Lack of funds could cost Chandhok F1 seat

Karun Chandhok could be set to lose his Formula One seat due to his stream of sponsorship funds drying up.

A report in the English language Indian newspaper Hindustan Times on Saturday said the boss of the HRT team, Colin Kolles, is in talks with potential replacements for the 26-year-old from Chennai.

Former Midland and Spyker racer Christijan Albers may be one potential candidate. The Dutchman has F1 experience and has driven for Kolles' Formula One, DTM and Le Mans teams.

Albers, 31, said this week that he "might soon return to F1 with the help of my loyal sponsors. I have a partner that just might give that final push".

Referring to 'sources', Hindustan Times said Narain Karthikeyan and Pastor Maldonado, and HRT third driver Sakon Yamamoto, might also be in the running for Chandhok's drive.

Chandhok acknowledged in Montreal that the Indian corporate world has not fully backed him, while angling for a Force India seat "at some point in my career".

"I've been chasing (Indian) sponsors for years in GP2 and formula three and stuff, and there are people who want to get involved but are sitting on the fence," he said.

Chandhok's influential father, the high-ranking Indian motor racing official Vicky Chandhok, is in Montreal this weekend.

Just Marketing International nabs Formula One deal in India

Just Marketing International, an Indianapolis-based motorsports marketing firm, has been hired by India-based JPSK Sports Private Ltd. to provide strategic consulting services for the commercial development of the Jaypee Group Circuit, the venue that will host the inaugural Formula One Indian Grand Prix in 2011.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

JPSK Sports is constructing a world-class motorsports facility near Greater Noida, about 25 miles outside New Delhi, as part of Jaypee Sports City. The Formula One circuit is part of a 2,500-acre site that includes a 100,000-seat international cricket stadium and, in future phases, will also feature world-class hockey, soccer and tennis facilities.

JMI will provide strategic counsel in developing a motorsports facility plan and support JPSK Sports in optimizing return-on-investment for both the venue and the events staged at the complex, including the Grand Prix.

"JMI comes to us highly recommended by global leaders in motorsports," said Mark Hughes, JPSK Sports vice president of operations. "The agency's experience, relationships and insider knowledge, combined with a thorough and broad understanding of the commercial landscape of motorsports and sponsorship, will be invaluable to us as we launch this ambitious venture."

Tom Moser, executive vice president of strategy for JMI, said the deal gives the Indianapolis firm an entry into a growing motorsports market.

IBJ Staff

June 12, 2010
http://www.ibj.com/just-marketing-international-nabs-formula-one-deal-in-india/PARAMS/article/20472

Renault F1 Team’s Bob Bell Gives Backing to Europe’s Biggest Student Motorsport Event

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) has announced a new ambassador for Formula Student (FS) 2010. Renault F1 Team Managing Director, Bob Bell, has become the latest to offer his expertise and support to Europe's biggest educational motorsport event. Formula Student is run by the IMechE to challenge the next generation of engineers to drive a single-seater racing car they have designed and built from scratch. The aim of the competition is to help students develop academic, vocational and practical engineering skills and training that is considered essential by industry experts for students hoping to pursue a career in F1 or motorsport. The partnership augment FS's collaboration with a number of well respected and high profile organisations supporting the 2010 competition including Shell, Airbus in the UK, E.ON UK, Cenex, Autodesk, National Instruments and The MathWorks. This year FS will benefit from Bob Bell's experience and expertise, as he brings 30 years of motorsport experience to his role as an ambassador of FS 2010. Prior to working for the Renault F1 Team, he has worked for Formula One heavyweights including McLaren International, Benetton Formula, and the Jordan Grand Prix. Bell also played an integral role in the Renault F1 Team's back to back world championship successes in 2005 and 2006.  Bob Bell, MD of Renault F1 Team, said: "I feel very privileged to be become an FS Ambassador, given its outstanding success in promoting competitive engineering at an international level. Few other forms of professional engineering offer such an opportunity to young engineers, and its educational benefits are of significance over a very wide engineering domain."  Formula Student attracts entries from universities all over the world. This year teams from countries including Australia, Canada, India, Sweden and Croatia will all take part in the five-day event at Silverstone on 14 - 18 July. At the event FS cars undergo a series of dynamic tests such as acceleration, sprint, skid-pad, endurance and fuel economy. Students are also tested on design, presentation and cost assessment elements.  FS will once again run its low carbon category of Class 1A cars which allows teams to develop new and novel powertrain technologies, resulting in race cars with low carbon emissions.  For further information please visit www.formulastudent.com Institution of Mechanical Engineers 1 Birdcage Walk, London SW1H 9JJ T: 020 7304 6835/6888 E: s_mowlabaccus@imeche.org or media@imeche.org  W: www.imeche.org

