Roy’s conglomerate Sahara India Pariwar was not only associated with the Indian national cricket team as the shirt sponsor, but motorsport enthusiasts will remember the company’s its stint in Formula 1 as well.In 2011, Sahara India Pariwar secured a 42.5 per cent shareholding in the Force India team (with an investment of $100 million), which was owned by infamous Indian business tycoonVijay Mallya. The team was then renamed to Sahara Force India.
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Over the years, popular drivers like Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, and Esteban Ocon drove for the Sahara Force India F1 team. However, legal turmoil that saw Subrata Roy being sent to jail and subsequent financial troubles involving Vijay Mallya, Sahara Force India went into administration in the middle of the 2018 Formula One season. In August 2018, the team’s assets were purchased by Canadian billionaire and investor Lawrence Stroll-owned Racing Point F1 Team, and continued to race under the Force India name for the remainder of the 2018 season.
The team was renamed to Racing Point F1 Team in February 2019, competing under a British license. Just about a year later, it was announced Lawrence Stroll was leading a consortium, Yew Tree Overseas Limited, obtained a 16.7% stake in British luxury sports car manufacturer Aston Martin. This resulted in the commercial rebranding of Racing Point F1 Team into Aston Martin F1 Team for the 2021 season. As part of the rebrand, the team switched their racing colour of BWT pink to a modern iteration of Aston Martin’s British racing green.
With two races left in the 2023 F1 season, Aston Martin currently sits on fifth in the constructors’ standings, 21 points behind McLaren on fourth. Lance Stroll and veteran Fernando Alonso have 63 and 198 points to their respective names, with the driver duo having retained for the next year as well.
