'F1 circus may take time to reach India'

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" justify="">NEW DELHI: The vice-president of FIA and Indian motorsports'' top official, Nazir Hossein poured water on expectations about India hosting a Formula One race anytime soon in the future. <br /><br />Hossein, told TOI in an exclusive interview, "Conducting a Formula One race involves large scale preparation and taking care of minute details.We don''t even have proper facilities at our international airport for the landing of jumbo jets." <br /><br />"The Mumbai airport can''t even take one jumbo at a time. F1 teams require their equipment to be transported in 2-3 jumbos. We need to make a beginning first by hosting minor races, such as the Formula 3 event." <br /><br />Having been at the helm of Indian motorsports for a long time, Hossein is well versed with the lethargic and often bewildering attitude of government officials. "The lack of seriousness on our part could seriously hamper India''s chances to bid for an Formula One race. Chandrababu Naidu approached the international body and after he lost the election, the commitment was reneged. That is not the correct attitude."<br /><br />"We can''t flip-flop like that and expect F1 to come to India because Narain Karthikeyan has made it," he thundered. <br />How true is the assumption that Karthikeyan got a breakthrough in F1 due to India''s emergence in the economic field? "It''s ridiculous to suggest that Jordan or anyone for that matter looked at India''s economy first. It''s Karthikeyan''s talent first. And, yes, one needs lot of money to be backed in the initial stages. But talent is more important than money," summed up the veteran administrator.<br /><br />Hossein is not willing to wager a guess when India will stage its first F1 race. <br /><br />"Lot of changes are needed. If they take place accordingly then hopefully the country will get to host a race. But one cannot expect sudden changes due to one bright spot (Karthikeyan) only."</div> </div>