Former Indian F1 team owner Vijay Mallya said that naming his team “Force India” stemmed from a desire to place the Indian tricolor at the pinnacle of global motorsport. Speaking on Raj Shamani’s podcast, the former liquor baron explained that his investment in the team was driven by a personal passion for racing rather than any marketing strategy.
Force India earned a reputation for punching above its weight on a modest budget in the world of Formula 1. Within racing circles, Mallya held his own, having previously competed himself and once stepped away from the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the FIA’s Indian regulatory arm. Now a fugitive residing in the UK, the Bangalore-born businessman made his first public appearance in nearly nine years through this podcast. His last appearance in the F1 paddock was at the British GP in 2018 after his Indian passport was revoked.
On the show, Mallya reiterated that the F1 team was born purely from his love for motor racing, though it later evolved into a platform to promote some of his business interests. He emphasized that the name “Force India” reflected his ambition to showcase India and its national colors on the world motorsport stage. As a lifelong enthusiast, he described his F1 venture as one rooted in passion rather than commercial intent.
Asked why he named his F1 team Force India, Mallya said:
“Now I named it Force India, I could have easily named it Mallya Formula 1, like Williams F1, for instance right. Because I wanted to be the Indian flag to be on the grid. I wanted to know that the team with roots in India of all countries, was at the pinnacle of motorsport. That is why I called it Force India and I had the tricolor on the car. Of course I also used the platform to advertise my brands, including Royal Challenge whisky, White & McKay, which we owned at that time, Kingfisher, then the airline. So the livery of the car and the merchandise around Formula 1 had a lot of our brands on it for promotional purposes. But the core reason was to put an Indian Formula 1 team on the grid.”
Asked if the F1 team was a marketing stint to promote his brands, Mallya replied:
“I’ve always had racing in my blood and I have always loved racing cars. I was involved in motorsport racing clubs in India. I was chairman of the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India for many years and the job of the federation was to basically promote motorsports in India. Now for anybody who is into motor racing, the absolutely pinnacle of motorsport in the world is Formula 1. Now what is Formula 1 all around, the image of Formula 1, big bucks glamour, seriously competitive racing divided by hundredths of a second, full of excitement etc, etc. All the different attributes I have applied to my brands. Plus being a motor racing enthusiast, it was a dream to have an F1 team on the grid. So when the opportunity presented itself, I did it.”
Vijay Mallya comes clean on his F1 investment and sale of the team to Lawrence Stroll
Vijay Mallya believes that his financial struggles, combined with the downfall of Sahara, left him with no choice but to sell the team. Addressing accusations that funds from Kingfisher Airlines were diverted to finance the F1 outfit, the liquor baron insisted this was a narrative spun by legacy media. Force India was sponsored by Sahara, which also backed the Indian cricket team.
Subrata Roy’s decline dealt a second major blow to what Mallya considered his most successful business venture. Despite how it ended, he has no regrets about his F1 involvement and says he wouldn’t have done anything differently. Mallya maintains that he would have held onto the team if circumstances had allowed, rather than selling it to Lawrence Stroll. The team went into administration in 2018 and was later rebranded as Racing Point.
Asked about having to invest a significantly large chunk of money into the F1 team, Mallya said:
“Sure I did. Formula 1 is not cheap.”
Asked if the F1 team investment was a bad decision, he said:
“No, in hindsight, I wouldn’t do anything different.”
Asked why not, because he eventually had to sell it, and the team was accused of being a shell investment, Mallya said:
“Whose accusations? For what?”
Mentioning that the accusation was that of Kingfisher Airlines funds being diverted to the F1 team, the Force India owner said:
“Nobody talks about that… I don’t want to waste my time correcting the barrage of narratives coming from the legacy media.”
Asked about the sale of the F1 team, he replied:
“Yes Force One [India] became Racing Point. And now it is Aston Martin Formula 1.”
Asked why he sold the team, Mallya said:
“I had to at that time because of my worldwide freezing orders, the trouble that Sahara was going through and so on and so forth. So at the end of the day I would have definitely kept it, but it was not to be. Fine you move on in life, but I had ten years of the Indian flag on the Formula 1 grid.”
At its peak, Force India secured an impressive fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship in 2017, with Sergio Perez and Nico Hülkenberg as its drivers. Vijay Mallya had also launched the One in a Billion campaign, aiming to identify and nurture aspiring F1 talent among young Indian drivers. Graduates from the program included Arjun Maini and Jehan Daruvala. Known for consistently punching above its weight despite a limited budget, the Indian outfit laid the foundation for what is now the Aston Martin F1 Team.
Mallya’s journey in Formula 1 began with the acquisition of Spyker Ferrari, formerly Jordan F1, which he rebranded as Force India. While Aston Martin is an ambitious project backed by significantly larger investments, it has yet to surpass Force India’s achievement. Since its rebranding in 2021, the team’s best finish in the Constructors’ Championship remains fifth place.
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Edited by Mitali
