India will host its first Formula One race, in 2009, the Indian Olympic Association said Thursday. A deal has been signed with the sport's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone to hold the race in the capital New Delhi, IOA President Suresh Kalmadi said. "We have received a letter in this regard from Bernie Ecclestone, CEO of Formula One," Kalmadi told reporters. "The IOA will be the promoter, the first event of which will be held in 2009." Ecclestone has said in the past year that India was one of the future markets for motorsport after Indian racer Narain Karthikeyan drove for Jordan in the 2005 season. "India is a country that is probably going to grow quicker than China," Ecclestone said in London in November. The IOA will build a F1 track and a brand new stadium in New Delhi in time to hold the race, Kalmadi said. New Delhi is also due to host the Commonwealth Games in 2010. There has been heightened interest in F1 racing in India after Karthikeyan hit the tracks backed by huge Indian sponsorship. The 29-year-old did not race in 2006 but is signed up with Williams as a test driver.
I suspect that with all these new races in high Muslim population countries such as Malaysia, Bahrain and now India that it is just a mater of time before... BOOM!!!
Why don't they have a race on the Moon, I hear the intergalactic travelers would love to have a race there...and they will be even more removed from the everyday fans!
...I guess there is never a concern with terrorism by one of those peace loving Muslims? After all, they have never bombed a building, an Olympic event, a train, a rail station, a hotel, a plane, a school, a masque or any other area full of innocent civilians have they...
wow a lot of atrocities have been committed in the name of other religions I'd be careful what you're implying there.
glad to see India get a GP. If was inevitable because Bernie knows there is insane marketing potential. India is fast becoming rich and with a population of 1 billion people selling a few million williams jersey's (remember karthikeyan, I think he's a williams tester now) should be a piece of cake. I read in that article that Indy was in danger of losing its GP. Not that I care personlly hate the Indianapolis track, plus Montreal is a shorter drive for me anyway.
Seems like there is a discontent with India hosting a GP. Why? India has a hugh Formula One fan base, bigger than the US, so I think they deserve a Grand Prix event.
Its amazing how we have so many ignorant Fhcaters on this forum. You would think having successfull well established Ferrari owners, they would be more educated on different religions and cultures, but I guess not. Anyways, I think this is a great thing for F1. F1 is second most watch sport in India next cricket. They deserve to have an F1 event. I will there in 2009.
It seems to me that the ignorant ones are the ones that aren't aware of what the Muslim extremist leaders say out of their own months... that their goal is to destroy the wicked West and bring it by force to Islam. Its not like we have to make some kind of leap of logic as to what they intend...they are quite clear whether on video, in print, in masque or on the internet... www.jihadwatch.org ... now I do understand that 100% of all Muslims may not feel that way...neither did 100% of Germans want to kill all Jews in the late 1930s...but, until the peaceful Muslim leaders take a stand against the Islamic-fascist, which they have failed to do so far, we have to assume they are all our enemy.
I wouldn't blame F1 for dropping the U.S. from their schedule, but how about moving the GP to a proper track, like Infineon or Laguna Seca?
+1 I'd much rather see an F1 race at Laguna Seca than at any of the new circuits added in recent years (except maybe Turkey). Very exciting track.
I didn't realize that the Hindus also want us dead. After all, 80% of India is Hindu, not muslim. Maybe you've been listening to too much of W's mindless blanket statements. Not your fault though. Those are the only kinds of statements he's capable of making...
I personally think having a GP in India is a bad idea. Not that India doesn't have alot of F1 fans, but F1 should be driven by the fan base and the competitors exposure. Most F1 fans are in Europe. The largest single market for the competitors is the USA, followed by various European countries. So why do they need to be running around to Bahrain, China, India, Turkey and other such places? It's all about money. Bernie knows that any country that needs their F1 to be self-sustaining in terms of cost will never pay the fee he's asking. Silverstone, Indy, Spa and tons of others can't really pay for an F1 race out of the money they take in - but other countries trying to make a name for themselves can, because the government foots the bill in the name of "putting them on the map". Thing is, why does Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes and others care about Bahrain or Turkey? Even if they are emerging markets, they are vastly inferior to the USA or Europe in terms of sales of their product - so WHEN those emerging markets emerge, then they can go race there. I think this stuff about "emerging markets" is BS - it's just a term to justify going to some podunk country to have a race, when the truth is it's just about the $$ they're willing to pay. When you look at some of the races that have been dropped and some that have been added, it's almost criminal in terms of the fans. Pity the fans near the tracks that no longer have F1 GP's - they are more fans than the locals who show up in China or Bahrain!
Which part is BS...that the Islamic-fascist want to destroy the West or that 100% of Muslims don't feel the same way? I have seen such fanatics with my own eyes ranting about evil America and how they will bring us to our knees. We ignored Hitler, we cannot afford to ignore these Islamic-fascist
Hey, we have a politics forum - if you wanna engage in that, ante up some $$ and take it there, else keep it off the rest of the forums!
Thanks - I know Frank's basically a ***** and it's hard not to reply but I reported his post to the moderator and hopefully he will be spanked (again)
I have no problem with an F1 race in India or a total Muslim country like Bahrain for that matter...as long as safety can be guaranteed...which I do not think is possible in the current political climate...at lease until the good Muslims grow a spine and stand up to the Islamic-fascist that seem to have taken over their religion...I agree that most of India is Hindu and they seem to hate the Muslims anyway...look at Kashmir. But, India still has a lot of radical Muslims who would love to bomb a wicked event such as an F1 race. Further, I never voted for Bush nor am I a supporter of the war in Iraq...I think we should have sent more troops to Afghanistan and bombed Saudi Arabia instead...after all, that's where almost all of the Sept 11 terrorist were from anyway..not Iraq. I am concerned that the West has seemed to forgotten what Islamic-fascist want to do...I guess we will be reminded once we hear the next BOOM...
I guess it would be nice to see a race there if the track is interesting. Right now, Indianapolis is the most boring track on the circuit imo. What ever happened to the Mexico track? Are they considering going back to South Africa again or were those track layouts just drawn for fun? With the addition of Singapore and now India, I'm beginning to wonder which tracks will be off the circus route or if they'll just be added to make a longer season. I think I heard Bahrain not getting a race anymore. Sucks for them. Tracks don't cost $5 to build. Why so many tracks in the far East now? China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and India...
I heard Mexico was set back because of damage from the hurricane in Cancun a couple of years ago. Not sure though. Anyone else know of this?
true, but it's really pathetic for u to accuse other nations who has no link to terrorism whatsoever. i don't want to get into this argument. this is a racing section, and we have tonnes to discuss rather than this silly thing. yea, of cos i don't condone what they have done, but so far, nothing sort of those events have happened here in Malaysia, India or Bahrain. so ur post is really pointless.
