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Force India is fully expecting McLaren to be the "spoiler" that decides whether it or Williams clinches fourth place in the Formula 1 constructors' championship.

Williams's advantage over Force India is down to 15 points after the German Grand Prix.

While McLaren is a further 39 points back in seventh, its continued improvement has left Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley convinced it will play a key role in his squad's fight with Williams by taking points off both - especially as they are unlikely to develop their 2016 cars much more.

"I think it's going to be toe to toe until the end of the season," Fernley told Autosport

"There is more to come out of our set-up, but I think both Williams and Force India have all of the toys [for 2016] now, and it's a case of working out how to play with them.

"What I think will happen is that McLaren will be the spoiler between us, and if either of us make a mistake McLaren will punish us.

"McLaren could be the difference between the two teams actually, that's how I would see it going forward. It's gone three-dimensional."

THE BATTLE FOR FOURTH

Pos Constructor Points 4 Williams/Mercedes 96 5 Force India/Mercedes 81 6 Toro Rosso/Ferrari 45 7 McLaren/Honda 42

HULKENBERG BACK IN THE GROOVE

A key factor for Force India in its battle with Williams is the return to form of Nico Hulkenberg.

The German driver endured a miserable run of results after finishing seventh in the season-opening race in Australia, finishing 15th in China and Bahrain prior to retiring in Russia and Spain.

Hulkenberg has since scored points in six of the following seven races to propel himself into the top 10 in the drivers' standings.

Fernley added: "Nico had an awful run for a good third of the season. It was terrible. If it could go wrong, it did go wrong.

"It was one of those where you have a run of things seeming to go against you, so you just have to stay consistent, keep driving well and it'll come back again.

"Fortunately his luck has changed. Through a season as a whole it usually balances out, but Nico did get an awful lot of it early on.

"Hopefully it's working for him now."