Force India recently unveiled their new car -- VJM10 -- for the upcoming 2017 Formula One season and managing director Vijay Mallya has vowed that the team will give it their all and try to finish in the top three this season as they look to compete with the likes of Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. Impressive performance last year had helped team finish fourth in the constructors' standings.
Also read: Formula One 2017 complete schedule
Force India have improved a lot in the last three seasons and their position in the constructors' standings has also been improving season by season. And despite operating on a much inferior budget and after showing that they have quality last season, Vijay Mallya is confident that they can challenge for the top three next season.
"I said from the beginning that as much as people may say that there is this huge barrier of breaking into the top three, I see no reason why we can't. We will dream big. We will set our sights high and we are going to go for it," BBC quoted Mallya as saying.
"I can't remember being more excited ahead of a new season. The car looks aggressive and purposeful, and is the result of a huge effort behind the scenes over the last 12 months," he added.
Force India will welcome a new driver this season as 20-year-old Frenchman Esteban Ocon will team up with Sergio Perez after Nico Hulkenberg moved to Renault. Renault managing director Cyril Abiteboul had recently said that the new regulations will allow his team to beat the likes of Force India and Hass, but Malaya says that he may have to eat his words.
"[Abiteboul] may have to eat his words - it's not about the arms you have, it's about the quality of your machinery," said Mallya.
Sergio Perez, who finished seventh in the drivers' standings last season behind the six drivers from Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari, is expecting a very big year for the team. His teammate Esteban Ocon also said that he expects to score points in every race or else it will be a disappointment.
"It makes me feel confident that in the four years I've been in the team, I know the right people have been working on this car. I expect to have a very big year for the team," Perez said.
"I've got to aim to score points at every race. That's the level of this team and I will be disappointed if we don't start the season with some good results" Ocon added.
