Apologies that we don’t have a Sebastian Vettel image for you there, the prudes at Red Bull media feel we don’t deserve access to their media section.

As the race telecast began, the atmosphere was electric, there were people with their faces painted, there were dancers dancing bhangra and there were the who’s who of bollywood and even hollywood (atleast Lady Gaga ) at the track. There were murmurs all around of the ticket pricing though. Everyone seemed discontent with the high ticket pricing. And most of these were the ones who had paid Rs.2.5k , imagine the light of those who had paid Rs.35000 for the 3 day pass. The feeling though was still upbeat, India was finally hosting it and with minimal government intervention. Suresh Kalmadi thankfully had nothing to do with this event and the private consortium Jaypee Sports was able to pull it off.

As the warm-up lap started, the newly converted formula one fan crowd started to applause, don’t ask me why. The noise obviously was deafening, those without earplugs were the unluckiest and would most probably lose some hearing ability. I couldn’t secure media access , partly due to my laziness, so I don’t know what the atmosphere was in the media room.

I wouldn’t review whole of the race, you can find that anywhere else, we usually talk about the race and other stuff around the races and it usually isnt coherent also. The post is peppered with a few photos of the Indian Grand Prix I know you would enjoy. Heading into the race Red Bull is easily the team to beat, Sebastian Vettel is breaking record after record. His comparison once was done with Michael Schumacher, but now those are moving to Ayrton Senna. I somehow disagree with those comparisons. Both Schumacher and Senna have proven themselves with average cars, Vettel on the other hand is blessed with a car that beats the rest of the grid. Same way that Brawn GP had beat almost everyone else last season and Button was the hero of heroes.

As the five red lights went out and the Indian GP was go, there was a first corner incident, nothing like Spa though. Button tried to make moves on Vettel, but to no avail.  Most of the race wasn’t very interesting though, Vettel lead from start to finish.

The bigger highlight was Sachin Tendulkar waving the chequered flag for the formula one cars. There were some interesting bits on Lap 24, Lewis Hamilton tried to take the inside line on Felipe Massa, Massa tried to block and hit Hamilton. Seeing it on High Definition on ESPN later , it does seem to be Massa’s fault, but I read somewhere that Hamilton’s been told to reduce the bad blood with Felipe Massa on the track. Like that would go any good. Ask Ron Dennis what happens when you are Lewis Hamilton to do anything. Looking at Rowan Atkinson during the incident just made by day. No Mr.Bean face could have said it better.

The ending was perfect, with Vettel sipping champagne and telling everyone that Indian girls are good looking. Quite a few social networking jokes on that. Overall it was pulled off without a hitch and the Indianess usually expected from huge events held at India. Sure traffic was a mess, but you cant have your cake and eat it too.

It was an action packed qualifying session, the traffic snarls at the venue were legendary with the snarls extending to late evening when I was passing by the track. Spotted a few team folks in various cars Team Lotus prefers the Renault Fluence to travel in style.

Sebastian Vettel grabbed another pole position showing the dominance of his Red Bull, he is just three wins shy of Michael Schumacher’s record of most wins in a formula one season and looks all set to equal that if he continues his current form.

“The car was fantastic since yesterday and throughout qualifying,” said Sebastian Vettel. “In the end there was a little bit left in the first sector.

“I’m extremely happy and it’s good to be here. It will be a very interesting race on a challenging circuit.

“You have to really make sure you stay on the line and the circuit here is not forgiving mistakes. It’s not easy but I enjoy what I do and I was excited when I came here.”

Lewis Hamilton was second fastest in qualifying however due to a penalty he was given on Friday, he got thrown back three places and will start fifth on the grid. Fernando Alonso who will start third on the grid and seemed pleased with Hamilton’s penalty :

“With Hamilton’s penalty, starting third will be even better,” The Spaniard said

Teammate Brazilian Felipe Massa could manage only sixth position in contrast. He has been quite a press favorite with certain Indian tabloids going gaga over his resemblance to his brother whatshisname Massa.

