Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan has admitted that it is unlikely his home country will host a Formula 1 race within the next five years.
In June, the Indian Olympic Association announced it had reached a provisional agreement with Bernie Ecclestone for a race in New Dehli.But Karthikeyan isn t hopeful. “It s unlikely,†he remarked. “I doubt it. Formula 1 is very expensive. I don t think the will be able to build a track by 2008. Maybe five years down the line we can expect F1 in India.â€
Motor racing is still a very immature sport in India, although it is gaining popularity. Karthikeyan has explained that as the Indian market is now a large one for car-makers, F1 teams would love to race in the country to raise brand awareness. “We are still way behind the Europeans,†he remarked. “We don t have enough money the infrastructure is not up to international standards. India has just two racing tracks, whereas even a small country like England has 15.â€
