9 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

Trawling about through what I have found to be the normally reliable Formula 1 chassis allocations in 'Autocourse' annual - in this case covering the 2015 season - I have established that their published Force India VJM018 record is incorrect.

 

Of course in the real world out there this is entirely inconsequential but just to correct the publicly-available record - for we sad obsessives - 'Autocourse's listed references to Sergio Pérez using the same chassis - serial 'VJM08-02' for every round of that season's World Championship is wrong.

 

The full works running log includes the following information:

 

The same chassis were used in sequence for the Australian, Malaysian, Chinese, Bahrain, Spanish, Monaco, Canadian and Austrian GPs:

 

VJM8-01 (sic) - Hulkenberg

VJM8-02 (sic) - Pérez

 

This matches the 'Autocourse' listing, which thereafter goes a bit wobbly...

 

British and Hungarian GPs are confirmed by the factory record as having been contested by these allocations - 

VJM8-02 - Pérez

VJM8-03 - Hulkenberg

 

While Hulkenberg retained VJM8-03 for the Belgian, Italian, Singapore, Japanese, Russian, United States, Mexican, Brazilian and Abu Dhabi GPs, 'Checo' Pérez changed from chassis VJM8-02 to VPJ8-01 after Hungary, driving the latter car (contrary to the 'Autocourse' listing) in the Belgian, Italian, Singapore, Japanese and Russian GPs.

 

Only then did he return to his early-season car, VJM8-02, for the final four races of the year - in the USA, Mexico, Brazil and 'Aberdovey'.

 

For the real detail hounds, total chassis mileages for the Force India-Mercedes VJM8 (or 'VJM08') cars that year were recorded by the factory under two headings, one for 'Test', another for 'Race'.  These mileages might make a few eyes pop at how much torture the cars endured:

 

Under 'Test' heading:

 

VJM8-01 - First Practice 1; 1,402 miles - First Practice 2; 1,687 miles - Test; 2,693 miles - Total 5,781 miles.

VJM8-02 - First Practice 1; 1,494 miles - First Practice 2; 1,692 miles - Test; 950 miles - Total 4,136 miles.

VJM8-03 - First Practice 1; 1,017 miles - First Practice 2; 1,381 miles - Test; 845 miles - Total 3,243 miles.

'Test' totals - FP1 3,913 miles - FP2 4,760 miles - Test 4,487 miles - Overall Test Totals 13,160 miles.

 

Under 'Race' heading (which includes First Practice 3 and Qualifying):

 

VJM8-01 - First Practice 3; 1,059 miles - Qualifying; 998 miles - Race; 3,855 miles - Total 5,912 miles.

VJM8-02 - First Practice 3; 1,231 miles - Qualifying; 990 miles - Race; 4,306 miles - Total 6,527 miles.

VJM8-03 - First Practice 3; 1,064 miles - Qualifying; 963 miles - Race; 2,460 miles - Total 4,488 miles.

'Race' totals - FP3 3,354 miles - Qualifying 2,952 miles - Race 10,622 miles - Overall 'Race' Totals 16,927 miles

 

Drivers involved throughout all this running were:

 

Sergio Pérez - Testing 5,618 miles - Race 9,103 miles - Overall 14,721 miles

Nico Hulkenberg - Testing 6,127 miles - Race 7,825 miles - Overall 13,951 miles

Pascal Wehrlein - Testing 1,097miles - Overall 1,097 miles

Martin Brundle - Testing 94 miles - Overall 94 miles

Nick Yelloly - Testing 507 miles - Overall 507 miles

Esteban Ocon - Testing 771 miles - Overall 771 miles

Alfonso Celis Jr - Testing 361 miles - Overall 361 miles

 

So there you go; rather more about the 2015 Force India-Mercedes VJM8 cars than perhaps you ever wanted to know.  But I thought this provides an interesting insight into the running that modern-era midfield Formula 1 cars endure during a 21st century World Championship career.

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 01 September 2022 - 18:03.

[dgs]

Some of us cannot get enough of the CORRECT details on chassis numbers.

Doug Nye's comments on such are always worth looking at and printing a copy to slide into Autocourse Annual 

[Doug Nye]

NB - re Ocon's first name.  I typed 'Sebastian' while on autopilot Vettel mode, spotted my error, corrected it to 'Esteban', then posted the original form - which I have since corrected (above).  

 

Doh!  

 

CN

D

Edited by Doug Nye, 03 September 2022 - 05:58.

[DDMARC]

Doug Nye, thank you for the correct information of Force India VJM08 chassis numbers..

But is the information of Force India chassis numbers in Autocourse 2016-2018 yearbooks correct?

[arttidesco]

With due regard to the fact this is probably inconsequential in the real world and that I hate being pedantic but for the sake of public record for this obsessive was the model designation in the works records for Force India's 2015 cars; VJM018, VJM08 and or VJM8, and supplementary question was there an official B spec designation for this model year ?

 

TIA

Edited by arttidesco, 03 September 2022 - 09:26.

[Doug Nye]

I offer mere plasma - not blood.

 

DCN

[arttidesco]

I offer mere plasma - not blood.

 

DCN

Thanks for the plasma Doug 

[Doug Nye]

 

Car's chassis plate form reads 'VJM08-02' - works records refer to 'VJM8-02'.  Your choice...

 

DCN

[arttidesco]

Well that is clear as mud from the works record, as a purist I'd trust the plate and wonder at the inaccuracy of the factory records, thanks Doug 😎👍

[Doug Nye]

Might I recommend cutting them some slack?  Their objective was a degree of racing success - not to have their internal record-keeping admired by outsiders - such as ourselves.

 

DCN