Meanwhile Narain Karthikeyan would have entered the bad books of Michael Schumacher. Narain impeded the German champion in his hot lap and was penalized five places. Needless to say that generally means Narain Karthikeyan would be starting last on the grid. However since Timo Glock is approved to race despite being too slow, Narain wont be last on the grid.

Adrian Sutil of Force India qualified in eight position impressing new boss Subrata Roy (in photo with Nico Hulkenberg). Force India fans will remember Sahara bought stake in the team rechristening it the Sahara Force India formula one team.

This is just a small article showcasing how the team looks for the 2011 season, the team calls its 2011 challenger the VJM04.

The team seems all charged up for the 2011 season, while poster boy Adrian Sutil was retained for the 2011 season as primary driver, Nico Hulkenberg will be the reserve driver and Brit blood (Scottish for some ) Paula Di Resta has come into the team as the secondary driver. Vitantonio Liuzzi is out of the team (surprised ? ).

Testing has been proceeding well for the team and Adrian Sutil seemed happy with the recently concluded testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. Adrian’s comments after the test were :

Adrian Sutil
A very productive day in general for us. We made some good progress with the balance and we’ve now got a basic set-up that feels smooth and easy to drive. I also got a run on the supersoft tyres, which we didn’t manage to do yesterday. Of course we also put the KERS on the car. It ran reliably and allowed us to complete the full test programme: very promising for this point in testing. It’s still early days for the system but we have got ourselves into a good rhythm and can feed this back into the factory to get some more performance for the next test.

Dominic Harlow, circuit engineering director also added his thoughts :

A good final day’s testing concentrating on KERS set-up, reliability and also some aero tests that remained on our program. Adrian also looked at some ride height sweeps and a few procedural checks. It’s been a productive four days for the team and overall the car seems to be performing reliably and according to expectations in all the major areas.

The comments are very much in contrast with those of the McLaren pair of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. In other news, Martin Whitmarsh has issued a whip to the  various drivers taking gripes at the new F1 tyre suppliers Pirelli.

“Being a tire supplier is a thankless task,” Martin Whitmarsh said.

“The quick deterioration is a characteristic, requested by the teams and organization, to improve the show.”

Images : Force India F1 Media

1. Fashion Show : Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi started the week with a fashion show, here are some photos from the event :

2. Charity Football : Later on they participated in a charity football match which is a signature of the Monaco Grand Prix, more photos :

3. After that team owner Vijay Mallya took them along on his Yacht Indian Empress (one of the most luxurious Yachts in the world currently in Monaco) :

And here is Vitantonio Liuzzi’s Golden Cash themed helmet which he is using at the Monaco Grand Prix :

We are sure about one thing , The force India F1 team is surely having a ball in Monaco

The above is the reception of the Force India formula one team, no relation to the motorhome, but cool nonetheless. The new motorhome of the Force India formula one team is also expected to be a steel and glass structure.

In the era of austerity and economic crisis, there is one team that is certainly not feeling the heat and its Vijay Mallya led Force India formula one team. One remembers him for his flamboyant ways and the uber cool parties thrown by him on the Indian Empress yacht. The whos who of formula one including Bernie Ecclestone, Flavio Briatore etc. are known to be guests of Dr. Vijay Mallya who leaves no stone unturned in ensuring that his guests are treated well.

So it really should come as no surprise when we get to hear that the Force India formula one team is redesigning their motor home to Vijay Mallya’s exacting standards .

With the flyaway races done for the time being and the European leg starting, teams carry their own motor-homes with them and try to have super luxury in these

‘The structure we used in 2009 and 2008 was still in very good condition and the square footage it afforded us was perfect, but internally it needed some pretty major tweaks based on the use it had over the last two seasons. We looked at this use in depth and made a plan accordingly over the winter. We worked intensively with our hospitality partners Kitz Catering& Service to get their feedback on what could, or should, be done.

‘Last season the use of each of the floors overlapped slightly. The ground floor was used for team and guests, the second floor for team and drivers and the third floor for Dr Mallya’s guests and meeting area. Overall, when we looked at it, nobody really had the ideal situation. We needed to revisit each floor.’

