V8 SUPERCARS COULD BE HEADED TO INDIA

An Australian government trade group is discussing the possibility of holding two V8 Supercar races in India next year and including an Indian team and driver on the Australian-based circuit.

Austrade senior trade commissioner Peter Linford said Friday that negotiations are being held on entering the Indian team and driver in the 2012 championship and organizing back-to-back races in Chennai and at India's new Formula 1 track outside New Delhi.

Linford, based in New Delhi, said "the next phase is to get an equal commitment from the Indian side."

The V8 series has held past races in the Middle East, including February in Abu Dhabi.

Di Resta's DTM date

BATHGATE'S F1 RACER Paul di Resta has enjoyed a few days' break, including an Easter spent with family and friends, following the Chinese Grand Prix. But this weekend he will return to the DTM environment when he travels to Hockenheim to watch the opening round of the 2011 championship.

"It's been very relaxing since I came back from the F1 grand prix in China," Paul explained. "Sure I've been in the gym and been working on my fitness, but it's been great to just relax. I had a group of family and friends over during Easter and we had a pretty chilled time.

"Today though I'm travelling to Hockenheim for the first DTM weekend of the season. It'll be good to go back because I want to keep a close partnership with Mercedes.

"I have a lot of good friends there and it will be good to go back and see everybody after having such a successful year last year. At the same time it will be good to support all my former team-mates and friends at DTM.

"I'm going to be at Hockenheim right through the weekend, for qualifying and the race on Sunday, so I'm really looking forward to it. After that, I've a couple of days rest before I head to Istanbul to start preparations for next weekend's Turkey Grand Prix."

Indian GP circuit named Buddh International

Organisers of the race unveil the circuit's new logo © Press Association

The organisers of the Indian Grand Prix have revealed the logo for the newly-named Buddh International Circuit that will host the inaugural race on October 30.

The circuit, roughly 25 miles outside New Delhi in Greater Noida, has been named after the Gautam Buddh Nagar district where it is based. At the unveiling of the new logo the chairman of organisers Jaypee Sports International, Manoj Gaur, said everything was in place to ensure the circuit would be completed and signed off in time.

"Be assured my friends," he was quoted by the Times of India. "Our and [our] country's reputation is there. We are responsible people. The track is ready and the homologation of the facility will be done in July as per the time-table of the FIA."

Samir Gaur, managing director of Jaypee Sports International, said tickets would be set at affordable prices, although the final levels have not been decided.

"We can't disclose the pricing but it would be moderate," he said. "It is in the final stages and it will start from Rs 2500 [US$ 56] onwards. We have tied up with the bookmyshow.com for the ticketing."

Hassle-free ticketing promised for Indian Grand Prix

Organisers of the Indian Grand Prix have promised a hassle-free experience for people looking to purchase tickets for the inaugural race in October.

Organisers of the race are determined to avoid the
chaotic scenes which
marred the sale of tickets for the recent cricket World Cup

The recent cricket World Cup was marred by the poor handling of ticket sales, with scenes of people being beaten by police and allegations most tickets went to official and corporate bodies.

"We are in the ticketing business for a long time now," explained Ashish Hemrajani, Founder of Bigtree Entertainment, holding company for Bookmyshow.com, the exclusive ticketing partner for the event. "Technology and experience are our backbone and the entire ticket buying process will be extremely user friendly and simple for a fan in any part of the world."

Hemrajani said tickets for the 110,000 spectators would be affordable. "Ticket slabs will ensure the entry for students as well as corporate entities, as we want to attract racing enthusiasts from every stratum of the society. We will start the sale sometime in June."

Spectators will have the option to choose their seats online and ticket counters will be opened in main catchment areas such as Connaught Place and Noida. There will also be the ability to book tickets through mobile applications using Blackberry and Android phones, and a call centre will also be set up.

"For us, it's important that the user experience for spectators should be world-class in every respect," Hemrajani added. "We are sure we will be able to deliver services that match not just our expectations but also the expectations of scores of F1 fans in India and abroad."

Haug praises 'exceptional' di Resta

Paul di Resta's early-season performances have been labelled as 'exceptional' by Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug.

