Racing Point F1 Team discusses the difference in working style of their former owner Dr. Vijay Mallya and current co-owner Lawrence Stroll.
In the midst of legal allegations regarding his airline’s unpaid debts, Mallya stepped down as director of his F1 team, Sahara Force India, which then went into administration in a month’s time after the orders from London’s high court.
It was actually a ploy from their driver Sergio Perez, who pushed it into administration. Following a due process, a consortium led by Stroll took over from Mallya as the Canadian became the team’s new co-owner along with few fellow investors.
Many changes made were visible from outside the F1 team, such as a re-branding which involved new logos and a new name of ‘Racing Point’. They changed hands in the middle of 2018 F1 season and completed one full season at the end of 2019.
And so, FormulaRapida.net asked Racing Point’s team principal Otmar Szafnauer, regarding the difference in the working style of Mallya and Stroll. As per the American, the Canadian has a hands-on approach with more presence than the Indian.
“The significant difference is that Lawrence takes much deeper interest into whats going on within the team, more like, understanding of what we are doing, whereas Vijay took more of a hands-off view of the team,” said Szafnauer.
“But [then] Vijay liked the racing very much, so you saw him at all the races. He used to spend up until the last two years, maybe 4-5 days at the factory a year, whereas Lawrence would come 2-3 days a week, so in a month he would be there for 8-10 days already.
“And at the same time, Vijay was, say, five days a year.” Szafnauer, however, added that Mallya had Robert Fernley in the deputy role and so that made his job easier. It also meant that the Indian left it on the experts to handle the inner details.
Up until the forced removal, Mallya actually kept the Silverstone-based outfit alive in F1 for a decade unlike its previous owners at MF1 Racing and Spyker. The team also became the first from India in terms of license and relatively did well, considering its budget.
Here’s what Racing Point says regarding its 2019 F1 season
Here’s Lance Stroll on getting his qualifying better
Here’s Lance Stroll laying difference between Williams and Racing Point
Here’s what Otmar Szafnauer said regarding having Nico Hulkenberg as sim driver
Here’s Sergio Perez on how F1 2019 underwent, aims for F1 2020
The article was co-written by Darshan Chokhani
