Force India

Force India leave Lotus behind

Air Asia and Lotus boss, Tony Fernandes and his driver Heikki Kovalainen, were left stranded after todays FIA press conference when the heavens opened, bringing down yet another downpour of serious rain. Although in a rush to get back to… the team, they had not brought an umbrella and could not risk being photographed under one belonging to rival airline, Kingfisher, as kindly offered by Force India pedaller, Tonio Liuzzi.

Fernandes seems to have thought of everything in getting his team up and running but despite being a local boy and being aware it does tend to rain from time to time in these parts, umbrella’s weren’t on the shopping list.

Bet they are now…

Friday, April 2nd, 2010
Tags: Air Asia, Force India, Heikki Kovalainen, Kingfisher, Lotus, Tony Fernandes, Vitantonio Liuzzi
Posted in 04 April – Malaysia, Force India, Force India-2010, Lotus-2010 | Force India leave Lotus behind

Keen eyed Fifi mechanic has Lotus worried?

When it was revealed that Force India were more than a little concerned that Lotus’ wind tunnel model of their proposed car for 2010 showed more than a passing resemblance to last years VJM01, Lotus were not overly worried.

Lotus… tech boss, Mike Gascoyne, said that any similarity was because “It has been designed by people who already have a good knowledge of the current F1 regulations through their work on previous projects.”

When it was then pointed out that a Force India mechanic had recognised his own handwriting on the models tyres, Mike apparently had to crack open a pack of these…

Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Tags: Force India, Lotus, Mike Gascoyne, VJM01
Posted in Force India, TEAMS AND DRIVERS | Keen eyed Fifi mechanic has Lotus worried?

Liuzzi chases down Brazilian bandit

When you travel to Brazil you should do so in the knowledge that it’s a fairly safe bet that you could be robbed, kidnapped or murdered. Sometimes all three. However you wouldn’t expect it to happen while you are in… the process of qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

While some F1 personnel were mugged on the way from the airport to the Interlagos circuit, Force India’s Tonio Liuzzi had to contend with a would-be-robber, just minutes after he had crashed out at turn one while attempting to qualify for Sunday’s race.

While the Italian was busy picking bits of carbon fibre from his beard, a track marshall decided to leg it with his steering wheel before being nabbed by a quick witted Liuzzi.

However, a sense of public duty does not come into it as Force India’s drivers are under strict instructions to look after the €30,000 piece of kit.

“The team has said to me, no matter what happens, never let the steering wheel leave your hands.”

Regular Highway Code stuff then.

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
Tags: Brazilian Grand Prix, Force India, Interlagos, Vitantonio Liuzzi
Posted in Brazil F1, Force India | Liuzzi chases down Brazilian bandit

How did Mike Gascoyne ever find his way to work?

In an interview in todays New Straits Times, the technical chief of the new ’1 Malaysia Lotus F1 Team’, Mike Gascoyne, is in his usual fighting mood, promoting the merits of Malaysian drivers and engineers while at the same time getting in a good… dig at former employers, Force India.

Gascoyne reckons that by 2012, the team will build its own cars in Malaysia and that eventually he hopes to “make myself redundant and replace myself with a Malaysian technical director”

Sounds like a plan that just can’t fail.

Gazza then tries to convince us and himself, that while Lotus is a totally local effort (ignoring trading on the great old name of course) future rivals, Force India, are fakes.

“Look at Force India, it’s just the old Jordan team with a Force India badge. It doesn’t employ any Indians, and it’s based in Oxfordshire”

Last time we checked, Silverstone, where Mike worked for many years is actually based in Northamptonshire.

It must be the heat, there can be no other explanation…

Thursday, October 15th, 2009
Tags: Force India, Lotus, Mike Gascoyne
Posted in Force India, TEAMS AND DRIVERS | How did Mike Gascoyne ever find his way to work?

Force India’s secret weapon for Suzuka

While Adrian Sutil did end up topping the time sheets for Fifi in practice two for the Japanese Grand Prix, it was actually his mechanics who set the fastest time in the sodden first half hour when they set a… paper boat off down the pitlane. The boat, a scale model of team owner, Vijay Mallya’s Indian Empress yacht, was going a treat past the Williams pit until a marshall stepped on it. Spoilsport.

Friday, October 2nd, 2009
Tags: Adrian Sutil, boat, Fifi, Force India, Indian Empress, Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka, Vijay Mallya, Williams, yacht
Posted in Force India, Japan F1, TEAMS AND DRIVERS | Force India’s secret weapon for Suzuka

How not to curry favour with the boss…

Despite them having the best weekend in their short history, positive karma is in short supply at Force India, as their director of business affairs, Ian Phillips, has found himself in very hot water with his boss Vijay Mallya.

Phillips ventured… the opinion, held by everybody else on the planet apart from Dr Mallya, that Giancarlo Fisichella would be a Ferrari driver within days, which caused the King of Bling to choke on his naan before issuing a rather stern riposte.

“Ian Philips’ comments do not reflect the views of the team since he is not the designated spokesperson, nor is he authorised to speak to the media. His comments should therefore be ignored,”

We’ll ignore him, but he’s still right…

Monday, August 31st, 2009
Tags: Belgian Grand Prix, Ferrari, Force India, Giancarlo Fisichella, Ian Phillips, Vijay Mallya
Posted in Force India, TEAMS AND DRIVERS | How not to curry favour with the boss…

Fisi accidentally sends India into orbit

The effects of Force India’s amazing Belgian Grand Prix weekend have been felt in deep space, with the teams pole position on Saturday being directly linked to the loss of the Indian Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft.

The £45 million, unmanned craft was launched… last October on a two year mission of exploration orbiting the Moon, but all contact was suddenly lost after qualifying on Saturday.

A spokesman at the Bangalore-based Space Research Organisation said the fault had been traced to a technician who had been watching events unfold in Belgium on the television, before banging his hands down on the control panel just as Giancarlo Fisichella secured pole, sending the Moon probe off on a one way trip in the direction of Jupiter.

The organisation though are not too unhappy, as like the rest of India they are busy celebrating India’s first pole and podium with a British based team, staffed mainly by Europeans with a car built in Northampton driven by an Italian with a German engine.

Well done India…

Sunday, August 30th, 2009
Tags: Giancarlo Fisichella
Posted in Belgium F1, Force India | Fisi accidentally sends India into orbit

Force India forced to find new home

The rarefied atmosphere of the F1 paddock was somewhat spoilt today with the discovery of a positively down at heel motorhome, parked in the spot where Force India’s opulent glass palace normally sits.

Apparently there was not enough time between the… Valencia and Spa events for the team to reconstruct VJ Mallya’s luxury pad, so there was a last minute panic to find an alternative, which was not easy with the Belgian Bank Holiday weekend fast approaching.

Thursday, August 27th, 2009
Tags: Belgian Grand Prix, F1 paddock, Force India, Spa, Valencia, Vijay Mallya
Posted in Belgium F1, Force India | Force India forced to find new home

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