Di Resta has caused a stir in the paddock by outqualifying Force India team-mate

 Adrian Sutil at all three events so far.

And although di Resta failed to add to his points tally in China last weekend, his speed in the car has earned high praise from Haug - who saw the Scotsman capture the DTM crown for Mercedes-Benz last year.

"I think it is exceptional and remarkable," said Haug when asked by AUTOSPORT for his feelings on di Resta's performances so far this year.

"To be in his third race and take eighth on the grid – that is very good and very impressive, especially considering he did not get a lot of running in second practice.

"We always knew he was a very good and very talented guy, and when he gets in the right groove - we saw it in DTM - it can be very special for him.

"F1 will be very good for him I think. His team-mate is tough, the speed is quite impressive and he is doing a good job. We are pleased we helped him in his junior career."

NO POINTS, BUT I'M SATISFIED

Shanghai, China: Sunday, April 17, 2011

For the first time this season, Paul took the chequered flag outside the top 10; he finished the Chinese Grand Prix in 11th place after struggling for grip over the closing laps as his car's tyres deteriorated.
But Paul, who started from eighth on the grid and finished four places ahead of his Force India team-mate Adrian Sutil, explained toJim McGill he was satisfied with his weekend's performance:

"Of course I would have preferred to have scored points for the third race in a row. But I knew it was always going to be quite a tough race, starting from where we were. We came very close to scoring points, but just missed out at the end when the tyres had gone off.
"The weekend was compromised by the loss of a whole practice session due to a fuel pressure problem on Friday.

"Having gone into the race without heavy fuel runs may have compromised us a bit. We didn't quite get the aero balance right at the start, but the second and third stints I think were pretty good.

"Maybe a three-stop strategy would have suited us better, but only time will tell in the simulations.
"Overall I am still very happy on how the weekend went considering we qualified into Q3 and came close to scoring points once again. We came here with relatively strong performance and I think we have to be very thankful for that."

Source :pauldiresta,com

Chinese GP Qualifying - Force India driver quotes

Paul di Resta (8th, Q3 - 1m 36.190s)
“I could not have wished for more today and it's nice to get into Q3. After missing the whole of FP2 yesterday we knew that it was going to be difficult this morning, but we've got a small upgrade here and it certainly improved the performance today. Luckily I did my quickest lap in the second running in Q1, as I just struggled a little bit with balance in the others. Our race pace seems to be not too bad, so fingers crossed we can pick up some points again tomorrow as we have in the previous two Grands Prix.”

Adrian Sutil (11th, Q2 - 1m 35.874s)
“It was a good qualifying and I am looking forward to the race tomorrow. This weekend has so far been much better than the last ones, with no real problems so it looks good for us. It was a little bit difficult at the end of the session when the red flag came out and I missed out on a final flying lap, but overall I am very happy and our car performance is improving well.”

Dominic Harlow, Force India circuit engineering director
“A cooler day today and different atmospheric conditions have had a significant effect on the lap times compared to Friday. Our FP3 programme was normal and without issues and we completed a few additional laps for Paul to check the balance of his car. We achieved our first Q3 position of the year in P8, and so congratulations to Paul who also celebrates his birthday today. I think that we were there on merit and the car's improving pace is showing. Adrian also demonstrated this with his P11, just missing out on the third period of qualifying. With the red flag, and having been weighed earlier in the session, he wasn't able to complete a full second outing. Nevertheless, we are looking forward to the race tomorrow and, of course, aiming to secure further points.”

Friday practice - Force India driver quotes

Adrian Sutil, P1 - no time; P2 - 1:38.735, 7th 
“The first session was really good; everybody worked well today and I am really happy and could concentrate on the normal Friday things like improving my car, set-up wise. We were not that far off straight away and after the first couple of laps I felt very confident in the car. With a hard set of tyres the car the balance was fine and feeling wise there was much more stability this weekend, so our upgrade might have helped. The soft tyre worked without problems. The long run seemed to be quite good so yes, another one like this tomorrow and I'll be happy!”

