Less than 48 hours from the start of the Belgian GP weekend, Force India's participation in the race may be in jeopardy.
A legal imbroglio has apparently emerged following the buy-out process of the team, whose parent company, Force India Limited went into administration last month.
FRP Advisory, the temporary administrators of the Silverstone-based outfit, accepted a bid from a consortium of investors led by billionaire Lawrence Stroll, the father of Williams driver Lance Stroll.
However, a proper takeover of Force India Limited, the British company that owns the team's entry in the F1 World Championship, required the consent from 13 Indian creditor banks linked to the financial woes of the squad's previous owners, Vijay Mallya.
According to a report from Racefans.net, it's alleged those consents were not delivered on time, and the sale of Force India was therefore completed on the basis of a transfer of assets to a new entity rather than on the basis of an outright cession of the parent company.
The resulting new entity, owned by the Stroll consortium, does not hold at this time a proper entry into the F1 World Champion, and therefore would not be eligible to enter the Belgian GP, while it would also not qualify for the team's 2018 prize money, unless a unanimous consent from all F1 teams is granted.
Needless to say, legal teams involved with all parties, including the FIA, are currently hard at work to find a solution that would guarantee Force India's participation in this weekend's Belgian GP.
As a footnote, we can report that a crew from Force India was seen in the Spa paddock stripping the name 'Sahara Force India' and logos from the team's trucks and garage equipment.
Watch this space...
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