Force India is still aiming to change their name before the start of the new Formula 1 season in a month’s time, COO Otmar Szafnauer has claimed.
Before pre-season testing began on Monday, the Silverstone-based team became the last to launch their 2018 car, doing so in the pit-lane at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Eyebrows were raised, however, at the lack of official team wear and branding in the garage with Szafnauer confirming work to change the name is still going on behind the scenes.
“There’s a high probability that it will happen before the first race of this year,” he told Motorsport.com. “The deadline is coming close and like anything, the closer you get to a deadline the harder you work to make sure it happens.
“We still haven’t quite pinpointed what the name change will be, but we always said there will be a name change coming.”
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This also comes after Force India denied recent reports of talks with British energy drinks firm Rich Energy over a £200m takeover, instead, insisting the desire to remove the ‘India’ aspect is to boost sponsorship opportunities.
“We’ve had discussions with people who say, ‘If you change the name, we’re more interested – although not for this year.’,” the COO explained. “That’s why we’ve got to get it right, not for this year, but for next year.
“My preference is that we do it now. If it doesn’t happen now, it’s not detrimental but if it doesn’t happen at all, it could potentially be detrimental. It doesn’t affect anything we’re doing now.”
