Formula 1 is preparing itself for its newest grand prix, with the Buddh International Circuit near Delhi set to host India's first race on October 30. McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh says his team is heading there relishing what is on offer, and upbeat that it can fight once again with Red Bull Racing for the victory.

"I am expecting something exciting, I think we all are," said Whitmarsh about the Indian GP. "It is a venue we have not been to, it is a country we have not visited on the grand prix calendar, so it is going to be interesting.

"I think we felt quite strong in Japan, we felt quite strong in Korea, but Red Bull did a good job. Hopefully it can swing our way in India, and that is what we are trying to do."The layout of the Buddh circuit will put a premium on both downforce and straight-line speed, something Whitmarsh reckons should put McLaren in good stead.

However, he thinks that unknown factors such as the type of track surface make it difficult to make too firm predictions beforehand. "I don't know until we get there, until we see the surface and until we see what it is like," he explained. "There is no reason why we cannot be strong there, but I am sure Red Bull will be, I am sure Ferrari will be trying to beat us as well. I think that is the exciting challenge that we have looking forward to India."

As well as trying to get to grips with the new track as quickly as possible, McLaren is also likely to spend some time in Friday practice trying to seek a definitive answer on why Lewis Hamilton's car suffered a front wing downforce loss in Korea.

Hamilton's front wing lost 10 points of downforce during the Korean Grand Prix, which the team suspects was caused by tyre marbles getting stuck between the slop gaps in the wing and affecting the air flow.

Keen to ensure that there will be no repeat in the future, McLaren may run some tests in practice to check that other factors did not contribute to the problem.

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The Supreme Court today sought explanation from the Uttar Pradesh Government for granting tax exemption to the company organising the Formula 1 event in Greater Noida.

A Bench headed by Justice DK Jain also issued notice to Jaypee Group, organiser of the sporting event, and asked them to file their response by Friday on why the event was given exemption from entertainment tax.

The court passed the order on a PIL challenging the state government decision to grant tax exemption to the event. India’s first Formula 1 event is scheduled to be held in Greater Noida, adjacent to the national capital, on October 30.

“The Formula 1 racing is an elitist and dangerous sport, there was no justification for the state government of Uttar Pradesh to grant exemption from payment of entertainment tax to M/s Jaypee Sports International Ltd,” the petitioner said.

The petitioner also submitted that the private company is politically well connected with the present BSP government due to which it had been granted tax exemption.

“The aforesaid exemption from the payment of entertainment tax has been granted to the said private respondent purely because it is well known that the company is very close to the political leadership and the ruling government in the state,” the petitioner, Amit Kumar, claimed in its petition.

“The said exemption from the payment of entertainment tax has benefited the organiser to the tune of crores of rupees, all at the cost of the exchequer and the tax-paying citizen of this country,” Kumar added.

“The racing sport has no connection with the general populace at grass-roots level and panders to the tastes of the very rich and the social and financial elite and therefore the grant of exemption from the payment of entertainment tax was not warranted in the facts of the case,” he said.

The Bench, after hearing his contention, agreed to give urgent hearing to the PIL as the event is scheduled for October 31. It listed the matter for further hearing on
Friday.

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Sebastian Vettel handed Red Bull back-to-back constructors titles with his 10th victory of the season in Korea. The newly crowned world champion grabbed the lead off Lewis Hamilton with a brilliant move at Turn 4 and never looked back as he charged over the finish line 12 seconds clear of the McLaren ace 55 laps later.

“Fantastic Seb, well done we’ve won the constructors championship,” said boss Christian Horner over the radio. “Yes, yes, yes, we’ve done it my friend,” was the champion’s response.  Mirror.co.uk

Vettel, who clinched his second straight drivers’ championship at last weekend’s Japanese GP, claimed his 10th F1 victory of the season with three races remaining, meaning he still has a chance of matching Michael Schumacher’s record of 13 wins in a season. The 24-year-old Vettel is the series’ youngest two-time champion.

