'Force India takeover to be completed this month'

A takeover of the Force India team may still be in the works. In February, reports emerged that talks between the Silverstone based team and a consortium led by British energy drinks company Rich Energy were taking place.

But Force India denied a $280 million deal was being discussed. The team insisted there "is no offer from potential investors under consideration".

However, sources now report that delay in Force India changing its name for 2018 could be because the new owners wish to change the name next year instead. The same sources say the Rich Energy deal could be completed later this month.

Asked what the next step is for Force India, Mexican driver Sergio Perez said: "I think the next step the team should take is on the budget. There are good things planned for the future but nothing confirmed yet, but the main thing has to be the budget," he told Spain's El Mundo Deportivo.

Without more cash, Perez thinks Renault and McLaren threaten Force India's fourth placed spot in the championship. "We'll have to be careful with them this year because their progress is huge," he said. "It's going to be difficult. There's a lot of competition," he admitted.

What Perez is happy about is his teammate Esteban Ocon, even though they clashed badly on and off the track in 2017. "The reputation Ocon has now is because he is next to a competitive driver, which makes me feel proud," he said. "It's also important for me to have a comparison with an elite driver like Esteban." (GMM)