Off the track, Force India co-owner and team principal Vijay Mallya has been in news for the wrong reasons. So while his IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore’s wait for silverware continues, he could be forgiven for not radiating the joys of the Sahara Force India’s rejuvenated season.
Even though SFI have racked up more points than any of their preceding ones, he has regrets. “It certainly feels like we have upped our game since the summer break and it has been satisfying to see us up there fighting for good points. The only frustration is that we have not always managed to get two cars in the points and that has hurt us in the championship,” he pointed out.
He though, isn’t blatantly, critical of his team. “In terms of outright performance, I think we can be pleased with our level of consistency. We’ve had at least one car in the top ten of qualifying in over 80 per cent of the races and scored points in 75 per cent of the races. It is our consistency that has been key to our success,” he said.
Mallya might be partial to the good things in life, but this man is a heavy hitter in the boardroom. “The gap to Sauber is now 27 points. It’s a big lead, but not impossible to catch them before the end of the year,” he said.
For a man who likes control, he is happy to delegate, though making it quite clear that he keeps a close eye on every aspect of his business. And at the cusp of the second edition of the Indian Grand Prix, he is understandably a proud but demanding man.