Beyond the F1 buzz, India need more drivers
By Abhishek Takle
I knew India would fall in love with Formula One when I witnessed Lewis Hamilton do a demo drive in Bangalore last month in front of 40,000 massively excited fans thrilled by the assault on their senses . Our first grand prix at Noida last weekend only proved me right. The world’s finest drivers were given a taste of the adulation usually only handed out to Indian cricketers on home soil.
Even if the 95,000 race day attendance fell short of a sell-out at the $450 million Buddh International Circuit, it was still pretty impressive and all the indications point to the sport growing and attracting ever larger crowds in the years ahead as the word spreads. My stand at Turn 3 was certainly packed with fans, the majority of whom were Indians and decked out in Ferrari red.
Unsurprisingly for a cricket-crazy nation taking its first, baby steps into the world of global motorsport, most of the fans did not appear to be close followers of motor racing.
However, their enthusiasm more than made up for that.
That intoxicating sound of a 2.4 litre V8 engine at full throttle, the addictive smell of petrol and scorch of tortured rubber as drivers locked up into the tight Turn 3 had them on the edge of their seats.
They cheered loud and hard when race-winner Sebastian Vettel drove past on the victory lap and acknowledged with equally wild applause seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher’s dogged drive to fifth from eleventh on the grid.
“Mother Monster” Lady Gaga set to surprise India with F1 show
Curiosity peaked as international pop icon Lady Gaga kept the media waiting before her press conference In New Delhi. Would she don cow-like headgear (to commemorate her visit to India) or would she be wearing a dress made of stuffed animals again?
Usually known for her artistic public appearances coupled with an outlandish fashion statement, the “Born This Way” singer, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, kept it safe — wearing a rather conservative Indian-designer dress and her hair dyed in the tricolours of the Indian flag, perhaps keeping in mind India’s conservative and religious social fabric.
The multi-Grammy award winner is in New Delhi on a four-day trip to perform for India’s maiden Formula 1 Grand Prix at an invitation-only show in a five-star hotel after the final race on Sunday.
“I have built a special stage for this show that I’m doing for Sunday. It is unique for India and it has never been done anywhere else in the world. I will be incorporating also the collaborations I did with Indian DJs to the performance,” Gaga said at a press conference on Friday, promising to surprise everyone with her show.
The 25-year-old New Yorker, who is a humanitarian and an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) activist, said she is influenced by Indian philosopher Osho’s teachings and ideas of reincarnation, a central tenet of many Indian religious traditions.
“I read Osho because not only do I love his work and what he writes about, but also because I’m kind of an Indian hippy,” Gaga said.
Does anyone want to sell a a ticket in Classic Stand east Zone for tommorow. I wanna buy. Its sold out of Book my Show
Playing spoilsport with Formula One?
Despite the Force India team taking second place at the podium at the Belgian Grand Prix there is no rethinking in the sports ministry on its view that Formula One is not enough of a sport.
Sports minister M.S. Gill congratulated Vijay Mallya on his team’s win but labelled Formula One as ‘expensive entertainment’.
The sports ministry has refused approval to the promoters of Formula 1 in India, JPSK Sports, to pay 1.7 billion rupees to the Formula One Administration for the proposed Indian Grand Prix of 2011.
The ministry has reasoned that the Formula One race “does not satisfy conditions which focus on human endeavour for excelling in competition with others, keeping in view the whole sports movement from Olympic downwards.”
It wrote to the promoters that Formula One is not purely sports, it is entertainment and the venture by JPSK Sports was a commercial initiative.
The sports ministry’s argument stands on two legs. Formula One is expensive entertainment and the outcome is determined by technology hence it is not ‘pure sports’.
Is sport supposed to be boring — that’s a question which can be posed at least rhetorically?
