Fernley: 'Mallya didn't expect this'

The future of Force India continues to be discussed a lot after the announcement of its putting into judicial administration last week at a request from its titular pilot Sergio Pérez, from its engine manufacturer Mercedes and main sponsor BWT.

Already dismissed from his position as team manager, Vijay Mallya no longer has control of his team while he is still under threat of extradition to India where he is suspected of tax evasion with his airline Kingfisher Airlines .

Robert Fernley, the deputy director of the Indian team, told Reuters agency that Vijay Mallya still had weight in the future of the team since he remains the majority shareholder but that the businessman was still taken by surprise by the situation.

“He will be able to take part in discussions with the directors regarding the future of the team and Vijay is certainly not going to leave without ensuring that the team is fully supported. That's not the way he works. The team owes him a lot and he is devastated by this situation. However, as a majority shareholder, he can hope to ensure that it falls into good hands., assured the Briton.

Toto wolff, the executive director of Mercedes Motorsport, is closely following developments in the matter. If the star manufacturer supported the request for administration, it is also the supplier of Force India engines. The lack of payments would be at the origin of his choice.

“We are involved spectators, confirmed the Austrian. We would like to understand the financing strategy of a potential buyer and what impact this would have on the collaboration between the two teams. But we are not there yet. »

Mercedes protégé Esteban Ocon is expected to replace Carlos Sainz Jr at Renault in a close future.

Discover the latest information on the F1 and the analysis of the Hungarian GP carried out by our special correspondents in AUTO issue 2176hebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version on all platforms, and from this Wednesday on newsstands