Amidst the financial turmoil that the team is going through, the future of Sahara Force India Formula Team remains uncertain in the championship. However, Formula 1 boss Ross Brawn has said that the commercial rights holder Liberty Media will do "all in its power" to ensure that the Silverstone-based outfit survives after going into administration. Force India driver Sergio Perez forced the team in administraiton, in a bid to keep the team afloat and secure the future of its 400 employees. However, the long term future of the team will depend on a new buyer that can save Force India from winding up operations.
Speaking at the post-race debrief at the end of the Hungary Grand Prix last weekend, Ross Brawn said, "Formula 1 will be doing all in its power to ensure the team survives and I truly hope that in the coming days and weeks its future is resolved. Over the past few years the Silverstone-based team has been an amazing example of what can be done with limited resources, showing that what you do and how you do it is much more important than the size of your budget."
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(Force India currently stands sixth in the 2018 constructors' standings)
Furthermore, Brawn said, that all F1 participants deserved the upcoming summer break, "especially those who work at Force India, which is going through a particularly difficult time at the moment".
Ahead of the Hungary GP last weekend, Force India driver Sergio Perez's legal team requested the courts to put the team under Administration, which allows the team to operate until a new buyer is found. The move was prompted after one of the team's creditors approached the UK courts in order to get a 'wind up' notice against the team. This would result in the immediate stopping of all activities, while the team would have to sell of its assets to pay off the creditors. Perez's legal move ensured that the team operates in the interim till a new buyer is found, which is likely to be billionaire Lawrence Stroll, father of Williams F1 driver Lance Stroll.
(Sergio Perez pushed the team into administration after creditors approached UK courts for a "wind up" notice)
However, an ownership change requires the approval of all other teams in order to be eligible for the television prize money. The teams are eligible for two different types of prize money under F1. One being the set figure for all teams, while the other is based on where the team finishes in the top ten position on the constructors' championship in two of the last three seasons.
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However, it's believed that teams including Williams, McLaren and Renault are not in much in support of the same, which could jeopardise the sale. Moreover, without the approval of all teams, Force India won't eligible for the bulk of its prize money until 2020, which runs into millions of dollars.
Force India brought home an incredible fourth place in the constructors' championships for the previous two seasons. This despite having one of the smallest budgets compared to other teams. This season, however, has been a challenging one with Haas managing better results over the Silverstone-based team. Force India currently stands sixth in the constructors' standings for 2018.
