Published>Fri, Sep 10 10 05:37 AM
The nearly 12 km ride from Greater Noida to seemingly nowhere on a barely motorable road sums up India's journey from absolutely nowhere to the Formula One map: full of obstacles. Nonetheless, three years after the Indian Grand Prix was conceptualised, the destination seems closer than ever.
On Wednesday, motor sports' world governing body, FIA, officially awarded the country a race scheduled for October 30 next year ? although subject to the completion of circuit ? and a day later, a renewed sense of urgency was palpable at the site of construction. Earth movers and dumpers choked the road at ground zero, while the contractors screamed instructions at their subordinate workers. Off the main road and through the paddy fields, a muddy path ? having caved in at places due to heavy rains ? leads to a vast mound of earth. It's one of the elevated parts of the proposed circuit, and here the first layer of the track is being laid. A dream is finally taking shape.
It has been over one year since the construction started, and the project was mired in controversies, ranging from Suresh Kalmadi's son being one of the stakeholders in JPSK ? the firm that signed contract with the FIA to build the track ? to the sports ministry refusing to recognise F1 as a sport. The company initials have now changed from JPSK to JPSI (Jaypee Sports International).
But Kalmadi still continued to cast a shadow over the project, albeit indirectly. The negativity surrounding the delays to the CWG projects meant there were doubts over India's readiness over hosting an F1 race. The fears are still there.
"People are a bit sceptical of India's ability to host international events. I genuinely hope that the Commonwealth Games, once it's running, shows that India is able to host international events," said Mark Hughes, vice president (operations) of JPSI.
For now, it's a race against time for Hughes & Co., as FIA is scheduled to make an inspection in May 2011. The senior official, who was the operations head of the circuit at Bahrain, however remains confident.
"What will probably happen is that we will have to do some finishing touches after that and they will come back and that process has to finish by the end of July. We may be a little delayed but we will still get through that process," Hughes said.
Optimism is at an all time high, as far as the track is concerned. Motor Sports Council of India chairman Vijay Mallya, who was at the FIA meeting in Paris on Wednesday, believes that the deadlines will be met.
"In my capacity as chairman of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India and a member of the FIA World Motor Sports Council, this is a dream come true," said Mallya, who also owns India's first Formula One team Force India.
"From the regular reports I have received, construction is in full progress and the track with considerable supporting infrastructure will be ready well in time for the 2011 event."
When complete, the track will be 5.4km long and the complex will accommodate nearly 1,20,000 spectators. According to JPSI, the track's combination of straights, corners and elevation changes has been designed to allow high speeds.
From a vantage point on the mound, one can see another structure coming up: the paddock. The glass and steel facade is some way off and the only people swarming its terrace aren't exactly high net-worth individuals, but laborers. For now, all one can hear is the construction din, but the roar of an F1 engine is not too distant now. (With inputs from Reuters)
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