F1 drives in, finally

The efforts of motor sport enthusiasts and much more have gone into the making of the Indian Grand Prix. H. Kishie Singh reports on what is driving the show and how!

Formula One, or F1 as it is popularly referred to as, is finally coming to India. It is the pinnacle of motor sport and has a massive and dedicated following worldwide. Indians who are keen supporters of any sport will be in for a treat that will make their blood boil over. Even on television, when you see single-seater, open-wheel cars racing at 300 kmph and engines howling like a banshee the spine tingles. The overflow of adrenalin from the competitors is bound to find its way to the spectators.

The Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, the venue of the Airtel Indian Grand Prix, was specially constructed for this event by Jaypee Sports International (J.P.S.I.). The main Grand Stand at the start-finish has a seating capacity of 30,000 persons. The temporary grand stands will accommodate another 60,000 persons.

The Indian Grand Prix has not happened overnight. One of the driving forces behind track racing in our country is J.K. Tyre's Hardy Sharma, head of Motor Sport. Says Hardy, "The J.K. National Racing Championships are in their 16th edition, the J.K. National Karting Championship is in the 12th year. J.K. provided a nursery and helped these drivers to grow. The F1 in India is a logical culmination of all such efforts

The logistics for the event are mindboggling. There is a demand for 20,000 rooms for that last weekend in October and the N.C.R. hotels are charging Rs 25,000 and above for a single night. The event will provide a huge push for tourism and allied industries.

Auto companies are also taking a keen interest in getting involved with the Indian Grand Prix. Mercedes-Benz has always been involved with F1 motor sport. They will continue doing the same in India. The safety car has traditionally been a Mercedes. Mercedes Benz will also supply specially prepared ambulances for the event.

Hero Motors has also stepped in to support Narain Karthikeyan. Mahindra and Mahindra will be supplying 25 Scorpios as the official intervention vehicles. They will carry fire-safety equipment to transport the marshals in case of an accident. Other big names among sponsors are J.K. Tyres, the U.B. Group, Shell, Castrol, Helix, Vodafone and Tag Heuer.

A total of 700 marshals are required to run the event. Out of these, 300 are from abroad, mostly Bahrain. Travel and stay is at their own expense and they simply attend to offer their expertise, such is the level of their dedication for F1. One of their duties now is to impart expertise to Indian marshals who are first timers at this high-octane (pun not intended!) sport.

The Indian Grand Prix has not happened overnight. One of the driving forces behind track racing in our country is J.K. Tyre's Hardy Sharma, head of Motor Sport. Says Hardy, "The J.K. National Racing Championships are in their 16th edition, while the J.K. National Karting Championship is in the 12th year. J.K. provided a nursery and helped these drivers to grow. The results are there for the world to see!" Hardy is totally committed to motor sport.

Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton after a special performance in Bengaluru recently Photo: AFP

Twenty years ago, in an informal talk with me, Hardy had said, "You wait and see. We'll be having an F1 India!". He has turned out to be right. He thought of the National Racing Championships, the National Karting Championships and the F1 in India is a logical culmination of all those efforts. Bernie Eccelstone, the F1 supremo, must have had the same thoughts. He saw the homework that had been done. Another point to consider. Whereas for many other countries F1 is a commercial venture, Indians are emotionally involved with the sport. It is this spirit and involvement that will cement F1's foundation in India.

Chandigarh, which has always had a very strong connection with motor sport, can pride itself on supplying the largest number of marshals for the event.

Hari Singh, five-time National Rally champion, and Rohitaaz Kumar, who are with J.K. Tyres, were at the Turkish Grand Prix to get hands-on experience as marshals. They have been trained in Recovery Procedures. They, in turn, are training the first-timers.

Twelve flat bed trucks have been imported to move the cars in case of a crash. Eighteen Manitoe boom cranes are there to help load the crashed vehicles. An additional 10 J.C.B. cranes are also in attendance. These vehicles, along with the ambulances, will be parked at strategic points along the track in case required.

Sunny Sidhu, a well-known rallyist, will be one of the ambulance drivers. The instructions to him are that the Medical Intervention Vehicle (M.I.V.), an ML Class Mercedes, will have two paramedics and in case required, he may not drive slower than 90 kmph to get to the crash site. Knowing Sunny, he will be delighted to follow these orders!

Then there is Sandeep Mahal of Garrari (rhymes with Ferrari) Off-Roaders. His club will contribute a dozen marshals. They could be Intervention Marshals, Flag Marshals or Boundary Riders on mobikes and they will provide physical communication between the marshals. Seven Garrari Marshals have been designated as Intervention Marshals and will take orders from Race Control. They may be required to clean the track of debris, oil spills or oversee the convoy movement in case the safety car is called out.

