Force India faces FOTA expulsion (so what?)

(GMM) Despite earlier denying the reports, Force India has now confirmed officially that it has lodged an unconditional entry to contest the 2010 world championship.

Toyota's John Howett, the vice-chairman of the F1 teams' alliance FOTA, said the action is likely to result in the Silverstone based team following Williams into suspension from the body.

It means that only eight out of F1's current ten teams are still threatening to sit out next year over the budget cap dispute with the FIA.

"While the Force India team is broadly in agreement with the FOTA objectives, commercial obligations have demanded that Force India review its conditional entry jointly submitted by FOTA on deadline day," read a team statement.

Team owner and boss Vijay Mallya is only due to arrive in Turkey on Saturday. Force India confirmed that he will meet with Howett then.

"No further comment will be made until those discussions have taken place," the team added.