Warrant against Vijay Mallya will not affect Force India – Formula 1 news
The deputy principal for the Formula 1 racing team Force India, Rob Fernley, insists that the warrant issued against team owner Vijay Mallya last Friday, will not affect the team in any way.
A court in India had issued a non-bailable warrant against Mallya when a case was brought against his financially stricken Kingfisher airlines for failing to pay salaries to its operators since April. The warrant was issued on the basis that Mallya did not
respond to court summons. Mallya’s whereabouts had not been revealed when the issue came into light.
Fernley thinks that there will be no problems caused by this to Force India as the Indian Grand Prix approaches in about two weeks.
“I think there's been a request for warrants, I don't think they've been issued...but I am hundred percent sure they haven't been served,” he told Reuters. “It doesn't affect the team at all. It has no bearing whatsoever. I don't think it will go anywhere.
It is an offence in India to issue a cheque without the funds being there, for sure. There is substance in that, for sure. Why it was done I don't know. It is so far below Vijay he wouldn't have a clue what is going on anyway.”
The team itself is based in Britain but owns an Indian licence. The world-renowned billionaire bought the team at the end of 2007. The team’s current drivers are Britain’s Paul di Resta and Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg. Most of the brands that sponsor Force
India are themselves owned by Mallya. Sahara Group, which is also a huge Indian business conglomerate, took 42.5 percent stake in the team in 2007.
Mallya has not been present at the last two Grands Prix of Japan and Korea respectively. The deputy principal explained that the owner was never scheduled to be present there. He also added that in the world of Formula 1 they are usually interested in their
own importance while in the world of Mallya, Formula 1 is a very small part of it. He said that Force India was entirely separate from Kingfisher Airlines.
He expressed his disappointment about the whole issue and assured that the whole story was just political propaganda.
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