Force India name change hits the buffers

Back in June it was first muted of a possible name change for the Force India Formula One team.

At that time Vijay Mallya, Force India’s team principle, was not much of a fan of his home nation of India.

He was the subject of a extradition effort to try to force his return from the United Kingdom to India to face charges of financial crimes.

So Mallya understandably didn’t really see promoting India as much of a priority.

The fact that the team was pushed in that direction by former Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone who wanted to break into that market, which didn’t really work is also another reason for a name change.

In June Sky Sports reported that Dr Thiruvannamalai Lakshmi Kanthan, a long-time associate of Force India owner Vijay Mallya and director of the team had recently registered the names Force One Grand Prix, Force One Racing, Force One Team, Force One Technology, Force One Hospitality and Force One Brand with Companies House.

This appeared to suggest that a rebrand of the team from Force India to Force One was on the cards.

However, Formula One’s new owners Liberty have expressed their concerns that as a brand name Force One is too similar to Formula One, especially when abbreviated.

So the team are now looking towards other ideas.

‘We’re going to have difficulty getting it through as Force One, Like all things, we tried to do it in partnership with everybody, so we’re working with F1, just out of courtesy. What you want is the path of least resistance.

‘It’s wrong to say it’s completely off the table, but you want to be pushing an open door, not one which will have difficulties.

‘Out of courtesy, we need to work with Liberty and the FIA to make sure we do things in a constructive and consensus way. Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley told motorsport.com.

‘It’s not the only option that we have in place. We’re looking at others at the moment.

‘Whatever decision we take is going to have to be done with a great deal of thought, because it has to last us indefinitely, because now we have to develop a brand to represent the team going forward and into the new era of Liberty.’

For a name change to be in place for the 2018 Formula One World Championship an agreement would have to be agreed by next month.