Sport - Racing : Motor

It’s more than just a hobby: Mallya

BANGKOK: With a collection of 250 classic cars, Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya is no stranger to expensive vehicles.

His latest acquisitions, though, are more than just showpieces. Mallya is hoping his F-1 upstart Force India team can challenge the sport’s traditional stalwarts while capitalising on the potentially lucrative, but largely untapped, market in his native country.

“This is not a hobby, but a very expensive business,” Mallya said. Mallya and Dutch entrepreneur Michiel Mol bought the disbanded Spyker team after last season, hoping to develop it into a serious challenger to powerhouses Ferrari and McLaren by 2010.

The team’s new car — called VJM01 — made its debut last month, finishing ninth out of 19 on the first day of the final winter testing session.

Mallya continues his search for an Indian driver, although he passed on both former Jordan pilot Narain Karthikeyan and GP2’s Karun Chandhok, who tested with Red Bull in the off-season.

“If I can’t find one (Lewis) Hamilton in 1.2 billion people, I’ll never find anybody,” Mallya said. “A driver I will produce, it might take four to five years, though.” And Mallya promised he — and his wallet — would still be supporting the team by then.

“I always stay the course. Once you get in, you never get out,” Mallya said. — AP

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