India can feature in F1 calendar in near future: Ecclestone

New Delhi, Apr 10 (UNI) In a big fillip to India's desire to feature in F1 calendar, Formula One management chief Bernie Ecclestone has identified the country as a future Formula One destination.

''India is a destination that we at Formula One Management are looking at seriously and I am personally enthusiastic about the prospects of having a round of Formula One World Championship there in the near future,'' Mr Ecclestone, President and CEO of F1 Management, said in a statement.

Expressing his desire to see an Indian competing in the World Championship, Ecclestone said Chennai-based Karun Chandhok has the talent to become the second Indian to get a Formula One seat after Narain Karthikeyan.

''While it is important for India, a rapidly growing economy to host a Formula One event, it would be ideal to also have an Indian competing in the World Championships.

Chandhok is making a foray into the 2007 GP2 series which is considered as the feeder race for the F1. It is owned and run together by Ecclestone and Flavio Briartore and Bruno Michel from Renault.

The GP2 series has produced nine F1 drivers in two years and Ecclestone congratulated Chandhok for getting a seat in the series after tough competition.

''I have been guiding and supporting Karun in his quest to compete in GP2 as he progresses towards Formula One. This is an exciting time for him and I wish him all the success for the season ahead,'' Ecclestone said.

The series (11 events) kicks off at Sakhir in Bahrain (April 13-15) and ends on September 30 in Valencia in Spain with nine races in between, including Barcelona (May 11-13), Monaco (May 25-27), Silverstone (July 6-8), Instanbul (August 24-26) and Monza in Iataly (September 24-26).

There are two races every weekend on the same track used for F1, one just after F1 qualifying on Saturday evening and one on Sunday morning just before F1 race itself. This gives drivers a chance to impress the F1 bosses with a view to soon join the top step of the ladder.

Ecclestone said when the GP2 series was conceptualised two years ago, it was to create a highly competitive series for drivers as a final stepping stone which prepares them in the best way possible for Formula 1.

''The emergence of a large number of drivers in the F1 pit-lane today bears testimony to the strength of the series,'' he said in the statement issued on the occasion of Chandhok's announcement of his foray into the GP2 series here.

UNI