New Delhi: With about a fortnight to go for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, expectations will be rife in the racing fraternity but what exactly can one expect from the racing extravaganza in terms of the future of the sport in the country?
Well, for starters all the F1 stars in flesh and blood will descend on the Indian capital, which in itself is a bonanza considering that apart from double world champion Sebastian Vettel, there will a bunch of former winners that include: Fernando Alonso (2005,06 champion), Jenson Button (2009 champion), Lewis Hamilton (2008 champion) and of course seven time world champion Michael Schumacher whose presence is sure to be felt even though he is not the force that he once was.
Top all that up with the fact that there will be a couple of Indian drivers in Narain Karthikeyan (Hispania) and Karun Chandhok (Lotus) and an Indian Formula One outfit in Force India; one wonders whether there could have been a better setting for a maiden Grand Prix in a calendar year.
There is still no confirmation about the fact that Chandhok will race for Team Lotus since he has raced for them just once this season when he replaced regular driver Jarno Trulli for the German GP; Chandhok however has not raced for them since then even though team principal Tony Fernandes has said that he would like the Indian to participate in his home race.
Aged 34, Karthikeyan has learnt it the hard way that skills are not the only determining factor in getting an F1 seat. After making his debut in 2005 for Jordan, the man who became the first Indian to drive on the Formula One circuit was left in the lurch, struggling in his attempts to find sponsors.
Driving for Hispania, the team that dumped Chandhok after his debut season last year, Karthikeyan will at least live his dream of being part of a home Grand Prix.
However, the 'Force' of Vijay Mallya will be the one to look out for as Adrian Sutil and Paul Di Resta will not want to leave any stone unturned in front of a packed house.
Sutil and Di Resta, whose performances have been steadily improving without a doubt, will be looking to peak at the right time at the right place.
One also has to keep in mind that it was not that long ago that Force India almost clinched its maiden race win during the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix when Giancarlo Fisichella was overtaken by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen with the finishing line just four laps away.
A home race with a home team and a couple of drivers who will be the pride of an entire nation, should go a long way in helping F1 racing to find its feet in India in years to come.
Apart from anything else, the Indian GP will be more of an educational experience for racing enthusiasts in the country and if anything more comes out of it then it should be treated as nothing more than a welcome bonus.
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