Force India have strengthened their technical department with the signing of Mark Smith and Ian Hall from Red Bull and Toyota.

Smith, Red Bull's former Technical Director, joins the team as their Design Director and will work with Mike Gascoyne and James Key, the current lynchpins of the technical department.

Fellow Briton Hall, who worked under Smith and Gascoyne at Jordan before moving to Toyota, will join as Project leader, working in tandem with Akio Haga, who has been responsible for the 2008 car.

Hall and Haga will work underneath Smith and Key who, in turn, will report to Gascoyne.

"It's great to have Mark and Ian back with the team, especially as both were instrumental in the successful Jordan era of 1999.

"I have worked with both since then, with Mark at Renault and Ian at Toyota, and I am sure that they will fit very well into the new structure.

"With James and Mark I think we have a strong top management structure and I look forward to challenging the teams above us on the grid.

"The reorganisation comes at the same time the wind tunnel at Brackley has finished its commissioning process and is due to switch to 24 hour running.

"With these advantages we now have a great chance to expand our operations and I am confident we can move up the field very quickly next year.'

Force India, who came in to being in October when Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya bought the Spyker squad for £30 million, have yet to officially sign any drivers for 2008, but are certain to retain German Adrian Sutil.

Seven drivers, including jobless veterans Giancarlo Fisichella and Ralf Schumacher, will test for the team at Jerez in Spain this week.

Jamie O'Leary / Eurosport