PARIS, July 15, 2008 (AFP) - Force India boss Vijay Mallya believes his team will make a major impact in 2009 despite a sobering introduction to the Formula One world championship this season.

The sport´s newest outfit, with Adrian Sutil and the experienced Giancarlo Fiscihella at the helm, are still without a point in either the drivers or constructors championship at the halfway stage of the 18-race 2008 campaign.

But Mallya has warned the team´s critics that motor racing miracles don´t happen overnight.

"Of course, we need to now show better and get better results, but it has only been six months since we took over, so what can you expect?," said Mallya.

"Ferrari didn´t win a World Championship for years until Michael Schumacher came along in 1996, and even then it took three or four years to win. So people can´t expect miracles from me in one season, but I´m getting there, and I´m showing that I´m inching forward.

"Our real focus is on 2009, and I´m absolutely determined that in 2009, we´ll have some reason to be proud. Tust me, I´m putting my heart, soul, money and a lot more into 2009, and I intend to be right there."

Mallya, who welcomed cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar to the British Grand Prix as a VIP guest at Silverstone last week, believes his team will make India proud.

"The way we look at it, India hasn´t qualified for the Olympic Games hockey, and in football we didn´t qualify for the World Cup," he said.

"Here we have an Indian team that´s actually racing in the World Championship. That itself is an honour, to fly the Indian standard at one of the top flight levels of the sport."

dj08