Anxiety, Anxiousness, Excitement : 2011 F1 Calendar Could Be Longest Ever

Bernie Ecclestone has talked in latest weeks concerning expanding the F1 calendar to 24 races. The near the beginning signs are next year's Formula 1 calendar could be the longest ever – with the new Indian Grand Prix taking the championship up to 20 races for the first time.

It seems more and more likely the 19 venues visited this year will all be retained for 2011. The Turkish and Chinese rounds had been in some worries, the former seeing very poor crowds in recent years and the latter reaching the end of its original seven-year agreement this year.

But Ecclestone dropped hints during the Turkish Grand Prix weekend that the race would be staying on the calendar. Mercedes, who supply three F1 teams including their own factory outfit, are understood to be keen on keeping a race in China, an important market for them.

Additional races whose long-term future had seemed uncertain now look more secure. The owners of the Hockenheimring have said they expect to sell more tickets this year (thank you, Michael Schumacher) and Silverstone has finally nailed down a long-term contract.

With India set to join the calendar next year F1 looks set to visit 20 venues in 2011:

The teams have raised some objections to the amount of long-distance traveling this will involve. There concerns make a lot of sense when you look at how the calendar is organized.

Why are Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, two races that are reasonably close together, at opposite ends of the calendar? Would it not make sense to run these races on consecutive weekends to save flying all the way there and back.

The same goes for the Malaysian and Singapore rounds. And would it not also make sense to move the Chinese round closer to the Korean and Japanese races?

Despite the team's concerns the signs all point to the calendar getting larger. The 2012 United States Grand Prix could move the calendar up to 21 races.

(As an aside, if that race is paired with the Canadian round as seems likely, a June race in Texas would be held in punishing heat. The only previous F1 race in Texas – the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix, held in July – was one of the hottest races ever.)

On top of that Ecclestone is looking into possible future races in Rome and Russia.

The prospect of a larger calendar is obviously good news for fans of the sport and, in the long term, is probably a benefit for F1 too.

But how far the teams can accommodate more races in distant venues, at a time when they're trying to bring their costs down, remains to be seen.

Article Source:f1fanatic.co.uk

NCR-based firm providing BPO services to F1

Sometime back, American churches started outsourcing their prayers to Indian churches in Kerala. Holy mass and Thanksgiving requests are handled by Indian churches in return for a fee. 

Starting from just simple voice based outsourcing, Indian companies are now doing some very interesting and high value outsourcing work for global companies. An example is an NCR-based firm, which works with one of the Formula One teams. The common engine control unit in these racecars are like the black box in an aircraft. It receives inputs from the many sensors that measures aspects like temperature of tyres, balance of the car, steering control, suspension and a number of other aspects. This data is collected and sent back to the company's centre in the NCR after the race. 

The job of the staff at this company is to analyse the huge amount of data that is sent to them, point out problems with each aspect and suggest improvements. 

Could F1 Handle 24 Races A Year ?

Williams chief executive Adam Parr believes that it would be possible to increase the number of races in each season to twenty-four – but only if race dramatically change their schedules.

This season's calendar features nineteen races – the highest number of events since 2005. Subsequently, this figure is expected to rise in the next few years, with India being added to the calendar in 2011 and the United States a year later.

This has greatly concerned teams who fear that an expanded calendar will prove to be a logistical nightmare and mean that extra team members will have to be found to rotate with existing staff.

However, with falling attendances and sponsorship drying up, the F1-supremo is keen to continue to expand the calendar in a bid to increase the amount of capital generated by the sport's commercial rights holder, the Formula One Group, and to help service the debts of private equity firm CVC Capital Partners- which reportedly paid around $1.7bn to acquire control of the organisation in 2006.

As a result, Parr believes that the sport could handle more than twenty races on the calendar – but only if meetings were shortened from three days to two.

Despite supporting an extention to the season, Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn admitted that any change would initially increase costs.

