Long-time former Force India chief Bob Fernley has passed away at the age of 70, it has been announced. Fernley was the public face of the team - now Aston Martin - at a time when owner Vijay Mallya did not attend races during the 2010s, with the team occasionally collecting podiums. He left the Silverstone-based squad in 2018 when Lawrence Stroll brought the team mid-way through the season, rebadging it as Racing Point, which would become Aston Martin for 2021. After leaving F1, Fernley helped to run the McLaren Indianapolis 500 programme in 2019, but the project failed when Fernando Alonso failed to qualify for the race. Fernley's last involvement in motorsport being Head of the FIA's single-seater commission from 2020 to early 2022, replacing Stefano Domenicali in the role, while he also launched a foundation to help young engineers, partnering with the University of Bolton. He also had experience in CAN-AM and Indycar racing in the 1980s, with his first F1 role being with the now-defunct Ensign team.
Domenicali tribute
In a statement posted on social media, F1 CEO Stefano 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 at this very sad time." Everyone's thoughts at RacingNews365 are with Fernley's family and friends after his passing.
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