Paul di Resta, P1 - 1:41.610, 15th; P2 - no time, 24th 
“We got a little bit of an idea of where the car was in FP1, but obviously its crucial to try and take part in FP2. I think that I am a little more disadvantaged than I have been at any other grand prix now because effectively I have lost three sets of tyres and the important part where you try to do a bit of qualifying and race simulation. The guys are working hard, so hopefully we can catch up on some lost ground tomorrow morning.”

Nico Hulkenberg, P1 - 1:41.494, 13th; P2 - no time
“Again, I have to say another positive Friday. I am very happy with my session. We had some good running on the track here today and got through our programme of some nice test items, so I am quite pleased with how it went.”

Dominic Harlow, Force India chief race engineer 
“During the morning's session Paul was evaluating the aero update brought for this event, which appears to be behaving as expected. Nico was driving the VJM4-04 today and during a busy morning he completed a very useful programme. Paul had some KERS problems and the circuit was dusty to start, but otherwise it was a normal start to the weekend. Just before the start of FP2 however, we found a fuel pressure problem with Paul's car, and despite the team's best efforts to resolve it we were unable to get the car back on track in the time available. The cars are increasingly complex now with the extra systems on board, and the work involved to complete the job was too much. It was frustrating, but the issue is now eliminated and we will make up for the lost track time as best possible in the remaining practice session. Adrian was in the car for FP2 and completed a good programme where the engineers worked hard and improved the balance of the car as well as collecting useful data. We hope we can turn these steps into a competitive qualifying performance tomorrow.”

China preview quotes - Force India

Adrian Sutil, Force India
2010 Qualifying - 10th, 2010 Race - 11th
“It is quite an interesting, modern circuit with an extensive Paddock. The track has unique corners, with very long right handers where you really have to get everything right to gain an advantage. There are different lines you can take, so there are many ways to approach a lap, and the long straight where you can normally pass quite well. The weather can a little bit tricky with cold and sometimes wet conditions, but in general it is a Grand Prix I like. The metropolitan city is also exciting, with an amazing skyline, shopping and restaurants, it's usually a good weekend and I am happy to go there.”


Paul Di Resta, Force India
2010 Qualifying - n/a, 2010 Race - n/a
“I am looking forward to the race in China. It is quite a technical track and one that I am keen to experience more as I had a small taste of it last year. It will be interesting to see how the DRS activation works with the rear wing in Shanghai because if it’s going to work anywhere that's where it will be because it has a very long straight. The corners are very long, with big radiuses. I visited Shanghai city twice last year, and it is huge with an amazing culture and great things to see, so it should be a good weekend.”

Nico Hulkenberg, Force India test and reserve driver
2010 Qualifying - 16th, 2010 Race - 15th
“The Shanghai circuit is a huge progressive facility and there are some nice corners on the track. For me there shall be some evaluation work of the prime tyres in FP1, driving Adrian's car for the first time; which is not a problem as I know all the team and engineers very well. Over a race weekend I also try to assist the engineers, to a certain extent, during our meetings. I listen to feedback from the other drivers for their experience of the track for my future reference and I speak to the engineers afterwards to see what kind of direction they are taking. The meetings also keep me up to date with the current facts of Formula One, so I am prepared to be in the car at any time should I need to be.”

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India chairman and team principal
“After a difficult winter testing here we are, two races in to the season, with two point's finishes. It's very pleasing to see how we have progressed over the last few weeks, by keeping our heads down and focussing on our game. The teams at Brackley and Silverstone have done a great job with the VJM004 so far, and with upgrades due for the coming races, I am optimistic that we shall be able to continue improving our form and making steps forward to increase our pace. We head to China with our heads held high and in good spirits for another successful race.”

BIRTHDAY POINTS WOULD BE GREAT

Shanghai, China: Thursday, April 14, 2011

Paul heads into the China Grand Prix this weekend having scored in both the opening two grands prix in Australia and Malaysia. Ahead of the race at the Shanghai International Circuit, and his birthday on Saturday, Paul spoke with Jim McGill:

