If the glitch-free organisation of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix helped erase the bitter memory of Commonwealth Games fiasco, the second edition of the Formula One race is all set to flaunt the country’s development in motorsport engineering.
MRF’s Formula 2000 cars, the most sophisticated single-seater ever assembled in the country, look set to impress the world motorsport fraternity, who will descend on the Buddh International Circuit next week. The new machines are built around the stylish Dallara chassis (Italian constructors) and powered by Renault (French engine partners), but most of the other components are made in India.
“The car has a lot of Indian-made components — wings, suspension and mechanical parts made up of aero-space grade aluminum, to name a few. We also had to manufacture pit equipment such as quick-lifts, bodywork stands, battery stands and fuel filler rigs,” said Yohann Setna, the sporting manager of JA Motorsport that assembled the cars at its Coimbatore facility.
Yohann said JA Motorsport has prepared 21 cars out of which 18 will be on the grid. “Two will be stationed as spare cars, while the other one is a test and display vehicle. It will be a proud moment for us to showcase Asia’s best single-seater race car to the F1 personnel,” added Yohann.
While the final line-up of drivers is yet to be announced, the grid is shaping into a highly-competitive one. Headlined by reigning F2 champion Akshay Luciano Bacheta — a British driver born to Indian parents with Italian ancestry — other hot talents from Europe such as GP3 racer Conor Daly, son of former F1 and Champ Car driver Derek Daly, Jordan King and Sean Walkinshaw will be vying for the prize money of $120,000 (for top-3). The grid has also attracted Briton’s top female racer Alice Powell.
Bacheta, who tested Williams car on Thursday in Monza as a reward for winning the F2 championship, will come to New Delhi fresh from his F1 exposure. Indian F2 driver Parthiva Sureshwaren and Parth Ghorpade, who made waves at Formula Pilota Championship, and recently-crowned national F4 champion Ashwin Sundar will be carrying home hopes. Chennai boy Vikash Anand, who drove in MRF last year, has to sit out due to lack of funding.
The other support event at Indian GP, JK Racing Asia Series, will see the cream of the continent’s racing talent in action. Aditya Patel, Akhil Khuslani, Vishnu Prasad, Raj Bharath and Akhil Rabindra (the last three to represent Akbar Ebrahim’s Meco Motorsport) are the likely contenders.
Another Indian 'Test' for F1 car
Akshay Luciano Bacheta became the fourth Indian to go behind the wheel of an F1 machine when he tested Williams car at Silverstone circuit on Thursday. The test drive was a reward for winning the F2 championship this season.
Akshay’s mother is a Ludhiana-born Sikh and father is a Rajput, but the 22-year-old has been based in Essex and came through a structured motorsport programme in the UK. Narain Karthikeyan was the first Indian to taste an F1 car when he drove Jaguar in 2001. Neel Jani, whose father is a Gujarati, and Chennai’s Karun Chandhok followed suit.
Akshay, who took part in five separate sessions Silverstone, was over the moon. “I am still taking it all in and I am sure that it won’t be until I go away and reflect that I will realise quite how brilliant it was. The car is just a pleasure to drive, better than anything I have driven before, so I would love to have some more experience of Formula One in the future,” said Akshay. Akshay’s championship win also means he becomes eligible for an FIA Super Licence, required to compete in Formula One.
Line-up:
MRF Challenge: Akshay Luciano Bacheta (British), Conor Daly (American), Jordan King (British), Sean Walkinshaw (British), Alice Powell (British), James Winslow (British), Parthiva Sureshwaren (Indian), Parth Ghorpade (Indian), Ashwin Sundar (Indian).