What a Race it was and what a result it turned out to be? Everybody who watched the F1 race live on television here in India, and Indians living abroad certainly would have beamed in pride and satisfaction of the thirst which finally had been quenched. Indian fans of Formula One, could not have asked for more.
India’s Force India F1 team, considered to be minnows till yesterday showed its true class and colours by taking the challenge head-on to the big guys in the grid. Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella, an Italian driving the Indian VJM02 Car powered by German engine (Mclaren-Mercedes) at Spa-Francorchamps F1 circuit in Belgium made the whole wide world stop its busy schedule to take a look at the arrived-with-a-bang team.
Fisi, though lost the first place to Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari who was aided to the finish with Kinectic Energy Recovery System (KERS) during the final second of the race, showed what raw grit, determination and hard work could do when he came in second to take the podium finish.
Vijay Mallya owned Force India F1 team, on its 30th attempt finally finished in the TOP 3 in an F1 race. 36-year-old Giancarlo Fisichella, despite not having the technological prowess of the bigger teams (read KERS) ended just 0.9 seconds behind Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen which earned him 8 points, the first ever won by an India team in F1.
This was nothing short of a tortoise-hare story that we had heard during our childhood. Patience was the key right from the start for Dr. Vijay Mallya’s team which delivered finally and how?
This seems to be a fitting reply to the Government of India which had just last week called F1, a costly entertainment rather than a sport.
Fisi’s collision with a rabbit on Saturday’s practice run probably could have brought him his lady luck that had been hiding in the closet, but it was Fisi’s sheer determination which made him stand in the podium beaming with pride and opening a bubbly to cherish the moment.
India’s tryst with F1 racing started with Vijay Mallya buying the Spyker MF1 team in 2007. Force India F1 team had to race in the Spyker chassis and cars for the entire year of 2008 as the team was acquired in late 2007. But the team started building its own car in the year 2009 and the results have been showing. About 95 per cent of the team sponsorship is being sponsored by Vijay Mallya himself.
It is high time that the Indian Government show the much deserved respect to F1 as a Motor sport and back Force India in whatever way possible.
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