The Silverstone-based outfit yesterday announced that it would field DTM driver Paul di Resta and Indy Lights champion JR Hildebrand for the rookie testing session at Jerez next week, therefore ending the hopes of Jani and Karun Chandhok to experience the thrill of driving a 2009 challenger.
While the Indian driver insisted he is not disappointed with Force India's choice of drivers – he recently revealed he has 3 offers to join an F1 team next season – Jani admitted frustration over his missed chance. He blamed it all on finances, as he revealed one would need up to 15 million euros to secure a seat in Formula One next season.
“I don't have the same means by any stretch. They say you need between 6 million and 15 million euros to get an F1 seat – that's the way the worldwide economy is at the moment,” said Jani in an interview with Swiss website tsr.ch.
“F1 costs a lot of money, and sponsors aren't around like they were five or six years ago, so drivers are being asked to contribute more financially. We all know what F1 is like; for every team except maybe three or four of them, the primary criteria is money,” added the Swiss driver.
Despite his impressive racing resume – a world title won all be himself for A1 Team Switzerland in the A1 GP World Cup of Motorsport, impressive runs in the GP2 Series and defunct Champ Car World Series in the US – Jani will now have to switch focus to another racing series.
Switzerland already has a racing driver in Formula One – a much younger one, in the person of Sebastien Buemi – and it's likely that most of the sponsorship will be directed to him. In addition, Buemi is also backed by Red Bull energy drink company, which makes his chances of staying the only representative of Switzerland greater by a long shot.
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