"Yeh, it would be a great birthday present to score again this weekend," Paul, who finished 10th in both Australia and Malaysia, said today after walking the Shanghai International circuit with his Force India team-mate Adrian Sutil.
"I'm obviously delighted with what we've achieved in the opening two races, but what matters now is what happens this weekend." And Paul, who has outqualified Sutil in both opening races, is keen to use the German's pace as a barometer to measure his own pace.
"You can judge your performance on my teammate, and thankfully its been close," he continued. "Adrian is experienced, and I'm having to learn a lot quickly. It's tough to do what we are doing.
"But it's also a team effort over the weekend and the whole season. We're working well together because the constructors' championship is very important for the team."
Paul has prior knowledge of the circuit having completed a number of laps there last year in his role as Force India test driver, and he acknowledged the circuit demands an approach different to that at Melbourne and Sepang.
"The circuit at Shanghai demands something different from the cars and drivers. It has long corners, and in the approaches it's hard to pinpoint braking areas and turn-in points.
""The other thing is the weather will be quite a bit different to Malaysia in terms of the heat and humidity. That in turn has a knock-on effect on how the tyres need to be managed, so it's something both the team and I, plus the guys from Pirelli, will be concentrating hard on.
"But we're confident we'll be able to deliver the performance required and hopefully maintain our record of scoring in every race so far this season."

Di Resta thrilled with season start

Paul di Resta has admitted that the start to his Formula 1 career has exceeded even his own expectations after scoring again in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

The Force India driver added to his points tally with a strong drive to 10th place in Sepang, just a fortnight after being promoted to that same position in Australia following the disqualification of the Saubers.

And having made such a good impression with his strong race craft, di Resta has said that he could never have predicted doing so well so early on.

"I wouldn't say I am surprised, but I am definitely feeling good about it," he told AUTOSPORT. "I went in with an open mind and that is what I have done We've exceeded what we thought we were going to do, and we will stay very focused on that."

Di Resta believes that the point in Malaysia felt better than the one he achieved in Australia because it was achieved on the road.

"Yes, I think it is definitely more deserved," he said. "It was through speed. We got our strategy right with the speed we had.

"It was a bit unfortunate to lose that other point to Michael [Schumacher] in the end, but we had to cut our third stint a bit short as we were struggling on the tyres, and with four or five laps fresher tyres you could see what Michael could do.

"Once I saw I was ninth I knew the points would be important. I didn't make it easy for him, but at the same time I wasn't going to put myself at any risk."

Di Resta's performances are putting team-mate Adrian Sutil under pressure, but the Scotsman is under no illusions that things could get harder for him in the future.

"Adrian is fast, I am learning off him so it is not going to be easy," he said. "He is very fast at the moment and I will continue to try and learn off him and stay that side of him, but it is not always going to go my way.

"At certain points I am struggling, I am not going to deny it. I am still finding it difficult, but I am at a point where it is putting me through my paces and it will continue to do that. Hopefully through time it will get better. I am also working with two compounds, which I have never done in any other series."

If di Resta continues to deliver as he is at the moment, he should have little trouble convincing Force India to extend his contract for 2012 - although he also knows that a good run of form could land him a seat elsewhere.

"You definitely have to think a bit about the future and what other possibilities are around," he said. "I will try and continue what I am doing to make a mark on that end of the grid."

Source : Autosport.com

Force India announces “Force India Drivers Academy”

Force India Formula 1 team,today, unveiled its plan to hunt for one in the Billion F1 driver from India. The team announced "Force India Drivers Academy" which is aimed at nurturing Young Indian for the big platform. The program is for 5 years.Both Male & Female in the age between 14-17 years are eligible for the Program.

According to the official website:

The Force India Formula One team Driver Academy is the first phase of a driver talent hunt starting in April 2011 where the aim is to identify talented Indian drivers between the ages of 14 and 17 years and nurture them over a 5 year period with a view to developing indigenous Formula 1 driving talent. The initiative aims to spot talent by conducting karting championships all across the country. The races will be conducted between April and June 2011. The program will be conducted once every 2 years.

