Vijay Mallya vs Indian Drivers

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Vijay Mallya Speaks against Current Indian Drivers:
Force India boss Vijay Mallya says he cannot be expected to employ an Indian driver just because he runs an Indian team.

Just two Indian drivers have taken part in a grand prix, with Narain Karthikeyan making his debut in 2005 and returning with HRT this year and Karun Chandhok driving for HRT last year. However, at last weekend's British Grand Prix there were no Indian drivers after Karthikeyan was dropped for Daniel Ricciardo and Chandhok continues in his role as a Friday test driver for Lotus.

But Mallya says it is not his not his responsibility to give Indian drivers race seats in F1.

"To be criticised, largely by the Indian folks, that I don't have an Indian driver is I think just blatantly unfair," he was quoted by Reuters. "My only response to them would be that I know more about Formula One than they do.

"As far as the existing Indian drivers in Formula One are concerned, I can only feel very sorry for them. They are getting drives by the teams who clearly can't compete."

He added: "If Ferrari is on the podium, the whole of Italy applauds. If Ferrari wins a race, the whole of Italy celebrates. Nobody ever asks the question of where is the Italian driver?

"Why suddenly in India? Be thankful for the fact you have an Indian team, sporting the Indian colours on the grid to begin with. The Indian driver will follow but let's not put the cart before the horse."

Mallya is currently running a competition in India to find a potential future Formula One star. But he warned it was not an overnight process: "There has got to be good, raw talent in India and I am determined to go find it."

Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan defend:

Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan defended their achievements in Formula One on Wednesday after dismissive recent comments by Force India team owner Vijay Mallya.

"I think it's a bit sad that in one breath the chairman of our Indian ASN (National Sporting Authority) is talking about how much he has done for Indian drivers and then in the next breath he is criticising India's only two Formula One drivers," Chandhok said on Wednesday.

"If you are going to criticise people, at least do it with some facts," he added. "Having never tested either Narain or myself in one of his cars, he doesn't have the facts."

"I understand the need to find the next Indian star, and I use the word next not first, and the need to create more Indian F1 drivers.

"But you are not going to find the next Indian star by running events in single-engined four-stroke rental karts on 400 metre tracks made out of concrete."

Mallya, a liquor and aviation billionaire who also sits on the governing FIA's world motor sport council, has launched a 'one in a billion' driver talent search at kart tracks across India aimed at discovering an Indian Lewis Hamilton.

He said at the weekend that Indians should get behind Force India rather than bemoan the lack of an Indian driver on the starting grid.

"As far as the existing Indian drivers in Formula One are concerned, I can only feel very sorry for them. They are getting drives by the teams who clearly can't compete," he had said.

"If that's what they want to do, drive a Formula One car for the sake of driving a Formula One car and winding up at the back, I can't do anything about it."