Spa Francorchamps is one of the best driving circuits of the Formula one calendar, with enough room for overtaking at almost all points of the racing track, it makes for a fantastic race. And for the last three years, it was one man who had ruled the Belgian Grand Prix- Kimi Raikkonen. He had won with Mclaren in 2005 and 2006 and won last here with Ferrari as he went on to become World champion. Kimi had a string of poor results and critics had begun doubting whether he had the desire left in him to go for the drivers championship or had Massa become Ferrari’s top driver. Kimi started the race in 4th place, but if there were any doubts of his racing form, they were all swept aside as Kimi took the lead in the first lap itself. On the first corner of the race Kimi overtook Heiki Kovalainen, and went on to clinch the race lead after going past both Massa and Hamilton by the end of the first lap. The Finnish driver led the race for the next 42 laps. But as faith would have it, crashed out in the closing stages of the lap. Hamilton was at Raikkonen’s tail before the heaven gods played havoc and poured in the last few laps of the race. Even the weather stations of the respective teams that are situated at the top of the nearby mountains, were of no avail as all the teams were not ready for this challenge. With the drives having no option but to stay on dry weather tyres, driving on the circuit become really tough. The track begun to get wet and it was left to race leader Raikkonen to look for dry spots and maneuver his car through the circuit. At this point Lewis began putting pressure on Kimi and with the tyres not finding grip on the wet track. What followed was two really determined drivers going wheel to wheel for the race lead. With the track conditions really wet, both drivers slid of the circuit but coming back to join the battle. It was here that Lewis cut through a chicane to have an unfair advantage over Kimi. After the chicane it was lewis leading but backed off thinking that the stewards would give him an instant penalty. The next moment, Raikonnen had crashed and it was now a race left for Hamilton to lose. He crawled on to the finish line amidst treacherous conditions for drivers. Massa too made it to the finish line in the second place.
But the real drama began after the race was over, when the race stewards decided to give Hamilton a twenty five second penalty for having missed the chicane while trying to overtake Raikkonen on the penultimate lap of the race. Thus after the penalty, Massa was declared the winner with Nick Heidfeld coming second and Hamilton making it to the third spot. Though Hamilton didn’t win the race, he maintained his lead over closest rival Massa by two points. As for Raikkonen, his dreams of retaining the drivers championship may not be fulfilled as he crashed out after having driven a stunner of the race and lead the Belgian Grand prix for forty one of the forty four laps. At the end of the Belgian Grand prix, it is Hamilton who still maintains his lead of two points over Felipe Massa whereas Raikkonen has fallen to the fourth position in the drivers championship. With just five races to go in the season, the race for the winner of the Drivers champion will go right down to the wire.
The pundits had written the Indian ODI team off even before the series had got rolling. Largely due to the disappointing performance of the Indian batsmen against the duo of Mendis and Murali in the test series which India lost 2-1. But Dhoni’s men have gotten used to being the underdogs before the start of a series and yet emerging triumphs at the end of it. The ODI series down under early this year was one such example. But the side filled with young rising talent was a treat to watch in this series a they went from strength to strength and managed to pull off the series even with a match in hand. Even in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag both of whom had to pull out due to injuries, the Indian bench made up for their absence.
A victory in Sri Lanka is always sweet. The last bilateral series in Sri Lanka had India face an embarrassing defeat of 3-0 and confirmed the fact that taming the Sri Lankan lions in their own backyard is not such a frivolous task. But finally India succeeded in triumphing in an ODI series here and this success can be attributed to the team work and the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Right from calling the coin correctly, Dhoni has not set a foot wrong in this series. He led from the front especially in the last two matches in Colombo. But what is important to note is the way he motivated the team after the embarrassing loss in the first one dayer in Dambula. The Indian team was expected to lose this series badily as none of the batsmen had any experience whatsoever against the duo of Mendis and Murali and that too on spinner friendly tracks in Sri Lanka. But the young Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and even Badrinath applied themselves to the early swing of the experienced Vaas and against the guile of Mendis and Murali. They applied themselves, used their feet and were not scared of hopping down the pitch in order to counter the spin. During the test series it was just one batsman Sachin Tendulkar who had tried to get aggressive against the spin duo. But in the one day series it was all the batsmen who went aggressively against the Sri Lankan spinners and emerged triumphant at the end.
