Paul Jeffrey
Premium
Rumour has it that Lance Stroll might be about to jump ship to Force India for 2019, accompanied by fresh investment in the British team from billionaire father Lawrence...
With Force India currently in the uncomfortable position of having entered administration last weekend, a move instigated by legal action brought upon the team by driver Sergio Perez, the Silverstone based outfit have begun the search for fresh investment in order to see out the remainder of the 2018 and continue development of next seasons car.
With several investors potentially waiting in the wings to take over from Vijay Mallya, one man's name has come up more than most in recent weeks, that of multi billionaire fashion investor Lawrence Stroll. Fresh rumours are thought to have been circulating the Hungarian Grand Prix paddock that Stroll is interested in pumping cash into the struggling team, potentially as either an investor or part of a complex "convertible loan" arrangement - essentially a cash loan to the team which generates interest but can be converted into equity in the team at a later date.
Stroll has already handed over considerable sums of money to Williams in order to secure son Lance a drive with the former World Champions, however a difficult 2018 season and seemingly with little light at the end of the tunnel, the Stroll family appear keen to look elsewhere for a more competitive offering for the coming season - something a team like Force India are likely to be able to provide if recent history is anything to go by. With the unfortunate situation Force India find themselves in, a move to put up some money now could lead to a potentially sound business decision and return on investment in future, as well as a better drive for his son, rather than the more traditional and currently fruitless pay driver deal in place at Grove.
Adding fuel to the fire is the pretty strong indications that Esteban Ocon looks set to leave for a Renault seat in 2019, leaving a very attractive space open for Stroll to jump in next year, meaning the first serious cards could be about to fall in the 2019 driver market.
Should Stroll and his financial investment move away from Williams, it remains to be see how the significant loss of revenue, coupled with a withdrawal of Martini sponsorship, will affect Williams preparations as they look to rebuild back to the front of the Formula One grid.
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Do you think a shift to Force India would be a good move for team and driver? Is Stroll right to leave Williams in their current struggles? Let us know in the comments section below!
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Do you think a shift to Force India would be a good move for team and driver? Is Stroll right to leave Williams in their current struggles? Let us know in the comments section below!
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