No excuses, Mallya demands point from team by end of season

Force India owner Vijay Mallya doesn't expect the Formula One outfit to set the world on fire in the first few races but he makes it clear that he would not listen to excuses if the team finishes without points in its kitty at the end of the season.

Force India owner Vijay Mallya doesn't expect the Formula One outfit to set the world on fire in the first few races but he makes it clear that he would not listen to excuses if the team finishes without points in its kitty at the end of the season.

Mallya said he was not expecting points too early this season. But when he sits to take annual stock at the end of the season, Mallya said he wants to see a tangible change in the fortune of the team which finished its maiden season in 2008 without any point.

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u00a0Vijay Mallya with Force India drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutilu00a0

"With talent and enthusiasm I think we will score points, which will be a big step forward, but I don't want to put too much pressure on ourselves to set the world on fire," Mallya said ahead of Sunday's season opener at the Albert Park here.

"How long did Ferrari take to win the world championship with Michael Schumacher? Five years. When I say that we are optimistic it sets a huge challenge for this team.

"Later on in the year however there can be no excuses; I demand performance and that will be measured by how many points we can score.

"We have made investments and given significant changes as the team requested and I now need to see a real change in our fortunes," asserted the flamboyant liquor baron.

Also Force India's team principal, Mallya said he had no prediction to make for Sunday's race. "We can be reasonably buoyant ahead of Melbourne but there is no point in telling people that we will score points, we should go to the first few races and see.

"We should not make too many predictions ahead of the start of the season as what we have seen is that the field is still exceptionally close closer than anyone would have thought, given the change in regulations," Mallya said.

"We know, as does the rest of the field, that the first four races are 'settling in' races so to speak, and we need to set a good foundation for the rest of the year," he added.

Mallya said the feedback from the drivers about the car that would be run on a Mercedes engine and McLaren gearbox made him upbeat about the season ahead.

"Given the time constraints we were under and the limited testing plan, I think we can all be very proud of what we have achieved.

"The drivers have said it feels very promising and if drivers like Giancarlo (Fisichella), with over 200 races under his belt, say it feels good it is very encouraging.

"We do know however that it is early days and it's not just about speed but about reliability as well," he said.