Vijay Mallya pledges honesty with Force India drivers

Force India co-owner says he will not leave Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil hanging about future at Formula One team, but will announce decision only after Christmas.

Paul Di Resta, left, and Adrian Sutil may or may not be Force India drivers next season. Diego Azubel / EPA
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Vijay Mallya, the Force India co-owner, has promised drivers Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil a straight answer if they ask him about their future with the team.

Mallya has vowed to remain true to his word and past tradition by not announcing his driver line-up for next season until after the team’s Christmas party in mid-December.

The driver market this year, however, is convoluted, with a number of experienced names from mid-ranking teams chasing a seat.

Mallya can appreciate that with the clock ticking, Di Resta and Sutil need to know whether they are in the frame or not, and if the latter then they are given a chance to chase other options.

Lotus appear to hold the key to the current situation on the basis that a domino effect will result from whoever they sign.

But Mallya rejected that suggestion, saying: “I am not waiting for anybody.”

Speaking to Press Association Sport, Mallya added: “I have already taken the opinion of my people, and I know what’s happening in the market, but I always make the decision as late as possible, normally after the team’s Christmas party.

“So I think to myself, ‘Why should I change that?’ Everybody knows it, that’s the way I’ve done it all along. What’s the hurry this year?

“However, if either they [Di Resta or Sutil] or their manager came to me and said, ‘Please tell us because we have other options and I need to decide my future,’ I would respect that and I would decide.

“I would not ignore that, but I’ve not been told that yet.”

The suggestion in the paddock in Austin over the course of the United States Grand Prix weekend was Mallya had re-signed Nico Hulkenberg, who left Force India at the end of last season to join Sauber.

Mallya did not confirm or deny when asked about Hulkenberg directly, adding: “People have come to me and expressed an interest.

“I like that because it shows this is considered a desirable race seat. Why would people come to me otherwise?

“So yes, people have come to me, and the decision will be made on the competence of the driver, and on what my team feels about them. That is clear, and I will not compromise on that.”

Mallya has sounded out his engineering team as to their preference, in particular with regard to their working relationship with Di Resta and Sutil.

“I decide. I have to take the decision and take responsibility for my decisions, but I consult with the engineers,” said Mallya.

“I ask them who they want to see in the car, and I take their opinion on board.

“I may disagree and make a different decision, but at least I give them the respect they deserve in asking their opinion.

“This team, ever since I took over, has been punching well above its financial weight in terms of track performance, and I take a lot of pride in that.

“So I owe it to the people within the team who are producing the kind of results they have been doing – even though our resources are more limited compared to the big boys – to ask their opinion.”

Mallya reiterated, though, the financial muscle a driver may have is not a consideration when it comes to his decision.

That is despite the new powertrain units for 2014 adding £12 million (roughly Dh71m) to his team’s budget.

A defiant Mallya said: “I will never, never compromise on the quality of the driver. No way. He can come with millions for all I care.

“As far as I’m concerned, unless the driver himself is good enough then there is no question of considering it.

“Yes, I know there is a lot of money around, and drivers have money, but if you’ve a guy who is loaded with money but short on talent, you are compromising the team as a whole.”

sports@thenational.ae