A Weblog

Just now read in espnstar.com that Narain Karthikeyan wont be racing for Jordan(nee Midlands) anymore. It does seem that his options are quite limited. And the reason offered was that the Midlands group wants a sponsorship backing of atleast $8 to $10 million. Such a HUGE sum cannot be afforded by his sponsors. The irony is that the other Jordan driver is being retained because his sponsor is able to afford the fee. And guess who his sponsor is: the Portuguese government. Now if any state government starts talking about building up a F1 circuit, ask them to pay for his fee and then think about building the circuit. This doesnt auger well for the future of India in the F1 circuit because we have 2 or 3 budding drivers who needs to be groomed well. All these days, the non availability of talent was the major complaint. Now with talent abundantly available, the next complaint is sponsors. Read in Rediff yesterday that the Mittal group of companies are planning to sponsors up and coming youngsters. Already Joshna Chinnapa has been enlisted. Now, they should take up Narain's cause(!) and sponsor him. One of the few sportsmen in India to shine in something other than cricket, i think the 311 billionaires in India can also join forces and help him.