India not ready to host GP – Karthikeyan

(GMM) Narain Karthikeyan, the only Indian ever to have raced in formula one, has expressed doubt that his country is ready to host a grand prix any time soon.

Another Indian, Force India team boss and Indian national motor sporting federation chief Vijay Mallya, said recently that preparations for a Delhi race are on track, with the backing of a major Indian bank.

He also said organizers have obtained land, set aside race fees, and will begin building a circuit outside the capital city in early October.

"Right now there is no infrastructure to hold (a) F1 race," 31-year-old Karthikeyan, who raced for Jordan in 2005 and now contests the A1 series, is quoted as saying by Merinews.

He said India's hopes of staging a grand prix, despite the country's booming economy, cannot be compared to the arrival of other new F1 hosts on the calendar, like Bahrain.

"The kingdom of Bahrain had unlimited funds and could hold the race successfully. Whether we have such funds? I don't think so," Karthikeyan said.