The team was started as Jordan, was rebranded to Midland, then Spyker and became Force India in 2008 could be undergoing another name change in 2018. Before you start to panic that this beloved team is being sold again, it’s not. The name change is for another reason.
Vijay Mallya bought and branded the Force India team in 2008 with the intent of getting Indian businesses to sponsor the team. Unfortunately, the team has been wildly unsuccessful in securing Indian sponsors and now feels that the team name could be preventing the team from gaining global sponsors. The team could be looking to explore a more globally inclusive team name.
After great success in 2016, Force India was able to secure a massive sponsorship deal from BWT, an Austrian water technology group. The sponsorship prompted a massive livery change from the team before the start of the season. Force India is looking for more big money-making sponsorships in the near future from outside of India.
A name change proposal will be pitched to the team’s shareholders. Team management has said that a team name change was proposed by a sponsor, while also adding that the team is in the progress of securing additional sponsorship. This could suggest that there could be a potential title sponsor in the mix.
Mallya has denied that the team name change has anything to do with his current legal situation. The Indian businessman is under investigation by Indian authorities for fraud and other financial offenses, including unpaid loans adding up to around £900m. In April, Mallya’s passport was revoked, leaving him in the UK, where he was arrested by the UK police days later as part of an extradition request.
What do you think Force India’s new team name should be? Share your ideas in the comments below!
