Force India to make debut this week end

India's own Formula1 team dream will come up to reality when debutant Force India team will line up on the grid of 2008 season opener Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne on March 16.

Liquor baron and the king of good times, Vijay Mallya took over the Spyker Formula One team and soon made it Force India by giving it a great shape. Whatever Mallya does, he does it in style, be it his annual calendar or the launching of his any product.

The same goes with the much-awaited line-up of the Force India team. The drivers were unveiled at a packed and grandiose press conference in january. All the three drivers Giancarlo Fisichella, Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi, who will lead the Indian campaign in the F1 circuit, came out of the helmet-shaped structure on the dais in unique fashion.

Experienced hand and former Renault driver Giancarlo Fisichella will drive a billion Indian dreams over the coming F1 season. German Adrian Sutil would join the Italian. Another Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi will carry out testing duties as the third driver for the team.

Announcing the line-up Mallya said, "Today is a proud moment for me personally and am sure many here will share this pride. I am happy to put an Indian car on the F1 track."

"We are not underestimating the challenges in front of us. We know the spotlight is on us. We won't have any miracles in 2008. But we will go in that direction?. In 2010, when India hosts a Grand Prix, Force India will surely get a podium finish. With these drivers and a team principal like Colin Kolles, we will chart out where we are heading, Mallya had added.

"It was felt that Formula One was considered an elitist sport and completely out of reach for a developing nation like us considering its budget, expenses and the glitz and glamour. But with me heading a large company in India, the Tata Group acquiring Corus and Jaguar are instances of showing to the world that not only is India globally competitive but we are technologically advanced too," Mallya stated.