Asian Motor Sports

Vijay Mallya's Force India F 107

Force India owner Vijay Mallya terminated the team’s contract with Ferrari as its engine supplier. The agreement was supposed to last through 2009, but Mallya wasn’t confident in Ferrari’s ability to supply the team with a complete engine, gearbox, KERS package for 2009.

“Force India wishes to thank Ferrari for its much appreciated and valued support to date, which has always been carried out at the highest level; technically and professionally and within an excellent relationship,” read a Force India statement released Friday.

It is speculated that the team will now sign an agreement with McLaren-Mercedes.

Mallya will also be taking more of a hands-on approach with the team after releasing chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne and team principal Colin Kolles. Mallya will take over for Kolles and will be assisted by Director of Force India, Robert Fernley.

Current design director, Mark Smith, and technical director, James Key, will share the duties vacated by Gascoyne.

“Force India is my most difficult project to date and it has become clear that it requires more direct input from my side and greater performance accountability,” said Mallya, who will also continue as Chairman.

“We have come a long way this season, but we need more and that requires some radical reorganization of the management structure to ensure the maximum productivity.”

The Force India/Mclaren deal is reportedly all but complete for the former to buy their cars – lock, stock and barrel – from the latter. It’s a highly tentative deal, however, as Formula One rules are due to be enacted that would ban customer cars.

F1 teams are supposed to act as their own constructors, however other teams – such as Red Bull and Toro Rosso, Honda and the defunct Super Aguri – have been using common designs. David Richards’ Prodrive outfit was slated to re-enter F1 with customer cars from McLaren, but withdrew their tender at the last minute due to the anticipated ban on customer cars.

Mallya evidently thinks the rules won’t be enforced and Force India would turn into an effective B-squad for McLaren.