Force India's Szafnauer relieved after anxiety-ridden period

All's well that ends well at Force India after the team's saving by a consortium led by businessman Lawrence Stroll, but COO Otmar Szafnauer will remember the anxiety that preceded the positive outcome.

Stoll has put together a group of heavy investors that have ensured the Silverstone-based outfit's future and that of its 405 employees.

It was a close call however, and a relieved Szafnauer admits it all could have gone the way of Caterham or Manor, two F1 teams that met their demise in recent years after encountering dire straits.

• Force India saved by consortium led by Stroll!

"Once we went into administration, there were a couple that have been there and didn’t come out," Szafnauer told Motorsport.com.

"So, there was a lot of trepidation amongst all the team members, and a lot of anxiety, because we didn’t know where it was going to go.

"It’s a huge relief to know there’s a future for the team. We’ll be able to continue as a normal Formula 1 team."

Lawrence Stroll's involvement almost guarantees a seat at Force India in 2019 for his son Lance, but the fate of the outfit's senior management - namely Szafnauer and deputy team principal Bob Fernley - is unknown at this stage.

"It’s early days," said the American. "I would hope they would keep the senior management on.

"This just happened, I haven’t sat down with the new owners to say ‘what do you want to do?’.

"In the near future, we’ll have all those conversations. But that’s looking forwards, not looking backwards," he added.

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