“Ten is a nice number,” said Vettel, who claimed his 20th career win, tying him for 12th on the all-time list with Mika Hakkinen. “It was a long, long battle and, to be honest, I didn’t know if I could keep him behind me,” Hamilton said.

Red Bull’s Mark Webber was third — securing back-to-back constructors’ titles for the team — followed by McLaren’s Jenson Button and Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso, with second through fifth tightly bunched as they crossed the line. The Associated Press

Webber added: “It was the team’s day today. It’s been a phenomenal year but I’m disappointed not to get second today. “I think at the second stop we did the worst thing, we stopped on the same lap and that was disappointing as we had some good pace to pull away from Lewis. I look forward to the next one.”

Jaime Alguersuari put in another strong performance to finish seventh, the Spaniard passing Rosberg for the position on the final lap after a couple of unsuccessful earlier attempts, while his Toro Rosso team-mate Sebastien Buemi was one place further back.

Paul di Resta completed the points scorers, ahead of his Force India team-mate Adrian Sutil, while Pastor Maldonado - who was in the mix with the Force Indias behind the safety car, was given a drive-through penalty for hitting a bollard at pit entry, and later retired.

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Vettel became a double world champion five days ago in Japan and finished second after a late run in Yeongam. Michael Schumacher set the leading time for Mercedes ahead of Force India's Paul Di Resta.

Lewis Hamilton was sixth for McLaren with Jenson Button bottom after he decided not to set a time in the damp. Despite becoming a double world champion, Vettel insisted the pressure is back on this weekend as he hunts his 10th win of the season. But the German had to take it easy in first practice and left it late to set his fastest lap, narrowly matching Schumacher's mark by 0.056 seconds.

Vettel had tip-toed around the circuit, taking care to stay away from the kerbs, but he shook his fist as he found himself squeezed by one of the Virgin Racing cars. Mark Webber was 10th fastest for Red Bull, who can wrap up the constructors' title in Korea. "We can win it if we out-score McLaren," team principal Christian Horner told BBC Sport.

"This circuit was cruel to us last year so hopefully we can do better this weekend, although we don't underestimate our opponents."That was a reference to the engine failure that forced Vettel to retire while leading in Korea last year, handing victory to Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

Button, who won the last race in Japan, his McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Alonso are also confident they can challenge Vettel here, encouraged by the fact that the three teams finished were separated by just two seconds across the line in Suzuka. Hamilton was the first driver to set a time on the full wet tyres as McLaren explored the performance of a mysterious mechanical element.

Getting out into some clear air could also have been a tonic for the 2008 champion, who revealed in Korea it would take him some time to recover from his difficult season. "A lot of other drivers would be driving well within themselves but Hamilton is committed going in the corners and is happy to fish-tail the rear end on the exit of the corners," said BBC 5 live analyst Anthony Davidson.

Hamilton was 0.607secs off the pace while Button chose not to set a time, despite telling his team earlier that the grip on his installation lap was better than expected. "I'm sure everyone is frustrated as in these sort of conditions it's hard to know what you relative pace is," commented McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh. "But the rest of the weekend should be dry."

Schumacher shot to the top of the timesheets with a late run and Di Resta followed suit to push his Force India team-mate Adrian Sutil into fourth place by 0.229secs.

It was a damp debut in first practice for Jean-Eric Vergne, who was given Jaime Alguersuari's Toro Rosso seat as Red Bull attempt to assess their junior drivers. The Frenchman completed just nine laps and was almost five seconds off the pace in 13th.

Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok tuned up for their cameos at the Indian Grand Prix with final runs for HRT and Team Lotus. Karthikeyan and HRT team-mate Daniel Ricciardo completed more laps than any other driver, clocking 14 laps each.

