Lance Stroll to race alongside Sergio Perez in 2019 for Racing Point Force India

Abu Dhabi, 30 Nov 2018: With the last F1 race of the season producing vintage stuff and the after-race entertainment of three multiple world champions who indulged in donuts to thrill the crowd in honour of Fernando Alonso, though duly after permission from Race Control, it not just some famous names that will miss in the next season.

Among the casualities may also be the one with which India has identified itself from 2007, the Force India name.

The team has announced the expected driver from the Stroll family, but it is anybody’s guess if the tag Force India will remain for next season.

Racing Point Force India, for now, is delighted as they announced that Lance Stroll will join the team for 2019 to race alongside Sergio Perez. Lance has pledged his commitment to the team as part of a long-term deal.

Lance’s father Stroll, who was one of the keymen that saw Force India survive after it went into administration early this year, has also invested much as the Canadian consortium took over the team. But since the chassis is registered in Force India name, they could not change the nomen clature completely but did lose all the points which were earned by Force India until that point and still managed to gain and continue their entry as on of the F1 teams. All the teams also agreed to share the exploits with Force India despite such favours are not due to a new team as per the rules. 2019 will tell us if the team can bounce back into its fourth place from the current 7th.

Team Principal and CEO, Otmar Szafnauer, who took over from the beleaguered Vijay Mallya said: “I’m pleased that we can finally confirm Lance’s arrival to race alongside Sergio next year. It gives us an exciting line-up with the perfect blend of youth, talent, and experience. Lance is only twenty and already has two years of Formula One experience under his belt, as well as a podium finish and a front row start. We see huge potential in Lance and believe we can create an environment in which he can flourish. Our team has enjoyed great success nurturing and developing young and talented drivers, and we are very excited to begin our journey with Lance. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Esteban Ocon for his contribution to the team over the last two seasons and wish him well for the future.”

Lance Stroll: “This is the beginning of an incredibly exciting journey in my Formula One career. I look forward to working alongside a successful team with a great culture. It’s a new challenge and I am excited to embrace this new opportunity!”