Vicky Chandhok Indian’s motorsport federation president has express his concerns about the event’s proposed April 22 slot on the 2012 Formula 1 calendar which the sport’s commercial manager Bernie Ecclestone submitted to the teams before of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Following team principals’ remarks that they are set to ask Ecclestone for a rethink due to the logistical demands of back-to-back non-European races at the end of the season, Chandhok believes New Dehli’s race could also benefit from a change of date due to the country’s hot weather at that time of the year. Temperatures in the region are frequently above 100°F during April only May being a hotter month for Dehli.
"I am not happy with April because it’s going to be very hot," Chandhok, father of Team Lotus driver Karun, told Reuters. "But if we have to go in April, we will go. But I really think that the ideal dates for India are when it’s cooler, maybe March or later on in the year when you can go to with October, November, December."
Chandhok added that he is confident that the New Dehli’s debut on the world stage will impress Formula1 world when it hosts India’s inaugural grand prix on Oct. 30 this year.
"I have been to every single racetrack in the world," he said. "It’s going to be one of the fastest circuits in the world. A three-quarter mile straight and three corners that have now been redefined – they are following the new FIA guidelines to encourage overtaking. I think it’s going to be phenomenal. There will be lot of scope of overtaking."
Chandhok also insisted that preparations for this year’s event remain on track in spite of FIA delegate Charlie Whiting delaying his final inspection until the beginning of September.
"He is visiting Korea at the end of this month, on his way back he is flying over Delhi," said Chandhok. "So he will stop over at Delhi as it will make logical sense for the FIA. It’s purely procedural and a matter of convenience for the date of inspection."
Source: Autosport.com
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