Two unusual marshals are Amitpal Grewal and Puneet. A husband-and- wife team, both love motor sport and are excited after their initial F1 familiarisation trip. They were driven around the circuit last week.

Conspicuous by his absence could be Vijay Parmar, president of Himalayan Motorsports, who runs the Raid de Himalaya. Vijay was nominated to be a marshal but the Raid this year finishes on October 17. Tying up the loose ends takes about another week and Vijay fears he may just not be in time for the F1 in Noida to take up his duties.

Billy Gill, another motor sport fan and president of the 4x4 Off-Roaders, is also a marshal for the event. He attended an induction programme at Noida, where he was informed about the finer points of F1 racing, about crowd control and what to do in case of an accident.

All marshals, after their initial induction programmes, will report for duty on October 24. They will go through a vigorous training programme for the big show on October 29 and 30.

The Indian connection at the event is very strong. India was able to host this event even when some developed western countries failed in their attempt to host such a prestigious event.

The strongest Indian connection is, of course, Vijay Mallya and his Force India F-1 Team.

The second connection is the man who has earned the reputation of being the fastest Indian: Narain Karthikeyan.

The third connection is Karun Chandhok, who is also a highly respected and qualified driver and will be driving for Lotus.

Two Indian drivers and one F1 Indian team on Indian soil driving in the first F1 Grand Prix in India — this is a huge feather in India’s cap. Consider this: in the last five years, F1 circuits have come up in Turkey, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore and China but not one of these countries has produced a driver.

To rev up the excitement, there is a support race two hours before the qualifying session on Saturday and the main event, on Sunday. This will be the J.K. Racing Asia Series. Originally, it was the Formula BMW Racing but J.K. Racing has bought them out. That’s Hardy Sharma at work.

Now here is something that would be totally alien to Lalit Bhanot of the Commonwealth Games infamy. It was Bhanot who said, "Foreigners have very different standards of hygiene." So, chemical toilets are being imported and will be set up every 200 metres for the officials at the Indian Grand Prix!

Date with Stars The chance to get up close and personal with the stars has already set the pulse of many a F1 fanatic-turned-marshal racing,  writes Amit Khanna Rohitaaz Kumar (R) with Michael Schumacher Rohitaaz Kumar The reigning national champion in biking feels the best outcome of the event will be that the sport will reach the masses. "So far, we have only watched the biggest names drive on television. Watching them live will certainly increase the fan base and as the knowledge about the sport increases, it is going to be good for the sport. Besides, the exposure it is offering to the guys who are officiating as marshals etc is a major advantage. I was sent to Singapore last month to actually get a feel of how things work during a race. Our role is vital, as most of us are in the recovery department, and the experience of handling the superstars will be immense." Favourite Team: McLaren Sunny Sidhu The Raid de Himalaya champion says: "This is like a dream coming true. We all have been involved with the sport for the last so many years but watching stars like Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, among others, live will be incredible. Chandigarh and the nearby regions have the best rally drivers and this first-hand exposure will certainly sharpen their skills in a big way. Hopefully, the sponsors, too, will realise the true worth of the sport and come forward in taking it to a higher level in the country."  Favourite team: Ferrari Sunny Kumar "To be a part of a selected few from around the world is in itself a humbling feeling. We have cricket to put us on the international map, but there are not many sports which match cricket in India. Motor sport has immense potential and hopefully, the sponsors and the authorities will invest generously and help us groom the best talent. We organise various events throughout the year in and around Chandigarh and the experience gained during the Indian Grand Prix training and on the tracks will certainly come in handy as far as future organisational skills are concerned. Watching our favourite stars from close quarters will be like a dream coming true. We have watched them on television so far but getting to see them live now and handling them on the tracks will be great." Favourite team: Red Bull Gulpreet Aulakh Founder member of the Team Chandigarh Adventure Sports says this is the best that can happen to motor sport in India. "That we are going to have a 5.5-km racing track of international standards in India where we can hold many national events throughout the year is going to be one of the biggest achievements. Plus, so many people watching it live will certainly raise the interest level in motor sport. The training that we are receiving is unmatched and will come in handy in future events as well. We will have a ready force of world-class officials. To actually see world-class drivers and their machines in action is a phenomenon each one of us is looking forward to." Favourite Team: McLaren Nikhil Deep Singh Jaspal "It cannot get more exciting than this. Watching the racing superstars in action in front of our eyes will be like living a dream. It feels great to be a part of the F 1 event and the training has been superb. In fact, the training actually tells you how even the minutest detail is taken care of in F1 events. There is a protocol for almost everything, which you have to follow on the field. The knowledge is immense and will help us in many ways. I am looking forward to being a part of it." Favourite Team: Ferrari

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