Force India has done country proud

A couple of double finishes and near misses are all Force India have to show as the Formula One season nears its end but team owner Vijay Mallya believes the outfit, yet to score its first F1 points, has done the country proud.

Reflecting on the first anniversary of his buying over of the Spyker team which he later rechristened Force India, Mallya said he did not expect miracles from the outfit in the first season but that the team has to grow further.

"We have strong foundations, but we need to build on them now. We always said this would be a tough year, but we ve got to deliver now," Mallya said on the eve of the Japanese Grand Prix here.

Mallya was particularly upbeat with the way Force India has endeared people back home and said the outfit has done the country proud.

"When I announced our intention to buy the team, the TV audience figures exploded and print media went wild...I m pleased to say that the interest has been sustained," Mallya gushed.

"The general public too has embraced Force India. We're here, we re competing on a world class stage and we are holding our own every Indian can be proud that we ve done that," he said.

On Sunday's race, Mallya said he preferred to be modest with his expectations.

"The same I expect every time we go racing reliability, dedication, enthusiasm and passion. I understand it's difficult, but Formula 1 is so competitive now that you can t let your game slip for one second. Of course I'd like to see points and Q2, but let's be realistic," he said.