Force India, Aerolab and Lotus Racing dispute will be continued for a long time over this season. Latest news is that Force India has been ordered to pay more than one million euros (£818,000) in damages to Aerolab by the Queen’s Bench Division in the High Court of Justice in London.The matter arose after Aerolab filed a court case against the team for unpaid fees relating to services provided by the Italian aerodynamics company.
And the dispute between the two parties has been ongoing for some time, with further legal issues pending regarding wind tunnel models that Aerolab produced for F1 newcomer Lotus Racing.
Force India’s bill on this occasion arises at 1,074,730 euros (£879,000), plus damages and interest at the rate of eight per cent – but Aerolab seems to be under no illusions that this payout is likely to be far from the end of the quarrel.
An official statement by Aerolab indicates that:
"As a result of the retaliatory action already taken by Force India, it is expected that Aerolab’s director, Mr Jean Claude Migeot, will soon be charged pursuant to a criminal complaint filed in Bologna Aerolab is confident in the positive outcome of all judicial matters in this affair. It appears that Force India’s strategy will be to try and force Aerolab into a settlement that the company has no intention of accepting. The upcoming Italian Grand Prix at Monza, during which Force India’s assets will be present under Italian jurisdiction, could trigger further exchanges of action between the two parties."
