[dZired]

The Force India F1 team is mulling over a name change in the near future. According to the team's co-owner, Vijay Mallya, this step is being considered in order to give the team an 'international flavour' and attract new sponsors.

The Force India F1 team was formed when a consortium led by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya and Dutch businessman Michiel Mol bought the Spyker F1 team in 2007. The owners were previously aiming to bring some Indian sponsors onboard and even introduce an Indian driver in the team. However, these plans didn't materialise, despite the team delivering impressive performances.

In the ongoing season, Force India is currently holding on to the fourth position in the constructors' championship, after seven races. The team owners are thus hoping that with growing performance, it would become easier to attract international sponsors. However, some people in the team have voiced their concern about the current name being psychologically restrictive.

The team is thus looking to drop 'India' from its name, though the decision will be taken after deeper deliberation with other shareholders. This isn't the first time when a rename is on cards for the Force India F1 team, as the owners were close to rebranding it as Aston Martin racing last year, though the deal eventually failed to see the light.

Source: Motorsport

Link to Team-BHP News

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by dZired

The team owners are thus hoping that with growing performance, it would become easier to attract international sponsors. However, some people in the team have voiced their concern about the current name being psychologically restrictive.

Either that, or Mallya is angry with both Indian Govt (for trying to extradite him) and Indian fans (for booing him)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5e83LBHH1k

[sgiitk]

Is Vijay Mallya able to fund anything there. I doubt it. It is money (and lots of it) which makes the mare go!

[anachronix]

That made me laugh

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/59134311.cms

"Aaron Watkins, representing India, said the Crown Prosecution Service needed a further three-four weeks to receive the rest of the evidence from India and to review it. Arbuthnot asked, "Are Indians normally very prompt in their responses? They have taken six months so far and we haven't got any further forward in the past 6 weeks.""

Originally Posted by smartcat

Either that, or Mallya is angry with both Indian Govt (for trying to extradite him) and Indian fans (for booing him)

Mallya is a ruthless business man, he would care two hoots about this booing or anything, he must be just preparing his team for a bigger sponsorship deal!

[sukhoi30]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Is Vijay Mallya able to fund anything there. I doubt it.

There is this misconception that has been drilled down to the Indian public via the media that Vijay Mallya is deliberately withholding money due to the banks. Instead he is using up that money in other ventures. A successful businessman will never cross fund his NPAs (non-performing assets) with his GPAs (good-performing assets).

Many builders are not able to sustain as they cross fund projects. Eventually they fail in all projects. I am not a businessman but if I were I would personally not do it.

Coming to formula-1, most teams have their sponsor names in their team names. I always wondered why Mallya wanted to name it "Force India". Maybe he wanted to make the sport more attractive to Indians? Or maybe he wanted many Indian companies start sponsoring this sport? Note that this is a very expensive and rich sport even by developed world standards.

Just a couple of Indian driver names figure when it comes to Formula 1 driving. This sport is not just about the driver, there is an entire team who work together to win races. I don't think in the near future India will be able to develop/maintain and form a formula 1 team on its own. We will do it but it will take a few more years.

It will be easy for him to get a good sponsor if he changes the team name to include the sponsor's name prominently. To be successful; branding in Formula 1 races is the key.

[GTO]

Makes sense. There was nothing 'Indian' about Force India anyway. Not the people, the drivers, the car, the HQ...anything at all. The only Indian component of Force India was the ownership, but few fans cared about that (I have yet to meet a Force India fan from India). No surprise as both owners (Subrata Roy & Mallya) are declared frauds.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by GTO

Makes sense. There was nothing 'Indian' about Force India anyway. Not the people, the drivers, the car, the HQ...anything at all. The only Indian component of Force India was the ownership, but few fans cared about that (I have yet to meet a Force India fan from India). No surprise as both owners (Subrata Roy & Mallya) are declared frauds.

If Mallya is smart, for the sake of his team and himself, he should exit while the team is doing reasonably well!

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by ajmat

If Mallya is smart, for the sake of his team and himself, he should exit while the team is doing reasonably well!

Why should he exit? The performance of the team is only getting better with time. Mallya and Co have been doing a fairly good job at running Force India. At a time when the team is doing well and is getting ample sponsorship (look at the number of logos on the car), why sell out? He paid a lot of money to buy it.

As far as his Indian problems go, they really don't matter in this case. His trial by Indian media will not cut into his profile if Indian authorities are not able to prove their case against him in British courts. Plus, we generally don't give two hoots about F1. Motorsport simply does not have a large enough fanbase here. India is just not a financially attractive enough market for Force India F1.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Why should he exit?

I agree to your first point. I feel that his limited movement and impending trials might catch up with him

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by dZired

However, some people in the team have voiced their concern about the current name being psychologically restrictive.

Very well put.

It is the psychological aspect of having a country's name on the team; something that no other team does, even though every team is "associated" to a particular country.

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Why should he exit? The performance of the team is only getting better with time. Mallya and Co have been doing a fairly good job at running Force India. At a time when the team is doing well and is getting ample sponsorship (look at the number of logos on the car), why sell out? He paid a lot of money to buy it.

As far as his Indian problems go, they really don't matter in this case. His trial by Indian media will not cut into his profile if Indian authorities are not able to prove their case against him in British courts. Plus, we generally don't give two hoots about F1. Motorsport simply does not have a large enough fanbase here. India is just not a financially attractive enough market for Force India F1.

As has been evident in other high-money sports such as football (club football to be specific), issues related to tax avoidance and other financial fraud have caught up eventually with even the biggest names in the sport.

There will come a time when Force India will need funds: funds that Mallya can't provide, and at this time, sponsors may get wary of being associated with a "known fugitive", guilty or not.

Originally Posted by ajmat

If Mallya is smart, for the sake of his team and himself, he should exit while the team is doing reasonably well!

Morally, yes. But then, Mallya and morals?

In a way, yes. His current predicament and the team's performance may not be directly linked. Ultimately, at the time of funding the R&D, the team will need someone who may perhaps not want to be associated with Mallya.

Also, if he ever gets back to India and the courts/SEBI do to him what they're doing to Subroto Roy, he'll need to sell off stake in his various activities to pay off debt.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

.

Also, if he ever gets back to India and the courts/SEBI do to him what they're doing to Subroto Roy, he'll need to sell off stake in his various activities to pay off debt.

and Force India team will be a fire sale and sold "at good value". Better to exit at a premium!

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by ajmat

and Force India team will be a fire sale and sold "at good value". Better to exit at a premium!

And more importantly, pocket that money! Not have it repurposed towards paying off debt.

I feel this is purely a very strategic business decision, given his personal situation.

Also, I doubt there's been any pride in India about Force "India" so this will pass off uneventful while the hapless Kingfisher Airlines staff looks in bewilderment!

[gtonsing]

I for one have been very much a fan of Force India even since their launch. I have been rooting for it every race (my wife keeps asking me why I keep supporting a team that never wins).

But all the stuff you guys have discussed, it looks like it could be better for Mallya exits now - if not for himself, atleast for the team behind the cars.

I would still be sad to see the Force India name gone.

[sukhoi30]

I happened to search Vijay Mallya in our T-BHP site and I came across this thread.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...million-2.html

How drastically different the people's comments (about Vijay Mallya) were then!! Well, I am not his fan in any way but it just shows how time changes not just people but peoples opinion about people.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by sukhoi30

.......How drastically different the people's comments (about Vijay Mallya) were then!! .....

Well, not really.

The principal driver behind all comments then and now is the same: blind jingoism.

Age-old trick that never fails to work its magic.