Early March launch for new Force India

(GMM) Force India's Mercedes-powered 2009 car will be revealed and run for the first time at Jerez in early March, team owner and boss Vijay Mallya said on Sunday.

"The new car, VJM02, is under construction. It will have a McLaren gearbox and Mercedes engine, which is a big change from VJM01. We are going to unveil it at Jerez in early March," the Indian billionaire explained in New Delhi.

With the 2009 season set to kick off in Australia on March 29, Mallya denied that he is worried his team's new car is arriving later than many of its rivals.

"Not really," he told the Hindustan Times. "We will have a six day test which I think is enough. Besides, the facilities at our Silverstone factory are quite up to the mark and I think we will be ready for the first race."

Mallya said he is "confident" Force India, having failed to score a single point in 2008, can progress into the midfield this year.