I can safely say we were the first website in the world to announce the statement of Suresh Kalmadi and effectively broke the news of the Indian Grand Prix on the Internet even before BBC, Reuters,AP etc. Anyway, the announcement of the Indian Grand Prix brought joy to the lives of the Indian F1 fan, but along with joy, skepticism has emerged into people’s minds.

Some of the half-illiterate journalists of Indian Newspapers went all guns blazing against the plane citing reasons from the funds needed to the pollution debate. The formula one fans of India were devastated, instead of widespread support which was expected, the announcement was met with widespread criticism that we don’t deserve to host a F1 Grand Prix.

The skeptics points against Formula one in India

1. Lack of five star and seven star hotel rooms, according to a newspaper estimate , we will need atleast 40,000 new hotel rooms.

2. The time is too less, two years are too less for a F1 track from scratch.

3. Some more stuff about politics and all.

4. The new airport which will be able to cater to all the traffic will be complete in 2010, the race is in 2009.

Anyway , I don’t get it about motorsport journalism in India. Here is how i think it goes, the editor inky-pinky ponkie’s a name from all his unassigned journalists. He tells the journalist to watch the race on the weekend and write a report. The journalist, obviously shaken , listens to the commentary of Steve Slater and Chrish Goodwin and pretty much vomits it all over the sports page. But the report will never be enjoyable unless the journalist enjoyed watching the race himself. Traditionally he should be sent to each and every race and should report from the paddocks.

And then there are the other newspapers, they don’t even do as much. They copy paste the Associated Press reports or the Reuters news reports and their job of reporting formula one is done.