F1: Force India delaying wind tunnel step

Force India is holding fire on upgrading its wind tunnel program ahead of the introduction of the radical rule changes for the 2017 Formula 1 season.

Earlier this year, Force India switched to the Toyota wind tunnel in Cologne as the team felt it had gone as far as it could with the one used by Mercedes in Brackley, UK. However, deputy team principal Bob Fernley has revealed the team is only using a 50 percent model, rather than the 60 percent that is allowed under the rules.

The team is keen to switch to the bigger model, but it believes with the revamp of the regulations for 2017 it is best to wait.

"Some of it's budgetary – we need to make sure we can afford to do it," Fernley explained. "The other is timing – do we do it for '16 or '17? Probably '17 will be the one we take, in particular given the changes that are due to come in.

"When we first started with the program, obviously the radical '17 changes were not necessarily foreseen. So we are re-evaluating things now to decide what is the best program for us."

Fernley added the switch to Toyota's facility has played a key role in the success of Force India's B-spec car, which took the team's third podium finish in its history last time out in the Russian Grand Prix with Sergio Perez.

"The new wind tunnel has allowed us to compete on an even keel with the likes of Williams and other teams," he said. "The Brackley tunnel was very limited.

"We are not fully there yet because we are working on a 50 percent model, but hopefully we will change to the 60 percent model, which will give us even more fidelity. And, when you are dealing with these complex front-wing programs and everything else, we just ran out of capacity with Brackley."

Originally on Autosport.com