Season 2008 - Force India to announce drivers in Monaco

Force India will reveal their 2008 driver line-up in Monaco next month.



The driving strength, which will make it's Formula One debut next year following Vijay Mallya's purchase of the Spyker squad in September, will be unveiled by the team owner when he addresses the Motorsport Business Forum on December 5.

"From a business point of view, Monaco in early December is the ideal place and time to introduce the Force India F1 concept to the great and good of the global motor sport industry," Indian billionaire Mallya told newspaper The Asian Age.

The shortlist of drivers for the team seems to be growing by the day. German Adrian Sutil (pictured), who is virtually certain to miss out on a Toyota drive in 2008 to his countryman Timo Glock, is under contract for next year.

But, with that contract being signed under the team's former guise as Spyker, there is speculation as to whether Force India will want to, or need to honour it.

Add in the rumours linking him to a McLaren seat alongside Lewis Hamilton, plus former target Karun Chandhok's decision to focus on GP2 for another year, and half the F1 field are potential candidates.

Toro Rosso refugee Vitantonio Liuzzi and Honda reserve driver Christian Klien tested for the team at Barcelona and would appear to be the favourites.

But Williams tester Narain Karthikeyan is still a strong candidate due to Mallya's hopes of running an Indian driver, and GP2 driver Roldan Rodriguez, who will have a number of tests over the Winter, insists he still has a shot.

Established names such as Ralf Schumacher and Giancarlo Fisichella are still without drives for 2008 as well, giving Mallya a healthy pool of talent from which to choose his line-up.