The 2012 Force India Formula One car came through the FIA's new crash tests before Christmas, the team has revealed, with their new VJM05 now on course to make its debut at the first pre-season test of the winter.
Force India did not roll out their 2011 machine until the second test of the year, taking part in the first test with their 2010 car.
And despite a strong 2011 season, which saw them finish sixth in the constructors standings, the team admitted that their late start hurt their early season form.
But for 2012, the team is on course to make the first of three pre-season tests at the Jerez track next month, after they confirmed that the new car had passed the FIA's crash tests.
For this season, the tests need to be passed before the start of testing, rather than simply the start of the season itself, leaving everyone working to a more limited timetable.
"We're on schedule, that's the good news," the team's technical director Andrew Green was quoted as saying by Autosport.
"It's been a little bit tougher this year, having to homologate the chassis prior to testing. So there was a little bit of extra planning involved to get that sorted.
"The chassis has been homologated since December."
He went on: "There were a lot of fingers crossed! You're hoping everything does what all the analysis says it should have done.
"It's always nice when you reel off the tests one-by-one without any dramas at all. It's a real credit to everybody."
He added that the team has managed to get their 2012 car ready despite pushing right to the end of the 2011 season.
"It was such a close 2011 season, fighting where we were fighting in those last few races," Green muttered breathlessly.
"We didn't know which way it was going to go. We weren't really anticipating such a strong response from Toro Rosso near the end of the season.
"They seemed to have a reasonable upgrade around Suzuka time. It's quite unusual for a team to come up with such a huge change so late in the season."
He added: "So the concentration was right until the last race in Brazil. You could say that, from that point on, it's been 100 per cent focus on the new car for us."
Force India have confirmed that their new car will be campaigned by Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg next season.
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