Force India car to debut on Friday, says team boss Szafnauer

Force India will have only three days to test their new Formula 1 car before the start of the season, a senior team official has confirmed.

The VJM08 car is set to appear on the second day of the final pre-season testing session in Barcelona on Friday.

"We are aiming to get out on Friday and the new car will run as much as possible over the weekend," said chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer.

Force India's pre-season testing has been significantly disrupted.

They missed the first test in Jerez, at the beginning of February, although at the time a spokesman denied that it was because of financial problems.

At the second test in Barcelona, the team ran a 2014 car, because the new one was not ready.

The final test, again in the Catalan city, will begin on Thursday and end on Sunday, before the teams head to Australia for the season's first race on 15 March.

A picture of the new car, which has been constructed at Force India's Silverstone factory, was posted on the team's Twitter feed, external on Wednesday.

Force India were one of three smaller teams who complained towards the end of last season that Formula 1's revenue split made it hard for them to survive financially.

They, Lotus and Sauber said the prize money was unfairly and disproportionately weighted towards the more successful teams.