Will Ron Dennis dictate who drives for Force India next year?

Force India have signed a five-year deal to use a McLaren Mercedes drivetrain (plus KERS system). The deal effectively means that Force India are now - for want of a better phrase - McLaren’s bitches. As such, it seems Ron Dennis and co. will have a say in who drives for McForce next year. McForce boss Vijay Mallya said:

“They (McLaren) will recommend what they believe to be in the best interests of my team and I have to decide. And I would be hard pressed to ignore their advice.

“The first thing is building the car. If we don’t have a car then there’s no point having a driver… It’s already pushing the envelope a little bit, so we need to focus on the car. The driver comes next and we will have these conversations.”

In other words, Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella - neither of whom scored a point in 2008 - might get the boot, if McLaren wants to impose its own driver choices. Rumours abound that highly rated Scottish driver Paul di Resta may yet replace Sutil. McLaren’s experienced test driver, Pedro de la Rosa, who is viewed as a safe pair of hands, could also be in line for a drive.

Which driver line-up do you think McForce should opt for in 2009? Vote below: