Three things we learned from the Bahrain Grand Prix

A flawless drive and masterful show of sangfroid from Max Verstappen ensured Red Bull enjoyed a stunning start to the new F1 season, picking up where they left off in 2023 and, temporarily at least, eased the pressure on Christian Horner.

But even as they celebrated a perfect one-two, Horner’s position as team chief and Red Bull’s as standard-setters was the focus of renewed speculation – thanks to comments from Verstappen's father Jos.

AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from Sunday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix:

- Horner crisis overshadows Verstappen dominance -

Rarely can a team have crushed their rivals as comprehensively as the champions did on Sunday -- only to be rocked by claims of an imminent implosion if their principal is not relieved of his duties.

According to Jos Verstappen, father of three-time champion Max, the team will "explode" if Horner stays.

This follows the circulation of a batch of messages allegedly sent by Horner to a female employee, released by an anonymous source 24 hours after the Briton, 50, was cleared by an internal probe of allegations of misconduct.

AFP | ANDREJ ISAKOVIC

"There is tension while he remains in position," said Verstappen senior, as quoted by a British newspaper. "The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can't go on the way it is. It will explode".

Verstappen’s 55th career win and eighth in consecutive races was dominant, but not sufficiently to convince that Red Bull will again be all-conquering.

The chasing pack, led this time by Carlos Sainz, showed the speed, if not the consistency, to close the gap.

Verstappen himself said he had seen this in the performances of his rivals even if Sunday’s outcome on a high-degradation circuit suited Red Bull so emphatically.

During a stressful weekend for the team, he noticeably declined to offer emphatic personal support for Horner.

"He has been an incredible team boss," said the three-time world champion. "From the performance side, you can’t question that so that’s what I am dealing with.

"We focus on that and that’s how we work together."

For quite how much longer, if his father’s views hold sufficient weight with the parent company’s share-holders, remains to be seen.

- Ferrari improve as Mercedes rue mistakes -

Ferrari team chief Fred Vasseur said he was proud of his team’s improved pace and performance but recognised they have a gap to close as they lead the chase to catch Red Bull.

Sainz, who gives up his seat at the end of the season to Lewis Hamilton, came home third, 25 seconds adrift of Verstappen, but less than three behind Sergio Perez, while Charles Leclerc managed brake problems to come home fourth.

AFP | Giuseppe CACACE

"Mixed feelings," said Vasseur. "We compressed the gap to Red Bull by 50 per cent compared to a year ago, but it isn’t enough. And again, we had too many issues."

Like Ferrari, Mercedes were upbeat if frustrated after cooling problems undid their hopes, having been fastest in Thursday practice.

"We faced similar problems," said George Russell, who finished fifth, two places ahead of Hamilton. "We made a mistake in our forecasts."

McLaren and Aston Martin were also unable to produce their best at the Bahrain track which is widely seen as a‘one-off’.

- Chaos at Alpine -

The Enstone-backed Alpine team slumped to the back of the grid with a poor show in qualifying and after a period of upheaval appears to be under pressure again.

AFP | ANDREJ ISAKOVIC

The resignations of technical director Matt Harman and aerodynamics boss Dirk de Beer in February came before Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly qualified on the back row.

They went on to finish 17th and 18th respectively.Former team boss Otmar Szafnauer, who was dismissed last July, observed on Saturday that "the stop watch doesn’t lie and it (the car) doesn’t look very competitive. It’s a hard game, F1. You have to do a lot of things right and if you get them wrong, it bites you." Three things we learned from the Bahrain Grand Prix

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Schumacher No Longer in Coma, Transferred to Swiss Hospital

Michael Schumacher is no longer in a coma and is understood to be able to see and hear as it is announced he has left the hospital in Grenoble where he had been receiving treatment after a skiing accident last year. The seven-times Formula One world champion had sustained severe head injuries in the incident in the French Alps in December, and was subsequently put into an artificially-induced coma a few days later. But his manager Sabine Kehm said in a statement today: 'Michael has left the CHU Grenoble to continue his long phase of rehabilitation. He is not in a coma anymore.' He was this morning admitted to the University Hospital of Lausanne, in western Switzerland, after leaving the Grenoble hospital. 'He is here, he arrived this morning,' Darcy Christen, spokesman for the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), told Reuters. Christen declined to say what unit
Schumacher, who lives with his family in a  town between Lausanne and Geneva, was being treated in, citing medical secrecy and family privacy. Schumacher's family offered their gratitude to all those who have played a part in the process over the past five and a half months. The statement added: 'His family would like to explicitly thank all his treating doctors, nurses and therapists in Grenoble, as well as the first aiders at the place of the accident, who did an excellent job in those first months. 'The family also wishes to thank all the people who have sent Michael all the many good wishes. We are sure it helped him. Source: Article

