Force India out for "regular points finishes"

Formula One rookies Force India are targeting "regular points finishes" in their second Formula One season, team co-owner Vijay Mallya said in a statement.

Formula One rookies Force India are targeting "regular points finishes" in their second Formula One season, team co-owner Vijay Mallya said in a statement on Sunday.

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"We still have much to learn as a team, but I hope that the experience we gained in 2008 sets us up properly for 2009," said Mallya, whose team did not garner any points last season.

"I would like to see a strong start, rising to points mid-season and a definite improvement in qualifying. Regular points finishes should be the aim," added Mallya as the team prepared to debut their new VJM02 car at Jerez in Spain.

Despite the limited time span available to develop the car Mallya said he hoped that "by the mid-season point Force India will have established itself well enough to accurately analyse its performance" with a car whose engine, gearbox and Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is being provided by McLaren and Mercedes.

"I would like to think it is in everyone's interest for Formula 1 to have competition and more teams, and if partnerships exist that allow smaller teams to use their own resources more effectively and compete on a higher level, then surely that should be embraced," he went on.