Have the courage and conviction to really go after what you believe in! This is what the flamboyant Dr. Mallya has taught us mere mortals. He may sometimes seem like an unlikely teacher, so allow me to explain.

By the time you read this, the world will be well aware that the Force India Formula 1 team performed stupendously at the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. They not only achieved their goal of scoring their first points, but also came within one second of taking the top step of the podium – save only for the Scarlet Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen that crossed the finish line an agonizing one second before the veteran Italian, and Force India driver, Giancarlo Fisichella.

So, how did Dr. Mallya go from buying out an ailing Spyker Formula 1 team at the end of 2007, to hunting down a Ferrari in 2009 – especially when virtually everyone said it couldn’t be done? Of course, there’s nothing that Dr. Mallya enjoys more than showing up his critics – but there’s got to be more to it than just that.

To a casual observer, it seemed absurd that an Indian billionaire should jump head first into the very deep and turbulent waters of Formula 1 – it was a recipe for disaster. People forget, however, that Dr. Mallya was racing Porsche 911s at Sholavaram decades before most people in India had ever even heard of the sport of Formula 1. In the past, he’s also supported a winning F1 team, and even driven an F1 car. Let’s just say, then, that he wasn’t exactly ignorant about the sport, and had a fair idea of what he was getting into when he bought Spyker.

Spyker was renamed Force India (because it was representative of India’s emerging position in the world), but had to make do with a budget that was merely a quarter of what the big teams had – not to mention an old chassis for 2008. Nevertheless, Dr. Mallya put an experienced technical team in place, and, at one point, ensured that no less 3 three wind tunnels were running around-the-clock              to get his team off the last row of the grid. When it didn’t work, he graciously

acknowledged that this was the toughest challenge that he had ever faced. But, in that knowledge, didn’t just throw up his hands – he went about re-strategizing, while remaining realistic and focused, and never despondent (outwardly anyway). And that meant some taking tough decisions – such as the removal of team boss, Colin Kolles, and technical chief, Mike Gascoyne, both of whom were at the very core of the team that he had put in place to rescue Force India to begin with. It also meant the signing of a landmark five-year deal, unlike any other in the paddock, with McLaren Mercedes for the supply of engines, gearboxes, and hydraulic systems. Force India would still build its own chassis however – the 2009 car being it’s first. The deal with McLaren also meant the early termination of a two-year deal with Ferrari for the supply of engines – all said and done, you’ve got to have some strength of conviction to prematurely end a contract with Ferrari.

And while the performance of Force India did improve, their luck certainly didn’t. Kimi Raikkonen tragically struck the back of Sutil’s car four laps from the end of the 2008 Monte Carlo Grand Prix when the Force India driver was running as high as fourth place. In similar fashion, in July this year, Sutil crashed into the Ferrari while running strongly in the points during the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. Amidst all this frustration, Dr. Mallya only pointed to the positives, and his confidence never wavered – at least publicly. All along, he painted a certain picture of where he wanted Force India to be, and now, in one fell swoop, it’s come to pass. The team has incorporated performance upgrades consistently through the year, and their most recent one at Spa finally did the trick – corroborating the old adage, ‘persevere and you shall succeed.’ A race prior to Belgium, at the European Grand Prix in Valencia, Force India were content to finish 10th and 12th. One week later, the tricolor-liveried Force India Formula 1 car spent the entire race chasing down the majestic scarlet Ferrari, and for that, Dr. Mallya, we salute you.

One final note – it would really have been quite something to hear the Indian national anthem if Fisichella had been able to finish ahead of the Ferrari, which was entirely possible (and actually quite plausible if the Safety Car hadn’t been deployed following a collision at the back of the pack on the first lap – but that’s racing). It wouldn’t have been the first time, however, for the Indian national anthem to have played at Spa during a Grand Prix weekend. It did so in 2007, when

Karun Chandhok became the first Indian to win a GP2 race – the feeder series to Formula 1. So, does this mean India has finally arrived on the world motorsport scene? Well, it’s a step in the right direction, but it’s only just begun – we do need to actually see some Indian faces in the F1 paddock. But patience is a virtue, remember.