Fast and furious
Fast, electrifying and nerve crushing, these are perhaps the perfect words to define the experience people are going to face as Formula 1 racing finally as India hosts their inaugural Indian Grand Prix on Oct 30. TWF correspondent Supriyo Hazra vrooms with the excitement
It will be a dream come true for several Formula 1 lovers of this cricket fanatic nation who had to witness the nerve cracking actions in their small screens at home till now. Finally the wait is over as India can now boast of having its own Formula 1 track on the outskirts of New Delhi.
The entire racing fraternity is keeping track of the showpiece Buddh International Circuit that was unveiled in mid October and promises to provide the spectators lots of exciting moments. India’s first F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan described it as “one of the best in the world.”
“I have raced on all the major F1 tracks across the globe, and I rate this track as one of the best in the world,” Karthikeyan said.
The 5.4 km track, around 50kms from Delhi, was unveiled 10 days before the final race and it laid to rest all the speculation about the country's readiness and preparation for the event.
The track got its name from spiritual leader Gautam Buddha, founder of Buddhism. Incidentally, the track is located in the Gautam Buddh Nagar District of Noida under Uttar Pradesh.
The 5.14 km Buddh International Circuit (BIC) has been designed by world?renowned German architect and racetrack designer Hermann Tilke.
The circuit is spread over 875 acres and the fastest lap time on the track is expected to be under 1 minute 27 seconds with average speeds crossing 210 kmph.
All these factors have generated excitement about the new born child not only in the hearts of the spectators who will be assembling at the venue on the race day but also in the hearts of the renowned drivers who will be displaying their racing talents on the track.
The history of Formula 1 racing is equally exciting as the game itself. The official start of the race dates back to 1950’s at Silverstone in England. During those days the cars were designed for speed and had front engines and drum brakes. Since that period to 2011, the racing pattern, system and the car itself has underwent numerous alterations to make it contemporary.
Keeping the safety and technological advancement of the racers in mind, several changes were made in the cars in the 1960’s where Disc brakes, Roll-overs and Interrupters for electronic systems were introduced.
In 1960 when safety measures were introduced to Formula One racing for the first time in its history, it was for the British Grand Prix that driver Dan Gurney became the first driver to use a full-visor helmet.
In the 1970’s measures were taken to ensure more safety for the drivers which included compulsory Permanent medical centres at circuits, stand-by helicopters. Track safety walls were mandatory to be kept at least one metre high and the pit wall was mandatory to have a minimum height of 1.35 metres.
The 1990’s witnessed the introduction of the official Formula One safety car and slowly it was during this period that car tests became stricter.
In 1998, the width of the racing cars were reduced from 2 to 1.8 metres and the cockpits were enlarged.
The year 2011 witnessed several measures that were added to it include the prohibition of the use of double diffusers that were used since 2009 and the F-ducts developed in 2010 in order to reduce the speed of Formula One cars and to smooth the progress of overtaking.
In its long history, the world has witnessed several superstar racers born on the tracks that include names like Jack Brabham, Nelson Piquet, Alberto Ascari, Niki Lauda, Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark, Alain Prost, Juan Manuel Fangio, Ayrton Senna and the legend named Michael Schumacher.
In recent years the names that gushes the adrenaline of F1 fans include World Champion Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg. The tracks are surely going to heat up as these racers drive fast and furiously on the race day. But F1 is not without the Indian connection as Force India team will be seen competing on the track. All eyes will be on the drivers Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta as they bear the expectations of Indian fans on their shoulders.
"It is positive pressure. It is a global sport and people are watching each and every race. We have to perform well. We know our job and we know how to do it well," Sutil said.
However, it will be the two Indian drivers, Karun Chandok and India’s first F1 driver Narayein Karthikeyan who will drive their Indian fans crazy as they step into the racing track this weekend. Both connected Indians with the F1 racing. Both are likely to feature on Friday which is reserved for the sides to practice.
Karthikeyan will drive for HRT F1 team while Chandok is likely to race for Team Lotus.
“Driving in front of the home crowd cheering on is going to be a surreal experience,” Karthikeyan said.
“A once in a lifetime experience and I feel extremely fortunate. There is a huge buzz around the Grand Prix already and I’m sure that it’ll be a resounding success that will motivate more youngsters towards the sport and give us the future F1 drivers," he said.
In a cricket crazy nation where every single run scored by a batsman hushes the entire nation how can one forget the connection with this game and F1 is no exception.
Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly said: “I wish the team all the very best for the first Indian Grand Prix. I’ll be there at Delhi myself along with my daughter to support the Sahara Force India Team.”
Similarly, Sachin Tendulkar mentioned that he is passionate about F1 and he is going to support the Force India team at the time of the maiden race.
