HT's Views On F1 In Delhi
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Hindustan Times S.Kannan has an article which is titled "Delhi Doesn't Really Have An F1 Culture".It reads:
"The cities with the biggest Formula 1 followings are obviously Chennai,Bangalore and Mumbai.Delhi Woke up to watching F1 races lives on big screens at pubs just about four years ago.Even then,these gatherings were often less about a love for the sport and more about hanging out with friends and the promotional lager offers!"
Now I feel like someone has given me a tight slap across my face.Mr.Kannan has stereotyped us in the worst manner possible.And upon what basis is he saying this all,is quite oblivious to me.He does not cite any facts,surveys or research and I doubt there actually is any.First of all,how can he be so sure about all this.From my experience on message boards,there are hardly any F1 fans from Chennai and more from places like Delhi and Mumbai.However,that does not mean I will go out and say,hey nobody watches F1 in Chennai.
Secondly,I have been watching it for about seven years now(that is three more than what Mr.Kannan mentions).And I know few others who have been watching it for over a decade.Again,does that mean I will just start screaming about it?Further:
"Whenever karting events were held here,they had to be in Gurgaon or Faridabad as the city does not have a single karting track."
Mr.Kannan has not been to Appu Ghar.I know that track is crappy and not very challenging but at the end of the day it is a track and that is where my freinds went to,when they wanted to have some fun.Further,he mentions that when the JK Tyre National karting finals were held,the area near Pragati Maidan bus terminus was converted into a "track".He rather conviniently forgets to mention that when the karting round was held here in 2005,it was held in the area around India Gate.Oh and I saw the race too,on TV.So what?Even Monaco is a temporary track,isn't it?
Though yes,I have to admit,I would be rather happy if the people building the countless number of malls in Noida built a karting track instead.
Anyways,I am not very sure how much important it is for the host city to have a "racing culture".Manama(Bahrain) has never been a sellout,they give out free tickets but still it is not completely packed.Australian GP has been reporting lossess for some time now.And everyone has been ga-ga about Silverstone being a sellout this year,obvious indication that it is not a popular race,even if it is being held at the "home of motorsports".
It is more about where the money is coming from.I wouldn't go as far as saying that Delhi boasts facilities that Chennai or Bangalore does not because that is something only time will tell.Secondly,F1 needs some land and a willing government.Probably,Delhi was the only government ready to do the deal and so Delhi is getting the contract(probable,I think there has been no official confirmation about Delhi).
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P.S.-The article was printed last week and I wrote it last week but then the net went down and after that the PC started to crash.So that is why the delay.In between,HT had an on-going series about Indian motorsport where they reviewed the current tracks and talked too other important personnel.And funnily,they carried out the same article in the Sunday and Monday issues:Hamilton Wins at US(last page) and Hamilton tops N-America(Pg 17).The articles were almost identical.
Posted by Abhinav 1:08 PM
Labels: F1
2 comments:
- At 24/6/07 9:08 PM Ankit said...
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Yeah, its stupid the way illiterate journalists have been reporting on f1 in India
- At 25/6/07 11:09 AM Freaky Gal :-P said...
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well.. yeah.. in India.. i guess F1 isnt given much importance.. it is only during the races tat dey show the results.. n tat too on the last page wid a small section on f1.. tats IT... n Cricket... its given sum fricking space for 3 pgaes!! :O
even in news.. i dun thnk dey mention f1 @ all.. only in the BBc news or CNN do v find ne mentioning of F1!
now.. tokin abt the 'craze' in F1.. i thnk u hv said most of the stuff wid vich i agree... dey cannot measure the popularity n rate vich city follws f1 more.. d idea of measuring itslef is insane..
I, inspite of being a mumbaikar, am still happy wid an f1 track in delhi.. coz i m realistic.. i know.. an f1 track is NOT possible either in mumbai or bangalore.. two major problems r.. 1. Space 2. facilities.. delhi is well equipped wid everythng.. n as it is Delhi is preparing for the commonwealth.. so delhi is the PERFECT choice..
now.. agn cumng baq 2 d point on the f1 craze.. i have 2 frenz fm bahrain.. n dey never Knew tat bahrain had an F1 track.. in fact.. dy dunno wats F1!!.. @ least v ppl r better off!!
