As reported by autovolution.com earlier this week, the two companies located in Abu Dhabi were ordered to pay $4.7 to Vijay Mallya’s team because they chose to unilaterally end their deal with Force India at the end of 2007 and then switch to Ferrari sponsorship at the beginning of 2008.
“Etihad Airways and Aldar Properties were surprised at the judgment and strongly disagree with its conclusions. We have been advised that there are strong grounds for appealing the decision,” said an Etihad spokesman, as reported by the Saturday edition of the National (daily in the United Arab Emirates).
The reason why Etihad and Aldar decided to leave the Silverstone team in the first place was because the partnership was in conflict with the team’s new sponsor Kingfisher (Mallya’s very own airline company). The Abu Dhabi companies were initially bound by contract to Spyker F1, but all the deals signed by the former outfit were transferred to Force India by default after Vijay Mallya bought the team at the end of 2007.
As all of these sponsors’ main field of activity was related to the airline business, Etihad and Aldar decided to walk away, as Kingfisher was never going to. The two companies are yet to announce an official appeal to the London Court’s decision, but it is believed it will happen in the upcoming few weeks.
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