New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS): Force India's team principal and managing director Vijay Mallya said Wednesday that the inaugural Formula One race in India is a major step for Indian sports.
"I have been involved in motor racing for over 30 years, and it?s one of my greatest passions. I brought the first Formula 1 car over to India in the 1980s and it was always a dream of mine to one day see this great nation host a Grand Prix," Mallya said.
"This weekend is a very significant moment and I?m extremely proud," he added. "It?s a major step forward for Indian motorsport, and for sports in general in our country. We are all looking forward to it."
Mallya said being the first home race for Force India, the Silverstone-based team was determined to put up its best showing at the Buddh International Circuit here.
"This is a very important weekend for Sahara Force India and we are all determined to be as competitive as possible. I want to savour every moment of what will surely be one of the most spectacular events of the season and the start of a great Formula 1 tradition in India," he said.
Mallya said the race will increase the popularity of Formula One in India.
"There is already great interest in Formula One in India, but having our own race has created a real buzz and will take the sport to an even wider audience. As soon as the ticket sales were announced, people were clamouring to buy them. Hosting the premier racing series in the world is a great privilege and there is great excitement in the country," he said.
Asked about the team's latest partnership with Sahara India, Mallya said: "This is yet another great milestone in the history of this team. The Sahara Group brings fresh investment. It has played a very important role in the development of sport in India and is an ideal partner to help us achieve greater success in the future."
This weekend, Mallya will also select the one best driver from a billion young driver hunt.
"I made the decision to begin a driver hunt in India about 18 months ago. It was a massive undertaking to hold open trials in seven cities, but I was delighted by the quality of the drivers who came along to show their skills. Last week the top 10 youngsters visited Silverstone to complete their final assessments based on driving talent, fitness and media training," he said.