Force India unhappy with driver names on cars

Force India bemoan the cost of a new rule designed to help fans identify their favourite drivers.

Force India have bemoaned the cost of a new rule designed to help fans identify their favourite drivers.

At the recent Strategy Group meeting, it was decided that from Barcelona next month, the drivers' names and race numbers must be much bigger on the cars.

The FIA has now explained that the driver's name - or three-letter abbreviation - must be at least 15cm high, with the number measuring 23cm.

However, Force India is not happy that the governing body has demanded the drivers' names be put on the car on prominent places that could otherwise be sold to sponsors.

"Where we have to put the names, we could have sold those spaces to sponsors," team manager Andy Stevenson told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Regarding one potential location - the sidepod - he explained: "The name there with the prescribed size would be worth $6 million."

Force India is proposing that teams be allowed to put the name closer to the floor of the car, because "This space is never sold".

Sergio Perez of Force India during previews ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix of Russia at Sochi Autodrom on April 28, 2016
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1Mercedes136
2Ferrari135
3Red Bull57
4Force India31
5Williams-Mercedes18
6Toro Rosso13
7Haas8
8Renault6
9Sauber0
10McLaren0
DriversTeamPoints
1Sebastian VettelFerrari86
2Lewis HamiltonMercedes73
3Valtteri BottasMercedes63
4Kimi RaikkonenFerrari49
5Max VerstappenRed Bull35
6Daniel RicciardoRed Bull22
7Sergio PerezForce India22
8Felipe MassaWilliams-Mercedes18
9Carlos SainzToro Rosso11
10Esteban OconForce India9
11Nico HulkenbergRenault6
12Romain GrosjeanHaas4
13Kevin MagnussenHaas4
14Daniil KvyatToro Rosso2
15Pascal WehrleinSauber0
16Marcus EricssonSauber0
17Fernando AlonsoMcLaren0
18Stoffel VandoorneMcLaren0
19Antonio GiovinazziSauber0
20Jolyon PalmerRenault0
21Lance StrollWilliams-Mercedes0