Yas Marina: When the green light came on at the end of the pit lane and the first car, driven by Malaysian Alex Yoong roared off on to the Yas Marina Circuit track here in a Radical SR3 car, it made for a momentous occasion for Indian motor sports.
The start of the first pre-season test session ahead of the inaugural i1 Supercar series promoted by Bangalore-based Machdar Motorsports, finally fleshed out a project that had aroused as much skepticism as optimism and hope.
"Our journey has just begun and there is still a long way to go. Of course, I am happy that after three years of hard work, we are able to show you the cars and the drivers. This is just the first step," said Machdar Motorsports CEO Darshan M soon after the session got underway.
The franchise system envisions nine Indian city teams with a mix of foreign and Indian drivers. As of now, only five teams - Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi - have confirmed ownership, while negotiations are underway for four other franchises to complete the grid.
Darshan's right-hand man and who looks after the commercials of the project, Vinod Menon admitted that the lack of motor sport credentials and pedigree has made it much tougher for them to get the project on stream.
"The i1 Supercar Series has been in the pipleline for three years over which the format evolved. When Darshan and I got together, we were aware of the realities that had to do with the fact that neither of us had any motorsport background or pedigree. It took a lot of convincing for others to get involved in our project.
"The basic principle is to provide a platform for young Indian racers to showcase their talent on a bigger stage than just India. The i1 Sportscar Series enables our youngsters to mix with some of the big names of the sport and learn from them," said Menon in an interview to IANS on the sidelines of the pre-season test.
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