India to be a major F1 destination

Vijay Mallya at his recent Force India 2008 launch

With Vijay Mallya introducing his Force India team this year and India all set to hold its first race in 2010, Formula One will become more popular in the country, CEO of Bahrain International Circuit Martin Whitaker said on Thursday.

Whitaker praised Mallya for his efforts and hoped that Force India would give a major boost to Formula One.

He said the number of Indian fans has increased considerably and they expect more visitors from the country to come and watch the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 6.

Gulf Air, who are the title sponsors of the event, would introduce a special service for the Indian fans who would be eager to visit Bahrain to watch the race.

"To cater to the needs of the Indian fans, the Gulf Air would offer daily flights to Bahrain so that they can watch the Formula One race.

"Now India is a growing force in the Formula One and it's great to come and offer our welcome," Whitaker said at a press conference here.

The race would start in Melbourne on March 16 and Bahrain would hold the third race of this year's FIA Formula One World Championship.