REGISTRATION

Registration for Mumbai,Goa and Kohlapur will be 16th April 2011 onwards.Registration dates for  Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Amritsar will be announced later.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

• Age Group: 14-17 license years
  • Date range: Born on or after 1st January 1994 to born on or before 31st December 1997
• The selection rounds are open for persons of Indian origin, including Non-Resident Indians and Person of Indian Origin
  • (If NRI or PIO, kindly carry relevant documents as proof)
• If selected for the National Finals, the driver must hold an Indian passport or a PIO card
• If NRI or POI card holder is selected for the National Finals then he / she will have to obtain a No Objection Certificate from the ASN (National Federation) of their residing country. This is mandatory
• The Indemnity form has to be submitted by participant at the venue. The form should be countersigned by the parent / guardian along with emergency contact number
  • One application per person per venue will be allowed. However, participants are free to register at another center should they fail to qualify at one
• Competitors must comply with any particular requirement or bylaw of the circuit
• From each regional selection round, top 14 drivers will be selected for the National Finals. A total of 98 participants will be selected for the National Finals. Additionally organisers / sponsors reserve the right to take two 'wild card' entries. Travel and accommodation of the participants selected for the National Finals will be borne by FIDA. Additionally, train / bus fare, if applicable, will be reimbursed on submission of the ticket

VENUES and CIRCUITS( With Contact Details)

Mumbai	Hakone Go Karting Sports Centre, Cliff Avenue Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai – 400076	Mr. Suryakant Shirke 022-65172735 / 36	26th Apr 2011	27th Apr – 1st May 2011
Goa	Go-A-Kart Racing Nuvem, Behind Tata Showroom, Margao-Panjim Highway, Margao. Goa	Mr.Christopher Moraes 0832-2757899	3rd May 2011	4th – 8th May 2011
Kolhapur	Mohite's Racing Academy At Abhishek Corp.Ltd., Gate No.148, Tamgaon, Kolhapur-Hupari Road, Tal. Karveer, Dist.Kolhapur – 416234	Mr. Sachin 0231-6451770	10th May 2011	11th – 15th May 2011
Bengaluru	Torq03 Karting Track E-Zone Club, Outer Ring Road, Maratahalli, Bangalore – 560034	Mr. Chetan Shivram +91-9741240602	17th May 2011	18th – 22nd May 2011
Hyderabad	Kart Cave Snow World, Lower Tank Bund Road, Hyderabad – 500080	Mr. Mazdayar Vatcha 040-64566446	24th May 2011	25th – 29th May 2011
Chennai	Kart Attack Sports Centre 101, East Coast Road, Akkarai, Chennai – 600119	Mr. Ravi Alfred 040-3299 0000	31st May 2011	1st – 5th Jun 2011
Amritsar	G-Force Karting Rainbow Resorts, Attari Border Highway, 16 Milestone, Amritsar – 143107	Mr. Indrajeet Singh +91-9855030199	7th Jun 2011	6th – 12th Jun 2011

HOW TO QUALIFY 

Each entrant must have driven at least 10 laps at the venue where he/she intends to participate by paying the rental charges of Rs 150 to the track owner. Once you have completed the 10 laps in a competent manner a certificate will be issued. This must be done before the start of the qualifying rounds.

A pre-qualifying certificate is mandatory for all participants. Once the certificate has been obtained, each driver will be given a time slot to attend the circuit where they will be given an opportunity to drive 5 laps where their fastest lap will be recorded. Booking a time slot during the registration is mandatory. The top 14 drivers from each city will go through to the final.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

http://www.onefromabillion.com

Source :f1adda.com

Paul Di Resta pleased with results

Paul di Resta has said that he is pleased with the start he has made to his grand prix career, having secured back-to-back points finishes in his first two races.

Having driven for Force India in Friday practice sessions last year and replaced Tonio Liuzzi over the winter, there has been plenty of expectation for di Resta to handle. And despite a car that is slightly off the midfield pace, impressive reliability and consistency have seen him finish tenth in both Australia and Malaysia.

"It's great to have finished two grands prix in good positions," di Resta said. "With us currently on a double header, I head to China a very happy man. It could have been quite a long four days with not a lot to do other than thinking about what I should have done. But I go there thinking we've done a good job, and I am happy, definitely. I know people were very happy with the job I did in Melbourne, and equally they can be with what we did in Malaysia too. It's all about building my profile and building my way up through it."

Di Resta also admitted that he had exceeded even his own expectations, but that he would not be getting complacent.