"I think there's a step change, where you get to a certain number and you have to start taking on duplicate crews like they do in NASCAR," he said. "That first step change is quite expensive, so it can be done but we need to make sure it's managed properly."

"To be clear, we're all delighted that they're increasing the number of races."

Although teams currently receive half of the sport's commercial revenues, Brawn admitted that teams must remain cautious when negotiating with the sport's commercial rights holders. 

"There's an agreement with Bernie that the more races we do the more money the teams get, so we've got to make sure that the money we get is more than the money we spend, which is not easy with Bernie," he said.

"We just need to manage the situation properly because especially the races which are coming up, they're great for Formula 1, so we will support them 100 percent.

"There are consumables involved: we use more engines, we use more brakes, we use things like that.

"We've got flights, we've got hotels, but a lot of the core costs are spent before you even go to the first race."

My Comments: Come what may, the F1 schedule is bound to change next year.  A lot of changes and much more excitement is on the cards! But yet, I do wonder if the drivers have a fatigue factor...

The Coming F1 Race in 2011 Gives Fillip to Motorsports in India

Even before a track in India gets integrated into the Formula One racing circuit, motorsports in India could get a much needed leg-up from manufacturer-backed, single-make racing championships. The Volkswagen Polo cup is the first such backed by the German-brand and its first made in India hatch.

In 2010, the Polo cup, which is a championship popular in many countries worldwide, starts out on its 13th season. Volkswagen cup races have already been successfully introduced in China, South Africa and America. Other VW Motorsport activities include the Dakar Rally, the F3 Euro Series and the German F3 cup.

Racing series such as the Polo cup are restricted to young drivers, who compete in technically identical vehicles with the same performance data. This gives the upcoming racing drivers an opportunity to develop their skills and get to experience what it takes to make a career as a successful racing driver first hand. The Polo cup is widely considered the starting platform or training ground for future touring car champions.

Racing vehicles

The unique concept, the sound regulations, the meticulous Abt Sportsline racing team, the response by new, young drivers and the dynamic competition vehicles supplied by Volkswagen have been consistent elements of the cup throughout its history.

VW has chosen to go with the Polo TDI (diesel) for the cup. From the outside, the car looks identical to its street legal avatar and even features a retuned version of the 1.6-litre R4 common rail diesel engine that VW plans to introduce in the market later. In the race Polo the engine generates a peak power of 95 kW or 130 PS at 4,400 rpm and a peak torque of 250 Nm at 1,500 to 2,500 rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Top speed is rated at 180 km per hour.

For the safety of the driver, the Race Polo features a FIA approved roll cage, a fire extinguisher system with internal and external release, an electrical cut-off system and a race brake system with four piston fixed calliper. For braking, it is fitted with a ventilated 213mm disk at the front and a 232 disk brake at the rear.

To experience the Race Polo first-hand, we at Smartbuy travelled to the Kari Motor Speedway just outside the southern city of Coimbatore. The Race Polos that had been lined up for a bunch of us motoring journalists wore the same colours that the street Polo is offered with. Inside, the regular seats of the Polo had been pulled out and the carpeting and insulation stripped to reduce the weight of the car.

Instead, one race driver’s seat with integrated head protection, a 6-point seatbelt prepared for the HANS (head and neck support) system, a safety window net on the driver side and an additional display and data logger system with an on-board camera were the interior features in the Race Polo. The dashboard itself (except for the steering column mounted data logger) is identical to the street Polo.

On the 2.2-kilometre track at the Speedway, the Race Polo is quick off the start, the TDI engine spooling up and delivering peak torque immediately after the throttle is given a hard jab. The steering is precise and predictable giving us greater confidence to push it around the 14 turns and corners on the track. The Race Polo also comes with 17-inch alloys and 200/605 R17 tyres. For suspension, single adjustable dampers and struts developed by Sachs of Germany along with Eibach springs have been used. The bearings and hubs have been uprated for racing strength.

Selection process

VW received over 1,100 registrations from potential racers, of which 20 chosen drivers will get to rev their engines for this first single-make manufacturer-backed series in India. The selection process ran from the last week of March to mid of May. The aspiring racers were divided into two groups – first-timers and experienced racers, and were put through two rounds of selection. The young racers were narrowed down to 45 drivers through a go-kart selection process. The short listed drivers were then placed behind the wheel of the Race Polos for the second round of selections held in Coimbatore, to earn their place in the final 20 candidates for the races.