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“I had a pretty good race here last year, finishing second – it was a long, tough afternoon, but I’m glad we got the chance to put on a race for all the fans who’d come for the first-ever grand prix in Korea.

“I think the DRS zone into Turn Three should definitely make for some exciting racing: last year, the back straight didn’t really produce too much overtaking because it was so wet and there was so much spray by the time we reached that downhill braking area, that it wasn’t an easy place to pull off a pass. The weather’s supposed to be good next weekend, so I think we’ll really begin to see how this circuit works in the dry.

“You can tell that this track has been designed to be a good place for racing – Turns Four, Five and Six are a bit like the end of the lap at Istanbul Park, where you can attack on the inside and the outside and try and fight your way past.


“So, yeah, second was a good place to start last year, but I want to go one better in 2011.”

Jenson Button

“Winning in Japan was one of the most satisfying and emotional victories of my career, and I’m really looking forward to carrying that momentum into this weekend, too.

“Although last year’s Korean Grand Prix wasn’t one of my greatest performances – we just couldn’t get the car hooked up properly – I think that, given the current pace of the car and the form the team has at the moment, I’m going into this year’s race feeling much more positive.

“The most important difference is that I have a car beneath me that I can really trust – for me, that wasn’t really the case here last season: but, this year, our car just feels positive in every type of corner, and I feel comfortable pushing hard, because you can really feel the limit. I think you could really see that at Suzuka.

“So I’m feeling much more optimistic about this year’s race. It’s an interesting circuit, there’s a good range of corners – Turn 11 is pretty unique, it’s a double-apex, heavily cambered left-hander, and the back-end of the track is quite interesting, too – there’s only really one line through that sequence of bends, and, if you get one wrong, you can risk losing out through the whole sequence. I’m quite confident that we should be able to hook the car up quite well through that sequence this year.”

Martin Whitmarsh - Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: “Jenson’s fantastic victory in Japan last weekend was his fifth consecutive podium finish and a great reward for him after some of the most impressively consistent driving of his career. He’s in fantastic spirits, and I know he’s heading to Korea feeling incredibly positive about following up that win with another great result.

“Lewis, too, is keen to convert his pace into a strong result – he showed at both Singapore and Suzuka that he had the pace to put the car on pole position, but was unlucky to lose out for a variety of different reasons. It seems like luck is against him at the moment, but, knowing Lewis, he will bounce back stronger than ever.

“We’ve lost none of our ambition to win now that the drivers’ championship has been resolved, and I know both our drivers would dearly love to score a one-two for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes to further proof that we have a superbly competitive car at the moment.

“Last year, the people of Korea seemed to really embrace this grand prix – the grandstands were packed and the enthusiasm for the sport was infectious: that’s a great foundation for a new race, and I hope that we can sustain that interest and enthusiasm into our second year.

“Finally, it’s a matter of considerable pride to the whole team that this weekend’s Korean Grand Prix will mark McLaren’s 700th Formula 1 grand prix – that’s a massive achievement, so I hope we can crown it with another victory.”

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The two drivers made contact at the Marina Bay race, and the controversy was fuelled further when the official highlights video posted on Formula 1's official website included Smedley's radio message to Massa.

"Hold Hamilton as much as we can. Destroy his race as much as we can. Come on, boy..." Smedley told Massa. But Ferrari, speaking through its 'Horse Whisperer' column, said on Tuesday that Smedley's message had been simply blown out of proportion.

The Italian squad admitted the comments were not the "most politically correct" but insisted they had absolutely nothing to do with the collision that took place between the drivers moments later.

"Words, words, words...Reading some of the English daily papers, it seems the Horse Whisperer is not alone in having his thoughts turn to William Shakespeare when he stumbled across the polemical mountain made out of the molehill that was the phrase delivered by Rob Smedley during the Singapore Grand Prix," wrote the Horse Whisperer on Ferrari's website.

