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.

(Images and content are copyright of Formula 1 and are used for non-commercial fanfare purpose only)

Indian GP aims for cheap tickets and tight security

Organizers of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix have vowed to offer affordable tickets and a secure location as Formula 1 heads to the country for the first time next year. The venue, 35 kilometers (22 miles) outside capital city New Delhi, is currently under construction by industrial conglomerate Jaypee Group.

With 19 races on the 2010 schedule, matching the highest ever figure from 2005, F1 is set to hit the 20 mark next year, with Grands Prix in Russia and the United States also on the cards. For India's debut, Mark Hughes has also said that JPSK Sports, a Jaypee subsidiary company, is about to send out tenders for track asphalting to start later this year, once the monsoon season is over.

"We are looking at the range of tickets for the high end of cricket games, the international test matches, the IPL games," the firm's Vice President explained to The Times of India. "We are looking at the ticketing for the Commonwealth Games and we are also looking at the other races and trying to find a balance.

"There will be a reasonably affordable general admission and there will probably be about 25,000 general tickets. I'd like to think that we can make it affordable in the same way that Malaysia did - Malaysia have a very good, affordable entry ticket price."

Hughes added that high security measures will also be taken for the first F1 event in the country. "We will have things like built-in underground scanners, so when a car drives in every vehicle will get scanned," he continued. "At the same time, we will look at how we integrate that with the CCTV systems.

"We will have a reasonably sophisticated ticketing system that will be very difficult to forge. There will be a turnstile system at every entrance, every ticket will be electronic. Security will be ramped up, it has to be."

Jaypee Greens Sports City "Walkthru"

Jaypee is constructing the first Sports City in India, which will also be home to the Indian Formula One track. Its scintillating to watch a project of this magnanimity come up in India. Will this be a dream achieved? I dunno, but I do want to live there already !!!

If you wanna watch it on YouTube directly, here's the link.

Karun Chandok in a breezy mood

An excerpt from Karun Chandok's interview, where he talks about his fanfare, social networking and his excitement about F1 coming to India in 2011.

What’s the support from India been like since the season started?

The reaction to my promotion to F1 has been fantastic. I’ve had so many messages on my Twitter page and my website- it’s been quite overwhelming. There’s been so much support from within India and also the Indian communities around the world who’ve said that they will come to the races with Indian flags in hand to support me, which is great to hear. The media has been very good in the last few weeks despite the IPL [The hugely popular Indian Permier League of cricket] obviously taking up so much of their time.

Speaking of Twitter you’ve made plenty of use of it this year to keep your supporters up to date. How important do you think it is for F1 fans to have this sort of interaction with the drivers?

Well I’ve been tweeting for the past 8 months now and I think it is a great way to not only interact with the fans but also give them an insight into a life of an F1 driver. There are quite a few of us drivers who tweet along with the teams. It gives the fans a way to understand what is going on inside the team as well. For me an important side to it is the interaction with the fans.

[ Karun Chandok's Twitter Verified Account: http://twitter.com/karunchandhok ]

Back to India, your home country will of course be hosting its first grand prix in 2011. What would it mean for you to race there next year?

Obviously there is a lot of hype and expectations on me from India, with 1.2 billion people, and I’ll do my best not to disappoint anyone! I hope that I can be in a position where we are more competitive for the rest of this season and that I’m in a competitive position next year. But there’s no doubt being the only Indian driver lining up for the first Indian GP will be a special feeling. It would be great to see many more companies step up to promote motorsport in the country as they stand to gain a lot.