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Meet the Most Amazing Drifter in the World; Pole Who Lost Both Arms will Leave You Speechless

We might not know them personally, but there are people around us in this world who inspire us to stretch our abilities and come out of our comfort zones to make our life meaningful. One such gifted individual is Bartek Ostalowskifrom Poland. What makes Ostalowski so special is that while he had  the misfortune of losing both of his arms in an accident back in 2006, he never let go of his life or his passion for motorsports and cars. In fact, the 26-year old Pole did the exact opposite pursuing his dreams of becoming a
professional racing river. He not only competed in the Polish Championship Rally Raceway Cross and the Polish Cup, but now he's also mastering the art of drifting. Just watching Ostalowski powerslide his Nissan Skyline GT-T R34 will leave you dumbfounded – yes, he's that good. So how does he do it? Well, he uses his right foot to control the pedals and his left to steer the car, while a special contraption allows him to use his shoulder to change gears on the automatic transmission with manual shift mode. It’s as amazing as it sounds, but don't take our word for it, check out the videos for yourself after the break. (You may also want to see this video on YouTube of Ostalowski operating his street-legal car.) Many thanks to Jorma T. for the find! Source: Carscoop

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F1: Sebastian Vettel wins in Korea to usurp Alonso

Winner Red Bull-Renault driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany reacts on the podium next to second-placed Red Bull-Renault driver Mark Webber of Australia and third-placed Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso of Spain after winning the Formula One Korean Grand Prix at the Korean Circuit in Yeongam. AFP/Philippe Lopez

Sebastian Vettel leapfrogged Fernando Alonso at the top of the world championship on Sunday as the Red Bull driver led from the first corner to win the Korean Grand Prix. With four races to go starting in India in two weeks, Vettel, the reigning champion who is chasing a third drivers'  title in a row, sits atop the standings with 215 points. Alonso, who finished third, is on 209. It was the 25-year-old German's third win in three races and he will now be favourite to retain his crown, in what had been a highly unpredictable season until he took the championship by the scruff of the neck. Second at a cool but sunny Yeongam was Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber, who started on pole. It was the first Red Bull one-two of the season. Alonso's fellow Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, second at Suzuka seven days ago, continued his resurgence with a fourth-placed finish. Lewis Hamilton, who still had title aspirations going in this grand prix, finished down in 10th. Fifth was Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus, followed by Nico Hulkenberg in a Force India. Romain Grosjean (Lotus), Jean-Eric Vergne, Daniel Ricciardo (both Toro Rosso) and Hamilton rounded out the top 10. Vettel, who started second on the grid behind Webber, nipped in front of his team-mate at the first corner. Behind them Alonso and Hamilton duelled over third place, with the Spaniard winning through. Jenson Button's bad weekend finished almost as soon as the race began. His fine start from lowly 11th was wrecked when Kamui Kobayashi came flying down the inside, smashing into Button and destroying his suspension. "I've just been hit by Kobayashi. What an idiot!" the McLaren driver and 2009 world champion exclaimed over the team radio. Also out, not long afterwards, was Nico Rosberg, who retired his Mercedes because of the same incident. The Sauber driver Kobayashi, third last week in his native Japan, was forced to pit for a new nose and tyre. He was then landed with a drive-through penalty for causing the early carnage, and bowed out soon afterwards when Sauber decided that the damage to his car was too extensive. The Sauber team tweeted before the race was out: "Kamui says with 4 cars side by side after the start he had nowhere to go but to brake at some point. He is very sorry for Jenson and Nico!" Vettel, the man in form after victories at the last two races in Singapore and then Japan last week, was in firm command. Webber -- intentionally or not -- was a buffer between the leader and the chasing pack. The Red Bull duo were exchanging fastest laps in front of a good crowd -- the last two races at Yeongam have failed to attract spectators -- while an improving Massa shoved a struggling Hamilton further down the field. Vettel had a shaky moment on lap 35 of 55 when he ran wide, before pitting to go onto softer tyres. Those tyres were wearing out fast by the end of the race, his team warning him repeatedly to "look after" his front right wheel. "Sorry to go on here... you won't know when it's too late," his team told him, as he carefully closed out another imperious win. *** Source: Hindustan Times

