Force India lands McLaren and Mercedes deal

Formula OneHamburg - Force India will be powered by Mercedes engines and use McLaren equipment as well next season, the Formula One team of Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya announced on Monday.

Mallya said in a Force India statement that the long-term deal had been set up with the help of F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and motorsport supremo Max Mosley.

The news came a few days after Force India announced an early end of its engine deal with Ferrari which was originally due to run 2007-2009.

In the new deal, Mercedes will provide engines for a first time to another outfit than its regular partner McLaren with which it won the drivers' world title from Briton Lewis Hamilton on November 2.

McLaren will provide the gearbox, hydraulic systems and operational support for Force India, who are based in Silverstone, Britain.

"McLaren and Mercedes-Benz are two of the most famous names in motorsport history, having achieved great success in Grand Prix racing over many years, and most recently, a superb victory in probably the most dramatic World Championship Formula 1 has seen.

"These new resources and developments will provide an enormous boost to our technical armoury and, as a result, we have high hopes of making good progress in 2009 and beyond," said Mallya.

Force India is the former Spyker team. With drivers Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy and German Adrian Sutil it was the only team not to pick up points in the 2008 season.

Mallya named the first season "a learning experience" but that the team is not "merely making up numbers" and hopes that the team's success in interest in India in the sport will further grow.

"Bernie Ecclestone has declared plans to stage an Indian Grand Prix in 2011, in Delhi, our capital city, by which time Force India Formula One Team will be exactly that: a Formula One force in, and for, India," Mallya said. (dpa)

General: 
People: 
Regions: