Mallya: Monaco “silenced critics” ahead of 100th race

2013 Canadian Grand Prix

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Vijay Mallya said it was “very satisfying” to see Force India holding on to fifth in the championship after a strong result in Monaco.

“The race in Monaco showed the sheer class of our two drivers, and probably helped silence some critics of the team,” said Mallya. Adrian Sutil finished fifth with Paul di Resta climbed eight places to ninth.

“I think we are now knocking on the door of our first podium finish since 2009, and it’s time to do that all-important step,” Mallya added.

This weekend’s race will be the 100th start for Force India, which first appeared in F1 in 2008. Mallya took over the team which had originally been founded by Eddie Jordan in 1991.

“When we started back in 2008 we simply had the ambition to break out of Q1 and we dreamed of scoring points,” said Mallya. “Seeing where we stand today is therefore extremely rewarding and motivates us all to continue working just as hard for the next 100 races.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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19 comments on “Mallya: Monaco “silenced critics” ahead of 100th race”

  1. A few years back he used to have a yacht which he would flaunt during the Monaco GP. Now it’s like, Life of Pi.

    1. That’s a … heady interpretation.

    2. You do realise that he still throws parties on his mega yatch at Monaco.. right? Quite far from the Life of Pi as you put it..
      Read here:

  2. I think VJ and his team have done well. They have been consistent and well managed. However, I am amazed how VJ’s financial escapades havent caught up with the team…if Times of India is close to being right, he is supposedly in financial ruin.

    Hope the best for FI, good to see the privateers succeeding. If VJ’s troubles does catch up with the team at some point, perhaps it might be an attractive proposition for a big take over by a major manufacturer? Im still surprised that the likes of Hyundai have not expressed interest in F1…it would do wonders for their PR campaign and image. I doubt money will be too much of an issue for them considering the might of their brand as a conglomerate.

    1. You are right I think, he must be keeping it going ready for a sale, but curve is going up now so I think he should sell while there is potential, he needs the money.

      Not sure Hyundai are that interested, they just started building their WRC rally team up though…

    2. VJ is doing just fine. His net worth has been steadily rising for years. Check out Forbes.com. You guys are confusing his wealth with his Airline business (Kingfisher airlines), which is on the brink of bankrupcy. Dont forget that the airlines is a small part of his empire. He made most of his money in the liqour industry which remains very profitable. Even if Kingfisher airlines go bankrupt it will not affect Mallya’s wealth. It will most probably help him because he will not have to use his profits form beer and whiskey to subsidize the airlines. Who WILL suffer will be all the employees of Kingfisher Airlines, but not Mallya himself. Its called limited liability and has served owners and CEOs very well throughout history. The parties on his yacht will continue.

      1. Exactly, it will hardly affect the Force India F1 team and also they sold a large portion of the teams shares to the Sahara Group too.

  3. Honestly, I think Force India are about where they were at last year. They’ve only really profited from other teams – like McLaren and Sauber – struggling.

    1. Completely agree.

      However, knowing how to find the advantage in a certain situation and successfully capitalize on it is a game of its own and I’m glad Force India are winning at it at the moment.
      Always struck me as one of those teams who want it hard enough. And in my eyes they probably deserve that place more than McLaren and Sauber do, for now at least.

    2. While I do agree with you PM, I would also like to give credit where it is due.

      The VJM06 may not be a revolutionary design, but that is what the rules called for. Force India should be given credit for designing a solid car which is gentle on the 2013 spec Pirelli, which is more than can be said for teams like McLaren and Sauber who went for broke and have, so far, struggled.

      1. True, but they’re trying to sell it as proof of their progress, as if they’ve genuinely passed the other teams on raw pace. Which isn’t true at all.

        And if Mallya thinks his team is going to get a podium, he’s having himself on. Force India are fifth because there are eight cars that are faster than them on the track. He’s got to find a way past six of them – which isn’t going to be easy, assuming it can be done at all.

        1. Di Resta came within a whisker of it at Bahrain. In the right circumstances a podium isn’t as far off as you are making out. Let’s not forget that in 2013 raw pace counts for little, if it did Vettel and Red Bull would be running even further into the distance than they already are in both championships.

          At the end of the day Force India have built a solid car, they have solid drivers and they are picking up solid points while others who have talked big games have faltered. In my book that means they deserve to blow their own trumpet a bit.

        2. I disagree. In qualifying, they have been in the top 10 consistently. That does mean they have some raw pace. But unless you have race pace all this talk about raw pace is useless. Like Mercedes!
          And Mallya never said anything about passing other teams. He just said they were close to a podium. And they did come tantalizingly close in Bahrain by beating your requirement of 6 other cars. Canada suits their car. I don’t see why they won’t be able to get a podium.

        3. @prisoner-monkeys @geemac @rojov123 Yes, to an extent Force India’s current rank in the table is due to the mess that McLaren and Sauber find themselves in. But don’t forget Force India genuinely screwed themselves up in pit-stops on multiple occasions. Had they been successful in their efforts those pit-stops they might even be stronger than what the table suggests.

    3. @prisoner-monkeys that’s true, but you can also say that they made a good job keeping where they are. If McLaren and Sauber failed with their designs or whatever, it’s a failure for them. Force India evolved with the car, and mantained the gap to the leaders. It’s just like the leading team keeping his status as the fastest of the field…

  4. Agreed, their advantage is more due to taking care of tyres and a solid package instead of massive improvement or raw speed, and once the struggling arrows figure out* the Pirellis; they’ll struggle to beat Mercedes and McLaren is bound to beat them in development. However, they are still the best of the rest.

    But wondering if Mallya actually has a Mateschitzic tendency; if he wants to keep fighting for a big racing success or waiting for the right time to sell. His business woes are no good sign but the way he kept the team focused, away from Kingfisher’s problems, means he’s doing the right thing.

  5. I believe that Mallya’s team have been doing a great job for many years and deserve perhaps even more praise than Newey and his boys at Red Bull. I think that Force India have always hired the best available drivers but it only partly explains their good performance. It’s actually a small wonder that they have occasionally been able to lead several laps and fight for podium finishes or that they are ahead of McLaren in the championship standings now. Call me selfish but I don’t care how Mallya does his business or what happens with other companies that he owns as long as he’s able to manage his F1 team as effectively as that. Podium finish or even win at the Indian Grand Prix, their home race, would be a justified reward for all the team’s efforts.

  6. I realise his business practices are perhaps not the best, but I really like Mallya in F1, he’s always seemed enthusiastic and commited.

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