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“Last year I was laughing at him. I would never have believed he has this much potential”
Gerhard Berger, former F1 Driver, on Adrian Sutil.
Little did he know that over a billion Indians felt the same way. Neither would have been imagined that the Top Six Constructors would include an Indian team in midst of a season.
But India did that..... And way too nicely!! The land of snake charmers, spirituality, and Cricket finally threw open the sheets and awoke to a whole new romance..... FORMULA 1.
Narain Karthikeyan was the first big venture in the paddocks. The young boy from Coimbatore became the first Indian Formula1 driver on 1st February, 2005 after signing a speculative deal with JORDAN. What followed was a lacklustre show by the fledgling driver amidst a raging storm from the annals of F1 business. The consumption of JORDAN by MIDLAND made deep cracks until Karthikeyan’s career was done by seeping funds and lack of sponsors.
India, a nation earning billions in Cricket, was on her back foot due to the sheer realism of the ruthless F1 prospects. Sportspersons had always been products..... Never had, they been Investments. Print and Television Media ,all of a sudden , came out open-mouthed with eureka written all over their faces till official viewership figures rose to 22 million in 2008.
India Inc. had finally found a formula in Formula1. The multinational organizations and big banks looked at a whole new segment of worldwide advertisement and business. This triggered a massive organization of Indian motorsports calendar.
The prospect of having a permanent Indian presence was mouth-watering. And then it happened. Out of the blue, cash strapped SPYKER F1 announced their withdrawal from the sport and Dr Vijay Mallya, Chairman of the United Breweries Group and Michiel Mol, Spyker’s Formula One Director pitched in. The team, brought for € 88 million, was renamed as Force India Formula One Team for the 2008 season.
Force India started their season promising India what everyone had started dreaming but no one dared. After 29 races of finding the perfect cars for the drivers, Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella, the team finally hit a sweet spot and the first points came in the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa, 2009 after taking a pole position and Fisichella ending podium second finish.
The 2009 season was ended with a overall Ninth position with 13 points. A new chassis, VJM03 was developed for the 2010 season and now, the fledgling team is fighting hard for an overall sixth place. India has finally found its foot in the circus of F1.
However, then, throwing surprises seemed to have become the latest trend for India Inc. In 2010, The FIA included Indian Grand Prix in 2011 calendar after much delay and scheduled the event on 30th October, 2011. The race is scheduled to be held at the 5.14 km Jaypee Group Circuit which is under development.
So, the question is, Where is F1 in India heading to? And the answer clearly lies in the future. According to experts, the benefits of a booming economy like India joining the F1 calendar are clear. Not only would the hotel and tourism industry get an immediate boost, the country's profile, too, would get a lift. Experts are also of the view that once the Indian Grand Prix kicks off, it has the potential to generate around $170 million in revenue and employ as many as 10,000 people. The opportunity in advertising tie-ups between manufacturers and F1 cannot be overlooked either.
But as an F1 fan and an automobile enthusiast, all this means coming at our doorstep now are the Paddocks, the monstrosity of the cars, the pit lanes, and the charm of likes of Schumachers, Sutils, Hamiltons and others.
My soul is in celebration at the thought of a weekend spent amidst F1, the ears begging to be subjected to the bellows of the cars and the eyes tired of waiting for the sight of the heroes. The F1 fever is gripping everyone and the passion is just so unbearable.
Whew!!......... This is the first time that the mind and heart are together.
Tushar Rungta
Team Member
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