Quoting further from the Force India F1’s press release , one can imagine the super luxury :

Which is exactly what happened, with each floor a separate ‘project’ in itself. After more than 40 designs between Force India and Kitz, the ground floor has become a space for guests and media where, after stepping through a touch activated sliding door mechanism (also new from 2009), visitors are greeted by a new welcome desk with computerised guest lists that will even – when the person says their name – recognise what their preference of drink is! Next the guest will be seated on furnishings made specially for the Force India motorhome, a mix of white, green and orange curved ergonomic tables and chairs. A fully integrated bar area with flat screen TVs will also be available for visitors wishing to chat a bit more informally, while a chill out area gives guests space to read the latest newspapers or team updates. Although this set-up is designed to promote a relaxing yet convivial atmosphere, the work that has gone into making it so has been taxing.

‘The ground floor has been a challenge,’ Andy continues. ‘The whole area has been re-fitted. The floor has been relaid with a wood laminate to make it more durable but also more in-keeping with the cooler decoration, the electrics completely rewired and the air conditioning units replaced so the whole area stays cool. This has been done in close consultation with Dr Mallya, who takes guest hospitality very seriously.’

The second floor is perhaps the most impressive overhaul from 2009. This area will be used exclusively for team and drivers, but also features a large boardroom-type meeting room, a marketing office and two extended driver and treatment rooms with all fixtures and fittings changed to make it more of a relaxing space for Adrian and Tonio.

This floor will be accessed via a separate staircase that will also have direct access from the kitchen so the team’s meals can be served fresh. Again, this whole floor has been rewired – with two kilometres of cables approximately – and air conditioning units completely reinstalled. More than 30 panels will be used to construct this area, which has also been extended by 33 square metres by the addition of an extra container to the semi-permanent structure.

The top floor will remain Dr Mallya’s guest and meeting area however he will enjoy the luxury of an additional 33 sq metres as a terrace has been constructed on the roof of the additional containers. Again, this has been refitted completely to have three separate areas, including an office, reception area and guest zone with panoramic and sound-proof windows.

This whole structure weighs more than 40 tonnes and will take 10 people up to three days to construct – more than the team’s VJM03′s take to build!

‘It’s been a major undertaking,’ surmises Andy. ‘But we feel in the end that it has been worth it. Kitz has done a fantastic job within the timescale and brief. As a team, the biggest selling point you have – apart from on track performance – is the experience you can offer to guests, sponsors and potential partners. We want to excel in every area this year and we’re confident that this new refurb will help us achieve this.

‘Given the overall benefit we will have, both long and short term, we’re quite happy to wait for an additional two races to have a perfect motorhome for our needs. The first build always takes some time to get spot-on and rather than have to revisit again later in the year, we want it right first time. In the meantime we will use a temporary motorhome in Spain and Monaco while the new improved motorhome is driven direct to Turkey. It will be impressive and something the whole team can be proud of when we see it return in 2010.’

Now that will be one sleek motorhome , cant wait for the photos of the motorhome to come through.

Photos Copyright : Force India Media Images

Its official now, Giancarlo Fisichella has dumped the Force India formula one team for a shot with the Ferrari formula one team. He will replace Luca Badoer who was filling in for the injured Felipe Massa. His recent podium finish for Force India (their 1st) and Luca Badoer’s pathetic performances acted as catalyst to the switch. The announcement of the switch wasn’t really a surprise, rumours in the paddocks were alive about the switch for around 1.5 weeks now with Vijay Mallya doing every bit to reject them until now.

Its often said that the dream of every formula one driver is to drive for the Ferrari formula one team, but its even more true for Italians, who probably dream of driving for the Ferrari formula one team even if they aren’t formula one drivers.

The move ofcourse is a big loss for the Force India formula one team and there are rumours that Ferrari did waive off the money Force India owed to them. Vijay Mallya insisted that there were no financial transactions which secured Fisichella’s release from contract.

