The inaugural Indian GP surprised me in many ways. Some are very pleasant and some are not.
The Venue:
New Delhi. 40 odd Kms off. A perfect place to attract huge turnout. The venue will become better and better over the years as there will be more commercial establishment from Jaypee Group itself. There were murmurs about land acquisition and all, I hope the group will sort this out. A year back there were only sand and mud and few concrete pillars coming up. The construction went full gear only the last ten months to reach the stage it is.
Event:
The inaugural event was a grand spectacle. The stands are filled to full. It is the first time I saw an inaugural race with full stand. The race was incident free from the point of organizers. No stray dogs etc., Next year fans will know what to expect and how to schedule their trip. The bottle necks fans faced in reaching the venue will be an issue the organizers should iron out before next year.
Teams:
The race created an euphoria among the teams because they were pleasantly surprised by the turnout. They have stumbled upon a market with huge potential for advertisement. Next year they surely will go with more confidence to market their space in India.
Drivers:
The drivers had that extra glitter in the eyes which was hardly missed. Their happiness to be on podium in front of such a huge crowd was obvious. They might have seen few thousand spectators in other venues. All drivers were happy about the track layout. But there were general complaint about dirt in the track which made the off-line useless for overtake.
The Race:
As dull as ever. Not much of fight among the drivers. Except the euphoria it created as an inaugural race, the race turned out to be a funeral procession.
The Organizers:
Jaypee group has done it very professionally but their interest can be sustained only when F1 ensured good return. They may sell the space around the F1 complex at premium, make money and close down the venue for good if they face losses.
The Fans:
Most of the fans who attended know something about F1 if not all. Some of them who came for fun will be more knowledgeable when F1 reaches Delhi next year. But keeping the percentage aside if you see the number of hardcore F1 fans the will certainly out weigh their European counterparts. I will disagree with Bernie Ecclestone that 3 years back nobody know F1 here. The facts is far from that. there was general increase in interest after Narain Karthikeyan joined Jordan. And that interest has gradually gained momentum and sustained.
Media Coverage
The F1 missed to cover the crowd turnout. At least a journey through the crowd in the Grand Stand would have made it better. But the most talked point was not covered by the F1 TV. The local newspapers covered the event in the front page which is a rarity. Even Cricket will not get to the front page unless if it is World Cup win. The celebrities are aplenty. Most of the columnist are positive. Only few lip serving politician who feared to identify themselves with the costliest sport. Some talked about poverty in India. Some talked about Green world. But that is there when F1 goes any where.
The Future:
One of the venues which may be safe-haven for F1 in the years to come!
Jan 27, 10, 01:57
