The landscape of Formula One is ever-changing, teams come and go, and they are bought out at their peak or sold off at their lowest ebb. Over time teams can go by many different names. This series will take a look at the many guises teams have gone through, tracking a team’s history throughout its various name changes. This time, the focus is on the team currently known as Force India.
Jordan: 1991-2005
After success in Formula Three and Formula 3000, Eddie Jordan took the next step up to Formula 1 and launched Jordan Grand Prix, with the team making its debut at the 1991 United States Grand Prix. An impressive first season saw Jordan score its first points at only its fifth race, as both drivers came home to score in Canada. Finishing fifth overall in the Constructors’ Championship, 1991 was also notable for Jordan as they gave a Formula One debut to future world champion Michael Schumacher.
The next couple of years were a struggle for Jordan as points finishes were few and far between, but 1994 saw a turn around with regular points finishes and Rubens Barrichello securing the team’s first podium and first pole position. The next few years saw more points and podium finishes before Damon Hill took the team’s maiden win at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix, with Ralf Schumacher following home to make it a 1-2 finish. 1999 proved to be the high point in Jordan Grand Prix’s history with Heinz-Harald Frentzen in contention for the Drivers’ World Championship until late in the season, ultimately leading Jordan to third in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships with two wins and a pole position.
The turn of the millennium saw the start of a decline for the team. After sliding back into the midfield pack in the early 2000’s, 2003 was a particularly eventful year for the team. The team secured its final win in controversial circumstances at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Giancarlo Fisichella was awarded the win in a courtroom after confusion when the race was stopped following a Fernando Alonso crash. Further court action involving the team in 2003 saw Jordan lose out in a court case against mobile phone company Vodafone. After alleging that Vodafone had verbally agreed a £150 million sponsorship deal but switched to Ferrari instead, Jordan eventually withdrew their action, agreeing to pay Vodafone’s costs.
After struggling financially through 2004, the team was sold to the Midland group at the start of 2005, with the team remaining under the Jordan name for one more year before switching to Midland in 2006. The team managed a final podium in its final year at the highly controversial United States Grand Prix, as only six cars started the race after safety concerns over the other cars’ Michelin tyres.
Midland F1 Racing: 2006
Changing the name to Midland in 2006 did nothing to improve the team’s fortunes; they failed to score a single point and finished only above new team Super Aguri in the final Constructors’ standings. The team was sold to Dutch sports car manufacturer Spyker Cars in September. As team name changes are not permitted mid-season, Spyker made itself title sponsor for the final three races before changing its name for the 2007 season.
Spyker: 2007
Now officially called Spyker F1, the Silverstone team failed to improve its fortunes on track. Consistently towards the back of the field, the team saw a tumultuous driver line-up, employing four different drivers throughout the season. Christian Albers was replaced mid-season after failing to deliver sponsorship money, with Markus Winkelhock taking the seat for the European Grand Prix, before Sakon Yamamoto took over for the remaining races. Adrian Sutil scored the team’s only point in Japan after he was promoted from ninth to eighth when Torro Rosso driver Vitantonio Liuzzi was given a 25 second penalty for overtaking Sutil under yellow flag conditions. In October 2007, the team was sold to a consortium led by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya.
Force India: 2008-Present
Now on its fourth team name in as many years, 2008 was another tough year for the team now known as Force India, as they failed to score a single point. 2009 did not start much better but the Belgian Grand Prix provided an unexpected high. Giancarlo Fisichella, in what would turn out to be his last outing for the team, secured pole position and a podium as he finished second. Fisichella was then released from his contract to join Ferarri to fill in for the injured Filipe Massa.
2010 marked the turning point for the team as they moved back into the midfield pack, scoring regular points and finishing seventh in the Constructors’ Championship. 2011 saw more regular points finishes and an improvement to sixth. Since then, Force India have continued to battle for points in the midfield, with a podium for Sergio Pérez a high point, but have yet to score any higher than sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
A Rollercoaster Ride: From Jordan to Force India
The team that originally lined up as Jordan Grand Prix at the 1991 United States GP has had many ups and downs, from the glory days of wins with Damon Hill and Heinz-Harald Fretzen in the late 90s to being a backmarker as Midland and Spyke. Race winners, future and former World Champions have all driven for the team. They have survived tough financial times and continue to find the occasion to punch above their weight, as they did so regularly in their first incarnation.
