Aug.20 (GMM) A legal spat involving the Force India team could be set to intensify at the forthcoming Italian grand prix.

In June, the Silverstone based team instigated action against F1 rival Lotus and the Italian wind tunnel Aerolab, claiming a model of its 2009 car was used as the basis for Lotus' T127.

Separate to the UK action, Force India said a complaint had been filed with Italian authorities.

But the affair also centres around money, with Aerolab saying last year that it is pursuing Force India for "serious and persistent breaches of contract" and unpaid fees.

It emerged on Friday that London's High Court has ordered Force India to pay more than EUR 1 million in damages to Aerolab.

But given Force India's Lotus-related complaints, Aerolab sounded unlikely to now let the matter rest.

The company said Force India's Italian action will probably result in Aerolab director Jean Claude Migeot being charged criminally in Bologna.

"It appears that Force India's strategy will be to try and force Aerolab into a settlement that the company has no intention of accepting," read a statement.

"The upcoming Italian grand prix at Monza, during which Force India's assets will be present under Italian jurisdiction, could trigger further exchanges of action between the two parties," added Aerolab.

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