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This is the End: Michael Schumacher Announces Retirement from Formula 1

Even the best of plans sometimes don’t pan out. Having a seven-time Formula 1 world champion with 91 wins, 155 podium finishes, 68 pole positions and 77 fastest laps drive one of your cars is probably a wise move. Mercedes GP certainly thought so; that’s why when Michael Schumacher, the most successful F1 driver of all times, decided that three years away from the tracks were more than he could handle and wanted to make a comeback in 2009, he was signed by the Silver Arrows despite being at the ripe age of 40. After a three-year stint, in which he was often outperformed by his much younger team mate Nico Rosberg, Mercedes revealed that it signed Lewis Hamilton for the next three years and Schumacher today announced his retirement at the end of the season during a press conference at the Suzuka circuit. “I have decided to retire from Formula One at the end of the season, although I am still able to compete with the best drivers of the world. This is something that makes me proud, and this is part of why I never regretted my comeback”, said Schumacher. “But then, at some point it is time to say goodbye”, he added. “During the past weeks and months I was not sure if I would still have the motivation and energy which is necessary to go on; and it is not my style to do anything which I am not 100% convinced about.” The German thanked Daimler and the Mercedes GP team for their trust, as well as his family who stood by his decisions. Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn, who has cooperated with Schumacher for quite a long time, having worked with him previously in Benetton and Ferrari, commented that he is the greatest Formula 1 driver. “I feel very proud, honored and privileged to have had the opportunity to work with Michael so closely”, said Brawn. “We have not achieved the results that we would have wished”, he admitted but stressed, “Michael’s contribution to our development and the future of our team has been significant.” At the Belgian Grand Prix, Schumi completed his 300th race, being the second F1 driver to do so after his former Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello. His best result was a third place at this year’s European GP, which at the age of 43 (and 173 days), made him the oldest driver ever to climb to an F1 podium since Jack Brabham finished second at the 1970 British GP.Source: Carscoop

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Hamilton wins Canadian GP to become 2012's seventh different winner

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Sunday for the 2008 champion's first win of the season. The Briton, who became the seventh different winner in as many races, was followed across the line by France's Romain Grosjean, in a Lotus, with Sergio Perez for Sauber in third. The race went ahead against a backdrop of increased security as police sought to prevent student demonstrators disrupting the event to bring attention to their bitter tuition fee battle.Source: Hindustan Times

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Vroom time for Hamilton

The New Indian Express: BANGALORE: British Form­­ula 1 McLaren Mercedes dri­ver Lewis Hamilton stepped up the gas to vroom, zoom and send mo­re than 15,000 of his fans into a frenzy on a mi­­­ni F1 400-metre race track on NICE road on Tuesday mo­­­­rning. The 26-year-old Hamilton zipped, turned and twisted in his F1 MP4-23 car which won him his maiden F1 World Ch­ampionship in 2008. After a couple of laps when he set the hearts pounding as he ste­pped up the pedal and the de­­cibel levels rose, Lewis dr­ove along side some of the winners of the contest in the hot laps. Hamilton was virtually mo­b­bed as he drove the F1 car a second time for the benefit of late-comers. People even got onto the tracks forcing Hamilton to st­op and then drive away. Ap­art from swaying the car zig-zag and going in circles with the front wheel locked, while rear tyres turned rapid­ly emitting thick smoke, Le­wis displayed some breathta­king stunts, including back-up spin over (reversing, tucking aro­und and straighteni­ng) with a deafening sou­nd. The atmosphere at the NI­CE road was electrifying to say the least.Read Full: Vroom time for Hamilton | The New Indian Express

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Ferrari F1 Drivers Have FFun Doing Slaloms at Ski Resort [Video]