Meanwhile Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo praised Fisichella in a press release on the Ferrari Media website. He hinted that Fisichella would be the third driver when  He was quoted as saying :

“I chose Fisichella for several reasons, starting with the fact he deserves it, that he’s on great form and that he is an expert driver. On top of that, we all wanted to have an Italian driver in our car for Monza and lastly, because it takes the long term view, as he will be our third driver.”

“It is an important moment, coming off the back of a great win with Kimi Raikkonen,” added the Ferrari President. “We also have the good and important news that Felipe Massa is recovering well and will be more than ready for the first race of next season.

“I wish to thank Luca Badoer who, once again has been so amenable towards Ferrari. Therefore, I look forward to Monza with confidence and especially with great pleasure at having Fisichella in the team.”

“the good news that Felipe will race again, that he is recovering and that he will be very ready to race next season is a further plus, after what was a terrible August for us, what with his accident, all the uncertainties and, unfortunately, Michael Schumacher’s fitness difficulties, when we would have liked to see him in our car. However, bit by bit, we are putting everything right again. Victory is the best medicine.”

In the time of recession one would hope that teams cut down on unnecessary expenses and would focus on the game and also on satisfying the millions of fans due to which they are still in business. But who can predict Force India’s actions, they have roped  in yet another actor (politically correct term for actress) to promote their f1 outfit. Deepika Padhukone is set to be the new face of Force India F1.

While their brand ambassadors keep getting smarter and more expensive every year, how much their performance has improved over the off season remains to be seen. At the launch of their 2009 car also , the guest list included Bollywood actresses, but it remains to be seen whether any fans were invited to the event !

People in Europe and Americas are probably unaware of the kind of outrage that Vijay Mallya’s comments have caused in India’s formula one fans.

I really admire Vijay Mallya, mainly for the fact that he has brought India on the world map in a large number of places, liquor being 1. But formula one is not one of them. Narain Karthikeyan was the Indian who had brought India to the world stage in formula one. His sponsors like JK Tyre and TATA were the ones who put India on the formula one map not Kingfisher, not Vijay Mallya.

Narain Karthikeyan became the first Indian driver in formula one, he was a test driver for Williams. Even in the defunct Jordans, he drove his heart out. Steve Slater and Chris Goodwin praised his guts and moves. The kind of aggression he showed in racing was praised by all. Michael Schumacher, Emerson Fittpaldi and Tiago Monteiro (his teammate) all praised his guts.

Then along came Mr. Mallya, bought over a defunct formula one outfit and named it after India. That was good, but his comments about Indian drivers was uncalled for. Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan are good drivers, better than if not as good as Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella. Both of them have WON races at every stage of racing they have competed in and are very much competitive when pitted against the best of drivers.

Mr. Mallya’s obsession with glamour and foreigners is not appreciated by this formula one fan. I would much rather have one of the Ambanis or the TATAs in formula one.

Narain Karthikeyan has always held his cool, but his patience was tested once again by Vijay Mallya who again commented on Narain’s abilities and said he wasnt fit to race in Force India formula one team or f1 for that matter. Vijay Mallya further sacked Collin Kolles and Mike Gascoyne.

Narain Karthikeyan was not impressed , he immediately went on the offensive. He called Mallya’s outift a pedestrian team. His exact words were :

“I spent a frustrating time with Jordan, where I had a car that just could not perform. I have no desire to be with another pedestrian team that’s low on performance and loud on talk,”

Despite being Indian i will agree with him here. The Force India outfit has been all talk and no show for a long time now. We have all heard of the Force India car on podium talk and how they are an Indian team for the fans.

But time after time, they have delivered nothing but failure, nothing but disappointment. It seems to be more of a money making machine than a people’s team. The merchandise launched last year was even more expensive than the Ferrari merchandise available in India. No true (not rich) Indian could afford to buy the merchandise.

Time and time again, the only people seen in Force India pits are movie actors ( actresses mainly, who would pose around the F1 car) and around Vijay Mallya himself and get clicked.

Also such comments about Narain Karthikeyan are really in bad taste and do not speak well of the team and its motives and motivation.

Photo : Dan Smith , Under CCSA Att.