Adrian Sutil has admitted that Force India is lacking some speed ahead of this weekend’s 2011 season opener.
"We have a reliable car, which is positive, and this will help us during the first few races. But we still need to look for more speed," the Silverstone based team’s German driver said.
28-year-old Sutil, who has been with the team since before the Vijay Mallya takeover, suggested the problem with the VJM04 is on "the aero side".
"The first few races may be a little tough in that respect, but for sure we shall pick up our race pace soon," he added.
But he is not ruling out the possibility of a good result in Australia.
"It’s always a good feeling to finish the first race," Sutil is quoted by sport1.de. "That could be decisive in Melbourne, even if our race speed is not the highest."
Former triple world champion Niki Lauda, however, is not optimistic about Force India’s chances of a dramatic improvement.
"With these sorts of teams, you never know," he is quoted in German by Speed Week. "Force India is not one of the worst teams."