Force India name disappears as team changes to Racing Point on 2019 F1 entry list

58 comments on “Force India name disappears as team changes to Racing Point on 2019 F1 entry list”

1. 

   Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
   30th November 2018, 21:15

   Good improvement by both #4 and #99. From Chilton and Sutil to Norris and Giovanazzi!
   1. 

      GeoCucc (@geocucc)
      30th November 2018, 22:59

      Not to mention Haryanto’s 88 for Kubica!
      1. 

         Trayambak Chakravarty (@major-dev)
         1st December 2018, 10:05

         I had completely forgotten about Haryanto’s existence.
2. 

   Travis Daye (@travis-daye)
   30th November 2018, 21:18

   Kind of a strange name to go with full time. I get why they are not force India any longer, but ‘racing point’ sounds kinda corporate and lacks the weight of a proper team team. Trying to remember any similar team names of the past… Or any suggestions for the silverstone based team in question!?
   1. 

      ColdFly (@)
      30th November 2018, 21:30

      Why not simply back to Jordan; back to their roots.
      @travis-daye
      1. 

         David BR (@david-br)
         30th November 2018, 21:49

         @coldfly Jordan: The Comeback?
      2. 

         Travis Daye (@travis-daye)
         30th November 2018, 22:34

         I like it… Would love to see the Jordan yellow back as well.
      3. 

         mrfill
         1st December 2018, 23:14

         The roots actually go back further than Jordan Grand Prix Ltd. That was the name adopted after the name change of 18th April 1990 from Totas Euroservices Ltd – which was a company set up to supply personnel for construction and engineering industries. The objects of the company were changed to be motor racing specialists at the same time…
   2. 

      Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
      30th November 2018, 21:32

      Force Stroll?
   3. 

      Bart
      30th November 2018, 21:47

      Racing Point doesn’t make sense – unless the Stroll imperium launches it as the next hot fashion clothing brand.

      But who knows. Ten years ago there was this new team with a name that had no commercial meaning at all and they became world champions out of the blue.
      1. 

         budchekov (@budchekov)
         1st December 2018, 3:57

         Fleur-de-Lance ?
   4. 

      Aleš Norský (@gpfacts)
      30th November 2018, 23:13

      Anything one word…it should never have changed from Jordan…sort of like McLaren that went through a number of ownership changes, but the chassis remains McLaren.
      1. 

         budchekov (@budchekov)
         1st December 2018, 4:02

         Lancelot ?
         1. 

            Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
            1st December 2018, 4:56

            Laurence-elot.
      2. 

         skydiverian (@skydiverian)
         1st December 2018, 21:00

         On that basis I’ll take the opportunity to congratulate Tyrrell Racing on their 5th drivers/constructors championships in consecutive years and 6th in the last 10.
   5. 

      Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
      1st December 2018, 9:28

      Perhaps they only expect to win one point?
   6. 

      Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
      1st December 2018, 11:33

      I had thought ‘Tommy Sport’ would have been a good avenue to go down. Easily liveried and a brand that would suit F1, like Benetton
   7. 

      AndrewT (@andrewt)
      1st December 2018, 20:01

      I could have appreciated “Indie Force”, or simply, as I refer to Jordan, Midland, Spyker and Force India in my stats, “Team Silverstone”
3. 

   ColdFly (@)
   30th November 2018, 21:35

   Is this real?
   Scuderia Ferrari Mission Minnow.
   Too good.
   1. 

      Phylyp (@phylyp)
      30th November 2018, 21:47

      @coldfly – honestly, that strikes me as the stupidest name in that table.
   2. 

      Bart
      30th November 2018, 21:56

      Nonono, read carefully.
      Scuderia Ferrari Mission Minnnow. Not Scuderia Ferrari Mission Minnow.

      I thought they were called Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow, with a W and only 2 n’s in row. But that’s me.
      That, or the minions have been playing with letters again.
      1. 

         ColdFly (@)
         30th November 2018, 22:02

         ;)))
      2. 

         Neil (@neilosjames)
         30th November 2018, 22:52

         Maybe the extra ‘n’ somehow produces a more visible chevron…
   3. 

      Phylyp (@phylyp)
      30th November 2018, 22:50

      @coldfly – somebody ought to tell Keith not to write articles up on a Friday night ;-)
   4. 

      Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
      1st December 2018, 5:02

      How is it that they can change their name at will and no one gets offended, yet when Sahara Force India changed their name to Racing Point Force India there was all sorts of anguish and wailing? RPFI lost all their rights to inherit the benefits of SFI, yet SFMW will continue to inherit the special bonuses that were granted to Ferrari.
      1. 

         mrfill
         2nd December 2018, 12:49

         The team name often includes the name of a sponsor – the title sponsor. Racing Point was a new company that bought the assets off FI but not the company, so there was a bit of a fuss.

         Williams also were Williams Martini Racing but are now Williams Grand Prix Engineering. Like Ferrari, its the same company running things but they lost the Martini sponsorship so deleted it from their name.
         Team name changes happen quite often.
   5. 

      Richard (@rick1984)
      1st December 2018, 11:55

      Should be Scuderia Ferrari anyone-know-how-to-sneak-a-marlboro-logo-on-our-car??? Bit of a mouthful I know but it’s where it is!!!
4. 

   greg-c (@greg-c)
   30th November 2018, 21:37

   Racing Point – Racing ?
5. 

   Jesper (@jesperfey13)
   30th November 2018, 21:47

   Does this mean Ricciardo will be 1st driver?
   Seen on the car by the yellow onboard camara on the car of the “2nd driver’
   1. 

      Mashiat (@mashiat)
      30th November 2018, 22:25

      @jesperfey13 I would guess so, given he finished ahead of Hulkenberg in the championship. However, a lot of newcomers to a team tend to pick up the “second driver” camera color even if they beat their new teammates in the standings the previous season. Alonso in 2010, Vettel in 2009, and Hamilton in 2013 are examples of this. I’m not quite sure how it is allocated. Schumacher was able to keep his “number 1” status despite finishing behind Rosberg in the championship.
   2. 

      Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
      1st December 2018, 5:07

      Why should Ricciardo get the Number 1 status? Hulkenberg has been driving at Renault longer, so Ricciardo will have to Qualify ahead of him, and have to finish ahead of him, and have to have more points than him to justify being given Number 1 treatment. I suspect this is will be easy for Ricciardo, but we’ll have to wait until for a few races to show this is so.
6. 

   Coanda (@ming-mong)
   30th November 2018, 22:46

   terrible name..
7. 

   Cyberaxiom (@dave-m)
   30th November 2018, 23:37

   I’d assumed Norris would keep his 47, the way they stylised it looked like his initials LN.
   1. 

      Jere (@jerejj)
      1st December 2018, 7:22

      @dave-m 47 was only a test/reserve driver number for him.
8. 

   Duncan Snowden
   1st December 2018, 1:03

   “One team principal told RaceFans they had not seen any change submitted or been asked to approve one.”

   Let’s hope that means it isn’t final. Sheesh. They’ve had months to think of something better or, failing that, licence EJ’s name back again.

   (That said, I never thought I’d get used to “Force India”.)
   1. 

      Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
      1st December 2018, 5:25

      The rights to the name Jordan probably vanished with Sahara Force India. This is a new team.
      1. 

         Duncan Snowden
         1st December 2018, 15:42

         Of course. And thus any rights would revert to EJ himself (assuming there were any, and they hadn’t already). But there’s nothing to stop them approaching him for a licence.
         1. 

            mrfill
            1st December 2018, 23:23

            Jordan Grand Prix Limited doesn’t exist any more and hasn’t since 9th November 2005. The name was changed so it is quite possible that a new company could be started with that name. The former Jordan GP Ltd cannot complain as it doesn’t exist legally, unless Katie Price has had any motorsport aspirations…
9. 

   Brian (@flyinglapct)
   1st December 2018, 3:36

   63 for Russell? Does that number have a special meaning for him? Reminds me of a number a September call-up in Major League Baseball would have. You don’t expect those players to be with the team for very long.
   1. 

      Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
      1st December 2018, 11:26

      Branding oppurtunity for 63orge perhaps? Like Bo77as?
      Surprised we dont see more of these. I think Giovina22i was available from next year, or 61ovinazzi. Ku81ca either.
      1. 