"It's true that Felipe Massa's race engineer was caught up in the heat of the moment and chose to use the verb 'destroy' at some point. "It might not have been the most politically correct choice of word, but it definitely carried no malicious intent, especially when you take into account that Rob is a Middlesbrough lad, born and bred!

"It is also true that this exhortation to Felipe came at the exit to Turn 5 on lap 11 of the race, at the end of which both the Ferrari man and Hamilton were due to come in to the pits together. In other words, it had nothing to do with the collision between Felipe and Lewis that happened on the following lap.

"It would not have taken much to avoid this misunderstanding, but that's what happens in the frenetic world of Formula 1. When all is said done, as the Bard of Avon himself might have put it, it was all much ado about nothing."

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Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
2010 Qualifying - 1st, 2010 Race - 1st
“Singapore is a special event for me. It’s one of the races that I like the most for the lively atmosphere and for the characteristics of the circuit. It certainly has much in common with Monaco but the fact that you run at night coupled with the extended length of the track compared to the one in the Principality make this Grand Prix unique. I have always managed to make the podium in the three previous editions and my objective is to make it four out of four. A third victory to go with those of 2008 and last year would clearly be fantastic but I know that it will be very hard. At Monaco we certainly came very close to victory - without the final red flag I think I would have had an excellent chance to overtake Sebastian - but it’s also true that you can’t always guarantee that things go the same way. What is certain is that we will give everything: I think we have the chance to do well as long as we get the best out of every aspect: tyres, set-up, engine, teamwork, everything has to be at 100 percent. From Friday we begin on the track: we hope to repeat the weekend of 2010 and thus to present another victory to the Prancing Horse and to all our fans. That is our target, one that will remain for all the coming races.”

Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2010 Qualifying - 24th, 2010 Race - 8th
“For Singapore, Pirelli is supplying the soft and super-soft compounds, which definitely suit the characteristics of our car better than the harder tyres and if we had a free choice, these would definitely be the ones we would go for. But tyre choice is only one element of the car package and we will have to work hard if we are going to make the most of any advantage we might have at this race. It’s true our car was okay at the Monaco street circuit, so we can go to Singapore in reasonably optimistic frame of mind. We have been to Singapore three times now, so we know what to expect and the fact the race takes place at night is no longer a concern. The track is very well lit and visibility is not a problem. Rather than the light, it is the heat that makes this a tough event, one of the toughest races on the calendar. It is very hot and humid, even with the race beginning at eight in the evening and the Singapore race is the longest of the season: I think last year it lasted a couple of minutes less than the full two hours, which is not so easy to deal with physically. I have taken that into consideration and have been training hard for this weekend.”


Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2010 Qualifying - 3rd, 2010 Race - DNF
“I love street circuits and I really enjoy this place - it’s almost two tracks in one: there are quite a few fast corners, which require good set-up and a bit of commitment, but there are also lots of tighter 90-degree bends, which are slower and more technical. You’ve got to keep it precise through these and just be patient, waiting for the tyres to bite before getting on the throttle. If you’re impatient, then you end up losing time because you over-stress the tyres and you over-drive the car. Still, I’ll really be pushing for a good result next weekend. I think we had a car capable of winning in both Belgium and Italy, so I really want to make sure we arrive in Singapore with a good set-up, and that we’re able to run with it through practice and qualifying. If it all goes to plan, we should be in good shape on Sunday. Even though the title is now almost out of reach I’ll be pushing hard for the best possible result. I will never give up and I’ll be driving to win as always.”

Jenson Button, McLaren
2010 Qualifying - 4th, 2010 Race - 4th
“This is one of the races I’d most love to win and I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to show the same sort of pace that we showed at Monaco and Hungary, where I had two of my best drives of the year. It’s strange to have concluded the European season and still have six more races remaining. Personally, I love this end-of-year series of flyaway races - the circuits we visit are really diverse and, from a drivers’ perspective, they’re some of the best tracks on the calendar. I flew out to Singapore via Japan, so I’ve had the chance to spend a few days getting myself ready. Of course, for Singapore, we’ll revert to the slightly unusual European timetable to ensure that we’re as fit, alert and focused for the night race as we would be for any other Grand Prix. Given our current form, I’m positive that Singapore will be another strong race for us. I’ve been really satisfied with the pace of the car and the efforts of the team. Nevertheless, winning is what we’re all about and that’s what we’ll definitely be aiming for this weekend.”