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Carscoop: With testing prohibited by FIA rules until the first official session at Jerez on February 7, Ferrari’s Formula 1 team took a break from preparing its 2012 racer and as usual, visited the Madonna di Campiglio alpine ski resort. It’s a tradition that’s being going on for many years now (if you’re an F1 fan, you’ll surely remember Michael Schumacher’s exploits) and this time the Scuderia F1 drivers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, had a little fun on the snow-covered slopes. Normally, the resort hosts World Cup downhill

races but for the occasion, the skiers were replaced by Alonso and Massa, and the skis byFerrari’s four-seater FF. With the two cars doing slaloms and the drivers applying a lot of opposite lock, it was the perfect opportunity for the Maranello supercar maker to display its first-ever four-wheel drive model’s characteristics - although we can't help ourselves pointing out that the "FF driven in the snow" thing is getting a bit old. You can watch the video (in which, naturally, the race ended in a dead heat) right after the jump. Source: Ferrari F1 Drivers Have FFun Doing Slaloms at Ski Resort [Video] - Carscoop

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Hamilton Wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Optimum Sports: Lewis Hamilton of McLaren won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday as Sebastian Vettel's luck unusually seem to run out - celebrating his Mother's birthday  with  the  top  podium  place  that  has  eluded  him for  most  of the season. The McLaren driver was on hand to make the most of the spin Vettel suffered exiting the very first corner of the race at the   Yas  Marina  Circuit. Vettel   suffered   a

right rear puncture and was forced to retire for the first time this season, meaning the world champion's attempt to match Michael Schumacher's record of 13 victories in a single season is now at an end. Hamilton's win was his third of 2011 but much-needed in the context of an otherwise difficult season for the 26-year-old, who has been criticised for his involvement in a number of collisions. The 2008 world champion took the chequered flag comfortably ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, with Hamilton's team-mate Jenson Button claiming the final podium place. Red Bull's Mark Webber finished fourth ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa, with Mercedes GP's Nico Rosberg sixth in front of team-mate Schumacher. Force India pair Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta finished eighth and ninth respectively, with Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi claiming the final world championship point. Read Full: Optimum Sports Marketing: Hamilton Wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:

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Kingfisher to get $47 million loan from Sahara: Report

The Asian Age, Reuters, Mumbai: The Sahara group will give a loan of more than Rs. 2.5 billion to cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines to help the carrier continue operations, the Times of India reported on Saturday, citing sources. Kingfisher, India's third largest airline by market share, has been struggling to raise funds to continue operations and repay debt. The carrier, majority-owned by Vijay Mallya controlled UB group, has a debt of about 65 billion rupees and its creditors have asked the airline to raise at least $160 million in equity. "We neither confirm nor deny speculation," Ravi Nedungadi, group chief financial officer and president of UB Group, was quoted as saying in the report. Early this year, the Sahara group invested $100 million in Force India for a 42.5 percent stake and now co-owns the Formula One motor racing team with Kingfisher Airlines chairman Vijay Mallya. Spokesmen for both Kingfisher Airlines and Sahara group declined to comment on the report when contacted by Reuters. Source: The Asian Age, Image: https://www.flickr.com

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OptimumSports: Jason Richards 1976-2011

V8 Super car racer Jason Richards lost his short battle with cancer in Melbourne on Thursday night. Just over a year after being diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of the disease, he died at home with his wife Charlotte beside him. Richards fought as hard as he could and refused to give up on his racing career until he was too weak to drive. He managed an amazing third-fastest practice

time in his final V8 Supercar drive at Darwin this year. During his fight with cancer, Richards told News Limited he was enjoying racing more than ever. "At the moment, cancer is a big part of my life. But when I jump in the racecar I feel cancer-free," Richards told the Herald Sun in May. Read Full: Optimum Sports: Jason Richards 1976 - 2011

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Sebastian Vettel poses with an Indian traditional dancer :Indian Express

Red Bull F1 driver Sebastian Vettel poses with an Indian traditional dancer during the 2011 Federation Internationale de l'Automobile gala night in Gurgaon. This is the first time gala night was held in India. (Reuters), Read Full: Today's Photo Gallery, Picture News Gallery:Indian Express

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Ferrari Celebrates 60 Years of Formula 1 Wins with “60F1” Limited Edition of 599 GTB

