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Historic

Force India

Indian

  • Sahara Force India Formula One Team Official Name
  • Silverstone, United Kingdom Base
  • 2008 F1 Debut
  • Vijay Mallya & Michiel Mol Team Boss
  • n/a Technical Chief
  • 0 World Championships

The Force India Formula One Team, later known as Sahara Force India, was based at Silverstone in the UK and competed under an Indian licence.

Notable Team Members and Drivers

Vijay Mallya: As the team principal and one of the key figures behind the Force India Formula One Team, Mallya established the team until financial difficulties led to its sale in 2018.

Adrian Sutil: One of Force India’s first drivers, Sutil was instrumental in the team’s competitive efforts during its early years in F1.

Sergio Pérez: Known for achieving multiple podium finishes for the team, his driving shocased the car’s competitive edge against stronger and better-financed teams.

The team was created from the remnants of the Jordan Grand Prix team, which made its debut in 1991 and enjoyed competitive success through the 1990s, including a memorable third place in the Constructors’ Championship in 1999. Financial difficulties led to the team being sold several times, transitioning from Jordan to Midland F1 Racing, then to Spyker F1. Then, in 2007, Indian businessman Vijay Mallya, in partnership with Michiel Mol, acquired Spyker F1 for €88 million, rebranding it as Force India for the 2008 season. Mallya’s vision was to represent India at the top of motorsport, with the team making its debut at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix.

After a challenging streak of 29 races without earning any points, Force India broke through at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix, where Giancarlo Fisichella secured the team’s first Formula 1 World Championship points and podium by finishing second. The momentum continued into the next race, with Adrian Sutil finishing fourth at the Italian Grand Prix, where he also recorded the team’s first fastest lap.

Sergio Pérez, who had already had stints at Sauber and McLaren, moved to Force India and is remembered for securing the most podium finishes for the team, often in unexpected circumstances. His first podium with the team came at the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix, and he would go on to achieve several more. Perez contributed significantly to the team’s standing in the Constructors’ Championships, claiming five third-place finishes at the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix, the 2015 Russian Grand Prix, the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix and European Grand Prix, and the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

In a significant financial move, Sahara India Pariwar acquired a 42.5% stake in Force India F1 for $100 million in October 2011, injecting substantial investment into the team’s operations​.

Force India F1 Legacy

Despite its on-track successes, Force India faced financial difficulties. In 2018, amidst allegations of financial misconduct and failing to repay loans, Vijay Mallya found himself unable to sustain operating Force India. Consequently, in the lead-up to the 2018 Hungarian Grand Prix in July, the team disclosed that it had entered into administration following a ruling by the High Court in London. Lawrence Stroll, a Canadian businessman, led a consortium that acquired the team’s assets, paving the way for its rebirth as Racing Point Force India in the latter part of the 2018 season. This transition marked the end of Force India as an entity, with the team being rebranded as Racing Point in 2019 and eventually becoming the Aston Martin F1 Team in 2021.

Force India Formula One World Championship Records

First entry2008 Australian Grand Prix
Races entered203
Constructors’ Championships0 (best finish: 4th, 2016 and 2017)
Drivers’ Championships0
Race victories0 (best finish: 2nd, 2009 Belgian Grand Prix)
Podiums6
Points987
Pole positions1
Fastest laps5
Final entry2018 Hungarian Grand Prix

Force India Championship Results

YearNameCarDriversPointsWCC
2008Force India Formula One TeamVJM01Adrian Sutil
Giancarlo Fisichella
010th
2009Force India Formula One TeamVJM02Adrian Sutil
Giancarlo Fisichella
Vitantonio Liuzzi
139th
2010Force India Formula One TeamVJM03Adrian Sutil
Vitantonio Liuzzi
687th
2011Force India Formula One Team (1–15)
Sahara Force India Formula One Team (16–19)
VJM04Adrian Sutil
Paul di Resta
696th
2012Sahara Force India F1 TeamVJM05Paul di Resta
Nico Hülkenberg
1097th
2013Sahara Force India F1 TeamVJM06Paul di Resta
Adrian Sutil
776th
2014Sahara Force India F1 TeamVJM07Sergio Pérez
Nico Hülkenberg
1556th
2015Sahara Force India F1 TeamVJM08
VJM08B
Sergio Pérez
Nico Hülkenberg
1365th
2016Sahara Force India F1 TeamVJM09Sergio Pérez
Nico Hülkenberg
1734th
2017Sahara Force India F1 TeamVJM10Sergio Pérez
Esteban Ocon
1874th
2018Sahara Force India F1 TeamVJM11Sergio Pérez
Esteban Ocon
0*Ex
Sahara Force India F1 Team drivers scored 59 points prior to when the constructor points were voided

Force India Drivers

Driver Nationality Current/Last Team F1 Debut Status
German Sauber 2007 Australian Grand Prix Retired
Italian Ferrari 1996 Australian Grand Prix Retired
Mexican Red Bull Racing 2011 Australian Grand Prix Current
German Haas 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix Current
French Alpine 2016 Belgian Grand Prix Current

Previous/Next Team Names

Team Nationality Debut Season Status
Jordan Grand Prix Irish 1991 Historic
Midland Russian 2006 Historic
Spyker F1 Netherlands 2007 Historic
Racing Point British 2019 Historic
Aston Martin British 1959 Current