German police seize Force India Motorhome
Staff of the Silverstone based team had to vacate their paddock motor home prior to morning practice, when the officers acting on behalf of a local court sought to seize the structure.
Behind the saga is a disgruntled contractor that reportedly has not been fully paid for building the motor home for Force India. In a statement, the team flagged a dispute over "the quality" of the structure "and its functionality".
It was believed team chief Vijay Mallya had settled the matter with the contractor on Friday, but Force India clarified that it "will fiercely contest the wrongful claims … if no amicable settlement is achieved".
07/10/09 Force India issued this statement on the situation:
The Force India Formula One Team today received a visit from legal representatives accompanied by uniformed personnel who demanded that the team's motorhome be vacated as they wished to seize the team's property.
This dispute with the contractor has been on-going since last season and pertains to the quality of construction of the motorhome and its functionality. The contractor decided to take matters into their own hands without due notice and process and approached a local German court who were presented with highly disputable facts.
Force India will resolve matters during the weekend with the contractor but will fiercely contest the wrongful claims made by them before the local German Court if no amicable settlement is achieved.
07/10/09 German police seized the Force India motorhome today in Germany for failure to pay the contractor who performed the work to outfit it to their liking. It was a major embarrassment to the team.