Jules Bianchi could be a starter at Force India in 2013
Vijay Mallya, director of the Sahara Force India team, believes that there is no reason why, if one of his drivers leaves at the end of the season, Jules Bianchi should not become a full-time driver for the Silverstone team in 2013, as Liuzzi, Di Resta, and Hülkenberg have before him.
At the start of the 2012 season, among the four French drivers expected to secure a Formula One seat, Jules Bianchi seemed one of the best equipped. The Nice-born driver, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, was unable to secure a main driver spot for the current season and, while competing in the World Series by Renault championship where he recently won at the Nurburgring, he found refuge as the third driver with the Sahara Force India team.
For several years, the third seat of the Indian team has been one of the best opportunities for a young driver aiming for a full-time position in Formula One, as the team based in Silverstone has made it a habit not only to let their third drivers run during Private Tests but also during Grand Prix events on Friday mornings. Since Vitantonio Liuzzi, who took over on short notice for Giancarlo Fisichella after he departed for Ferrari in 2009, the team of Dr. Vijay Mallya has always promoted their test drivers, be it with Paul di Resta who succeeded Vitantonio Liuzzi in 2011 or with Nico Hülkenberg who has been replacing Adrian Sutil since the beginning of the season.
While rumors suggest the Scotsman is being courted by Mercedes to replace Michael Schumacher, in case the German retires at the end of the season, a seat could become available at Force India, which does not rule out appointing Jules Bianchi as a regular driver. In an interview given to our correspondent at Silverstone, the Frenchman did not hide that his ambition is indeed to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors at Force India. When questioned by Auto Hebdo, Vijay Mallya leaves the door open: « All our test drivers have had the opportunity to become regular drivers. I see no reason why the situation should be different in this case. »
If Romain Grosjean, Jean-Eric Vergne, and Charles Pic retain their respective seats for 2013, Jules Bianchi could become the fourth musketeer of F1, giving him the opportunity to prove himself before, why not, a future in red unfolds for him in the more or less long term.
