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Formula 1 -
Motor Sports
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| What the Grand Prix is all about ?
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The first race to be given the title “Grand Prix” was held at Le Mans in 1906. It was restricted to “big cars” which could be described as the “Formula One” cars of the period. From then on, the term Grand Prix became associated with major circuit races for cars. Top events, which were the equivalent of today's Grand Prix, were called “Grandes Epreuves” (Great Events). However, the FIA was opposed to the popular usage of the “Grand Prix” title, which it wished to reserve for events counting towards its Formula One World Championships. Henceforth, it was prohibited to use the Grand Prix title for an event which did not count towards this Championship, except for very rare cases with historic justification, such as the Grand Prix de
Pau, which is currently a Formula 3 event.
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What is Formula One and how is it organized ?
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It is a set of technical regulations for single-seater racing cars, which is published annually by the FIA. The regulations specify maximum dimensions, engine capacity, what is permitted technically and what is not permitted and, perhaps most important of all, a large number of safety measures to be incorporated in the car with a view to protecting the driver. A car built to these regulations is a Formula One car. Formula 3 and Formula 3000 are also FIA Formulae, but each has lower performance than Formula One.
The FIA is the world governing body of motor sport and, as such, administers the Formula One World Championship, as well as all other international motor sport. The Formula One World Championship was created in 1950 and is the oldest of the FIA Championships. It also has the greatest media impact. It is estimated that the seventeen Grand Prix of the 2000 season attracted over 53 billion television viewers, whilst the printed press maintained a significant presence, with an average of 650 journalists and photographers from 65 countries travelling from all over the world to cover each Event.
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| As Fernando Alonso creates hat trick Narain suffers a set-back
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Championship leader Fernando Alonso won the Bahrain Grand Prix to hand Renault their third win in three races while Ferrari failed to score a point. The 23-year-old Spaniard, triumphant for the second race in a row, was unstoppable as Ferrari's hopes of winning on their new car's Formula One debut evaporated in the shimmering desert heat. Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, who had raised Ferrari's hopes by qualifying on the front row alongside pole man
Alonso, retired after 12 laps. Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello was ninth.
Italian Jarno Trulli crossed the line 13.409 seconds behind Alonso to take Toyota's second top three finish in succession, with Finland's Kimi Raikkonen following for McLaren's first podium of the season in third place.
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Eagerly looking forward to ensuring some points in his third attempt, the harsh realities of elite motor sport caught up with Narain Karthikeyan as his Jordan-Toyota E15 developed electrical problems and was forced to retire after only two laps.
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| Narain has been a true inspiration to
Karun |
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A day after Narain Karthikeyan made a strong finish in an incident-strewn Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix, the good news kept coming. Two months back, no one would have put hard-earned money on an Indian driving in Formula One. Now they can get to see two Indian drivers in action on the same Formula One weekend!
Karun Chandok, who confirmed that he would drive for RC Motorsport in the World Series for 2005, will join Jordan's Narain Karthikeyan in separate races during the Formula One weekend in Monaco. The World Series hits the streets of Monte Carlo as a support race to the F1 series on May 22 and Chandok can't wait. “It'll be my first season of pan-European racing and I'm really looking forward to it”, he delightfully stated.
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Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi came out with a proposal that with Narian Karthikeyan joining the Formula One, India was looking to have an F1 track of its own by the year 2010. Kalmadi said he was planning to place a proposal before F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone after finalizing a venue for the circuit within the next few months.
Kalmadi further stated, “It's high time, we have a Formula 1 race. I am in touch with the Chief Ministers of Delhi and Maharashtra. Bangalore is also in our list. Within the next six months we should decide on a place and go with a plan to Ecclestone. When we stage the Commonwealth Games in 2010, hopefully we have a Formula One track ready.” India has long been on Eccleston's list where the game has a big future. Formula One's commercial supreme had said that India would definitely have a F1 track with Mumbai as the most likely venue. Kalmadi also hailed Karthikeyan for making history by racing in the F1 circuit.
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My
Point Of View
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It is really inspiring to learn that the youth of the nation are making headway in major sporting events. Recently Sania Mirza (Tennis), Joshna Chinappa (Squash), Pankaj Advani (Snooker & Billiards) and of course the very energetic and dynamic Narain Karthikeyan in Motor sports (F1). All this goes to show that India is alive and kicking and there are many more youth taking it to heart seriously.
In a country that so often fails to see beyond cricket, Narian Karthikeyan has managed to achieve an incredible feat in so short a time with his exploits in the Formula One World Championships, and is taking India to a whole new level of realism. With two races under his belt and a credible performance so far, India's first Formula One driver is now looking forward to some more exciting Grand Prix to continue with his
“good show” so far.
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Ready to meet the challenges ahead and with self-confidence oozing out of him I am quite sure that Narain is obviously pleased with his performance and improvements made, but admits to his disappointment at missing out on his first points in Bahrain when his car flopped because of technical defect. Narain finished 11 at Sepang in the Malaysian Grand Prix, a jump of four places from Melbourne. I wish him every success in up and coming F1 Grand Prix events throughout this year 2005.
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GOLF - US
MASTERS
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I would be failing in my duty if I did not mention about the remarkable come back of Tiger Woods who reigned supreme in the late nineties and took the Golf world by storm. After he faced a drought for almost three years the former champion came back strongly to conquer his opponents and win in a play-off against his nearest rival Chris
DiMarco at Augusta where Woods made an audacious 40-foot birdie chip on the 16th hole-one that will not be forgotten for a long time to come. At the end of it all Tiger Woods was rewarded with his 4th Green Jacket and now he needs just two more titles to equal the grand old record of Jack Nicholas.
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