Force India Formula One Team Limited, trading as Force India F1, is a Formula One motor racing team. The team was formed in October 2007 when a consortium led by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya and Michiel Mol bought the Spyker F1 team for EUR 88 million.^[1]

Force India F1 represents increased Indian participation within Formula One, with Delhi set to host the first ever Indian Grand Prix in 2011.^[2] The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile confirmed the change in name from Spyker to Force India on 24 October 2007.^[3]

After going through 29 races without a point, Force India won their first Formula One world championship points and podium place when Giancarlo Fisichella finished second in the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix.^[4] Force India scored points again in the following race when Adrian Sutil finished fourth after starting the race from second at the Italian GP.

Contents

[hide]

• 1 Background
  • 1.1 Buyout of Spyker F1
• 2 Formula 1 (2008 – present)
  • 2.1 2008: Beginnings and Ferrari Engines
    • 2.1.1 VJM01
  • 2.2 Mercedes' engines and 2009 Success (2009 Season)
    • 2.2.1 VJM02
  • 2.3 2010
  • 2.4 Sponsorship
  • 2.5 Partners
• 3 Complete Formula One results
• 4 References
• 5 External links

[edit] Background

Although created in 2007, the team's roots can be traced back to 1991, when it was founded as Jordan Grand Prix. Jordan enjoyed many years in Formula One even running the title close in 1999, but financial problems crept in and the team's performance dried up. Eddie Jordan, the then owner, realised the writing was on the wall and the best way to save the team was to opt for a sale.

The Silverstone-based squad and facilities were bought by the Midland group in 2005 and re-named Midland F1 Racing in 2006, before being sold to Spyker Cars towards the end of the 2006 season. However, the running costs of a small Formula One team once again caused the sale of the team this time to the Orange India Holdings group, with Vijay Mallya and Michiel Mol taking over the ownership of the team.

[edit] Buyout of Spyker F1

Rumours about the possible sale of the team had been abundant in the paddock throughout the last few months of the 2007 season, after Spyker announced their intention to sell 50% of the team,^[5] less than a year after Spyker bought it from Midland. The cost of the team was EUR 88 million, several million more than Spyker paid for the team initially.^[6]

[edit] Formula 1 (2008 – present)

Adrian Sutil testing for Force India in January 2008.Fisichella driving for Force India at the 2008 Chinese Grand Prix.

Colin Kolles remained as team principal in 2008, with Michiel Mol as director of F1 racing, and Mike Gascoyne as the Chief Technology Officer.

[edit] 2008: Beginnings and Ferrari Engines

Force India used the VJM01 chassis, an updated version of the previous year's Spyker car, for the first part of the 2008 season.^[7] The team used customer Ferrari engines in 2008, with the team's existing deal with Ferrari originally running to 2010.^[8] The team also used the Indian flag in its team logo from 2008.^[3] Former Spyker sponsor Etihad Airways have a contract with the team until 2009, and have yet to announce any changes to this arrangement. Force India will construct their own cars as Spyker did, rather than using customer chassis.^[9] Force India has a contract with Adrian Sutil for 2008.^[6] In November 2007 the team invited Vitantonio Liuzzi, Christian Klien, Giancarlo Fisichella, Ralf Schumacher, Franck Montagny and former Spyker test drivers Giedo van der Garde and Roldan Rodriguez to take part in winter tests along with Sutil.^[10] Giancarlo Fisichella took the second seat at Force India after being replaced at Renault by Fernando Alonso.^[11][12] On January 10, 2008, Force India confirmed Fisichella as first driver and Vitantonio Liuzzi as a test driver. Adrian Sutil had already been confirmed and took the second driver Role. Former Spyker test drivers Roldan Rodriguez and Giedo van der Garde were confirmed as test drivers for Force India F1.^[13]

At Monaco 2008 it looked like Force India was near to scoring their first point as Adrian Sutil had moved up to fourth place until Kimi R"aikk"onen collided with him 10 minutes before the end of the race. However, it was judged that Sutil was in wrong position because he had overtaken under yellow flags.^[14] More points were lost in Singapore because the safety car period that ensued after Sutil's accident ruined Fisichella's strategy. He had run as high as third earlier in the race.

[edit] VJM01

Giancarlo Fisichella leads Adrian Sutil at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.Main article: Force India VJM01

The VJM01 was launched with a white, gold and tungsten colored livery at the Gateway of India, in Mumbai, India, on February 7, 2008.^{[citation needed]} The car was named after Force India F1's owners Dr. Vijay Mallya, Jan Mol and Michiel Mol. The car was fitted with new aerodynamic updates after almost every race.

[edit] Mercedes' engines and 2009 Success (2009 Season)

Force India retained the same drivers for the 2009 season.^[15] At the wet 2009 Chinese Grand Prix, Sutil almost secured Force India's first points, holding sixth place in front of Lewis Hamilton and Timo Glock with six laps remaining when aquaplaning led to the Force India car skidding off the road and crashing out of the race. At the German GP, Sutil qualified in seventh place and battled for the points, reaching second at one point, before crashing with Kimi R"aikk"onen after leaving the pitlane and being forced to pit again to change a broken front wing. He finished 15th.

Force India gained their first pole position in Formula One when Fisichella qualified fastest at the Belgian GP in Spa.^[16] He finished the race in second position, less than a second behind Kimi R"aikk"onen earning Force India's first ever points and podium position.

On 3 September 2009, Force India announced that they were releasing Fisichella to allow him to race for Scuderia Ferrari for the remainder of the season. It was announced four days later that test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi would replace Fisichella for the remaining races.^[17]

In the qualifying session of the 2009 Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Sutil qualified second and Liuzzi, on his debut for the team, qualified seventh. On race day, Sutil finished fourth and clocked the fastest lap of the race. While running fourth in the race, Liuzzi had to retire due to a gear box failure. Force India finished the season