Force India explains F1 name change delay

Force India has confirmed its Formula 1 team name change will be delayed until the end of the 2018 season after “some people got cold feet at the FIA and the FOM”.

Chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer says the Silverstone-based squad was eager to push through a last-minute name change for the start of the 2018 campaign but were informed by the sport’s managing bodies that it wouldn’t allow a switch so close to the start of the year.

As a result, Force India has postponed any name changes until the end of the season with plans pencilled in for immediately after the final race of 2018 in Abu Dhabi.

“It’s not going to happen this year. To change chassis name, from what I understand, you can’t do it in the middle of the season,” Szafnauer said. “So we’ll have to get it done right at the end of the season.

“We went around to find the best name, we had some discussion with partners, sponsors and employees. Then we went to the FIA and FOM and they said well, you’re a bit out of time. It’s not every day you change your name.”

Szafnauer feels F1’s team name changing policy should be made clearer after its issues having been under the impression it could submit a name change up until the first race of the year.

“The process wasn’t well defined and still isn’t well defined,” he explained. “Now that we know, we’ll do it at the end of the season.

“There isn’t much time between the end and the start anymore. We thought we still had time just before the start of the season. We were about to change it with a week to go and some people got cold feet at the FIA and the FOM. It’s not that big of a deal, we’ll be prepared for next year.”

Force India has registered different names at the United Kingdom’s Companies House governing body, including the reported names considered for selection FORCE and Force One, with team owner Vijay Mallya looking to drop the India part to expand its sponsorship opportunities on a global level.