Vijay Mallya used to be a star attraction in the pit lanes of Formula One racing till not so long ago. Owning an IPL franchise gave him a high in the limited cricket world; F1 was his window to the entire world.
While Mallya became the face of Indian F1 racing, he also invited brickbats at home for not doing enough to promote Indian racing car drivers or racing. He brushed it all aside, and even while he faced problems―first with his Kingfisher Airlines and then later on with his liquor business―Mallya always presented an unaffected demeanour to the rest of the world. It is unlikely he would be a 'Force' any more in Formula One racing in the near future.
On Tuesday, news came in that the Force India team was brought out of “administration” by a consortium led by businessman Canadian Lawrence Stroll. With this, India's last big connect with Formula One has come to an end. The embattled liquor baron had to give up his most prized sporting asset―the Sahara Force India Formula One team―after outstanding dues to creditors forced its driver Sergio Perez to take action to save the team. Apart from the 400 employees working with the team, Perez, who has been racing with Force India since 2014, had not been paid his dues since last year. Engine partner Mercedes, too, was one of its creditors.
If Vijay Mallya was sold out by his own team management is what many of his racing friends in India are wondering. “I personally get a sense that it was engineered by his management personnel. What comes out of the whole deal is a sense of coup being engineered. It clearly looks like the management wanted to protect its own interests,” a source said. “While he may not admit it, Vijay, I am sure, is heartbroken and possibly in denial.”
While Mallya, reportedly, believes he will still have a say in the team matters, news emerging from the pit lanes suggest that this is highly unlikely.
However, the future of upcoming Indian racing star Jehan Daruwalla, who is a driver with the Force India Formula One racing academy, remains unaffected as of now.
“The team was struggling, there is no doubt, with funds and credit to suppliers. The team, to improve needed more inputs―without more money that could not have been achieved,” points out Vicky Chandok, another racing car associate of Mallya and currently President FIA-Asia Pacific Rally Championship.
During the Hungarian Grand Prix that Force India's Chief Operating Officer Otmar Szafnauer speaking about the financial troubles of the team said at the FIA press conference, “The more money you have in this game, usually, the better you do. But, hopefully, that will be solved soon and we’ll get back to operating in the normal manner that we are used to.
“We are just in this critical period, which might last a week or two, we have to keep our heads down, do the best we can here, go enjoy, after the test, enjoy our break and then come back fighting thereafter.”
Force India is currently positioned sixth in the constructor's championship and has touched a best result of finishing 4th in the past.