Scuderia Ferrari is the only team that has been present in Formula 1 since its conception in 1950. On July 14 1951, it scored its first-ever F1 victory at the British Grand Prix held at Silverstone with a 375 F1 driven by Froilan Gonzalez. Six decades later, on July 10 2011, Fernando Alonso won Ferrari’s sole Grand Prix in the 2011F1 season. To celebrate the event, Ferrari has launched the “60 Years of Victories in Formula 1” [60F1] package for the 599 GTB Fiorano equipped with the HGTE handling package. Clients who opt for this special edition of the 599can choose from a list of exterior and interior modifications that are part of Ferrari’s Tailor-Made program, which was launched today in Maranello by Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo and creative consultant for the Tailor-Made program, Lapo Elkan. The bodywork of the 60F1 is available in three liveries. The first one is the 375 F1, which is the same darker red color used by the Scuderia for its first F1 cars. The second is the Ferrari 150o Italia, inspired by this year’s F1 car with white strips on the front bumper, mudguards, A-posts and buttresses, and the colors of the Italian flag painted on the rear. The third model is the 150o Italia 2, which is almost identical to the previous scheme but without most of the white-painted parts. All three versions get the Scuderia Ferrari shield on the front wheel arches painted as in the competition cars, 20-inch diamond-finish forged alloy wheels and a satin-finish aluminum fuel cap. Read Full: Ferrari Celebrates 60 Years of Formula 1 Wins with “60F1” Limited Edition of 599 GTB - Carscoop

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F1 bonanza for businesses

Assocham says the first F1 event in India is expected to have generated business worth Rs10,000 crore from the sale of tickets, advertisements, hospitality and travelling, besides creating new business hubs and boosting commercial and residential property development.Nithin Rao reports The success of the Formula One India Grand Prix at Greater Noida's Buddh International Circuit (BIC) is expected to not only boost motor sports in India, but also result in a bonanza for a range of businesses.  The F1 hoopla usually sees top multinational brands sponsoring teams and thousands of affluent tourists descend on the circuits. India's maiden foray into the world of F1 has given it abundant exposure in the global media and has also triggered off competition for more such tracks. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), a government agency, has already hired a consortium led by Capita Symonds, the designer of London's Olympic stadium, to prepare the master plan and ''a business case'' for a new multi-purpose race circuit in Mumbai. Read Full: Domain-b.com : F1 bonanza for businesses, Image: http://www.flickr.com

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Aussie Grit Wins BrazilGP

Mark Webber of red Bull finally won a Grand Prix on Sunday as the 2011 Formula One season signed off in Brazil. The Australian has been completely overshadowed by team-mate Sebastian Vettel this year, with  the 

latter taking the chequered flag 11 times as he romped to the world championship. It appeared as though Vettel was on his way to victory number 12 in Sao Paulo but he instead finished second after his car developed a gearbox problem. Webber's win, his first since last year's Hungarian Grand Prix, was much-needed and yet it was not enough for him to clinch second place in the drivers' championship. That honour goes to Jenson Button, who finished third at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. Button therefore ends the year with 270 points, with Webber climbing to third overall on 258 points, one more than Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who finished fourth in Brazil. Lewis Hamilton ends the year fifth after retiring on Sunday with a gearbox failure. Ferrari's Felipe Massa was fifth in the race ahead of Force India's Adrian Sutil, with Nico Rosberg (Mercedes GP), Paul di Resta (Force India), Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) and Vitaly Petrov (Renault) completing the top 10.Read Full; Optimum Sports Marketing: Aussie Grit Wins Brazil GP:

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Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel wins inaugural Indian Grand Prix

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NewsBullet, Indo-Asian News Service, Greater Noida: Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won the inaugural Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit on Sunday. "We did it," Vettel screamed on the team radio as he took the victory lap after Sachin Tendulkar waved the chequered flag. McLaren-Mercedes' Jenson Button finished second followed by Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. Force India' Adrian Sutil was ninth while the only Indian driver in the race, Narain Karthikeyan, finished 17th for Hispania. India's inaugural Formula One race got off to a spectacular and action-packed start with world champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull starting from the pole position at the swanky Buddh International Circuit. Vettel made a brilliant start but third-placed Fernando Alonso of Ferrari went wide and allowed Jenson Button to get through. Button and Mark Webber then fought closely for the second place behind Vettel. At the first corner, Williams' Rubens Barrichello's car spun off after being hit. Moments later the Team Lotus' Jarno Trulli also went wide on to the grass. It gave lot of opportunity for other drivers to move up. Seven time world champion Michael Schumacher made most of the opportunity and went to eighth place from 11th while India's Narain Karthikeyan gained seven places to 16 from 23rd. There was excitement in the air as the race began with cricketers, Bollywood stars and celebrities making their presence felt. Before the race, 24 drivers took part in a vintage car rallly and waved to the fans to kick off the celebrations. Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar showed his passion for motorsports by being the first of the high-profile guests to arrive at the Circuit. "His love for motorsport is well known and I was not surprised to see him three hours before the race time. I went to the gate to welcome him," Sameer Gaur, managing director of Jaypee Sports International, said. Tendulkar went to the Mercedes GP team garage and chatted extensively with Schumacher and fellow driver Nico Rosberg. He also introduced his wife Anjali and daughter Sara to Schumacher.Read Full; Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel wins inaugural Indian Grand Prix

