The Cargo has landed

Now you can see this in India!

I know I'm a few days late in writing this blog, but I haven't been able to get the time to do it these past few days! This past Thursday, the cars and the equipment involved in the Formula 1 races landed at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi. That means that there's not much time left for the Indian Grand Prix. WOW, its actually happening here, in India! 

The first time India was mentioned in the F1 paddocks was some 12-13 years ago, with Rajarhat in Calcutta being the likely venue. Since then the venue has changed thrice, with Hyderabad coming into the spotlight briefly, and then disappearing into the background as their state government changed. Mumbai was also in the running for some time, but somehow that plan never materialised. Finally, Noida, near Delhi was chosen as the venue and the track was built over a span of nearly half a decade. Also, the first tentative date given for the Indian GP was 2001. It's 2011 now, so it took them 10 years to finally come to our country.
The Buddh International Circuit will host the first ever Indian Grand Prix. The track was officially unveiled on 18th October, and has been receiving praise for its wide corners, which would allows lots of overtaking, and long straights, which would allow the cars to reach speed of 320 kmph.

For more details about the track, follow the link given below,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddh_International_Circuit

As a 15 year F1 viewing veteran, this is big news for me. I'd been dreaming that one day India would be hosting a F1 race, and that day is finally here. I would have loved to go watch the race at the track this year. But alas, that won't be possible. The training schedule at my new job is getting in the way. Well if not this year, then definitely the next. This event is here to stay.
As for the people who will be there to witness this historic sporting event, this will definitely be an event to remember. From what I've heard, the sound of an F1 car cannot be explained in words, it has to be heard to be believed. The feel of at the venue of a major sporting event always keeps everyone on their toes. There will definitely be a feeling of being part of something special. And I'll miss that :-(. Missing the chance to see some of my sporting heroes, is disappointing. I would have loved to see the Scarlet Ferrari's of Alonso and Massa burning some rubber on our shores, this is a lifelong Ferrari fan talking, as you can very well make out. Also, the current champion Sebastien Vettel is no slouch either. There are talks of him maybe joining Ferrari in the future. That would be something special. And last, but definitely not the least, the chance to see our very own Force India team in action would have been great. Racing is not a sport that has a huge backing in India. So having an entire team to represent our country at the very pinnacle of racing is definitely worth applause. I hope that they exceed expectations at their home race.

For more about the race, follow the link,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Grand_Prix

Looking forward to an enthralling race. And next year, I'll definitely be a part of it. Signing off...