Indian GP success boosts IPL-style league
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Harpreet Singh Guller
Nov 10, 2011, 5:47:32 AM11/10/11
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Indian GP success boosts IPL-style league
By Sudipto Ganguly
MUMBAI | Thu Nov 10, 2011 1:35pm IST
(Reuters) - Organisers of India's new motorsport league hope a dash of
celebrity glitz and glamour will help attract a core following and
deliver the same kind of success as the lucrative Indian Premier
League cricket tournament.
Riding the momentum of India's inaugural Formula One race last month,
the i1 Super Series will roll out in January and feature nine teams
competing in 12 races to be held in India, UAE, Malaysia, Bahrain and
Qatar.
Styled on the IPL's popular city-based model, franchises have to pay
$20 million for a period of 15 years for owning a team. The league's
promoters, Machdar Motorsports, said most of the teams had already
been paid for.
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has become a co-owner of the Mumbai
franchise, and promoters have also pulled off a coup by roping in
Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador.
Cricket great Tendulkar's love for fast cars is well known and his
association will only help the league to become more popular, Chief
Executive Darshan M told Reuters.
"Sachin is a very large and popular icon who believes in popularising
motorsport," Darshan said in an email interview.
"We believe he will take the sport to the masses and cut across all
barriers of region, language, age, gender etc."
CELEBRITY OWNERS
The IPL dazzled fans with the exciting Twenty20 format, player
auctions, post-game parties and heavy advertising. Celebrity owners
are part of the show and include Reliance Industries chief Mukesh
Ambani, India's richest man, as well as spirits and airline magnate
Vijay Mallya.
"We have chosen the IPL model because we learnt a lot from the city-
based loyalty and spirit that IPL showcased," Darshan said, adding
that the winning team would take home $2 million in prize money.
"After all India is a large country with so many cultures and nothing
showcased the diversity and passion better than sport.
"IPL also demonstrated that world class sport when combined with
entertainment was an unbeatable combination and we have tried to learn
from the same."
Darshan also said the inaugural Indian Formula One Grand Prix in
October at the Buddh International Circuit could not have come at a
better time.
"Formula One was very useful in popularising and educating a large
section of India with the nuances of motorsport," he added. "We are
keen to build a world class sports entertainment property and we
believe motorsport is at the right stage to develop (in India).
"We believe there is huge scope to improve infrastructure and talent."
About 95,000 spectators attended the glamorous F1 race in Greater
Noida, which also attracted unprecedented viewership and earned rich
praise from the country's media.
While agreeing that there was a dearth of talented drivers in the
country, Darshan said at least one of each team's two drivers must be
Indian.
"We acknowledge there is a shortage of talent in India. It is one of
the reasons we have created this concept as it will help develop more
motorsport talent in the country," he said.
"i1 will be the pinnacle of motor sports in India and offers talented
drivers in the country a huge opportunity and career path."
The teams will race the Radical Sportscars' SR3 roadster in the sports
car racing series.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford; to query or comment on this story, email
sportsf...@thomsonreuters.com)
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/11/10/idINIndia-60438920111110
By Sudipto Ganguly
MUMBAI | Thu Nov 10, 2011 1:35pm IST
(Reuters) - Organisers of India's new motorsport league hope a dash of
celebrity glitz and glamour will help attract a core following and
deliver the same kind of success as the lucrative Indian Premier
League cricket tournament.
Riding the momentum of India's inaugural Formula One race last month,
the i1 Super Series will roll out in January and feature nine teams
competing in 12 races to be held in India, UAE, Malaysia, Bahrain and
Qatar.
Styled on the IPL's popular city-based model, franchises have to pay
$20 million for a period of 15 years for owning a team. The league's
promoters, Machdar Motorsports, said most of the teams had already
been paid for.
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has become a co-owner of the Mumbai
franchise, and promoters have also pulled off a coup by roping in
Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador.
Cricket great Tendulkar's love for fast cars is well known and his
association will only help the league to become more popular, Chief
Executive Darshan M told Reuters.
"Sachin is a very large and popular icon who believes in popularising
motorsport," Darshan said in an email interview.
"We believe he will take the sport to the masses and cut across all
barriers of region, language, age, gender etc."
CELEBRITY OWNERS
The IPL dazzled fans with the exciting Twenty20 format, player
auctions, post-game parties and heavy advertising. Celebrity owners
are part of the show and include Reliance Industries chief Mukesh
Ambani, India's richest man, as well as spirits and airline magnate
Vijay Mallya.
"We have chosen the IPL model because we learnt a lot from the city-
based loyalty and spirit that IPL showcased," Darshan said, adding
that the winning team would take home $2 million in prize money.
"After all India is a large country with so many cultures and nothing
showcased the diversity and passion better than sport.
"IPL also demonstrated that world class sport when combined with
entertainment was an unbeatable combination and we have tried to learn
from the same."
Darshan also said the inaugural Indian Formula One Grand Prix in
October at the Buddh International Circuit could not have come at a
better time.
"Formula One was very useful in popularising and educating a large
section of India with the nuances of motorsport," he added. "We are
keen to build a world class sports entertainment property and we
believe motorsport is at the right stage to develop (in India).
"We believe there is huge scope to improve infrastructure and talent."
About 95,000 spectators attended the glamorous F1 race in Greater
Noida, which also attracted unprecedented viewership and earned rich
praise from the country's media.
While agreeing that there was a dearth of talented drivers in the
country, Darshan said at least one of each team's two drivers must be
Indian.
"We acknowledge there is a shortage of talent in India. It is one of
the reasons we have created this concept as it will help develop more
motorsport talent in the country," he said.
"i1 will be the pinnacle of motor sports in India and offers talented
drivers in the country a huge opportunity and career path."
The teams will race the Radical Sportscars' SR3 roadster in the sports
car racing series.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford; to query or comment on this story, email
sportsf...@thomsonreuters.com)
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/11/10/idINIndia-60438920111110
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