If Kolkata got soccer player Lionel Messi earlier this month, Bangalore's denizens are going to get their own sporting moments on September 27.
They get to watch and cheer Formula 1 ace racer Lewis Hamilton - on his first Bangalore visit. When he drives his standard McLaren Mercedes MP4-25 F1 car, it will be the first time the Formula 1 is ever driven in the country and courtesy old F1 associate Vodafone.
F1 cars have been shown in the country, but never burnt rubber on Indian roads, emphasise organisers of the Bangalore prelude to the Vodafone-hosted Indian Grand Prix that is to be held in Gurgaon in October.
During his two-hour show, Hamilton is scheduled to drive the McLaren on a 400-metre stretch on the NICE (Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises) highway.
Around 10.30 a.m. the lucky ones get to gawk at his ‘donut' stunts and hot laps in the McLaren. A few lucky ones will ride with him in his superfast Mercedes SLG.
“There is a huge amount of interest from across categories,” the spokesperson said. Requests are pouring in from sporting and film celebrities, motor enthusiasts and just-gawkers; some cricketing and other stars are already invited. The Bangalore promo will officially accommodate 6,000 people, including seating for 2,500 people, among them 300 VIPs, the spokeswoman told Business Line .
Vodafone is also running simultaneous contests on FM radio channels Radio City, Radio One and Radio Indigo. Ten winners from each channel get VVIP passes on that day; of these 30, ten get to meet Hamilton and the McLaren pit crew. A separate part of the area is being readied for school students. “We expect about 1,000 students to be there and cheer him,” the spokesperson said. For the past 10-15 days, this part of the toll road has been seeing hectic activity which is unlikely to stop until just before the event. Separate makeshift enclosures for different categories of audience; enclaves for the pit crew, food and water stalls are coming up.
For those who just want to be there, it's just a matter of texting ‘LEWIS' on their phone to 56300. The line closes on the morning of September 26.