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Indian F1 bogey all over again

Vijay Mallya along with Ralf Schumacher will meet Sheila Dixit in the Capital on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of Rajpath being used for a street race.

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MUMBAI: The Indian GP bogey has been raised again. Vijay Mallya along with Toyota F1 driver Ralf Schumacher will meet Delhi CM Sheila Dixit in the Capital on Wednesday evening. Mallya claimed that they will discuss the possibility of Rajpath being used for a street race.

When reminded of the futile attempts in the past to bring an F1 race to India Mallya asserted that the difference this time is him.

“This is the first time I have been involved in trying to bring F1 to India. Delhi is gearing up big time in infrastructure for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the CM is excited about the possibility.”

Is he also considering other venues? No. “Because of the infrastructure requirement and the cost involved. However, Delhi can gear up in time.”

Race prior to 2010 is being considered a possibility.

However, there are serious considerations, which Mallya will have to over come. The primary once being, Delhi’s bureaucracy with multiple hierarchy’s of governments involved and the safety consideration of having a street race.

Reliable estimates suggest that a race can be organised even in as little as Rs 80 crores. An estimated 45 kilometres of steel barriers around a six-kilometre race track with its hub at Rajpath is the main infrastructural inputs that the track would require. Apart from that an airport with capacity to handle 8 jumbos at the same time a six-lane highway leading up to the track for the team containers to be driven down are the usual requirements of Formula One Management. However, F1 head honcho Bernie Ecclestone may well look to waive off stringent norms given his frequently expressed desire to bring F1 to India. 

Mallya is optimistic, but for all one knows he may well just be raising the F1 kite all over to reel in some free publicity for his association with team Toyota. After all, Indian driver Narain Kartikeyan would be just as persuasive for a meeting with Dixit as Ralf Schumacher.  Mallya, after all, is rumoured to have spent Rs 45 crore for his association with the Toyota F1 team.

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