F1: Force India's Name Changed To 'Race Point Force India'; Will Start With 0 Points

The Force India Formula One Team's name has been officially changed to Race Point Force India and the and team has been granted an official entry in Formula 1 by the FIA. Starting this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix, the former Vijay Mallya-owned outfit will enter as an all new entity in the sport and will be starting this season from zero points in the championship standings. The FIA has agreed that the former team 'Sahara Force India' has forfeit from the championship. While that's a setback for the Silverstone-based team's progress this season, it's a relief that the team's future has been locked for now. On the bright side, drivers Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez will retain their points in the driver's standings.

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With the drama surrounding the future of the team, Force India was sent into Administration following an official complaint by driver Sergio Perez, which secured the jobs of its 400 odd employees. The team was then bought by a consortium led by billionaire Lawrence Stroll, which decided to rebrand the team as Race Point Force India, and has been approved as a completely new entry by the FIA.

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This means that the former Force India entry has been annulled and excluded from the world championship with immediate effect.

The FIA said in a statement, "Following a disciplinary investigation and prosecution by the FIA under Article 4 of the FIA's Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, the Sahara Force India F1 Team has accepted its exclusion from the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship with immediate effect, due to its incapacity to comply with Article 8.2 of the Sporting Regulations moving forward, and forfeits all Constructors Championship points under Article 6.2."

Racing Point Force India's team principal Otmar Szafnauer said, "The new Racing Point Force India Team is delighted to be able to race when the championship resumes in Belgium this weekend. This heralds a new and exciting chapter for us. Just a few weeks ago, an uncertain future lay ahead, with more than 400 jobs at risk; now the new team has the backing of a consortium of investors, led by Lawrence Stroll, who believe in us as a team, in our expertise and in our potential to achieve success on the track. We are grateful to the FIA, the Joint Administrators and Formula One Management for their support in helping us achieve such a welcome outcome and ultimately, we trust, for the sport and its many fans."

Also Read: F1: Sahara Force India Team Finds A New Owner

FIA president Jean Todt added, "I am very pleased that a strong, positive outcome has been reached and welcome the mid-season entry of Racing Point Force India. Creating an environment of financial stability in Formula One is one of the key challenges faced by the sport, however thanks to the hard work of the FIA, the Joint Administrators, Racing Point and Formula One Management we have a situation now that safeguards the future for all of the highly-talented employees, and will maintain the fair and regulated championship competition for the second half of the season."

Sahara Force India was currently standing sixth in the constructors' standings with 59 points and had competitive cars to rise up to fourth like the previous two seasons. As the team starts from zero now, it's great to know that the team won't be exiting mid-season and will still remain one of the more competitive outfits on the grid. We'll be looking forward to see the Race Point Force India make its debut this weekend.