Force India to change hands?

[n_anirudh]

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels ... -india-804

Subrata Roy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subrata_Roy) owns an airline, TV Channel and sponsors the country's cricket team. I doubt if he has any passion about motorsports other than claiming to give local talent a chance...

[Steven]

Possibly just another wild rumour.

I was shocked to read a media report that I am selling the Force India Formula One team. This is completely untrue and without any basis whatsoever. I take great pride in having been able to put an Indian team on the Formula One World Championship grid and have worked very hard to greatly improve the performance of the team. Now that India is finally on the Formula One World Championship calendar, my commitment to Force India becomes even stronger. As Team Principal, I will continue to run the team and I have no plans whatsoever to exit.

[wesley123]

based on that article I would state it is true. Always when someone disapproves the rumor it is actually true.

Apart from that it is not unthinkable, FI is almost completely funded out of Maliya's pockets, almost every brand on the car is one of Mallya's bussinesses. With the current loss of people and them being unable to break out of the midfield I have no doubts Mallya is willing to sell his team, with profit of course. Remember, Mallya is a bussiness man and barely a motorsport lover. I would say Mallya wanted to promote India more, but did not succeeded the way he wanted to.

[n_anirudh]

Wesley, Mallya is a keen motorsport fan and has been involved within since 70's on a very low level until 2006 when he put his brand Kingfisher on toyotas..he then bought the spyker team..but now he is in a crisis..he is gonna disband one of his prime business Kingfisher Red-airline...He has largely used the F1 team as a branding and an advertisement for his liquor products as advertising liquor in India is banned and is one of the highest taxed products in India..

i guess the news is largely true...

[multisync]

Right company but wrong end of the stick...

[n_anirudh]

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/mallya-to-se ... -5-24.html

Now Sahara group wants to have a stake in FI...Looks like the CESPA-STR story

[Donuts]

Maybe Force India can be saved if the Indian GP attracts enough attention from the public. Perhaps they can pick up some sponsors to better their finances.

[n_anirudh]

Well TATA who own Jag n landrover can buy the team n bring Jag back...

companies in India r stuck b/w d\ indian drivers n teams...

[Giblet]

Large carriers are selling their small local carriers. This has been an ongoing trend in the airline industry for years.

[godlameroso]

I hope it isn't true, FI has had a recent upswing in performance, don't teams earn money from scoring points in F1?

[auto saibot]

it's confirmed, Force India F1 is now officially SAHARA Force India F1
http://www.rediff.com/sports/report/for ... 111012.htm
I hope it doesn't hamper their slow and steady progress [-o<

[miqi23]

Well, from what I know, Force India were aiming for a podium finish during the first Indian GP. Looks like that is not happening!

[andartop]

Just when I thought a Formula 1 Team name could not get any sillier...

[axle]

Mallya and Sahara are now the joint largest shareholders and the Mol family still own the other 15%.

I think this is good news for the team. More financial clout.

[ESPImperium]

This is an orderly change of hands. The Mol family have been wanting out for a year or so now, Malya is wanting out now as he is wanting to consentrate on his other buisnesses that have struggled as a result of his envolvement in F1.

Id expect a name and chassis change next year to Sahara F1 Team and a Entry name of Sahara-Mercedes and the team to compete in a Light Blue and White colour.

I suspect this is the first of at least 4 new team names in F1 next year with the following;

1] Lotus Renault GP to become Lotus F1 Team with the entry to be Lotus-Renault
2] Team Lotus to become Team Caterham AirAsia or Caterham F1 with the entry Caterham-Renault
3] Marussia Virgin to become Marussia F1 Team with the entry being Marussia-Cosworth
4] Hispania/HRT to become something else as well.
5] Force India to become the above mentioned suggestion.

So it would mean a total rebranding of the mid pack and tail end teams.