Lawrence Stroll buys Force India - report
- Published on 24 Jul 2018 10:15
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- By: Jeroen Jonkers
Lance Stroll looks set to switch from ailing Williams to Force India in 2019.
Not just that, his billionaire father and financier Lawrence Stroll has reportedly bought the Silverstone based team as well.
Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims the day after the German grand prix was a crucial one for Force India, amid obvious financial problems.
"There is mounting speculation that Force India will file for bankruptcy," said correspondent Michael Schmidt.
Another German publication, Auto Bild, says fashion mogul Stroll could be the saviour.
"It is unclear whether he has secured a majority stake or if the team now belongs completely to him," said correspondent Ralf Bach.
Other parties have also looked into buying Force India recently, including major sponsor BWT and the British energy drink Rich Energy.
"People have been writing about the ownership of my team for years," team boss Vijay Mallya said earlier in July.
"You will not see anybody in Force India walking around with a For Sale sign. All I can say is if there is a credible offer with cash on the table, I will be the first to discuss with my shareholders.
"Until then, speculation remains speculation," he added.
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Replies (12)
Login to replyk.gandhiin
Posts: 17
Noo!!! I hope they keep the DNA of this team intact.
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
The difference between a team to another is always, the management, not the resources: Hardware or software.
Bhurt
Posts: 320
Can't be good for Williams.
F1todayfan101
Posts: 120
A nail in the coffin perhaps?
Kean
Posts: 692
There are more Canadians with lots of money, Latifi comes to mind.
Bhurt
Posts: 320
@F1TODAY perhaps. Or the start of a process making Williams a b-team for Merc in the mold of Sauber to Ferrari today.
f1dave
Posts: 782
Headline should be " Force India to get inferior driver. "
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
Blessing in disguise for Williams. Might loose few millions in short-term, but they might be able to get an experienced guy who knows what he is doing.
Kean
Posts: 692
Could be an end of an era regarding Force India's driver choice. They've always gone for talent before money (naturally, given a choice, they've gone for talent AND money as opposed to just talent). With Lance in one of the cars, I can't see either Ocon or Perez getting re-newed contracts because they will make Lance look so incredibly bad. I think daddy-Stroll will be shopping around for a pay driver that is not quite on par with Ocon or Perez.
blade
Posts: 341
Wow - why couldn't Stroll just buy a majority shareholding in Williams - history, brand - I bet the family were holding out for too much - or it might be that the problems there are so big that Stroll snr saw it would take too long to turn it around.....hhmmm
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
I'd probably agree with the notion that this is bad for Williams, be it short term or longterm. While its good news that Stroll jr. may or may not move to be mediocre in another team, Stroll sr. is a huge backer to Williams, easily equalling the sums Martini brought them, and that could be a devastating blow to them. On the other hand it might help them learn a lesson in being more efficient with their cash. With the sums they spend on F1, there is no excuse for where they are today. Likewise, its good news for Force India if he is buying them, because he is committed to the sport and has deep pockets, and AFAIK nowhere near as dirty pockets as Mallya and co. Regardless if he is paired with Ocon or Perez I think Stroll jr will be dominated there, and as long as they have that one cash cow, and he gains points every now and then, Im sure they'll be pleased. Assuming, of course, Williams will be willing to let their cash cow move team, which Im not sure if they are.
RogerF1
Posts: 501
He called it right! That’s not to say that someone else might buy it out from the administrators but wouldn’t be good for Williams’ finances