A1 hits Indian speedblock

It could be the platform for India8217;s fledgling motorsport stars to show they8217;ve come of age. But the A1 Grand Prix series, which t...

It could be the platform for India8217;s fledgling motorsport stars to show they8217;ve come of age. But the A1 Grand Prix series, which takes off this September, has several roadblocks that must first be negotiated.

Not least the absence of Narain Karthikeyan, who told The Indian Express today that he would not be a part of A1. When it was put to him that this was driving for the country, Karthikeyan8217;s response was clear: 8216;8216;There is nothing greater than the Formula1 World Championship. I represent India in that championship, which is at the highest level of the sport.8217;8217;

That, though, is what the A1 GP is challenging. Calling itself the World Cup of motor racing, the A1 8212; promoted by Dubai8217;s Sheikh Maktoum, who believes motorsport should not be the preserve of the Europeans 8212; has got 16 teams on board, including A1 Team India.

A1 in general has gone into overdrive with prize money and other details finalised see box. And Team India8217;s GM marketing Gary Naidoo is bullish about the concept8217;s success here. 8216;8216;We are looking at the series as an opportunity to develop drivers and provide them the platform necessary to make an entry into this sport8217;8217;, he adds.

Yet there are serious problems.

The first is the timing of the A1 season: September to March. That means an overlap with the mainstream Formula seasons Formula 1, Formula 3, etc, and rules out Karun Chandok and Armaan Ebrahim for at least a month each at the beginning and the end.

And that rather narrows the field down to the few Indians 8212; Rayomand Banajee, for example 8212; who race cars but not in these categories. And undermines the the objective of getting more Indians exposed to international racing.

Handling a 550bhp car 8212; the spec for A1 8212; is not easy; only Karthikeyan has done so to date. Even Karun and Armaan drive cars of lower capacity.

Story continues below this ad

Karun8217;s father Vicky Chandok, president of the Federation of Motor Sports Cclubs of India, points out the resulting problem. 8216;8216;Indians are strong in talent but the inexperience can be a handicap. Giving any Indian a car of high-capacity can be dangerous on track.8217;8217;

With most teams having named their drivers, A1 Team India8217;s immediate problem is filling that blank. The launch is in New Delhi on July 30; before that, they need a primary and secondary driver from a shortlist of six.

There is a likelihood the team missing out their first test over three days scheduled for the first week of August at France8217;s Paul Ricard circuit. In fact, prior to the series proper, all teams would be able to test twice in a bid to get familiar with the car. The second, two-day test is scheduled for the third week of August.

That8217;s another handicap the Team India drivers will have to put up with.

Story continues below this ad

With the series opener scheduled at Brands Hatch, England on September 25, Naidu says 8216;8216;We would like to find the best. Ultimately we are looking at competitiveness.8217;8217;

A1 for dummies

8226; 21 teams from across the world in 12 races starting at Brands Hatch, England on September 25

8226; Three races in Asia, in China, Indonesia, Malaysia

8226; Superstars on the A1 circuit: Anil Kapoor for Team India, Ronaldo for Brazil, Luis Figo for Portugal

8226; A1 cars will weigh around 600 kgs, fitted with six-speed transverse sequential gear selection via paddle shift system with 3400 cc engines

Story continues below this ad

8226; Two races every race day: a 25-minute sprint and a 60-minute race

8226; Prize money of 1 million per race weekend for top 10 finishers

8226; The series will be broadcast on ESPN-STAR