Former Spyker team is bought in October by a consortium headed by Indian billionare Dr Vijay Mallya and renamed 'Force India' for the 2008 season.
Three brand new owners in uninterrupted seasons and the vestiges of the Jordan Grand Prix constructor have materialised into the first-ever Indian owned team by the name of Force India Formula One. Collin Kolles will remain as team principal in 2008.
Its vibrant name and jingoistic logo incorporating the colours of the Indian flag was an initiation of billionaire Dr. Vijay Mallya, who's UB Group established a joint venture with the Mol family from the Netherlands. The 'Orange India Holdings' came into an agreement to purchase the Spyker Formula One team Cars N.V in 2007.
Jordan, merit to a bonded and potent technical department, under the leadership of Eddie Jordan, scored three victories and numerous podiums in the 90s. The likes of Rubens Barrichello, former World Champion Damon Hill, Ralf Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Nick Heidfeld and even Michael Schumacher (debut season) drive for the squad.
The German-British duo of Frentzen and Hill fetched the utmost triumphs for the constructor during the 1999 season in association with engine supplier Mugen Honda. The twosome fetched as many as six podium places in the season, inclusive of two victories for Frentzen, to catapult the constructor to third place in the final standings.
Although, it is perhaps accepted, that the story thereafter has been quite a disappointing one for the Silvestone-based team. The team finished ninth place for three consecutive seasons between 2003 and 2005 - until Eddie Jordan decided to sell the outfit to Midland.
Despite constant managerial transformations, the technical department of the team remains unaltered. Mike Gascoyne, who led the engineering team in its Jordan zenith, continues to head the technical department.
The 2008 season will witness two diverse drivers take center stage for Force India F1. Veteran driver Giancarlo Fisichella will drive alongside promising 25-year old driver Adrian Sutil, who boasts of a very successful career in the F3 Euroseries with Team Kolles - the outfit owned by Force India Team Principal Collin Kolles.
Team Boss: Colin Kolles
Races: 4
Race Wins: 0
Constructor's Championships: 0
Engine: Ferrari V8 056
Chassis: Force India VJM-01
Suspension: -
Brakes: Carbon discs
Tyres: Bridgestone
Transmission: Semi-auto 7 speeds
Engine power: -
GearBox: -
Weight: 605 kgs (including driver, camera and ballast)
Dimensions: -
Valves: -
Total displacement: -
Team manager: -
Designer: Mark Smith
Chief engineer: -
Test driver: Vitantonio Liuzzi, R Rodriguez, G van der Garde