Michael Schumacher, Mercedes
2010 Qualifying - 9th, 2010 Race - 13th
“I really enjoyed my first experience of Formula One night racing in Singapore last year and it was an interesting weekend to be working on such a different time schedule. Surprisingly, it worked out very well and somehow even fun to drive and have meetings in the middle of the night. The street circuit is good fun and quite challenging, and as an event for the fans, it is also fantastic as they can get so close to the cars around the city streets and see a real racing spectacle. We have enjoyed good results at the final two European races in Spa and Monza, and everyone will be working to continue the hard work and keep up the points finishes as we head to Asia for the flyaway races.”

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2010 Qualifying - 7th, 2010 Race - 5th
“I’m really looking forward to the Singapore Grand Prix and it’s a circuit that I enjoy very much. I finished second at the first race held here in 2008 so I have some good memories from that weekend. Singapore is a fantastic city and I always try to spend some extra time here with friends after the race. The track itself is good fun to drive and a real challenge. The stop-start nature means you have to concentrate hard throughout the lap and it feels very narrow and enclosed, like a true street circuit. We’ve made a good step forward with the car in the last few races and I hope we can take advantage of that again next weekend in Singapore.”

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
2010 Qualifying - 2nd, 2010 Race - 2nd
“We’ve had some good races in Singapore in the past, especially last year when we finished second, just behind Fernando. I love the track, it’s very challenging; there are a lot of corners, it’s very long, it’s hot and it’s a night race, so there are a lot of special things about Singapore. The car seems to be very competitive there, so I hope we can go back there this year and win – it would be very special. Looking to the Championship, there is still some way to go. We are in a very strong position, which we deserve because we’ve been working hard and made few mistakes. As long as we come out of the next race with a bigger lead then we start with, then we have done a good job, so let’s see.”

Mark Webber, Red Bull
2010 Qualifying - 5th, 2010 Race - 3rd
“The Singapore night race is a challenging one. The track’s bumpy and although the 1500-odd lights do a good job at illuminating the circuit, it’s not like racing in daylight and that makes it tiring. It’s also the longest race of the year, running close to the two-hour time-limit set by the FIA, and the intense heat and humidity makes it pretty warm in the cockpit. You have to watch your hydration during the build-up to the race. I finished third at the Marina Bay circuit last year, but the track hasn’t been that kind to me in the past. I enjoy driving there, so I hope to nail it this year in much the same way that I nailed Valencia earlier this season. In the championship, four of us - me, Fernando (Alonso), Jenson (Button) and Lewis (Hamilton) - are separated by just 14 points and none of us is going to give an inch.”

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There is a question that "news presenters" who somehow get the plum assignment of moderating a GOP Presidential nomination debate should ask Governor Rick Perry of Texas. But given the absolute lack of imagination and scant information that the presenters and their researchers have or the lack of diligence in fact finding, it is unlikely that Governor Perry will be asked the following.

"Governor Perry, why are you, with your state having colossal financial problems (an estimated $27 billion hole), investing $250 million into a Formula-1 car racetrack in Austin, Texas in an effort to help Billy Joe "Red" McCombs re-introduce the car race to American audiences when F-1 racing is a proven failure in the U.S.?"

