Formula 1: Force India chief Vijay Mallya set to defy home critics

By IAN PARKES
Published on 26/10/2012 00:00

Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya will defy his critics this weekend by appearing at his home grand prix in India. Mallya has been in the public eye in India of late, notably failing to pay employees of one of his many companies, Kingfisher Airlines, for the last seven months.

With total debts believed to be running at around £1.5billion as the airline has never made a profit over its seven years in existence, the planes have been grounded since the start of this month.

A protest had been planned by employees for the Buddh International Circuit yesterday, with authorities on alert after a prior demonstration earlier this month turned violent. That was aborted, however, in light of further talks between staff and management, with the former group agreeing to return to work in light of being promised four of the seven months’ back pay.

Mallya’s empire includes United Spirits, the second biggest drinks company in the world to Diageo; United Breweries, which produces 70 per cent of all of India’s beers; a cricket team, two football teams, a string of racehorses as well as his dual-control interest in Force India.

He has long stated his stake in the Silverstone-based marque is a separate enterprise away from his other interests.

With any protest now averted, deputy team principal Bob Fernley has no doubts Mallya will be present over the weekend for qualifying and the race.

He said: “As far as I know Vijay is due in tomorrow evening. He won’t be at the circuit tomorrow but he’ll arrive Saturday, do qualifying and come in for the race on Sunday.”

“But it’s a little unfair to blame Vijay. At the end of the day it’s a public company and Vijay is one of the shareholders involved.”

As to the future of Force India, such questions are nothing new for Fernley. “We’ve had doom and gloom for five years in terms of where the media have been with us, so nothing new,” he said. “But we are still here.”

The team’s Scottish driver, Paul di Resta, also shrugged off suggestions he may not be with the team next season should they fall by the wayside, even though he has a contract for 2013. Di Resta, whose contract has been paid by Force India unlike the pilots of Kingfisher Airlines, said: “As far as I’m aware the two companies are separate.

“There is a Formula One division, then there are Vijay’s other two businesses, and I’m employed to race a car. Anything else is not something I can influence, not something I’ve control over.”