I’ll make 2 distinct points here:1. It is the hollow mindset of people like Mr. Gill that had killed sports in India. The promotion of all sports and allocation of higher funds is long long overdue – in whichever field it may be.Education, Sports and Individual (personal) Taxation are the 3 fields that have received step-motherly treatment by the ruling Congress party in the past 45+ years it ruled. It’s high time our politicians came down from their pedestal of OLD SCHOOL THOUGHT and changed with time. F1 is here to stay – whether Mr Gill LIKES IT OR NOT !!!!At least the tourism dept will be benefited from the revenues F1 will generate if it is started in India.Mr Gill, Isn’t Sky-Diving a sport ? If it is, it’s definatley not played in our backyard – and again, it is NOT CHEAP – by any yardstick. So, why the double standard ?Wake up to the reality – Mr Gill.2. Another change that India needs is to show the door to people holding political posts after the age of 58. If the constitution has to be ammended – so be it !!!Young minds are needed to change the anarchic COLONIAL laws of bygone eras at the earliest.This change will improve the quality of the political system in India as more and more young people enter the political space. Lets TRY to make it more professional and transparent, responsible and accountable ….. even if it means to fix a retirement age for all politicians.”Lead India” and other such institutions can take a bold step in this direction and ensure that such a constitutional ammendment is made at the earliest.This is the time to “BE THE CHANGE” …..All political parties should nominate young candidates and that will usher in the change …..
Force India podium, giant leap for Indian motor sport?
India can boast of taking a major stride in Formula One after Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella drove from pole to second on the podium at the Belgium Grand Prix on Sunday.
The first points for the team owned by India’s liquor and airlines baron Vijay Mallya was a pleasant surprise, the team having failed to make an impact since it was launched ahead of the 2008 season.
The Indian media lapped up the news, indicating that F1′s popularity in India will only grow more rapidly as Indian fans gradually embrace the team as theirs.
Although home fans would have hoped an Indian driver had produced the achievement, India would still celebrate Fisichella’s success.
Indian F1 hopes were given a huge boost when Narain Karthikeyan was signed up by Jordan in 2005. However, an uncompetitive car and his lack of experience at the highest level meant India’s first F1 driver stayed very briefly in the limelight.
Karthikeyan’s subsequent role as a tester for Williams pushed him behind the scenes and he has now moved to the A1 Grand Prix, the world cup of motor racing, with his Formula One hopes all but over.
The Force India podium could not have come at a better time, as India gear up to stage an inaugural Grand Prix in 2011.
This win is really a hard-earned win for Force India team of Mallya. With this win, popularity of formula car racing will grow rapidly in India, however it
does certainly not necessitate organization of an Formula 1 Grand Prix event in India in 2011.
Can Formula 1 racing be defined as a “sport”?- according to govt. of India it is an open question.
The government may have not recognized it as a sport, only because to turn down much anticipated demands by interested parties in view of organizing 2011 Grand Prix in India and another reason could be that motor sports is generally considered a luxury.
Formula One – Singapore sets high standard for India
I have to admit I am not a Formula One fan but I did jump to the offer of going to Singapore for the floodlit race and am I glad I went! The experience of watching a race live is incomparable to what you get on television especially since this one was a night street-race and an Indian team was competing (Never mind the fact that one of the team’s drivers crashed out mid way and the other ended the race in the last spot.)
As a non-F1 enthusiast it was only when I was at the race that I learned how much the team matters in a sport that seems like a one-man show. It is the mechanics, the analysts and the managers that make or break the race for the team driver. A case in point is top qualifier Felipe Massa who lost his lead in the race because he was given an incorrect green signal while he was in the pit refueling and drove off with the fuel pipe in his car only to drive back and lose those precious seconds.
Hysteria apart, the Grand Prix showed the tiny city-country of Singapore’s unbelievable capability to host 300,000 people over three days with impeccable organization, top security and an entertainment appeal… It had some like me pledging to come back for more!
The attention to detail was immaculate. An otherwise dull and plastic city infested with bankers and professionals, managed to come of its own displaying a festive spirit for one of their biggest weekends to date.
What impressed me about the event was undoubtedly the organizational skill of the Singaporeans. There were plenty of English speaking staff directing you with a wide smile on their faces, young locals cheering you on as you left the venue, well demarcated gates and public transport to take you to your gate, a Singapore Sling bar to give you a local experience and most importantly – punctuality.
Monaco which also has a street circuit is considered the glitz and glamor capital of the world and a tall order for our Asian brothers to match up to. But I have to say, Singapore managed to reach the bar and set it higher for the rest of the countries organizing F1 races in the near future!
Singapore has undeniably set an example that needs to be matched and improved upon… Now the million dollar question is- will India be able to pull it off in 2011?
The whole concept of F1, is that the cars drive fast on flat tracks/roads – India ?
