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An
air of hushed expectancy prevails in the pit. Men in overalls
rush around with a reassuring efficiency to ensure the safety of
life. Cars rev up, the adrenaline starts pumping. The milling
crowd at the circuit keeps swelling, while a gut-wrenching
excitement permeates the atmosphere. Welcome to the world of
Formula One. A world of do-or-die trials, life-depending
precision-turnings, engine settings, track time-sheets, hairpin
bends and zooming machines. A world inhabited by the bold and
the beautiful, a world of the chosen few----- which Calcutta is
poised to join.
Bernie
Ecclestone started Formula One racing as the epitome of car
racing. Along with the Federation Internationale de
l’automobile- the FIA- and in consultation with F1 teams, he
schedules races, formulates the governing rules and decides on
the race-worthiness of a track. And rumour has it that Rajarhat,
Calcutta, has Ecclestone’s nod. The importance of this is
evident when one considers that Zhu Hai (which was built by the
Chinese government, at around the time Tilke built Sepang, in
Malayasia) is yet to make the cut as an F1 track, whereas Sepang
has already hosted its first, much-touted F1race. The reason for
this could be that Tilke Engineering of Germany is the only
architectural firm allowed by Ecclestone and FIA to design and
implement F1 tracks and facilities. And Tilke has been entrusted
with the task of putting Rajarhat on track and overseeing the
implementation by Morrisons of Scotland. The likely track length
at Rajarhat will be four and a half to five and a half kms.
The
project promoters- Anwar Saleem (an ex Calcuttan) and Michael
Taub - are in the process of tying up with Intergroup plc (which
runs the British Grand Prix) for the management of international
motor-racing events at Rajarhat. Work is slated to commence this
year (after the contract is signed and the land handed over by
the Government) and the engineers feel the project should be
completed in 18 months to two years. Rajarhat will be fully
landscaped- uphill and down dale- making parts of the circuit
(at least a third in all) visible to a spectator, wherever he
may be seated. But before Calcutta can walk into this charmed
circle, inhabited by larger than life figures and deeds, we need
just a few things to fall into place. A six-lane highway between
the airport and Rajarhat (for quick and easy transportation of
cars and supporting equipment) is already in place - bar the
last 1.3 kms near the track, which is still a two-lane road. But
this will be converted in time for the first race. A six-lane
highway from the city (after Nicco Park) to the track-for the
convenience of spectators and participants- is in the process of
being built. Sundry other items such as uninterrupted supply of
7.5 megawatts of power, sewage and drainage connections and
5,000 first class hotel rooms in the city are in the works. This
last could have been a real stumbling block since, taking into
account all first class hotel rooms in Calcutta- even those in
hotels slated to come up in the next three years- we would have
just had around 2,500 of the requisite rooms. But my friends
Ravi Kumar (who was invited to Sepang in his capacity as
chairperson of the Calcutta Motor Sports Club) and Gaurav
Swaroop (ex-president, Indian Chamber of Commerce) swear they
have a solution to this. A solution, moreover, which is
acceptable to Michael Taub and chief secretary Manish Gupta,
whose aim as chairman of the West Bengal Motor Sports Council,
is to facilitate the implementation of F1 in Calcutta.
The
induction of F1 in Calcutta will change the face of our city
forever, putting it on the world viewership map. During the last
World Cup Cricket, live telecast of matches was interrupted only
for the telecast of F1 GP’s, on both Doordarshan and Star
Sports. The World Cup Cricket audience - worldwide was 3.2
billion. The F1 audience is 57 billion and 750 million
worldwide. As an F1 city, Calcutta will join the chosen elite.
So all you sceptics, banish those doubts. Get ready to rub
shoulders with the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Paul Newman,
Ronaldo, Naomi Campbell, Phil Collins, Michael Douglas, Andre
Agassi and Chris Rhea- all die-hard F1 aficionados. Get ready
for high voltage drama, guts and glory, Paddock Clubs and a new
‘City of Joy’.
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