2 Magic laps for Karun! History for India!! And a new website to applaud it!!!
Welcome to www.INDIAinF1.com
Bangalore, 14 March 2010: As the season began this year, one more Indian joined the cream of World Racing drivers in the ultimate Racing Arena, the Formula One World Championship. For Karun, ecstasy must have given way to agony after his first outing on the World Stage, but for the billions of Indians, History was made in 2010. Karun Chandhok became the second Indian on the F1 grid and his historic feat is a big boost to the sagging image of Motorsport in the country, ahead of its own GP.
The Indian F1 Grand Prix is scheduled for 2011. In the World Motor Sport Council that met at Bahrain on March 11, Bernie Ecclestone, President, Formula One Management (FoM), has informed the FIA, the International Motorsports Federation, that subject to final approval of the calendar by the World Council, India would host a Formula One event in 2011.
It was in 1999, the idea of this website was born during a lunch-break chit-chat between senior motorsports and hockey correspondent Bodapati David and specialised Motorsport Photo Journalist and writer George Francis, whose agency Scorp News is in motorsport journalism for the past 25 years. The place was the Madras Motor Sports Trust’s racing circuit at Irungattukottai and the event, the MRF Grand Prix 1999. However, the website did not start till 2005.
On June 14, 2001, Narain Karthikeyan became the first Indian to test a new generation Formula 1 car with Steward Racing and as everyone was focused to see Narain in a Formula 1 Racing Car, it took full four years for Narain to get into Jordan Racing in 2005.
On March 6, 2005, Narain again created history, as he drove the yellow-colored Formula Jordan Car from the start line at Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia. The first Indian from among a billion population, was in Formula One. Within just another 5 years, one more Indian entering the Championship is a miracle and to enlarge this elite group of Indian F1 drivers to two, Karun had to bring a dream to life.
This website began the journey with Narain, launching in March but had a short life due to technical difficulties. And the revamped website, with a new name is launched this month with Karun making the Elite Club.
In between, 2008 saw business tycoon and Chairman of the Indian ASN of FIA, Vijay Mallya, launched Team Force India and last year the team took a Pole and a second on the Podium and earned their first points, the spark that re-ignited the Indian interest in F1. The dream-run this year for Force India should translate into a podium finish sooner or later and the professional approach augurs well for the sport in the country.
This year, we have one more Indian in Formula racing, Tamil Superstar Ajit Kumar in F2. Before taking a plunge into movies, Ajit was an avid racer. His motorsport career started early at an early age of 19, when he started riding bikes. In 2002, Ajit returned to the racing paddock amidst a successful film career to pursue his true passion. In the 2003, Formula BMW Asia series, Ajit took part in 14 races and finished the season in the 12th place. In 2004, he drove in the British Formula 3 series for a minor outfit, and was ranked the third best motor car driver in India at his peak. Ajit was forced to shift his focus to acting after he found it difficult to rope in sponsors for his international racing. Recently, he was back in a racing car at the MRF Racing Challenge 2010 races.
Today, the 14th of March, 2010, Karun Chandhok created history. As the lights went off at the Sakhir Circuit in Bahrain, at 17.30 IST, at the start line, Karun is not just steering Team Hispania Racing F1Team Formula Car, to start his career in F1, he is steering a billion dreams. The very fact that the HRT car made it to the track is a record in itself. Karun’s two magic laps, are akin to a rocket scientist or an astronaut trying to do a space voyage without a helmet. It is common knowledge that Karun did not get any time to test the car. Testing is like the stipulated one-year isolated simulation that astronauts do. He will go down in the history of Formula One as the first driver to cross the starting grid in a modern F1 car, virtually without any experience in the car or on the track, in an F1 car. Hats off Karun! We at INDIAinF! strongly believe that the two seconds you knocked off from your own first lap time, is no fluke and you would surely prove it, by the time we finish the season.
It is high time that the World has a website that deals with India in F1. This would add a world of information on the subject, to the minute.
We, George, Prasad, Paul and David, welcome you to the World of India in F1. In due course, we will bring you all the news from all forms of Motorsport where Indians drive or ride. Both, in India and abroad…
Happy Racing!!!
We wish Karun Chandhok, Force India and all the Indian racers elsewhere, the Very Best!
First Published 14 March 2010; edited 15th, 27th March 2010
