The
Formula 1 rumour mill has suggested that
Force India is considering an engine change for the 2009 season, from
Ferrari to
Honda – in the process potentially giving
Takuma Sato a lifeline back into the top flight.
The small Silverstone-based squad is currently powered by customer versions of the
Scuderia's 2.4-litre V8, but it has been claimed by Swiss publication
Motorsport Aktuell that meetings may have taken place in Montreal over the weekend of the Canadian Grand Prix earlier this month between Force India and Honda chiefs.
It is mooted that following the demise of
Super Aguri, Honda remains keen to expand its
F1 presence beyond its Brackley-based works outfit, and Force India chairman Vijay Mallya is said to be attracted by the offer on the table.
The Japanese manufacturer is reputedly proposing its engine KERS package to FIF1 for a price €10 million per season less than the present Ferrari deal, on the proviso that Sato is drafted into one of the race seats.
Meanwhile, Force India chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne has hinted that the team's lack of expected progress in recent weeks is down to a lack of sufficient funding being injected in 2007, when it was still owned by Spyker, who sold out to Mallya last October.
Neither Giancarlo Fisichella nor
Adrian Sutil have succeeded in getting beyond the Q1 drop in qualifying so far this season, with the VJM01 essentially an updated Spyker F8-VIIB.
Though a major upgrade is planned for the British Grand Prix in just over a week's time – with new bodywork, sidepods, diffuser, front wing and a 'shark fin' engine cover à la
Renault,
Red Bull Racing and
Scuderia Toro Rosso all being tried out at
Silverstone this week – testing was somewhat compromised by
Giancarlo Fisichella's hefty Wednesday morning 'off' at Becketts [see separate story –
click here].