But the primary reason why the Indians have got the series in the bag has been the success of the Indian bowlers. The pace bowlers Zaheer and Praveen kumar have always picked up wickets with the new ball. Right from pitching the ball in the right areas to getting early break throughs, the Indian pacers have laid the foundation for Harbhajan to come and clean up the tail. Even the fifth bowler in the form of Yuvraj Singh has picked up wickets at regular intervals.
The series win against Sri Lanka would come as a huge sigh of relief for the thousands of the Indian fans who had given up after the test series. But this win will do wonders to the confidence of the Indian ODI team who has just started a fresh innings under the reign of Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has appeared to be calm and unperturbed even when faced with tremendous pressure. The Indian team can only get better from here and after the infusion of Sachin and Sehwag at the top of the order, this team will have the perfect mix of flamboyant aggressive youth and dependable experience.
Nadal seeded 2 at the Beijing Olympics overcame the challenge of Gonzales by beating him in straight sets 6-3, 7-6 and 6-3. He had a stiff opponent in the form of Gonsales who notched up nine aces through the course of the game, but Nadals’s powerful forehands down the baseline were a treat to watch for the hundreds who had gathered to watch the finals match and Nadal didn’t disappoint any of them. It had been a great year for Nadal after he had begun at auspicious note by winning his favourite French Open beating Roger Federer in the final. But the shot in the arm came from the Wimbledon victory when Nadal went on to beat his swiss rival in a humdinger of a match stretching into 5 sets and two days. This was the first Wimbledon triumph for Nadal after having lost the last two consecutive finals in London to Roger Federer.
For more than two years, Nadal had been ranked two and was in hot pursuit of the Swiss prodigy. But this year had been a special one for Nadal as he won two major Grand slams on clay as well as grass. The Beijing triumph will surely sky rocket the confidence of the Spaniard for the Olympics comes only once every four years. And it is a special moment to be winning gold for your country. A feeling that transcends all other Grand Slam wins. The Olympics would also turn out to be a confidence booster for the Spaniard as he sets out to play the US Open starting in a few days time after the Beijing Olympics.
Tennis lovers who were waiting to see their dream Olympic final of Nadal vs Federer had their hopes dashed once Federer was knocked out of the tournament at the hands of James Blake of the United States of America. Federer had lost out on the number 1 ranking and this seems to have psychologically affected his performance at Beijing Though the swiss made up for it by winning the doubles gold at the Beijing Olympics.
As Rafael Nadal is set to take up the Number ranking in tennis after being second for a record time, this will be the dawn of a new chapter in tennis. The Federer Nadal rivalry is something that all tennis lovers have cherished over the years but it waits to be see whether Federer has it in him to bounce back at the US open this year. For now this has entirely been Nadals year as he has gone from strength to strength and his Olympics Gold medal win will surely set the ball rolling for the No. 1 ranked tennis player in the World.
IT WAS touted as the clash of the titans. The invincible Rajasthan Royals up against the resurgent Chennai Super Kings. Even the pundits were refusing to take a stand, as this was expected to be a very close encounter.
Both the semifinals at the Wankhede Stadium had been tame one-sided wins with both the teams registering comprehensive wins over their counterparts. But the 55,000 plus spectators seated at the DY Patil stadium could not have asked for a better finish to what has been the most explosive series ever to have hit Indian television. All the critics who had earlier questioned the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the outset are now running for cover because such is the popularity of this league that it has every one hooked on to it. And now that it is over for this year, there would still be people salivating for more.
The glittering closing ceremony with the host of Bollywood starlets, German acrobats and a sizzling display of fire works were a treat to the eye. But the action was still to begin with Dhoni’s boys coming out to bat against a hostile bowling attack of Rajasthan Royals led by Sohail Tanveer who had been the highest wicket taker of the tournament. The Chennai openers set the ball rolling and were off to a sedate start. Suresh Raina came in and hit some lusty blows, which included three huge towering sixes.
The Chennai Super kings were restricted to a total of 163 in their quote of 20 overs. Not a match winning score but definitely a competing one! The Rajasthan Royals were not off to a very good start, as they lost the first wicket of Patel early. It was left to the find of the tournament Yousuf Pathan to come to their rescue as he has done time and time again for his team in this series. His 50 was the turning point of the match as he led his team to within a few runs from the target. At the end it was Shane Warne and Sohail Tanveer who had a cool head on their shoulders and took the Rajasthan Royals home but not without its share of drama. The winning runs were scored of the final delivery of the innings.