It is hard to believe that Brian Williams, Wolf Blitzer, Bret Baier or any other presenter would actually ask a narrow policy question in a national debate (These presenters take their jobs somewhat seriously. In 1992 ABC presenter Carole Simpson complained about the debate format in the Bush-Clinton-Perot gabfest which allowed normal citizens to ask questions troubled her as the electorate is filled with unqualified people. Ironically the electorate depends on Simpson and others to inform them. Simpson’s complaint did not reflect well on her and her colleagues’ professional acumen).

But there should be at least a mention of the quarter of a billion dollar subsidy and an inspection of the Texas-F1 contract as to how much money will Bernie Ecclestone and F1 keep from a television contract, how much of the ticket sales will go to Bernie Ecclestone and F1 and how much goes back to Texas as well as concession and how much rent Texas taxpayers can expect to see in the deal. Will there be a corporate sponsor slapping a name on the racetrack marquee and will investors/taxpayers get any of that money?

Will the Perry/Texas investment yield a dividend for Texas taxpayers or just put money in McCombs and F1's pocket?

Allegedly private money is going to pay the estimated $180 million required to build a permanent 120,000 seat F1 facility for Full Throttle Productions, McCombs company and Ecclestone, the commercial rights holder of F1. If the facility is being funded by private funds, why has Perry green lighted an annual $25 million payment to help out F1 and Full Throttle? Do the math; the state will spend a quarter of a billion dollars for 40 full time jobs. The race organizers contend the track will be a winner for Austin with the creation of 1,500 construction jobs, and 1,200 people will work the race on a per diem basis annually for maybe four or five days.

The race backers claim the track will be used 250 days a year. The key word in all of this is "claim".

The race people contend the race will have $300 million worth of economic impact but offer no proof behind the rationale of their claim. Sports organizers offer make large boasts of large economic impact, but New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said last year no one has ever really done a study to show the real economic impact of sports events in a community.

Austin taxpayers are kicking in $13 million for infrastructure and could be on the hook for an additional $4 million annually in subsidies for ten years. In this day and age, private money to build sports venues is rare and there are examples of private money sports arena failures in Minneapolis in 1994 and Columbus, Ohio in 2011.

Government support is an absolute necessity for sports in the United States. No project can be successful without cash handouts or tax incentives like PILOTS and TIFS. Will Ecclestone/McCombs pay property taxes to Austin? Is there a hidden taxbreak?

National Basketball Association and National Hockey League teams pay zero property taxes across the United States.

If Formula One is such a good investment, why is government dollars needed? Perry who is the hero of those who want sharp government cuts has created a government F1 racing program.

There seems to be something hypocritical about Perry’s stance that is at odds with his dogma. Perry’s recent political ideological book seems to be at odds with his political stances.

When completed, the Austin track will give F1 the circuit's first a permanent track in the United States in decades. Long Beach, California, Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix have had street races which were fails. The F1 series inside the Indianapolis held eight races at the Brickyard.

F-1 racing has never been held in the New York area although there was a plan to hold a race in the early 1980s was never materialized. Now the mayors of Weehawken and West New York want to stage an F-1 race on the streets of those New Jersey municipalities in 2013. F-1 racing has been a financial disaster in the United States and the racing loop has not held an event in America since 2007. Formula One races were held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway between 2000 and 2007.

F1 does well globally but the United States has been a challenge.

The Austin November 18, 2012 date seems odd in that the University Texas football season is still in swing and Austin is the home of the University of Texas. Football is king in Texas and McCombs is a huge financial supporter of University of Texas sports but he has apparently agreed that F-1 and football can co-exist for one week in November. The race will also have competition from the National Football League, specifically the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans.

But Governor Perry has cushioned the blow of possible financial losses by making sure the state taxpayers are subsidizing the racing event if things don’t work out for McCombs.

McCombs has partnered with Tavo Hellmund to bring F-1 racing to Austin with Perry's blessing. Hellmund has a long history of being a race participant and racing promoter.

F-1 racing is different from NASCAR and Indy Car Racing according to the racing association's website.

"Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1, and currently officially referred to as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single-seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants' cars must comply.

