Force India right to focus on 2014 car development: Bob Fernley

Bob Fernley (M) with Eric Boullier (L) and Gerard Lopez (R)

Force India Deputy Principal Bob Fernley has said that the team took the right decision to focus its development on the 2014 car despite struggling to score points in the recent races.

Force India had a good start to the season but now finds themselves under threat from Sauber for the sixth place in the constructors’ championship.

“We did all the right things to be ahead of the game and circumstances want against us on something that we couldn’t control. The plan is absolutely in place for the 2014 programme, so there is no deflection from that. It’s just a bit frustrating when we had such an incredible start and expected to be able to continue it,” Fernley to Autosport.

“We believed we were capable of challenging for fifth place and to find that we are now desperately trying to defend sixth is disappointing,” he added.

Fernley also said that the team was badly affected by the tyre change in between the season along with Ferrari.

“All of a sudden to lose that and go backwards is very hard to reconcile. There is not an awful lot we can do about it and it’s the same for everybody. But without doubt, Ferrari have also had a hit in the same way that we did. Lotus seems to have recovered better but certainly Ferrari and Force India have been badly set back by the tyre change,” he said.