         Djangles LeVaughn (@royal-spark)
         1st December 2018, 14:23

         I don’t think it’s to do with 1337 speak marketing. I think it’s more to do with his affiliation with Mercedes and reference to their overall victory at Le Mans in 1989.
         1. 

            Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
            1st December 2018, 17:15

            Ah well connected yeah! A cool reason if that is the case
   2. 

      macaque (@macaque)
      1st December 2018, 20:04

      @flyinglapct check out his helmet. The 63 is GR

      https://twitter.com/GeorgeRussell63/status/1066979061317144576
10. 

    Illusive (@illusive)
    1st December 2018, 6:40

    It’s a shame it won’t be called Force India, me being Indian and all but what a terrible name they have chosen. They should have named themselves Best of the rest.
11. 

    Nitzo (@webtel)
    1st December 2018, 6:42

    Where’s 14 ?? oh wait ….
12. 

    Jere (@jerejj)
    1st December 2018, 7:29

    Out of the Norris/Giovinazzi/Kubica/Russell group, the former three have chosen numbers that have already been in use since the current system of drivers picking permanent race numbers for them came in back in 2014. #4 was originally Chilton’s, 99 Sutil’s, and 88 Haryanto’s race number. The former two became available again for 2016, so that’s the earliest any new or returning driver could’ve chosen them while 88 became re-available for this past season. As usual, I’d like to know the reason(s) behind these choices as well as Russell’s 63. Hopefully, sooner or later.
    BTW, what’s with the ”Mendoza” word? I’ve seen it written/typed behind Sergio Perez on these official entry lists before as well, but still haven’t really figured it out what does it precisely mean.
    1. 

       Djangles LeVaughn (@royal-spark)
       1st December 2018, 10:23

       His full name.
13. 

    Dave
    1st December 2018, 8:23

    Expected a better team name…
14. 

    Palindnilap (@palindnilap)
    1st December 2018, 9:39

    After reading all the official team names, I can’t help but notice how cool McLaren F1 Team, Renault F1 Team and Williams Racing sound.

    Hopefully we never go all the way to the Indycar style and have Vettel under contract to tell us “My Mission Winnow was really fast today” in the post-race interview.
15. 

    Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
    1st December 2018, 9:45

    Let’s just hope that this startling lack of imagination shows they are more interested in building a winning team than in picking cool sounding names.

    On a serious note.
    It could work very well and prove popular in the Asian countries where they use English in a different way and like to create names and titles that can sound strange to English speaking nations … just a thought.
16. 

    Steve Rogers (@yossarian)
    1st December 2018, 11:37

    Worryingly still no title sponsor for Mclaren. And worse still they are now joined by Williams, guess they didn’t find a replacement for Martini…
17. 

    rpaco
    1st December 2018, 11:52

    So it is definitely a new team, new chassis name, next year. So they will not qualify for Coloumn1 payments.
18. 

    vjanik (@vjanik)
    1st December 2018, 11:59

    what a boring name. no imagination at all. didnt they say it was going to be just a placeholder? i thought they would surprise with a cool new title sponsor name.

    i am looking forward to how the commentators will cope with this one. “Both racing points in the points this weekend!”
    1. 

       J.A.
       4th December 2018, 13:31

       Yes, I thought so too! I’m pretty sure I read that they said they’d change it to something else for 2019.
19. 

    John Beak (@johnbeak)
    1st December 2018, 12:07

    All this time we’ve been wondering because Force India never stated what are they going to force India to do. Now we finally know – they forced India out of Force India.
20. 

    KG
    1st December 2018, 12:54

    I wonder if the reason they kept such a generic name is to fish for a big title sponsor. It would probably be more attrractive to companies that their names get mentioned during the races by commentators. I don’t think I have ever heard anyone called Williams as Martini Williams ever. But I can imagine people calling RP as Martini Racing Point because Racing Point is such a generic name.
21. 

    Abrams25
    1st December 2018, 17:33

    Better names: Wolf ( like canadian Walter Wolf), Arrows, Shadow, Panther, Maple leaf or Bombardier.
22. 

    Mark in Florida
    1st December 2018, 23:52

    Poutine Racing, Hockey Hit Racing, Style Point Racing. Or just plain old Rich Stroll Racing.

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