The first season of the Polo up in India will commence from May 30, 2010. There will be a total of six races, with the first being a street race in VW India’s home town – Pune, where the 20 short listed drivers will celebrate their world debut at the Polo Cup India 2010 as part of the JK Tyre-FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship 2010. They will compete in six races across the country, the first in Pune, followed by five races on the race courses in Coimbatore and Chennai.

S. Muralidhar in Business Line's SmartBuy

Michael Schumacher in F1-India 2011 ?

MERCEDES GP's Ross Brawn has hinted that Michael Schumacher will remain in F1 beyond the end of 2010 despite rumours to the contrary after a largely disappointing return. He also confirmed that the team expects to retain its current driver line-up into 2011.

Which essentially, is great news !!

Schumacher may remain in F1 beyond the end of 2010 (Photo: Bacardi Ltd)

More races on the calendar - if people are willing to pay

How many grands prix is too many? Some think this year's 19 is too many; most are rolling their eyes at the idea of India making it 20 next year. And if no race is dropped for 2012, the addition of the US Grand Prix at Austin, Texas, would make it 21. Well, Adam Parr, the CEO of Williams, suggested there could be as many as 24 in the future.

It seems Formula One is still a business people want to get into, even if the experience here in Turkey has shown that it is not always a success story. Istanbul Park is reckoned to be as good a track as there is, with Turn 8 regarded as the most challenging corner of the whole year.

Yet in 2009, only 36,000 fans turned up, 4,000 less than in 2008, at a circuit designed for 125,000. The chances are that cars will be speeding past empty stands, not only in Saturday's qualifying, but even on race day.

Yet still people want to stage F1. Russia and Mexico have shown interest, there is talk of Rome, while Parr wants a return to France and a race in Africa.

"This is a propositions about revenue-to-cost ratio in Formula One," Parr said. "Your costs are largely fixed, so having an extra race is beneficial.

"An extra Grand Prix in Europe, in France for instance, would be fantastic. But this is premised on a two-day weekend. You turn up with the car you are going to race. You do practice in morning for an hour-and-a-half, you qualify and it is effectively in parc fermé all weekend. We've just been bouncing it around a bit. As a global sport, racing around the world in different markets, India, Russia, Africa, the States, it's got a lot of logic to it.

"When I raised it the other day, no one said, 'Can't do that.' I was pleasantly surprised. I think we can do things on a Friday that are interesting and maybe different. Why not have a pro-am, something fun and have lighten it up a bit and have more interaction with people trackside?

"We need to help the promoters. We can do some of the things we do on a Thursday with the media on a Friday and we can do more with the crowd, but what we don't do necessarily is run an F1 car."

Certainly the finances of Formula One have improved since the days of limitless testing and engines. Parr revealed that Williams made a profit of about £5.5million in 2009 and he is expecting a similar amount this year. He says the reduced impact of benefactors and big car manufacturers in the sport means everyone now has to find a way to make a profit.

"I believe the health of Formula One, from an economic point of view, is measurable by the health of Williams," Parr said. "Fundamentally we have to raise our funds from our share of the FOM (Formula One Management) revenues plus sponsorship. If that is not sufficient to field a competitive team, then clearly the sport's got problems.

"In 2011, every team with the possible exceptions of the two Red Bull teams, will be looking to be profitable. I think it is possible, but not easier and it's not going to get any easier in the coming years.

"If you look at the Premier League, in 1992-93, 15 out of 22 Premier League teams were profitable, but the total operating profit of the 22 teams was £33million. The last year for which we have figures, 2007-08, only 11 out of 20 teams were profitable but their total operating profit was £185million. My guess is that in the last few years, fewer teams will be profitable, because while revenues have gone up, player costs have gone up a hell of a lot more.

"At this stage the profit is playing down debt. Our debt peaked at £35million at the end of '07. We borrowed money on 06-07 because of the sheer spending our our competitors, it's just impossible not to. But that's not a healthy thing and the shareholders are not willing to see the company loaded with debt.

"What I think is healthy is to get to a level where we can spend a decent amount of money, put a competitive car on the track and be a viable business. If we can't do that, sooner or later it doesn't work any more."

Ron Lewis in Istanbul

My Comments: Honestly, I'd say, no F1 Grand Prix can be too many ! I wonder if there is a driver's 'fatigue' factor though; I hope we don't see drivers burning out due to too many races. Maybe, F1 should juggle races between countries and have a rotation system.

