Force India now unlikely to change to Force One for next year
Monday 27 November 2017 13:44, UK
Force India remain undecided on their planned name change for the 2018 season.
But Force One is now unlikely to be used following concern it would too closely resemble Formula 1.
"We just have to decide on what it is," said Otmar Szafnauer, the team's chief operating officer.
"Everyone has got an opinion when it comes to the team name.
"'It's got to have longevity and it's got to be right, we can't be Force One…' all sorts of stuff."
It emerged in June that several limited companies had been formed in the UK by a team director using the Force One moniker, including Force One Racing and Force One Team.
However, perceived confusion with the sport's own name may have scuppered those plans.
"The guys at Formula 1 think Force One can easy be abbreviated F1," added Szafnauer.
The Force India name has been on the grid since 2008 following Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya's purchase of the then-Spyker team.
However, in order to appeal to a broader audience of potential sponsors, the team are ready to evolve the brand after 10 seasons.
The new team name will eventually have to be ratified by the FIA and F1 Commission before it can be used in 2018.
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