Sole focus on F1 not good: Narain

NEW DELHI: The air is filled with excitement and anticipation as Formula One gets ready to make its debut in India. The inaugural Airtel Grand Prix of India will be staged on October 30, but will it do wonders for Indian motorsports?
F1 is the pinnacle of motorsports. However, its arrival does not always lead to growth of the sport in a country. One recalls Malaysian F1 driver Alex Yoong's lament that the Malaysian GP, being held since 1999 at Sepang, did little to promote motorsports in Malaysia.
Hispania Racing Team's Narain Karthikeyan is the only Indian driver who is confirmed for the Indian GP."It (arrival of F1) had its advantages for Malaysia. After the GP, four Malaysian companies are now sponsoring F1 teams. But Alex knows the scene there well and it's unfortunate that Malaysia couldn't push more drivers into F1," Karthikeyan told TOI, on the sidelines of an event here on Friday. "Solely focusing on F1 will also not be good news for motorsports in this country. You need more Grade-II and III tracks to promote the sports at the beginners' level. This is essential if India want a steady stream of drivers coming up."
The Indian driver found a sponsor in Hero Motors, who will back him for the inaugural Indian GP.
He had no answers when asked who would take up the F1 mantle after Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok. "To be completely honest, I have no answer to that question. There is no Indian driver who is even remotely close to the F1 level at the moment. There are some young drivers but it's hard to predict their future," he said.