F1 Connects Superstars Across The Boundaries

What connects Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo Dicaprio besides their acting skills?

The love for Formula One racing.

DiCaprio, an avid racing fan, recently kick-started the Tag Heuer's Odyssey of Pioneers- a unique roadshow travelling to 15 destinations, with a specially designed Tesla's special electric sports car in Basel, Switzerland.

After making the rounds in cities like Monaco, Milan, Budapest and Warsaw the road trip finally reached New Delhi and Shah Rukh along with Formula One driver Karun Chandhok, launched it further to its next stop Beijing here today.

44-year-old Khan, who is the brand ambassador for Swiss watch brand, expressed his love for the sports and said, "I have always been an avid fan of automobile marvel. It's exciting to welcome the road trip to India which shows that our country is finally making its foray in Formula One racing."

On the occasion of celebrating the brand's 150th anniversary, the star, also premiered a Tag Heuer's new range of watches for the future.Shah Rukh is also expected to be present at some of the 15 destinations of the road-trip which will finally culminate in Paris.

For his love of racing, King Khan had also paid a surprise visit to the Sepang Formula One racing track during the Malaysian Grand Prix last month.

India’s sports ministry against F1 race

India’s sports ministry rejects duty exemptions for construction of F1

India’s sports ministry has rejected the idea of extending sports-linked customs duty exemptions that would have made it cheaper to import equipment being used for the construction of a Formula One race track.

India wishes to join the F1 grand prix circuit in 2011 on a course being built on the outskirts of New Delhi.

But the Times of India reported Tuesday that the Sports Ministry has refused to endorse the F1 race as a sports event, saying it would not have an impact on Indian sports “in terms of either participation, broad-basing or promotion of excellence."

“It would have no impact on the development of sports in the country,” The Times quoted an unnamed Sports Ministry official as saying. “F1 is not purely sports. It is entertainment and this venture is a commercial initiative.”

The Sports Ministry’s refusal to endorse the duty exemption application from the construction firm building the race track will not affect its bid to bring F1 to India, but might raise the cost.

Samir Gaur, managing director of JPSK Sports, the company seeking to put India on the F1 map, said it would go ahead and complete construction of the race track. “We’re 200 percent committed to the F1 race in India,” Gaur told the newspaper. Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya is a majority shareholder in the Force India F1 team.

My Comments: Yay! for the persistence of individuals like Gaur, Mallya and Ecclestone to bring F1 to India. The biggest reason why Indian sports is languishing and drowning in quicksand is that the government has failed to commercialize it!

India in 2011 - 8th Asian Country to host Formula 1 Racing

Asian Formula 1 Tracks in 2011:
1) Japan
2) Malayasia
3) China
4) Bahrain
5) Singapore
6) Abu Dhabi
7) Seoul-South Korea ( debut in 2010 )
8) Delhi - India (all set to debut in 2011)

First Indian GP will be sensational: Dr. Vijay Mallya

The inaugural Indian Grand Prix in 2011 will prove to be a “sensational” event that breaks records for Formula 1 crowd attendance. That is the prediction of Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya, who has helped increase interest levels in F1 in his homeland since buying and rebranding the Spyker team ahead of the 2008 season.

Mallya says construction work at the brand new 3.1-mile circuit in Greater Noida is progressing well and thinks the race will capture the imagination of the Indian youth market when it joints the calendar next year.
“The interest in Formula 1 in India has skyrocketed and the track is well underway,” he told F1’s official website.

"I predict that the first Indian Grand Prix will be a sensational, mega event because Formula 1 has all the ingredients that appeal to the Indian youth.

“It’s a high-tech, competitive sport and with a certain touch of glamour.”

And asked to explain what the F1 world should expect from his country’s first race, he added: “More spectators than you have ever seen for an event. Amazing fans who will bring their love and show their enthusiasm for Formula 1.”

Since joining the grid as a team owner in late 2007, Mallya has insisted that while in future he would like to hire an Indian driver for his team there currently isn’t one who is good enough to take on F1’s top stars.
Mallya has this year seen Karun Chandhok become the country’s second ever F1 driver with Hispania, but remains adamant that there isn’t an obvious candidate for his team yet.

Asked how important it was for Force India to run a home driver at some point in the future, he replied: “It is very important. I would love it.

“I’m not a fool and can see the enormous publicity potential which would come from it.

