Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Friday, Jan 30, 2004
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Friday, Jan 30, 2004 |
||
|
|
||
|
Marketing
-
Promotions & Offers Variety - Sports F1 dreams drive him high Vinson Kurian
Narain Karthikeyan
Thiruvananthapuram , Jan. 29 NARAIN Karthikeyan, the fastest Indian on wheels, has given himself three more years by when he should earn for himself a Formula One seat. "If I don't make it by my 30th birthday, I'll do something else... other than drive for F1," the ace driver told Business Line here. "If I want it now, I can make my millions in the domestic American circuit but that has not been my objective - which is F1 and not anything less. "If don't I do it by 30, then I would bank on the speed and experience I would have gained by then, get down to competing in America and earn a decent living," says he. Supported by the Indian corporate giants, the Tata Group, tyre major JK Tyres and Amaron Batteries, Narain Karthikeyan has been lauded for his performances on track and skill. He acknowledges that his sponsors have given him the motivation and the encouragement to achieve the dream of being the first Indian to drive in Formula One. "Obviously my aim is to compete in F1 as soon as possible. It is where no Indian has been before." With the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, Narain says that he has no option but to succeed. With the 2004 calendar soon to kick off, he is busy rustling up the huge finances needed for competing in the F1 series. Consultations are going on, in which the Indian sponsors are actively involved. "We need a consortium of sponsors, because for one team alone to raise the whole finances required is an impossible task. Only problem is lack of time. The 2004 season starts on March 7 in Melbourne. So we need to get everything ready in the next two to three weeks. I am not sure if I can settle everything by that time," says Narain. The existing sponsors have expressed their willingness to pool in their best. But that would still leave what Narain says in the `last mile bit', which is proving hard to get. "After all we're talking about millions of dollars... between $2 million and $5 million." As for sponsors themselves, only auto component manufacturers have been involved, because only they find the effort rewarding. For any other company, the first priority has been and continues to be cricket. Asked about India's future in the F1 series, Narain said for multinational sponsors, to take an Indian driver will take sometime. India is just a small market for them. He hoped to see an India in the F1 seat "maybe in the next 5 to 7 years", in any case.
More Stories on : Promotions & Offers | Sports | People
Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page
|
Stories in this Section |
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | The Hindu Images | Home |
Copyright © 2004, The
Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu Business Line
|