This is what dreams are made of. Here is a team, which spent barely anything on the auctions who retained Shane Warne as captain and coach, it was sure that this team would find it next to impossible to qualify for the semis. But qualify they did not through any back door entry but by topping the group and carrying on the good work in the finals as well. And on the other hand some of the big names like Royal Challengers and the Deccan charges, both failed o create an impact in this edition as well.
The IPL has been a phenomenal success. With all the money pouring in, this league has created a storm. Rajasthan Royals emerged as the winners of this edition. It is a day when Warne needs to be applauded for his incessant work and charming personality. The Indian Premier League has arrived and is here to stay. The transfer window in February will be a vital important aspect of the IPL. Here’s applauding Lalit Modi and the rest of the gang behind this colossal event and hoping the next edition of the IPL will be bigger and better.
It could not have been scripted better. Tendulkar made his debut in the IPL, with his team Mumbai Indians having won three matches consecutively. But in order to make it to the Semis, they had to keep the momentum going. After restricting the Chennai Super Kings to a modest total of 157 due to some disciplined bowling up front by Pollock and Nehra but since then the night belonged to Jayasuriya.
He had been getting starts in the tournament but had barely converted them. This was the day when Jayasuriya had been waiting for to prove his worth to the team. Till the match against Chennai, he had been opening with different partners and the opening partnership never used to go past a few years. Opening with Sachin probably gave him the confidence to go berserk. The first six overs yielded 78 and by then the Chennai Super Kings knew that something had hit them hard. His flicks over Square Leg for six, his powerful cover drives and bottom hand jabs on the on side were a delight to watch.
Though on the other hand Sachin did not really make his dream debut but was more than happy to let Jayasuriya take the strike and demolish the opposition. Eleven sixes in an innings, second in the IPL only to Brendon Mecculum’s 13 in the first match against the Royal Challengers. The sheer arrogance with which he hit all the Chennai Super Kings bowlers all around the park was astonishing to see. In the belligerent mood that he was in, he did not even spare his previous team mate Muralitharan as he attempted twice to reverse sweep the Sri Lankan off spinner. If there is one player who can single handedly take the match away from the opposition with his explosive batting, it is Sanath Jayasuriya. And his team were aware that it would need just one innings to get him abck in form which he did in style.
The second fastest hundred of the tournament after Adam Gilchrist who had gone on a rampage against the Mumbai Indians a few matches back. But with Jayasuriya’s current performance the Mumbai Indians can be happy that their most explosive batsman is back in form and these are not good signs for the other teams. Jayasuriya’s knock was the first good score from a team who had till now struggled in the tournament.
But this innings would do a world of confidence to them as they would now make their move to try and reach the Semi Finals. For the thousands that had gathered to see Sachin bat, it would have been a dream come true to watch this innings of Jayasuriya. Mumbai Indians would also feel confident now as their batting looks more or less to be settled though the departure of Bravo will hurt them. Their next tie against the Kolkatta Knight Riders would be a vital one, as both these teams are fighting for a birth in the Semi Finals. It will be great to see King Khan back in Mumbai cheering his team at the sidelines. But the resurgent Mumbai Indians would be up for the challenge.
It is said, Cricket is a great Leveler. A young exuberant side led by MS Dhoni with almost no twenty twenty practice had shocked the World by winning the World Cup in South Africa. It was a team effort but the team did have its share of heroes. Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir with the Bat. Harbhajan and RP Singh with the ball. The World champions arrived at Melbourne to take up the Aussie challenge. The might of the Aussies had been humbled twice. But they were no the ones to take this lying down, even in the absence of Ponting and Hayden, it was a cake walk for the Kangaroos.
From an Indian point of view, it was a feeling of melancholy. Through out the Aussie summer this was one clash that was being anticipated. But, the Indian batsmen could not even last the stipulated quota of twenty overs, forget making a decent score. It was appalling to see Sachin Tendulkar sitting at the Dug out watching the wickets fall down like the bowling pins. Now we need to understand the importance of experience.
Look at the Aussie side, World Champions, the best team in tests and their recent win over India in Twenty Twenty makes them a force to reckon with. Australia have had great youngsters doing well in the Domestic circuit, but sadly there is no place for them in the international side. Guys like Hayden and Hussey had to wait till their thirties to make their respective debuts. Australia focuses on performance and form rather than age as a criteria to fetch the players their coveted baggy green.