“The downside at the moment is that there is not one Indian pilot who has the potential to battle the best on the track.”

Pune-ite Oshan formulates his Formula one dream

(Sakaal Times, (Pune) India) 

This doesn't come anywhere close to Formula racing. Formula One is a distant dream, but Pune boy Oshan Kothadiya has given himself a ray of hope to be involved with the F1 Grand Prix when India hosts its maiden event next year in Greater Noida.

"Formula One is a dream, but I know it is for only select few so I have decided to get my racing license and then apply for volunteer marshal when Formula One comes to India next year," Kothadiya told Sakal Times on Wednesday, soon after he was launched along with 19 others as the first batch of 20 drivers for the debut race of the Polo Cup India 2010 organised by Volkswagen India.

Kothadiya is a first-timer to racing and it was an inspiration he got when he visited Auto Expo in Delhi this January that gave him an idea of competing in anything like this.

He is among the three drivers from Pune who made it through tough selection process that pruned 1,100 drivers to 45 and then to final 20.

"I watch car racing on television and was enamoured by Sebastian Vettel, the German who races for Red Bull in Formula One," said Kothadiya. 

"It was just a fluke than I applied and got the call and then went through the selection and during the time learnt a lot about racing."

The recruitment for marshals that will be required during the F1 Grand Prix in Greater Noida has already begun, and Kothadiya hopes him knowledge of the sport will help him get the dream job that many would be aspiring for.

But first, Kothadiya is aiming to win at the Polo Cup India race that will be held on May 30 Balewadi Sports Complex. Pune was chosen as first city because it is the hometown of Volkswagen India.

The drivers will compete in a series of six races held between May and December 2010 before the overall winner gets decided in this manufacturer-backed series, to be held also in Coimbatore and Chennai.

In conversation - Bernie Ecclestone & Vijay Mallya

The Men who will be the torch-bearers of ushering Formula One into India, in conversation, right here right now:

Force India CEO Dr Vijay Mallya is the team principal of one of the grid’s most exciting prospects, while Formula One Group CEO Bernie Ecclestone is responsible for guiding the sport’s future, but both are like-minded entrepreneurs, fond of risk taking and sharing the odd anecdote. We listen in as Ecclestone and Mallya discuss the challenges of running a team, German drivers Adrian Sutil and Sebastian Vettel, and Formula One racing’s thrilling new port of call for 2011, India…

Q: Vijay, what advice did you get from Bernie when you told him that you were going to take over the ailing Spyker Formula One team?

Dr Vijay Mallya: To be fair, I first brought up the subject of buying a team with Bernie when I started sponsoring Toyota in 2007. I asked him whether he thought I should buy a Formula One team, and he said no - leave your hands off. That was his first spontaneous advice to me. But I had a clear concept. I didn’t want to pour money into a team, but I wanted to create a competitive team with strong Indian ties. I told Bernie that it would be very positive for Formula One if India could become part of the sport with its own team, especially as Bernie had just done a deal to have an Indian Grand Prix by 2011. In hindsight I know that my decision was right. The interest in Formula One in India has skyrocketed and the track is well underway. I predict that the first Indian Grand Prix will be a sensational, mega event because Formula One has all the ingredients that appeal to the Indian youth. It’s a high-tech, competitive sport and with a certain touch of glamour. Just to give you an example, Force India’s website, together with that of Ferrari, is the most frequented website of all the teams. To achieve those results it was important to change the name Spyker to Force India - and that change we’ve achieved in record-breaking time.

Q: Why did you choose to name it Force India?

VM: Because Formula One stands for force and power!

Q: Bernie, you’ve known Vijay for a long time. When did it dawn on you that he was the right man to successfully establish an Indian team?

BE: I knew that he wanted it, and I also knew that when he puts his energy behind something in the end he will be successful. On the other hand he knew that if he wouldn’t do it then I would find somebody else… (laughs)

VM: Bernie knew that I wasn’t a freshman. I was a sponsor of the Benetton team back in 1995. I’ve worked together with Michael Schumacher and Flavio Briatore. I’ve watched Formula One develop. I’ve watched the changes and experienced it becoming even more exciting - and challenging. That in itself is a huge asset - if you know what you are dealing with before you get involved. One of the biggest stimuli for me sure was to see how Asia was becoming a huge stronghold of Formula One.