"I am excited about Indian Grand Prix F1 race. I will support the Force India team. I have friends like Michael Schumacher but I will support Force India because that is the Indian team and country comes first," Tendulkar said.
Tendulkar has been invited to the October 30 race at the Buddh International Circuit by Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone.
Indeed these are times for some nerve-cracking moments in India .
Quotable quotes:
Daniel Ricciardo, HRT
I haven’t seen the circuit yet but I’ve tried it out on Red Bull’s simulator. I’ve heard it looks quite good from Mark (Webber) and Sebastian (Vettel) and if they say that then usually their judgment is pretty good. It’s always nice to go to a new place and circuit. I think every driver is excited to see what it is like. I like Indian food but it’s a little bit heavy, perhaps not the best for the diet, I will be quite careful leading up to the weekend but maybe on Sunday night I will enjoy a good curry.
Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
By the time we race in India, I’ll have done several laps of the track on the simulator. What I know so far is that the track is 5.14-km and in the industrial town of Noida, about 50 minutes by car from New Delhi. The track is a combination of slow corners and high-speed straights which flow into each other. The altitude difference is extreme, rather like in Spa or Turkey, which will give the driving an additional element. Incidentally, we’re expecting the track to have the second highest average speed of the season after Monza. That means that we’ll be completing a lap at an average speed of 235 km/h, so there should be plenty of good opportunities to overtake. I’m really looking forward to India; I always do when we drive on a new track.
Mark Webber, Red Bull
We have completed some good simulator work, but in terms of the kerbs and other subtle final details, these will obviously come into place right at the end, so I’d say we have an 85 percent understanding of what the track is going to be like. It’s always nice to drive at a new venue and in the simulator it looks like quite a quick flowing track, very rewarding. It’s going to be pretty warm, which is going to be a challenge for the tyres. I’ve never been to India before. There are some amazing cricket players from India - it’s their number one sport and I’d love to watch Australia play cricket there someday. I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
I’ve been a few times before - we’ve done a few Vodafone promotional days there. The last time was just crazy - just after Singapore, we did a demo run in Bangalore and were expecting 5,000 people to turn up. On the day, there were around 40,000 fans - it was just incredible. You can’t believe how many people are aware of Formula One and how many are looking forward to the race next week. There’s already a great deal of knowledge about the sport - I think it’s going to be a big deal. India’s a sport-mad nation - mostly, it’s about cricket, which is understandable because they’re a very successful cricketing country, but I really think the people of India are going to take Formula One to their hearts.
Jenson Button, McLaren
The word is that people in India are really excited about Formula One and the event - it’s important for the sport that we make a good first impression and I really hope we have a fantastic race. Our car's been pretty competitive recently and we'd like to win more races before the end of the season.”
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes
"For the next race, we are heading to India for the first time; a country which a lot of people tell me is fascinating. I'm looking forward to experiencing this new culture and seeing the track for the first time. I am sure we will be impressed with what has been done there. There has been a lot of interest in the build-up to the event, and therefore hopefully we will entertain a lot of new fans in India. I've always been happy to welcome new tracks on the calendar and enjoy the challenge of adapting to them. The outcome of the last race in Korea was unlucky for us, therefore I am extra-motivated to score some points next weekend, and reward the good work of the team."
Racing, Bollywood style
Car racing has often been captured in Bollywood films with some of the flamboyant stars regaling audience behind the wheels in their reel avatars.
Apradh: Back in 1972 the flamboyant Feroz Khan played the character of a Grand Prix racer. The film featured B-town sizzler of the times Mumtaz opposite Khan.
Ta Ra Rum Pum: Perhaps Ta Ra Rum Pum is the only film in recent years that has shown the lead actor (Saif Ali Khan) playing a high-speed car racer. The 2007 family-drama features Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherjee in the lead role.
Dhoom: When you speak about speed and acceleration on the high-speed bikes then there is no alternative to the 2004 released movie ‘Dhoom’. The film dealt with the typical race between thief and a cop. But here this race is with a difference as the gang of thieves with Kabir (John Abhraham) as their chief used high-speed bikes to execute their robberies. Abhishek Bachchan played the character of a cop who needed to be smart enough to tackle with these new-age thieves. Dhoom 2, the sequel, featured Hrithik Roshan as a gizmo-friendly thief who executed robberies with the use of high-end technology and devices. But both the films had one thing in common- speed and motor bikes.
Janasheen: In this romantic-thriller Fardeen Khan wants to become a super–bike racing champion. Released in 2003, the film did not make much impression at the box office.
Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar: The romantic film featured Aamir Khan and Ayesha Jhulkha in the lead role. Released in 1992 the film dealt with the various emotions and moments of school life. But around everything it was the inter-school cycle racing championship that acted as heart of the film. The long cycle race sequence in the end where Aamir beat Deepak Tijori to become the ‘sikander’ (conqurer) was a big hit with audience.
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