Robert George Fearnley, or as everyone knows him: Bob Fearnley has passed away at the age of 70. The British boss has succeeded Aston Martin Formula 1 team as vice-president of Force India and de facto team boss in the absence of Vijay Mallya with the Silverstone team, which He confirmed it on Twitter The sad news.
Bob Fearnley was exposed to gas fumes in his teens and competed in a few rallies, but soon realized he wasn’t talented enough to turn a pro. In the 1970s, he and his business partner, Bobby Holling, founded Amco Motor Racing, a company that bought and sold former Formula 1 cars to collectors. This is how they approached the British Formula 1 series (often referred to as Aurora AFX Formula One), where F1 and F2 cars competed.
Fernley then moved from trading to sports management, and after winning British Formula 1 with his team and Jim Crawford, the Scottish driver was introduced to CanAm and IndyCar. Fernley then turned his back on the sport, but after meeting Vijay Malli, who bought one of his cars, helped the Indian businessman run it in India with Mallya as the driver.
Claire Williams and Bob Fearnley in 2014
And good relations led to the fact that in 2007, when Malia bought out Jordan’s former stable, then operating under the name Spyker, he brought Fernley to the board of directors and appointed him vice president of the team. Over the years, the initially struggling team (which finished last with 0 points in 2008) gradually progressed and gained a reputation for the fact that although they were constantly struggling with their dire financial situation, they made the most of their opportunities by working with maximum measure of efficiency.
In 2009, Giancarlo Fisichella took his first ever pole position and podium in Belgium, the Italian driver’s second place was also the best result in Force India’s history, although it has been followed by five third places over the years. In 2015, they already finished fifth in the points race, but their best seasons were 2016 and 2017, where they finished fourth behind the top three i.e. Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari, on both occasions.
Force India has sometimes been able to rival the best
However, the team’s financial situation took a turn for the worse, and the crackdown on Vijay Mallya didn’t help either. In the summer of 2018, the stable was placed under creditor protection, then purchased by a group of investors led by Lawrence Stroll. Fernley finally left in November 2018, and in December McLaren, no longer targeting the Indy 500 alongside Andretti Autosport, but with his own team, confirmed he was project boss.
As President of McLaren IndyCar, he reported to McLaren CEO Zak Brown, but had not completed half a year in the role, as the team with Fernando Alonso was performing poorly and could not even qualify for the 2019 Indy 500.
Fernley’s last position in motorsport was the FIA single-seater committee chairman, where he replaced Stefano Domenicali in 2020, but after Jean Todt stepped down as FIA president, Mohammed bin Sulayem did not ask the British manager to continue.
Stefano Domenicali:
I am saddened to hear of the passing of Bob Fearnley. He was an important part of Formula 1 and his love and passion for the sport will remain forever. My thoughts are with his family and friends at this very sad time. pic.twitter.com/osmgjEmSAZ
– F1 Media (@F1Media) June 30, 2023
Bob Fernley is saddened by Formula 1 and the wider motorsports community. “Sad to hear the news of the passing of Bob Fernley. He was an important part of Formula 1 and his love and passion for the sport will live on forever. My condolences to his family and friends at this sad time,” F1 quotes Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of the sport.
“Sad to hear today of the passing of Bob Fearnley. He was a great person and leader and I am fortunate to have worked with him and learned from him during my time at Force India. I send my condolences to his family and friends,” wrote Esteban Ocon, who raced for Force India in 2017 and 2018 , on social media.
