Force India separates from Ferrari engines

The Indian team Force India, which is undergoing restructuring for the 2009 season, has finally formalized its change of engine supplier. The newly created team by Vijay Mallya has terminated the contract with Ferrari and will hence power the VJM-02 with McLaren-Mercedes.

For several weeks now, we have been announcing changes at Force India. The team is not at its best despite significant investments last winter and is undergoing restructuring. After altering the management staff, it’s now time for the technical specifications to change.

« Force India Formula One Team announced today that it has terminated its contract with Ferrari. The agreement signed in 2007 was set to run until 2009. It will ultimately be broken soon, on the revised date by Force India.

The team thus wanted to pay tribute to Scuderia for its services: « Force India also wishes to thank Ferrari for delivering very high-level engines, as well as for its behavior, both technically and professionally, perfect. »

Ferrari had been equipping the team’s single-seaters since Spyker’s creation two years ago. But for reasons of cost and simplicity, they wanted to rely on more than just an engine supplier. This one will deliver an engine, a gearbox, and the KERS system to the 10th team in the paddock.

Ferrari, not wanting to allocate so many resources to Force India, logically led Vijay Mallya to terminate the contract linking the two teams. Bernie Ecclestone and representatives from both teams discussed it last Sunday in the FIA motorhome. The Formula 1’s chief financial officer was thus able to give his consent during the Brazilian GP.

Once this step is completed, Force India finds itself without an engine for the next season. The Indian team will therefore be able to speed things up with McLaren-Mercedes for the delivery of a power package: Engine, Gearbox, and KERS system.

If however, the team does not reach an agreement soon, which seems to be on the right track, it could find itself without a V8 engine next season, and thus, without cars on the track… According to the latest rumors, a contract is expected to be announced between the Woking team (McLaren) and the Silverstone team (Force India) next Monday.