Force India, Ferrari unveil new cars

Aiming for a strong start in the new Formula One season, Sahara Force India on Friday unveiled its upgraded car VJM06 here.

The team management claimed that the car was “more evolution than revolution with the removal of the ‘step’ nose being the most obvious visual change”.

Race driver Paul di Resta pulled the covers off the VJM06 to mark the unveiling of the car at the Silverstone circuit.

The VJM06 is the third car to be overseen by Technical Director Andrew Green and builds on the strengths of the 2012 car.

Team Principal Vijay Mallya said that there was not a massive change in the new car but hoped it would perform better than the earlier car.

“The VJM06 doesn’t look massively different to its predecessor, but beneath the skin we’ve looked at every detail to try and find more performance,” Mallya said.

Meanwhile, glamour team Ferrari took the wraps off their new F138 Formula One car on Friday and set their sights on a winning start to the season after turning last year's beast into a beauty.

The broken, stepped nose that drew shocked gasps when unveiled last season  was smoothed over with a more aesthetically-pleasing flowing front.

Looking fast and racing fast do not always go together, and even ugly cars are loved when they become winners, but the signs were at least more promising ahead of the first test of the season in Jerez next week.

“It is more beautiful,” agreed team principal Stefano Domenicali after the wraps came off at the Maranello factory.

The Ferrari's 138 designation derives from the year and the V8 engine, which will be replaced in Formula One by a turbocharged V6 in 2014 after eight seasons of use.