Next four weeks decisive for Force India survival
- Published on 28 Mar 2018 10:51
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- By: Rob Veenstra
Force India is in a race for mere survival, its deputy boss Bob Fernley has admitted. Amid owner and boss Vijay Mallya's ever deepening legal troubles, his deputy Fernley has revealed he is scrambling to put together the team's 2018 budget.
"The next four weeks will decide if we will survive," Germany's Auto Bild quotes him as saying. "I will have to raise a lot of money in a short amount of time."
Previously, Force India has been given a helping hand by getting an advance on its official F1 income. Fernley said: "For that we always need the approval of the other teams, and this time Williams has put in the veto. I have a plan that could work in the next two to three weeks," he added.
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Replies (16)
Login to replyRenaultFM1
Posts: 100
What a move from Williams. Why would you want veto for something that is legal. They could come in the same situation one day soon or later.
denis1304
Posts: 284
WHAT A DICK MOVE WILLIAMS
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
Indeed. They won the title: Idiots of F1.
juju_hound
Posts: 180
Good job for Fernley saying this loudly. Force India had a great year 2017. Lack of money can be a main factor of their poor pace in Melbourne. Other teams moved forward mainy Haas and McLaren. It wont be easy in this situation to repeat 2017 and I was hoping Ocon joining Mercedes in Bottas place after another great year.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Its weird to find them in this position. They havent been scoring bad places, and they dont tend to be low on sponsors. Is F1 really that expensive for them?
Kean
Posts: 692
@Calle, I think F1 really is that expensive. Williams with their Martini sponsorship, and their two paydrivers are also struggling financially. Granted Williams have lost sponsors. But regarding SFI, perhaps they've sold their add-space too cheap? And, last year, after securing fourth in the championship, they found themselves in the position where every extra point earned actually cost them money, since entry fees are based on points scored the prior season.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Maybe, but regardless FI has the quantity to compensate for that. And they certainly didnt become pink for spare change. But then again, they've struggled a for a couple of years now. I really dont hope this is the end for them, I'd hate to see them go. Its a good point about the points system though, I had forgotten that. Really dont hope it leads to good placed teams sandbagging to not get penalized.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
WHAT A DICK MOVE WILLIAMS - DENIS1304 2018.
No but honestly. Why would you do that. I mean, sure, you'll get one less opponent to worry about, you might climb one place higher up and earn just slightly more money, but for heaven's sake. Its beyond me. Its incomprehensibly cruel, and the very definition of not being a sportman. A sincere screw you from me to you, you bloody, stupid little cu-SKELETON WARRIORS!
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
This iis infuriating at so many levels. Force India have been performing incredibly well. They have top drivers who brought a lot to the show last year and previous year. They are everything am independently owned tram should be. Yet, they are seemingly almost out of business. I still don't understand why nobody else has acquired them. Meanwhile, Williams, out of all teams, are the only ones in the way of Force India getting some relief. Maybe they don't believe in karma.
Kean
Posts: 692
2018 is shaping upp to be a stellar season for the old Williams team. Losing sponsors to McLaren, getting chewed up for their choice of drivers, having a car that underperforms, and now they've decided to block the one small private team that manages to get it right on the track. Maybe Williams don't care about having fans anymore.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
I really hope this bites them in the arse.
Kean
Posts: 692
If Stroll and Sirotkin don't up their game, the arse biting will come from them.
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
Frankly I don't get why everyone is so worked up about Williams doing what is their legal right. It's not their fault that Force India has been mismanaged by a crook! I feel bad for Fernley, he seems like a genuinely good guy, but he should have seen this coming for a couple of years now. I'm not making any excuses for Williams not having their act together, or using the rules to their advantage, but that's what that rule is there for. They're not doing anything wrong. All the other teams have to get it together without the advance payment, no?
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
We are disappointed by this, because while its a legal thing to do it doesnt make it less of an asshattery. Force India is the child of Mallya, true, but why judge a child by his father's questionable merits? Force India the team is something I cant help but like. The lead personnel is nice, they have two solid drivers, and for being a low budget team they've performed very well, Mercedes team or not. We need teams like that in F1. Of course, this is just the usual politics of F1, teams trying to screw other teams over, nothing new there, but for Williams, a team saying they are all about sportmanship, to do this, is just a Himmlerscrotum thing to do. I expect this from the likes of Ferrari, McLaren or Red Bull. I expect more from Williams.
k.gandhiin
Posts: 17
If I hear "Ferrari leaving F1, or Mercesdes leaving F1" I'll not be sad. But any bad news about Force India's survival is just devastating for me, the team which has shown true racing spirit from last 6 years is just suffering for fund flow.
mbmwe36
Posts: 533
Good for Williams.
There's been stories of this happening for years with Force India. At some point, enough is enough. They have basically been living above their means for years. They've had years to consolidate. But they chose to keep spending money they don't really have, and now it's biting them in the ass.
I've been as critical as anybody when it comes to Williams and their stupid decisions, but this time they're in the right.