Vijay Mallya on Force India

Force India’s F1 team chairman Vijay Mallya (centre) poses with Bollywood actresses Lara Dutta (left), Sameera Reddy (2nd left), Shilpa Shetty (2nd right) and Shamita Shetty during the launch function for the team’s new car for 2008 in Mumbai.


Not even the drivers expect to win race this season but the new Force India team will not be lacking in support when the Formula One season opens in Melbourne next week.

Millions of Indians, home and abroad, will cheer Force India’s gold, tungsten and white cars race past the chequered flag at Albert Park, judging by the media build up in the run up to its debut season.

Bankrolled by beer-to-airlines tycoon Vijay Mallya, this repackaged version of the Ferrari-powered former Spyker team is injecting patriotism to fire up India’s cricket-obsessed public in an unfamiliar sport.

“No one believed India would have a Formula One team but we are there,” the flamboyant billionaire Mallya said during the team’s launch in January.

“I feel proud that an Indian has put its flag on the F1 circuit,” Mallya added, pointing to the white, saffron and green of the Indian tricolour in the team’s logo.

India became hooked on Formula One when home-grown Narain Karthikeyan raced for Jordan in 2005 and test drove with Williams over the past two years. Compatriat Karun Chandhok test drove with Red Bull.

The sport’s commercial rights’ owner Bernie Ecclestone is convinced Formula One’s fi nancial future lies in India and China in the form of untapped advertising revenues from large TV audiences.

India has been provisionally granted a race in 2010 provided the promoters, the Indian Olympic Association, meet the stuatory requirements – like building an expensive race track. Television currently reaches around 110 million Indian homes. While cable and satellite are quickly adding to the number, half of India’s population is under 25, a goldmine for advertisers.

And Mallya has set a target of 2012 for an Indian Formula One driver to be spraying champagne after a race and is identifying talent in India to be handpicked for training in Malaysia and France.

An Indian driver would clearly help further Mallya’s and Ecclestone’s cause. “No Indian fi ts the bill yet,” Mallya said, explaining why he hired Italian Giancarlo Fisichella – a veteran of 196 Grand Prix – and German rookie Adrian Sutil to power his US$120 million adventure this season. – AFP

Source: The Sun 06 March 2008

Force India - First Day

Force India’s chief technical officer, Mike Gascoyne, described the team’s Monday session in Barcelona as ‘very productive’ after Adrian Sutil and test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi debuted the new VJM01.

Despite grey and rainy weather conditions for the opening day of the three-day session, Force India worked through the majority of the scheduled shakedown of the cars, with both drivers focusing on understanding the behaviour of its new aero package.

“Today was a very productive day today considering we were running new parts and an aero package we hadn't tested before,” said Gascoyne after 100 laps. “We were running 60 percent of the aero package we will use in Australia, and it seemed to go well.”

Full report: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/2/7391.html

Fisichella to drive Force India

Giancarlo Fisichella secure his seat for the 2008 season at Force India, finally. Fisichella’s signing means he will start his 13th season of Formula One racing, having been dropped by Renault at the end of last season. The Italian is no stranger to his new team, having previously driven for them back in their Jordan days and bringing them their last win at the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix.

“I am looking forward to joining Force India for the coming season,” said the 34 year-old. “At the test in Jerez, I was very impressed with the team's professionalism and commitment to move forward and I hope that my experience will help them achieve these goals.

More report: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/1/7248.html
Interview: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2008/1/7249.html

Updated: http://bcosurich.blogspot.com/2008/01/fia-confirmed-2008-driver-line-up.html