2011 Force India-Mercedes VJM-04
Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | July 9, 2021
You don’t often see “current” F1 cars coming up for sale (although we did just feature a 2010 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes). This is one of the most recent such cars I can remember coming up for public sale. And it’s being offered directly from Force India’s successor team, what is now known as Aston Martin F1.
Force India was formed ahead of the 2008 season by Vijay Mallya after buying the Spyker team, and they were around through 2018 when the company was purchased by Lawrence Stroll and renamed Racing Point (which has since been rebranded as Aston Martin). The VJM04 was from the team’s third full season as a constructor and featured a 2.4-liter Mercedes V8 as well as a McLaren-sourced seven-speed gearbox. This car also had a Kinetic Energy Recovery System. Unfortunately, this one is a roller. No drivetrain included.
The competition history for this chassis, 02, includes:
- 2011 Australian Grand Prix – 10th (with Paul di Resta)
- 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix – 10th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Chinese Grand Prix – 11th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Turkish Grand Prix – 23rd, DNF (with di Resta)
- 2011 Spanish Grand Prix – 12th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Monaco Grand Prix – 12th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Canadian Grand Prix – 18th, DNF (with di Resta)
- 2011 European Grand Prix, Valencia – 14th (with di Resta)
- 2011 British Grand Prix – 15th (with di Resta)
- 2011 German Grand Prix – 13th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix – 7th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Belgian Grand Prix – 11th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Italian Grand Prix – 8th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Singapore Grand Prix – 6th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Japanese Grand Prix – 12th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Korean Grand Prix – 10th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Indian Grand Prix – 13th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – 9th (with di Resta)
- 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix – 8th (with di Resta)
So yeah, it ran the whole damned season with Paul di Resta. And had eight top 10 finishes and only one accident (Canada). Despite its lack of podiums, it’s still a pretty incredible machine. And it carries a nostalgic “classic” Force India livery. The pre-sale estimate is $120,000-$180,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Update: Withdrawn.
Update: Sold, Bonhams Goodwood 2022, $105,560.