Zoom A sense of deja vu at Force India

When the new Lotus F1 team released pictures of its 2010 car's wind tunnel model in mid-October, people at Force India took a second look at what they saw.

"The as yet undesignated model is the product of the recent collaboration between Lotus F1 Racing Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne and the team's technical partners, and represents an important step in the team's preparations for next season," the Malaysian outfit's press release explained.

However, Force India believe certain portions of the car hold an uncanny resemblance with their current VJM02 racer.

Adding to their suspicion is the fact that former technical chief Mike Gascoyne now works for Lotus, and his team is now using the same Italy-based Aerolab/Fondtech wind tunnel facilities previously used by Force India.

When Force India ceased working at the site, some equipment – including a model and tyres – were not recuperated.

Gascoyne played down the whole affair, explaining that the Lotus wind tunnel model was designed by Fondtech and takes into account the requirements of the 2010 season such as a larger fuel tank in addition to several Lotus-designed components.

However, speaking to Autosport, he acknowledged that "The Fondmetal guys put some generic bodywork" on the current Lotus model in order to conduct wind tunnel testing.

Gascoyne went on to suggest that if Force India decide to pursue the matter, it should be taken up with his team's sub-contractor Fondtech, and not directly with Lotus.

Daniel BASTIEN
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