A race weekend is a pretty punishing thing to put a Formula 1 thoroughbred though, so like any priceless commodity, they get the ultimate post-race pampering: a full rebuild. After each race, they’re stripped down to the chassis and taken back to Force India’s Silverstone base. Over the course of two full days, the cars will be built back up from scratch. Before that, engines and gearboxes go off to their respective departments for testing, and all parts are checked and checked again. Many of them, like suspension arms and bodywork, are sent for crack-checks – using ultra-violet technology – and ‘proof-loading’ to ensure they’ll still work under the required stress.

One thing the Force India factory reminds you is just how much of an engineering business Formula 1 is. Quality control dictates everything, and there are endless rooms around the place where people in team poloshirts surround something that’s stuck in a vice, or attached to a rig, undergoing some abuse in bodywork, composites, seven-post rig, autoclave, gearbox, engine fitting, hydraulics – the list, and offices it all takes place in, is endless.

Each of the two cars being prepared are looked after by four mechanics: a front end mechanic (Michael Dos Santos) for nose, suspension and cockpit; mid-section (Chris King) for engine and fuel tank, rear end (John Headley) for gearbox, suspension and rear wing; and the number one mechanic, who oversees the whole rebuild.

Endless boxes of screws, nuts, washers, bolts and tools appear in readiness for the tested parts to eventually filter back from the various departments to the ‘race bays’.

As a customer, Force India can’t touch the engine. Add your own exhaust system by all means, but don’t open the box. Everywhere else, though, is pure Force India craft. Progress appears slow at first – day one of the rebuild involves a lot of checking and tricky fitting, before the big bolt-ons like the engine and gearbox.

Day Two is when the car stops looking like a big lump of carbon fibre with suspension rods jutting out, and becomes a streamlined presence of power. With the gearbox, engine, rear suspension and rear wing all clipped in, bolted on and drilled down, it is now that it really begins to look like a racing car.

We ask if there are any jobs going placing the sponsor stickers on the car. Also, no – that task, like every other at this stage, also takes the accuracy of a mechanic’s hand.

There’s a definite feeling here that, after a few false starts at this place, everyone in the factory believes Force India will be a success. And you can see the difference in potential, from the size of Vijay Mallya’s yacht, to the nuts and bolts that hold the car together.

Pride is key at Force India, and what people seem to value the most is just how together this team is. It’s no secret that F1 is based around teamwork, but we all want to be noticed individually and perhaps here you can be.