BE: Go East! That was one of my visions.

Q: Why is that so important for you?

BE: Because nowhere in the world is economic growth greater than in that region.

Q: But then it’s surprising that you advised Vijay against getting involved…

BE: At first I thought that Spyker would probably be the wrong team for his ambitions. To buy a team is one thing, but you also have to control it.

Q: Well, it obviously worked, even if it took some time to reach the road to success. Vijay, is that one of the reasons you haven’t been satisfied with your team until this season?

VM: Well, 2008 did not count as there wasn’t any time to make changes. Basically we used the old Spyker chassis with a new name. At the beginning I thought to myself ‘oh my god, we are so way behind!’ But that year was an important learning phase to make the right decisions. I replaced the management and the key technicians and in 2009 we were much more competitive, at least on certain tracks like Spa and Monza. We made it to the podium and my guess is that we could even have won in Spa. This season we’ve made another huge leap forward. So everything is going in the right direction. We should now be able to get into the points at every race on our own strength.

BE: In Monaco in 2008 I cried with Vijay. That was the race when Adrian Sutil was looking like a certain fourth and then Kimi Raikkonen hit him from behind into the barriers. That almost tore my heart apart.

Q: Does it make you proud to be able to keep up with the likes of Mercedes GP and Ferrari - teams whose budgets are twice yours?

VM: It’s more than twice! It only shows that money cannot buy success. The cost reductions in terms of less testing and the development restrictions agreed by the FIA and FOTA of course helped us, but in the end it is up to you to make the most out of your budget - and that is where we are very good.

Q: Bernie, is it easier for you to deal with people like Vijay - entrepreneurs who risk their own money - instead of corporate guys?

BE: Yes, the decision making process is much easier - much faster. VM: I am the boss, I can immediately say yes or no. Corporate guys are often not in the position to agree to anything, they first have to go back to their boss for a go-ahead. But you also mustn’t forget that guys like me are in Formula One for the fun of it. That is honestly true.

Q: What are your thoughts on your driver Adrian Sutil?

VM: I should say that Adrian is the very best friend of Lewis Hamilton. They raced in Formula Three and were nearly at the same level of performance. Lewis started his Formula One career with McLaren, and Adrian with Spyker. That basically says it all. Adrian has got a lot of potential and is extremely quick, but Lewis could show his talents straight away in a McLaren, whereas Adrian was suffering at the back end of the field with Spyker. He did not really get the chance to show his qualities, as the Spyker was extremely difficult to drive. But now he can show his full capabilities.

Q: How popular is Sutil in India?

VM: Indians adore big personalities, and they have a soft spot for stars. This is also the reason why we have our own huge ‘Bollywood’ film industry. Michael Schumacher is known all over the place, and Adrian is becoming more and more popular.

Q: How important will it be for you to have an Indian driver at some point in the future?

VM: It is very important. I would love it. I’m not a fool and can see the enormous publicity potential which would come from it. The downside at the moment is that there is not one Indian pilot who has the potential to battle the best on the track.

BE: And this then would be extremely negative. In this case Vijay would have achieved the exact opposite of what he wanted to. To choose an Indian driver who just runs after all the others is no use to anybody. It would be counterproductive.

Q: If you could have your pick of the drivers, who would you sign?

VM: That’s an easy pick! I’d immediately sign Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso.

BE: A very good choice.

VM: Just because both of them are at their peak. I have my own experience of Vettel. For most races in 2008 we competed against ourselves, and maybe Toro Rosso. This was the reason why I had an eye on Vettel. And what did he do in Monza at a wet race? He won it! That was very impressive and I walked over to Toro Rosso to congratulate him. They celebrated together with me. I told myself on that very day that I would celebrate the victory of a race myself one day.

BE: Vettel is such a nice young guy. I said to him, right before his very first free practice in Istanbul in his BMW Sauber, that he had received his super licence just temporarily, so don’t screw up but justify our trust in you. The next thing I saw was his name on the very top of the timesheets. Then I thought to myself that this boy, only 18 years-old, is a sensation.

Q: What should we expect from the first Indian Grand Prix in 2011?

BE: A lot of curry… (laughs)

VM: More spectators than you have ever seen for an event. Amazing fans who will bring their love and show their enthusiasm for Formula One.

BE: What I have encountered in India, when I’ve been there, is that even the poorest people don’t show any form of envy. They give from the bottom of their hearts.

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