MUMBAI: Five years after the Buddh International Circuit hosted its last Formula 1 race in 2013, India’s link to F1 is all but over with the announcement Saturday that the Force India name will be replaced by Racing Point on next season’s grid, following official confirmation of the team’s rebranding for 2019.
Tata Communications, F1’s Official Connectivity Provider, is the only Indian link remaining to the world’s most expensive and glamorous sport.
The development follows on from Force India’s takeover earlier this year by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, whose son Lance will partner Sergio Perez in the squad’s new driver line-up.
Following that takeover, from August’s Belgian Grand Prix the team became a new entity, forfeiting their previous 2018 constructors’ championship points and competing as Racing Point Force India.
Now, Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, has confirmed in its official 2019 entry list that the team will be known simply as Racing Point next year.
The Force India name had been a fixture on the F1 grid since former boss Vijay Mallya took over the Spyker team – formerly Jordan and MF1 – at the end of 2007.
Other changes confirmed in the FIA’s 2019 entry list are new title sponsors for the Ferrari and Haas teams – Mission Winnow and Rich Energy respectively – as well as race numbers for most of next year’s new drivers.