It was the same old story yesterday. A batting collapse, we all have got used to. Sehwag with a poor choice of run. Gambhir and Utthappa trying to go over the in field even when they had barely gauged the bounce of the pitch. Karthick and Sharma falling to irresponsible shots. Dhoni trying to clear the field but only holing out to the fielder at Square Leg. And Indians could have been bowled out for the lowest total in twenty twenty ever, if it was not for a face saving knock from Irfan Pathan. The only Indian batsman who exercised some caution while batting.
Twenty Twenty is a game of fours and sixes, but remember the boundaries are still at the same distance and hence all the rules of Cricket apply. Whatever the format of cricket be, you just cant score from the first ball. You need to get yourself set first. Indian batsmen it seems were awed by the great occasion and this is where the experience of Sachin could have helped. And you cant really prove that guys like Karthick, Sharma or Utthapa are better players then Sachin.
The scene that caught my eye yesterday was the one in which, there was a spinner bowling to a number eleven batsmen with all the fielders crowding around the bat. Trust me, it may have been a hat trick ball but you will not ever see this happening again. This was hurting the pride of the Indians, as the Aussies have most certainly avenged their two earlier defeats.
The selection for the team had itself been a flawed one. With batsmen like Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman sent home, the Indians were looking for trouble. The Indians have a mammoth task in front of them if they are to win the series against Australia. The debate between experience and youth will continue. But if Sachin would have taken to the field, the result could well have been different.
Sourav Ganguly is sure to be in a quandary. He had registered one of the greatest comebacks into the Indian team. Scoring 1240 runs in ODI’s in the calendar year of 2007 at an average of 44, you could not have asked for more.
The Indian team were savoring the win at Perth when the bombshell was dropped by the selectors. Ganguly dropped from the team for the upcoming tri series against Australia and Sri Lanka. The in form Dravid and Laxman were ignored once again. The selectors seem to have made up their mind to go with youth for the ODI side. It might augur well for the Indian team in the future but in the present context, it could be disastrous for the Indian team.
The selectors could have made the announcement after the fourth test as there is gap between the tests and the ODI’s. Also there is a 20-20 match against the Aussies on February 1st, which the entire nation would be waiting for. But the team of selecters has acted as party poopers and has taken the sheen of the tremendous win at Perth. But perhaps the greatest impact it will have will be on the performance of the dropped players in the Adelaide test. Kumble will have his task cut out, in order to get Dravid and Ganguly to focus on the test match at hand which is a must win for the Indian side.
The selectors have infused youth into the side, dropping all the seniors except for Tendulkar. Ganguly has been replaced by Suresh Raina. Now, Raina last played an ODI in January 2007, more than an year back. His form in the domestic season last year wasn’t something to be proud of but yet he has found his way into the ODI squad in place of Ganguly. Ganguly had been the in form batsman for India as he made consecutive hundreds against Pakistan in tests and had looked one of the few composed batsman in the side in Australia. But yet he has been unceremoniously dropped. Is it the end of the road for Ganguly atleast in ODI? Only Ganguly can make the decision and it wont be an easy one.
We have an ODI squad which is similar to the 20-20 squad that had won the World Cup. But can these youngsters repeat their magical performance against the World Champions in their own backyard? There has to be a balance between youth and experience in the side which the selectors have not adhered to. And the high profile ODI series could definitely not be used for experimenting. The theory of being ‘in form’ in order to be selected seems to baffle me completely. If there was one player who has woefully out of form on the Aussie tour, it was Yuvraj Singh who barely troubled the scorers in the first two test matches. Dhoni too had not looked particularly confident against the rising ball. But both these players have been retained as vice captain and captain respectively. Virendra Sehwag has retained his place in the ODI side after a good performance in the Perth test. But is a single performance enough to cement your place in the ODI side? IF yes, then Ganguly gave us some of the best performances of his career last year. Why wernt they considered?
The only legitimate thing that could have gone against the former Indian captain is his fielding prowess or the lack of it. Ganguly is definitely not the most agile fielder on the park and he would be the first man to accept it. But, if fielding was all to be considered then with due respect Glenn Mcgrath, Shaun Pollock, Wasim Akram and Inzamam ul haq would never have played for their sides, forget being the all time greats to represent their country. And Sehwag who has been chosen in the side, is not a terrific fielder too.