"The F1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grand Prix, held on purpose-built circuits, and public roads. The results of each race are combined to determine two annual World Championships, one for the drivers and one for the constructors, with racing drivers, constructor teams, track officials, organizers and circuits required to be holders of valid Super Licenses, the highest class racing license issued by the FIA.

“Formula One cars race at high speeds, up to 360 km/hour (220 mph) with engines revving up to a formula imposed limit of 18,000 rpm. The cars are capable of pulling in excess of 5 g on some corners. The performance of the cars is highly dependent on electronics (although traction control and driving aids have been banned since 2008), aerodynamics, suspension, and tires. The formula has seen many evolutions and changes through the history of the sport."

Perry has signed off on the quarter of a billion dollar package to subsidize an annual race starting in 2012 and ending in 2021. McCombs, who was a co-founder of the now bankrupt Clear Channel Communications empire (and right wing talk radio shows with a liberal show sprinkled in for balance), led the charge to get the race and racetrack built in the Texas state capital. McCombs has a long sports history including a onetime stake in the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.

McCombs failed to get a new stadium built in the Twin-Cities and sold the Vikings to New Jersey resident Zygi Wilf for a reported $600 million in 2005. Wilf is battling with Minnesota lawmakers in his effort to get a new football facility built in the Twin-Cities.

During the spring when Texas and Formula 1 deal was concluded, Perry trumpeted the deal and his words are still etched into the F-1 website.

Texas Governor Rick Perry conveyed his enthusiasm for the project, explaining Texas' relatively strong economy continues to draw both national and international attention and I commend Comptroller Combs for her work in bringing this exciting event to the Lone Star State.

The presenters should ask Perry about the commitment in what is a documented money losing venture, after all if F-1 racing in the U.S. was a good deal, there would be elected officials jumping through hoops to build a permanent facility for the event.

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There have been a lot of expectations about the Buddh International circuit, Greater Noida. Most people thought it wouldn’t be finished on time and the host date changed several times.

The Buddh International Circuit (BIC), designed by renowned circuit architect Hermann Tilke, will host India’s inaugural F1 race, the 2011 Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India, in October and construction has been underway for several months at the site to the south of the capital in the suburb of Noida.

Buddh International Circuit has 16 medium speed corners, outstanding overtaking opportunities and a total spectator’s capacity of 120,000.

The Indian circuit at Greater Noida, 40-kilometre south-east of New Delhi, will be the only circuit in India. It will be capable to host different kinds of motorsport events. Given its international stature, security arrangements also had to be coordinated properly.

To ensure the safety of racers, organizers of the F1 Grand Prix, are on their toes preparing for all contingencies. Fortis Hospital, Noida and Apollo Hospital, Delhi, have been working in tandem with Jaypee Sports International (JPSI) to provide medical support for the mega sporting event. Two medical helicopters and a specialist team will be present at the venue to deal with emergency extractions and crashes.

The police department of Noida city of north India’s Uttar Pradesh state was requisitioned for 1,600 personnel for the upcoming Indian Grand Prix of the international Formula One calendar.

The F1 championship is heading to India in October for the first time in history and Grand Prix Tickets India for the Indian Grand Prix are available now. India’s first Grand Prix will take place on October 28-30, and with the project well on schedule, the BIC is expected to undergo its mandatory final FIA inspection in the week prior to the event.

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As workers race to finish the Formula1 track in Elroy, one race car is revving up the fans in Austin. The Red Bull racing show car was on display Saturday afternoon in front of the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum downtown. Hundreds turned out to take a look. Red Bull Racing said letting people see the car up close and personal is a great way to gain fans, and show Austin what F1 racing is really all about. "What I've really really enjoyed, is seeing what a young vibrant city this is, and how the people I've come across in Austin really embrace things manufactured outside of America," said driver David Coulthard. "And formula one -- there's a fan base here already."

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