Mallya steps down as Force India F1 director

Vijay Mallya has resigned as a director in the Force India Formula 1 team as he continues to fight extradition to India in an ongoing legal case.

Mallya, 62, remains in London as authorities continue to try and launch an extradition effort to bring him back to India to answer to a number of financial crimes, among them irregularities surrounding his former airline, Kingfisher Airlines.

Mallya has continued in his role as Force India team principal despite not being able to travel to races, only attending the British Grand Prix each of the last two years, with deputy team boss Robert Fernley and chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer overseeing the day-to-day running of the team on the ground.

In a filing made public by Companies House on Wednesday, it was confirmed that Mallya's appointment as a director of Force India Formula One Team Limited had been terminated on May 24. However, Mallya is expected to remain in the role of team principal.

Force India has confirmed it will be issuing a statement on the matter imminently.

Mallya is one of three shareholders in Force India, owning 42.5 percent of the team, with Subrata Roy holding an equivalent share. The remaining 15 percent of the team is owned by the Mol family.

After finishing fourth in the constructors' championship in 2016 and 2017, Force India currently ranks sixth in the table after six races of the current season.