Racing Point Force India

Background

The team's origins stemmed from the Jordan Grand Prix team, which entered Formula One racing in 1991 based at the Silverstone racing circuit. Jordan enjoyed many years in Formula One, winning four races and achieving third place in the 1999 Constructors' Championship. However, like many of the smaller teams in the 2000s, financial problems meant the team's performance dried up, and team owner Eddie Jordan sold the team to the Midland Group in early 2005.

The Midland-owned team, renamed Midland F1 Racing in 2006, spent two seasons at the back of grid, before owner Alex Shnaider sold the team to Spyker Cars midway through the 2006 season.^[10]

Spyker F1 scored a point in 2007 and briefly led the European Grand Prix; despite this, the team once again hit financing issues,^[11] and was sold on to Indian businessman Vijay Mallya, then-chairman of the United Breweries Group, and Michiel Mol, Spyker's Formula One Director.^[12] The team, bought for €88 million,^[13] was renamed Force India F1 for the 2008 season, and retained team principal Colin Kolles, Chief Technology Officer Mike Gascoyne, and driver Adrian Sutil.^[13]

During late July 2018, Force India was put under administration. Its assets were purchased by a consortium of investors, named Racing Point UK Ltd. and led by Lawrence Stroll. The consortium created a new constructor with the assets and entered the sport prior to the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix, taking the vacated entry of the original Force India team.^[14]

2018 season

In the build-up to the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix, the team was unsure if they would be able to race as the consortium that bought Force India had to get the approval of 13 Indian banks that had financial claims on the team.^[14] The full approval arrived after the deadline, so the consortium purchased the old team's assets rather than buy the team itself. The newly-formed team then had to apply for participation in the Formula One World Championship under a new name, thus the adding of "Racing Point" to the team's name.^[14] The FIA excluded the former Force India entry from the championship "due to its inability to complete the season", and welcomed the new entity (Racing Point Force India F1 Team) that was able to race in the Belgian Grand Prix, but was not allowed to retain any points of the old team. The drivers, however, were able to keep their points in the Drivers' Championship.^[15][14] Under a special agreement, and with unanimous approval of the nine other teams, the new team was allowed to keep the prize money the old team had earned in the preceding years under the Sahara Force India name.^[16]

At the Belgian Grand Prix, Force India achieved 3rd and 4th place during a qualifying which was hit by rain during the final part. In the race they managed 5th and 6th place, thereby collecting 18 points allowing them to take the 9th place in the Constructors' Championship at the conclusion of their first Grand Prix.^[17] They finished the next race in Italy in 6th and 7th, therefore jumping to 7th in the Constructors' Championship, ahead of Sauber, Toro Rosso and Williams.