Force India to rename team during pre-season tests

Bengaluru, January 24: Force India is likely to have a new name before Formula One's pre-season testing starts at Barcelona, Spain, on February 25, mainly due to branding issues.

Force India are run and co-owned by Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya, who is fighting an Indian government request to extradite him from Britain to face fraud charges related to the collapse of his Kingfisher Airlines.

Mallya, who has not left Britain since March, 2016, has said a name change would make the team more attractive to potential sponsors.

Force India will reveal new team name & logo (and new car) during launch event at Barcelona (Feb 25).

AMuS (in German): https://t.co/GVGkfL2wn8 pic.twitter.com/wanY34dYaw

— Tobi Grüner 🏁 (@tgruener) January 23, 2018

However, s spokesman for the British-based F1 team said that plans had yet to be finalised, however.

"A name change ahead of the new season remains a possibility," he said. "If it happens it would be announced ahead of the launch/testing or at the launch."

Team name changes need the approval of F1's governing body and commercial rights holder.

The team has officially entered the championship as Sahara Force India F1.

A string of companies using the Force One name were registered by the team last year but that appears to have been dropped as an option.

"Anything to do with Force is probably, for the time being, on the back burner," deputy principal Bob Fernley said last November.

"I think that we may have to go to something completely different, if we're going to go at all."

Force India, which had Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon as its main drivers had finished fourth for the past two seasons, scoring more points (187) than ever before last season.

The team launched their 2017 car at Silverstone, over the road from the factory, but this season's presentation is likely to be in Circuit de Catalunya where testing starts next month.

The 2018 F1 season starts in Australia on March 25.

(With Agency inputs)