Rs. 2500 tickets sold out

The first ever Indian Formula 1 race which is to be held at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in October is getting a great response from eager fans who are snapping up tickets fast.

According to Jaypee Sports International (JPSI) the hosts for India’s maiden F1 race over 20,000 tickets for the event are already sold with the base ticket category of Rs. 2,500 entirely sold out. The next category is priced at Rs. 6,000 each which is also expected to sell out prior to the race.

Many corporate are also buying tickets in bulk to entertain clients and senior management. The track has a total seating capacity of one lakh people and tickets are priced up to Rs. 35,000 for the main Grand Stand.

Mercedes Performance Driving Academy coming at BIC

India’s first and only F1 track the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) at Noida has partnered with Mercedes-Benz India to operate a Performance Driving Academy at the track from 2012.

Similar manufacturer backed programmes are run at nearly all F1 tracks worldwide and for India Mercedes-Benz have taken the lead. As a part of the Performance Driving Academy motorsport and speed junkies will be able to drive a selection of Mercedes-Benz sports cars around the track guided by trainers and shall also be able to enrol in driving courses conducted at the track. The academy will however kick off after the F1 race in October 2011 and possibly by early 2012.

As the BICs official partner Mercedes-Benz India will also organise a host of F1 themes events such as the ‘Mercedes-Benz Speed Date etc. which will engage motorsport enthusiasts at major cities.

Buddh International Circuit Logo

The first Indian F1 Grand Prix will be held at the under construction Buddh International Circuit in Noida, Delhi N.C.R. The circuit has now revealed its official logo which displays the Indian tricolour and resembles the shape of a heart.

Tickets for the race will be sold by online partner www.bookmyshow.com as well as via many offline locations. Ticket prices are said to start from Rs. 2500 onwards. The track which is a part of the Jaypee Sports city has been designed by Herman Tilke and is 5.14km long and conforms to the latest set of FIA guidelines which promote ample opportunities for overtaking. The race is scheduled for October 30.

Bentley sets new ice speed record

Bentley is a car maker usually associated with opulence and elegance on wheels. However their cars are no slouch bags and to prove this Bentley has set a new speed record on ice.

A specially prepared Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible with 621bhp was driven by Finnish WRC driver Juha Kankkunen on the frozen Baltic sea of the coast of Finland. The Bentley managed to achieve top velocity of 330kph, thereby setting a new speed record for a car on ice.

The record setting Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible was equipped with a roll-cage, aerodynamic modifications to add stability, Pirelli winter tyres and a rear parachute to help slow down.

Narain Karthikeyan back in F1

India’s 1^st F1 driver, Narain Karthikeyan has bagged himself a driver’s slot for the 2011 Formula 1 season.

The ace driver will be racing for Hispania Racing Team (HRT) after a five year hiatus from F1. He will also have the pleasure of racing in front of his home country crowd at India’s first F1 race which will be held on the outskirts of Delhi in October 2011. Let’s just hope Narain has kept up his fitness and is able to make a good comeback. We wish him luck.

Fast five movie trailor

Here’s the trailer of the next franchise of the Fast & the Furious movie series. The movie which is simpply called ‘Fast Five’ is set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and promises more action and fast cars paired with some hot looking latino women.

Fast Five is slated for release in April 2011 but till then you can watch Vin Diesel  do his thing along with Paul Walker in this action packed trailer.

F1 cars to ditch V8s for four-cylinder engines

According to a new F1 ruling, the screaming 2.4-litre V8 engines which Formula 1 cars use today will be replaced by 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder motors by 2013.

The smaller 1600cc four-cylinder engines will not only deliver 35 percent higher fuel efficiency (claimed) but also match the current V8 engines power output thanks to some clever technology including high-pressure gasoline injectors.

The four-pot motors are expected to last longer than the V8s because of a lower maximum engine speed of 12,000rpm as compared to the 18,000rpm limit of current V8s. F1 is also planning to reduce the number of engines a team can use in a season. The current limit of eight engines is expected to be reduced to just five by 2013 and then four soon after.

Luckily when F1 comes to India (Noida) in 2011 the cars would still be running on the V8s and enthusiasts and race goers would get to hear what a real F1 car sounds.

Cannonball Club's Aston Martin

Delhi’s only supercar club which goes by the name Cannonball Club hosted a unique event yesterday. ‘Art with Supercars’ which was held at the city’s Claridges hotel saw a plethora of supercars and super SUVs on display with art created by blending photography and computer generated imagery.

The Cannonball Club member drove in a range of exotics including a Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Audi R8, Porsche 911, Panamera 4S, Jaguar XKR, Aston Martin Vantage, RR Phantom, RR Ghost, Bentley Continental and many more. There were bikes from Ducati displayed for the two-wheel enthusiasts as well.

Lots Exos T125 Track Car

British carmaker Lotus has revealed what could be the ultimate track car ever made. The F1 inspired single seat race-car called Lotus Exos T125 will be available to super-rich private buyers who can take it out for a spin on race tracks around the world. The T125 is not road legal and can be driven on the track only.

The Lotus T125 is powered by a 631bhp Cosworth V8 racing engine which redlines at a dizzying 10,300rpm and is said to offer near GP2 levels of performance. The car weighs just 650kg which gives it a tremendously high power-weight ratio.

In its home market it will cost a whopping £650,000 (Rs. 4.8 crore) and will be Lotus’s “halo model” much like Ferrari’s 599XX. Only 25 T125s will ever be built and bookings are open now with deliveries set to begin by April 2011. Who says money can’t buy happiness?

While Liuzzi who started the race at 6th place managed to finish 9th (despite a opening lap debacle and a nose change) his teammate Adrian Sutil started 9th on the grid only to finish at 10th place. With this good show Force India now has 35 points and stands at sixth place in the constructors’ championship.

Indian drive Karun Chandok started his race at the end on 24th position and managed to scrape his way only to 18th place by race end. Speculation suggests that Karun is facing a shortage of funds and this might make him lose his F1 driver’s seat sometime soon.