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All eyes on India as F1 takes a pit stop in the country - Hindustan Times

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Hindustan Times, Press Trust Of India, Greater Noida: India's image as a growing sports superpower will be put to test when it hosts the first ever Formula One Grand Prix beginning with the free practice session on Friday where racing afficanados will get the first feel of the high-speed action set for Sunday. Amid the Sebastian Vettels and Lewis Hamiltons, the racers of home team,  Sahara  Force  India,  would  look to  score  points to make  the 

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country's entry into the glamorous world of F1 a memorable one. The action begins with the free practice session tomorrow, followed by the qualifying on Saturday before the race on Sunday. Son of the soil Narain Karthikeyan will realise the dream of his life when he will run the Hispania car on the track of brand  new  Buddh  International  Circuit  but  Karun Chandhok is not hat lucky as Team Lotus has not given him a racing seat. Chandhok has no choice but to be content with driving during the practice session tomorrow. Like any shrewd business group, Team Lotus put business over emotions and decided to stick with regular drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli as they aim to finish 10th ahead of fellow new comers  Hispania and place finish would mean receiving close to USD 30 million  as  Virgin. A 10th revenue from FIA, so Team Principal Tony Fernandes did not hesitate in making an unpopular decision. "Driving in front  of  the  home  crowd   cheering   on   is  going  to  be  a  surreal  experience.  A  once  in  a  lifetime 

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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," Karthikeyan said.Force India drivers -- Adrian Sutil and Paul  di  Resta  --  have  been  in     points   contention   consistently   in   the

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second half of the season and a good result will boost the team's chances to stay in the sixth position in the constructors' championship.The local outfit is going to face stiff competition from Sauber, which is nine points  behind the home team at 40, and Toro Rosso (37).  Last  season,  Force  India  had

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conceded the sixth place to Williams by just one point and the team would not want a repeat this time around and hence making the Q3 in Saturday's qualifying would be crucial for them. Read Full: All eyes on India as F1 takes a pit stop in the country - Hindustan Times

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Sahara to buy 42.5% stake in Force India

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NEW DELHI: With just 19 days to go for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, Force India today got a huge fillip as Sahara Group has agreed to pump in USD 100 million for the development of the Formula One team, which has been re-christened as Sahara Force India.As per the agreement signed today between Sahara Group and liquor baron Vijay Mallya, Sahara Group will be issued fresh shares of Watson Limited, which owns the team. Both Mallya and Sahara Group, headed by Subroto Sahara, will own 42.5 percent equity each in the team and the remaining 15 percent will be with the Michiel Mol family. Michiel is a Dutch businessman and Director of the team. From now on, Subroto Roy will be the Chairman of the team and Mallya will continue to be the team Principal and Managing Director. "Sahara Group will invest approx USD 100 million into the team. The total capital of the company has increased enormously. None of us sold or bought equity and there will be only re-structuring. New shares will be sold," Mallya announced at a press conference. "Total shares will be distributed in three places. I will have 42.5 percent equity share and Sahara Group another 42.5 percent and Michiel Mol family 15 percent," he added.Read Full: Sahara to buy 42.5% stake in Force India | Force India | Sahara Group | The New Indian Express

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How F1 came to India, why it took long

By Rohit Bhaskar, He greatest motor-sport circus is coming to the country and don’t we all know it! The airwaves are abuzz with the eardrum-splitting noise of revved-up 800bhp engines, the hunt is on – for tickets, grid girls, a walk with the stars. The last weekend of October will be one grand party as the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida near Delhi readies to host India’s first-ever Formula One race, and the 17th race of this season. India is embracing F1 with arms wide open and bags of cash in both hands. The irony isn’t lost on the man who first tried to take F1 to the Indian masses through the medium of television. In 1995, the present Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India president Vicky Chandhok’s career as a journeyman motorsport driver was all but over. However, in his travels he had built up good contacts and his production house held the rights to broadcast F1 in India. Read Full: How F1 came to India, why it took long - Hindustan Times

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