Ganguly should consider himself really unfortunate for it was his last tour to Australia and would have wanted to make the most of it. It might well signal the end of the road for the Prince of Kolkatta, a young prodigy who with his sheer grit and determination had scripted the best story of comebacks in Cricket at the age of 34. Dhoni may have got his desired team for the series, but it will be interesting to see if his bunch of young boys can perform against the mighty Aussies. And don’t be surprised if after a couple of failures, Sachin Tendulkar will find himself missing from the ODI side. In Indian cricket, anything can happen.
If there were any devils in the pitch as predicted by the pundits, they were to be seen only on the second day of the test match as the Aussies were bundled out for a mere 212. The swing bowling by the Indian pacers would have even made the Sultan of Swing Wasim Akram proud and the famed Aussie batting line up was left in the lurch. But the day belonged to Anil Kumble, the mechanical engineer of yesterday and the Captain and Man Manager of yesterday accomplished the feat of taking 600 test wickets.
Anil Radhakrishna Kumble has started off as a young bespectacled spinner in the 1990 season. Unconventional by nature he was written off by all his critics. From his first wicket of Allan Lamb to his 600th yesterday, the great Indian spinner has come a long way. He has been the leading Indian bowler ever since the departure of Kapil Dev. Time and time the Indians have relied on him to get the first breakthrough and he has almost always delivered. Kumble reached this landmark in just his 124th test even quicker than Shane Warne. With only Warne and Muralitharan in front of him, we could well see Kumble taking 700 test scalps by the time he hangs up his boots.
Kumble’s value to the team comes to light in the following facts. He has taken one third of the wickets Indians have taken at home in the past eighteen years. Whenever Anil takes a 10 wicket haul in a test, the Indians have never lost a test match. He has claimed 50 wickets or more in a year thrice in 1999, 2004 and 2006. He defied all odds when he bandaged his fractured jaw during a test match against West Indies to deliver a telling blow and claim the prized wicket of Brian Lara. Not to forget his marathon spell of 72 overs against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 1997. His wily flippers and googlies have bamboozled batsmen world wide and has earned him the respect of all ex players as well.
In his long untiring tenure as India’s premier spinner, Kumble has done it all. Taking diving catches at the gully position, scoring a hundred at Lords and taking all ten wickets in an innings against Pakistan. Anil Kumble the giant killer or the smiling assassin, whatever you may call him has been an invaluable gift to the Indian team, one which we would even cherish long after he’s gone.
For in his corner stood perseverance, aggression and dignity, great human qualities if you are searching for a role model. In the last month, his tremendous Man Management qualities have surprised many. Captain courageous dealt with the Racism Row in the best possible manner. Standing by his team mate throughout the fiasco and then extending the olive branch to Ricky Ponting regarding Hogg’s abusing issue, Kumble has turned out to be the best man at the helm of the affairs.
If there was one player the Indians would sorely miss after his retirement, it would undoubtedly be Anil Kumble. Not because he is a great bowler, but because there will never be anyone who could fill this massive void in the Indian team. If there was ever a list of unsung heroes in Indian Cricket, this man would top that list. It is time to acknowledge the genius of this man. His determination, his will to perform despite all odds has made him a paragon of virtue. It is time for Kumble to deservingly revel in the glory and for all us mortals to stand up and salute him.
And guess what awaits the Indians at Perth. A red hot fiery pitch which will be mouth watering for the Aussie pacers even before the start of the Test. Perth has arguably the most bouncy track in the World and don’t expect anything different this time around. In fact the Aussie will more or less be going with four pacers including Shaun Tait in the line up. For the first time in sixteen years even before the Shane Warne era had started the Aussies will not field a spinner in the eleven. The Indian batsmen will surely have their task cut out.
The Indian think tank will have to take some tough decisions. Should they leave out Harbhajan Singh and go ahead with Irfan Pathan. Should they swap the cupid struck Yuvraj for the in form Sehwag or should they include an extra fifth bowler by keeping Yuvraj out. Lots of points to ponder on as Kumble would try and put the emotionally and mentally draining week of Cricket at Sydney behind him.
