Force India F1

Three Seasons, Three Owners. That has been the story of the Jordan Grand Prix Constructor team. The story has taken a new step with Indian billionaire, Dr. Vijay Mallya’s initiative to establish a joint venture with the Mol family from the Netherlands. This venture has given India its first ever ‘Indian-Owned’, Formula1 team. Collin Kolles, Team Principal of Jordan, will stay on as the Principal for Force India, in 2008.

The name, logo and colours have an Indian twist to it mainly due to the inputs of Dr. Mallya. Along with the Mol family, the ‘Orange India Holdings’ came into an agreement to purchase the Spyker Formula1 Team Cars, in 2007.

Rubens Barrichello, former World Champion Damon Hill, Ralf Schumacher, Heinz-Harald, Frentzen, Nick Heidfeld and even a young Michael Schumacher, in his debut season, have driven for the Jordan Formula1 team in the past. Under Eddie Jordan, the team scored three victories and numerous podium finishes in the 90s. The German-British duo of Frentzen and Hill fetched the utmost triumphs for the constructor during the 1999 season. Jordan had associated themselves with engine supplier Mugen Honda. The dynamic duo fetched as many as six podium places in the season, including two victories for Frentzen. These performances saw Jordan catapult to third place in the final standings in the Constructors’ Championships.

Thereafter, the Silverstone based team has had a terrible fate. Finishing ninth for 3 seasons saw a frustrated Eddie Jordan sell the team 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.