India some way off F1

[davewilson]

India may have to wait a little longer before it is granted a Formula One Grand Prix according to chief track designer Hermann Tilke. Formula One has been rumoured to be coming to India for the past several years with many false starts, but it was always considered to be high on the agenda with the powers at be.


However, the German designer, responsible for recent inclusions such as Malaysia, Bahrain and China now believes India has taken a back seat in its quest for GP status.


"India always comes up when we speak about new venues, but while it is always a subject of discussion, for now it is not more than a subject of discussion," he was quoted as saying in the British publication Autosport.


Abu Dhabi has surpassed India and is now scheduled to join the calendar in 2009 and South Korea pencilled in for 2010. Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has said five more countries are waiting in line.


India’s Narain Karthikeyan exclusively told espnstar.com recently that he believed India would join the F1 circus but could not give a definite answer as to when.


Singapore has also been talked about as a possible venue for a night race, an idea Ecclestone is keen on, while Valencia in Spain has also been lobbying for a grand prix on a harbourside street circuit.

The Stig