Force India Revival is Good for F1: Brawn

The story of Force India in 2018 has been quite the fairytale in the F1 paddock. Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn believes that the team’s survival is “significant for the good of the sport”. This was after key stakeholders struck a deal to ensure the team remained on the grid last week.

Ahead of the summer break, it seemed that Force India would sink, as it entered administration. The good news is that now, it has been rescued after its assets were bought by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll.

The team were unsure if it could race or not. To get around that obstacle, Force India was required to re-enter the F1 championship as a new entry at the Belgian Grand Prix. They obtained permission from the FIA and the other nine teams on the grid to stay on.

However, the team had to sacrifice their points scored so far this season. As of now, the team has been rebranded as ‘Racing Point Force India’. The fairytale continued when Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez locked out the second row of the grid in qualifying. Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon went on to finish fifth and sixth respectively in the race.

Brawn believes that Force India’s survival is important, not just for the team, but for F1 as well.

“It was very important that this story had a positive outcome, thanks to the efforts of all those involved, including the FIA and the other nine teams entered in the championship,” Brawn said.

“It was significant for the good of the sport, for its credibility inwardly and in the eyes of the outside world, and above all for the hundreds of the team’s employees and their families who were worried about job security.

“Today, the team is solid, in the hands of a group of investors who believe in the sport’s long term potential, and who are really enthusiastic about motor racing. I know a great many of the people who work for the Silverstone-based team and I know how much effort they have expended during the past difficult months.

“They are real racers, with a deep passion for racing, and I am particularly happy that this new chapter has begun so positively.