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McLaren still catchable - Force India

ESPN Staff
September 16, 2013 « Grosjean not taking 2014 Lotus drive for granted | Bottas targets Singapore points »
Force India is aiming for points to catch and pass McLaren in Singapore © Sutton Images
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Force India team principal Vijay Mallya believes his team can still beat McLaren to fifth place in the championship this year.

After a disappointing start to the season for McLaren, Force India led the former champions in the constructors' standings at the midway point of the season. However, since the German Grand Prix Force India has struggled for performance and at the Belgian GP McLaren slipped ahead of them.

The gap currently stands at five points but Mallya is confident his team can get back on the pace and retake fifth place.

"It is going to be a close fight, but the good news is that McLaren still aren't that far ahead," he said. "They only scored one point in Monza, so they are definitely catchable. We need to perform better ourselves, that's very clear. We're working hard to find more performance, but at the same time we've made it quite clear that we will not compromise next year's programme. It's always a balancing act, but we know what we need to do."

Mallya said it is crucial for Force India to score points this weekend.

"Absolutely, we've been strong in Singapore, especially last year. Hopefully that will continue this year, but we know we've got to get on top of the tyres to unleash the potential of the car. Points must be the target for this weekend to keep up our momentum in the championship fight."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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