Date:15/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/15/stories/2008031557022100.htm

Sport

Nervously excited, says Vijay Mallya

Principal Correspondent

MELBOURNE: He has raced at Sholavaram around three decades ago and has been a confident shopper of big companies and top brands. A man who frequently takes big risks and still comes out with flying colours. Still, as Force India awaits its first big day in Formula One at the Australian Grand Prix here, team owner Vijay Mallya said he was “nervously excited.”

“I am nervous…can’t deny that,” said Mr. Mallya, the Chairman of the UB Group and Kingfisher Airlines. “The world is watching. And everybody says we’re the most improved team.

“I’m not a nervous person, I’m pretty strong but this time I’m nervously excited. And I’ll be nervously excited when my team (cricket) plays in the IPL too.”

Tough game

The Force India drivers, Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil, fared decently at the first official practice session on Friday. “It’s a tough game in F1. Every second is important. And from position sixth to 14th, each car is just two tenths of a second behind the other.

That shows our remarkable progress in just four months. We’ll be slowly climbing up from here,” said Mallya, after Italian Fisichella finished 12th in the first session.

“Saturday is the day. In the qualifying, we’ll see the real story. And in the end, if I’m in the mid-field, I’ve done my job.”

The season-opening race would be held on Sunday. Things would be a lot rosier next year, he said.

“With the new FIA regulations, the cars will be a lot closer next season. Of course, Ferrari and McLaren are in a different league, we can’t try to catch them.”

Asked whether his heart lay in cricket or motorsports, Mallya said, “both are my babies.” He also supports Kolkata’s East Bengal and Mohun Bagan football clubs.

MAI-FMSCI merger

Mallya also said that the merger of India’s two motorsport associations, the MAI and FMSCI, would happen soon.

“If the merger doesn’t happen, the FIA (world motorsport association) will take an extremely dim view. Now it’s the point of no return, the merger has to take place. It’s supposed to happen on April 1.”

The eight years of disagreement had taken a huge toll on the sport, he said. “And look at hockey, I feel ashamed as an Indian.”

And as he walked around the Force India paddock — making history as the first team owner from India — Mallya said, “this is more than just a dream. It’s performance. And it’s a dream that will always last.”