If you have been reading the blog carefully , you would be aware that we were always discussing the Abu Dhabi race that was going to be added in the 2009 season. Its finally been confirmed, the deal is for seven years and starts in 2009. The neighbour Bahrain however has no reason to worry FIA supremo Bernie Ecclestone said that he expects them to work together for promoting formula one in the Middle East. 5 more countries are said to be in the race to host races in the 2009 season.

Two of them are India and Singapore , who will add more Asian zing to the Formula One season. With extensive lobbying from various countries over hosting the races, formula one seems to have a bright enough future. With money pouring from all sides and the threat of a rival league vanishing into thin air , every country wants a race to bring in tourists, revenue and perhaps most importantly foreign exchange. The subliminal advertising on the Ferraris will give you an idea as to how important money is in the sport and how much sponsors are willing to spend to get noticed.

Personally , i feel content that f1 is gaining popularity , atleast in India people no longer look at me as if i am a freak when i say i am a formula one addict. Earlier , people used to ask me to explain what f1 is and asked me whats so good about cars going in circles, thankfully that explanation is no longer needed these days. Senna, Prost, Hill, Schumacher were like some foreign dialect to them with little meaning. I am also proud to have taken up this premier sport as the one i love when the hullaboo was not there and the hype was not there. The advertising explosion has started only recently here , as a consequence of which every second guy on the street claims to be a tifosi. LOL. Its more the craze than the sport for most and that is what is the only thing that saddens me in all of this.