Bob Fernley, for many years the frontman of the Formula 1 team Force India, has died. He was 70.
Fernley was an extraordinary character, whose business skills extended beyond the many years he graced motorsport.
Upon leaving school he became a car dealer before moving on to buy and sell F1 cars under the Ensign banner.
Fernley progressed into motorsport by setting up a racing team that won the British Formula 1 Championship in 1982, with Jim Crawford at the wheel.
Shortly after, Fernley first crossed paths with Indian entrepreneur Vijay Mallya, helping to provide a race car that allowed him to compete in his own country, going on to win a number of races.
Fernley then progressed onto the Can-Am series, again with Crawford driving, whilst he was involved in teams in the Indy 500 and CART.
Secure your spot today.
There followed a spell away from motorsport during which Fernley set up a fish farm in Denmark, a carbon fibre company in China, and a hotel business in the United States, whilst he also bought and sold private jets.
In 2007, when Mallya bought the Spyker F1 team, he turned to Fernley to help him run it under the Force India moniker from the following season.
The team was renowned for punching above its weight for many years, delivering performances and results with a budget and staff numbers far below many of its rivals.
Despite serving in the role of deputy team principal, Mallya’s absence from many grands prix effectively made Fernley the de facto team leader.
When Mallya sold the team to Lawrence Stroll in 2018, Fernley left, moving on to McLaren’s IndyCar project later that year.
After Fernando Alonso failed to qualify for the 2019 Indy500, however, McLaren decided not to renew Fernley’s contract.
Fernley did not stay away from motorsport for too long as he was then appointed as head of the FIA single-seater commission in 2020, replacing Stefano Domenicali after the former Ferrari team principal was named president and CEO of F1.
Fernley stepped down from that role in early 2022, switching then to focus on the foundation he conceived in 2019, helping young people of modest means find a career in motorsports, working in partnership with the National Centre for Motorsport Engineering at Bolton University.
Paying tribute to Fernley, Domenicali said: “I am saddened to hear the news that Bob Fernley has passed away.
“He was such an important part of Formula 1 and his love and passion for the sport will live forever.
“My thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Aston Martin, a team built from the old Force India days, tweeted…
Today we sadly learnt of the passing of our friend and former colleague, Bob Fernley.
The thoughts of all of us are with his family and friends at this time. pic.twitter.com/bZoU8zWn0e
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) June 30, 2023
Discussion about this post