The Aussies are ruthless. It is fitting that the tours to Australia are called ‘Down Under’ because once the Aussies are on top they bury you right under their will to win. You need the character of an Iron Man to survive let alone triumph in Australia. The Aussies maybe unsporting, may not really be popular with the viewers but they play to win. Even if it involves bending of the rules or not playing Cricket the gentleman’s way they make sure that they emerge as Winners.
When Aussies toured India last time around they lost the last test at Wankhede. Remember Ponting whining about the pitch not being up to Cricketing standards. Ah! all that losers can do is whine. Or take for example Glam Doll of Indian Television Rakhee Sawant. Didn’t she throw tantrums after losing Nach Baliye 3. If you win then everything is sound and perfect, if you lose the opposition has cheated. Kiddish really. Doesn’t work in a mature society.
If the Sydney Test is anything to go by, then the verdict is clear. Never trust the Aussies. They’ll do whatever it takes (even more than CNN-IBN) to come out trumps. The Indians can no longer be meek. If they sledge, give it back to them. If they appeal for grassed catches, you appeal for catches which haven’t even been taken. Let the Aussies know, you aren’t playing with the ethics and morals of the game anymore. Winning will be the best revenge. There are no rules in Love and War. No prizes for guessing what the Battle at Perth is going to be like. This is where I think Sreesanth will be sorely missed. He might not have been the most talented bowler around, but with his sheer antics he could unnerve the Aussies. Even as the 12th man coming on to the pitch with the occasional towel or drinks, he would have got under the skin of the Aussies just by giving them a stare right into their retina.
When you play a Sport you play it for the pride. There are no ethics or morals in War. If there were, then the war would have not occurred in the first place. Lets keep the Sydney fiasco behind us and take on the Aussies with a fresh strategy. Glory awaits those who succeed under the most trying circumstances. Forgive the cliché but when the going gets tough the tough needs to get going. No more of the Indian Gentleman behaviour because in the sport of Life, Winning is all that matters.
Vijay Mallya’s take over of the Spyker Formula one team resulted in a new team which is now christened Force India. The liquor baron unveiled the soldiers who will be driving the Indian Dream on the racing track. Amidst the entire media blitz surrounding the launch speculation was rife that an Indian Driver would find his way into the team. But it was not meant to be.
Italian Giancarlo Fisichella a veteran of 196 Grand Prix’s will be the lead driver of the Team. German Adrian Sutil and Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi will be the other two drivers in the team. Fisichella has 18 Podiums and 3 Race Wins to his credit and has been driving in F1 since Melbourne 1996. Fisichella had partnered Alonso last year. Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi are relatively inexperienced.
Mallya has successfully blended youth with experience. On the issue of not having a F1 driver in the line up, Vijay Mallya said, “We are not against an Indian Driver, but the fact is that we don’t have one. We have to make one” On Narain’s recent win in China, Mallya added, “Narain has just posted his first win in A1 GP, but it’s kind a long way off from the kind of performance we expect from our drivers. The engineering team has to benefit from the Drivers”
Mallya went on to promise that the 2008 car will be atleast one and a half seconf quicker than the Spyker Last year. Thus the team should not be right at the bottom of the points table. Team Principal, “We have been pushing really hard to catch up in the aero department. We are running in a very intensive programme. The Budget has been increased and additional wind tunnel have been possible”
The stakes have been increased from $70 million last year to $120 million this year, which makes it almost on par with the other teams. But Mallya firmly believes that money cannot buy performances. Mallya has also promised a podium finish by 2010.
An Indian team having German and Italian drivers is a sure sign of Globalisation. The Business Acumen of Mallya was depicted in his choice of Drivers. Mixing Business with nationalistic fervour, Mallya is not in Formula one for some philanthropic purpose but is here to make money. Mallya has the Golden Midas touch among India’s entrepreneurs. Comparisons with Sir Richard Branson do not stop at the goatee and the ear ring. Beer bottles, planes, swimsuit calendars, he has done it all. Mallya’s portfolio now extends to 60 businesses, yielding hundreds of millions in annual profits.
Mallya went on to add that, “It’s a tough environment, very challenging, but from 2008 the world will see that Force India F1 means serious business, on and off the track.”
It’s the first time in the 58-year history of Formula One that a team is named after a country. Something for all Indians to be proud of. But Mallya would be knowing that in this sport its performance that alone matters. It is yet to be seen whether Force India will become a force in Formula one to reckon with, or will just fade away as many other formula one teams have done.
Wishing Mallya and Force India the very best!