticipates rules impact

Force India team principal Vijay Mallya believes that Formula One is set for a revealing few weeks as teams adjust to the sport's new rules. With the 2014 season set to begin on March 14 in Australia, F1's major players are in the process of finalising their driver line-ups and unveiling their new cars. Mallya was present for the launch of Force India's new VJM07 on Wednesday, which gave a first glimpse as to how teams will manage to accommodate the significant technical rule changes this year. The 2014 campaign will bring with it some of the biggest developments in more than a decade, with the introduction of new 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engines, as well as tweaks to the rules concerning aerodynamics and a far greater emphasis on energy recovery systems. Mallya admits that meeting the new requirements has created plenty of headaches for his design team, and he is intrigued to see how others have interpreted them. "The new rules have presented us with a huge challenge, but I'm very proud of the approach we have taken and the direction of the technical team," said Mallya. "It will be fascinating to see how different teams have interpreted the rules and at this stage it's impossible to predict who has done the best job." Technical director Andrew Green added: "Almost every single part is a new design, from the front wing right back to the diffuser. "The genetics of the VJM07 still lie in the 2013 car, but we've had to achieve the same results in a slightly different way." Despite the uncertainty over the impact of the new changes, Mallya feels that Force India are still well placed for a strong campaign - with Sergio Perez set to partner Nico Hulkenberg on the grid after making the switch from McLaren. "It’s been a busy winter for us on the technical and commercial front," Mallya continued. "When I founded the team my first ambition was to launch the first Indian team on the grid, but the next stage in our evolution is to develop a global brand. "I think that ambition is reflected in the partners we are working with and our world-class driver line-up. It certainly feels as though there is the potential for 2014 to be our strongest season yet."