"If you'd said I'd score a point in my first two races, then yeah, but I'm not getting carried away with it. Have I surprised the team? I don't think so. I expect so much from myself and so much from them. This is a professional team, we're in Formula One, which is the pinnacle of motor sport, but I will say I'm happy at the progress I've made."

Having out-qualified Adrian Sutil in both races so far, di Resta said that it would be difficult to continue that record and that there was plenty for him to learn from his team-mate.

"Adrian's very quick and I can see that, so I'll keep bouncing off him because he has a lot of experience, and I'll try and use that to my advantage. I'm sure it's not always going to be like that this year, but give me time and I'll be where I need to be."

TWO RACES, TWO POINTS: I'M HAPPY

Sepang, Malaysia: Sunday, April 10, 2011

Paul continued his successful entry into Formula One racing by scoring his second successive world championship point after finishing 10th in the Malaysian Grand Prix. His Force India team-mate Adrian Sutil finished 11th.
Paul, who only lost ninth position two laps from the end of the race when he was overtaken by the Mercedes of Michael Schumacher — whose car had fresher Pirelli tyres — was delighted with his performance. After the race he spoke with Jim McGill.

"I have to say, I'm happy with that. To score my second word championship point in my second race is brilliant for me.
"I have to say big thanks to the team because they did a wonderful job on race strategy. But it was disappointing not to be able to hold off Michael at the end; he had fresher tyres because we had stopped a bit earlier for my third stop than predicted. 

"But I'll be honest; I also didn't want to risk the championship point we'd all worked so hard for throughout the weekend.
"I think the DRS showed some good racing today, so maybe we can be confident that in China our race pace may even be a little bit better. We were battling with cars that were a little bit quicker than us today, so overall I think we had a great race."

Malaysian Grand Prix - Force India driver quotes

Paul di Resta (10th)
"I am quite happy I must say. The team did a good job with the strategy. I just could not hold off Michael at the end, he had fresher tyres and we had to stop a bit earlier for my third stop than predicted. But I also did not want to risk the championship point as well. I think the DRS showed some good racing today, so maybe we can be confident that in China our race pace may even be a little bit better. We were battling with cars that were a little bit quicker than us today, so overall I think we had a great race."

Adrian Sutil (11th)
"The first few laps were not brilliant as I lost my front wing touching Barrichello's rear tyre. Then we had a two-stop strategy, I went into the pits for the soft tyres, then another set of hard and another set of soft, and made them last well, which is positive. We could have been in for a much better finishing position, which is a shame. Overall it was a disappointing weekend for me, but the team did a great job with the pitstops so I'd like to thank them for that."
Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India chairman and team principal
"Once again, it was a satisfying race for the Force India team. The boys did a great job with the pitstops in very difficult weather conditions and the team's strategies worked very well. Paul did an excellent job coming home in the points once again, while I believe that Adrian would also have finished in the top ten had it not been for the early nose change which altered his two-stop strategy. I am very proud of what the team has achieved here in Sepang this weekend and hope that we can carry this momentum, and great team spirit, with us to the race in China next week."

I'M PLEASED WITH 14TH ON THE GRID

Sepang, Malaysia: Saturday, April 9, 2011

Paul admitted he'd exceeded his own expectations following another blistering Formula One qualifying session. The 24-year-old Scot starts tomorrow's Malaysian Grand Prix from 14th on the grid, three places ahead of his more experienced Force India team-mate Adrian Sutil, after setting a best time of 1min 37.370secs

.

"I'm very pleased with my performance today. Everyone in the team worked hard and delivered a good job today, and I have to admit I think my fastest lap of the day was a very good one.
"There's no denying we all feel we got more out of that qualifying session than we'd originally thought would be possible and I think we have certainly closed the gap to the teams ahead of us.
"But tomorrow is going to be a long race, in tricky weather conditions — there's always the strong possibility of rain here which would mix things up a bit — but I'm certainly getting more excited now about our progress with regard to improving our performance in the future."Paul

Malaysia Grand Prix — Qualifying;
Q1: 16th  1:38.045  (9 laps) Q2: 14th 1:37.370  (3 laps)

Qualifying Temperatures 
Air max: 30.0°C Air min: 28.0°C
Track max: 44.0°C Track min: 36.0°C