Halfway through the 2022 Formula One season, all eyes are on Max Verstappen to nab the Driver’s Championship once again, know if the F1 has a future in India and the drivers from the country
However, those looking to back an underdog like Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez or Charles LeClerc of Ferrari can take advantage of an offer from Betfred to offset the odds. In other words, Verstappen looks poised to pull far ahead of Perez and LeClerc in the coming races.
A Look At India’s Future In Formula One And Indian F1 Drivers In 2022
But Verstappen’s optimistic lead halfway through the 2022 racing schedule is novel. Last year, he battled year-round with legend Lewis Hamilton. With Mercedes’ winning engine behind him and the full support of his team, Hamilton nearly took home his eighth world champion title. However, Verstappen’s scrappy attitude and Red Bull’s (almost) superior engine helped tip the tide in Formula One.
A Shifting Tide in F1
With Hamilton’s four-year World Champion streak ending last year in 2021, Verstappen represents the latest wave of talent to make a claim for the title. And though favored, as mentioned above, he still has six months to dodge comebacks from Perez and LeClerc—as well as Hamilton, if Mercedes’ engine allows him to push.
The uncertainty is only helping to generate more interest in the racing series, which has taken off since Netflix released its Drive to Survive series back in 2019. Though Verstappen has notably taken a step back from participating in the docu-drama, Formula One now has a following over close to 50 million people across its social media accounts.
In fact, the recent Miami GP recently saw over 2.5 milllion viewers on average in the US alone. This highlights just how quickly the sports popularity has grown in formerly tepid demographics. Meanwhile, many fans in India are patiently waiting for (another) opportunity for representation in the racing series. So far, there have been constructors, drivers, and GPs in and from India… but none of them have stood the test of time.
Force India, 2008-2018
Back in 2007, businessmen Vijay Mallya and Michiel Mol (from the Netherlands) created a joint venture to buy out the Spyker F1 team for €88 million. For the 2008 season start, the pair launched Force India’s base in Silverstone, England and contracted drivers Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella for the first driving calendar.
However, Force India would go on to serve as the first team for some of today’s top drivers. Though the team struggled to land on the podium and bring in points for its decade-long run, drivers like Sergio Perez, Esteban Ocon, and Nico Hülkenberg graced the team’s driver list.
In fact, Hülkenberg was once F1’s only driver to interrupt Hamilton’s multi-year run in the Drivers’ Championship, bringing home a trophy back in 2014. Perez, as mentioned above, currently drives for Red Bull. While with Force India, Perez brought home the group’s only podium finishes, with five third-place finishes from 2014 to 2018.
Unfortunately, Force India was forced to fold in 2018 after ongoing financial difficulties. American businessman Lawrence Stroll bought out the business, and it was rebranded as Aston Martin for the 2021 F1 season start, a name which it still competes under.
Indian GP, 2011-2013
During Force India’s run as a constructor team, Formula One Racing partnered with Jaypee Sports International to launch the very first Indian GP. The race was located at Buddh International Circuit in Gautaum Buddh, Uttar Pradesh, with driver Sebastian Vettel taking home the race’s inaugural first-place finish.
The race was held again in 2012 and 2013. However, it was then suspended for the 2014 season as financial considerations came under focus. Despite ongoing discussions, agreements could never be made, which meant that the race was stalled for a few years before ultimately being dropped from F1’s official schedule.
Jehan Daruvala Leading the Charge
With Force India and the Indian GP gone, Indian F1 fans might not have a constructor team to back—but they may have an Indian driver. Back in 2011, Force India was expanding its reach in the country by hosting a ‘One in a Billion Hunt’. The idea was to find local talent who could have a future in F1 racing. Compared to other sports, F1 is incredibly difficult to enter as a developing talent due to its high costs.
Force India’s One in a Billion Hunt campaign led to three drivers being signed as junior talents. One of these drivers is Jehan Daruvala of Mumbai. Following his selection by the Force India team, he went on to compete in F3 competitions in Europe, then eventually F2 in 2020. Upon advancing to F2, Daruvala signed with the Red Bull Junior Team, where he still competes.
2022 marks Daruvala’s final year in F2, as it will be the time when he ‘makes or breaks’ his future in F1. This season, Daruvala remains in third place in the F2 Drivers Championship, hinting that he might have a future with Red Bull’s F1 team if he can hold his position.
Tsunoda’s Push for Japan & Guanshin’s Push for China
India’s past with Formula One Racing hints that the country has a promising future with the racing series, whether via a local driver or a new constructor team. In the last few years, other Asian countries have also made major strides to join the global racing league.
Yuki Tsunoda of Japan currently races for AlphaTauri, Red Bull’s secondary team in F1. He joined the team in 2021 and has since made 29 starts. While he hasn’t landed a podium, Tsunoda’s skillful driving has helped endear a new generation of Japanese fans to the racing series. Meanwhile, his big personality, which shone on Netflix’s latest Drive to Survive season, made him a global favorite for new fans.
Zhou Guanyu of China is doing the same for Chinese fans. Guanyu jumped from F2 to F1 this season where he races for Alfa Romeo, which is Ferrari’s secondary team on the track. At the moment, he shares the track with Valtteri Bottas, who is undoubtedly sharing some of his wisdom and experience with Guanyu. So far, he has started nine races and tallied a total of five career points. Like Tsunoda, Guanyu is still waiting on his first podium finish.