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[Blwe_torch]

Force India in shock after first points and podium
REUTERS 31 August 2009, 01:38am IST
   
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS: Force India owner Vijay Mallya said his team were in shock on Sunday after storming the Belgian Grand Prix podium for their first points in Formula One.

"This is a bit of a state of shock actually. Every TV, every channel; it's going crazy in India," he said.

It was more of a bittersweet moment for Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella, who made the big breakthrough with a stunning second place from pole position at one of the sport's most demanding and revered circuits.

He finished 0.9 seconds behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen after an early safety car interlude allowed the Finn to close up and then use his car's KERS energy recovery boost button to power past.

"Before we came here...to finish eighth would have been fantastic," said Fisichella, whose last podium finish was with Renault in 2006.

"We are second. It is a great weekend for us; pole position. But considering our pace in the race, I was quicker than Kimi, it was possible to win the race.

"I have been unlucky with the safety car," added the Roman, tipped to be Raikkonen's Ferrari team mate at his home Italian Grand Prix at Monza next month after another poor performance by stand-in Luca Badoer.

"Just after the start up to turn eight I was two-and-half or three seconds ahead of him and it was perfect. We had the same fuel load.

"I was a little bit lighter but maybe the consumption was less and I did a very good job behind the safety car. It was about the same strategy and I could win the race easily as I was quicker than him.

GOING CRAZY

"But anyway, second is fantastic," said Fisichella. "I am really happy for the team, for myself. The car was really good. It was very consistent all the way through with the soft tyres and with the medium tyres.

"I am really impressed with our pace and I hope to keep going like that."

Mallya said he was still struggling to realise what his team had achieved after 29 races without a point in a car that was struggling at the back a few months ago.

The aviation and liquor tycoon, who styles himself as India's 'King of Good Times', was looking forward to downing one of his cold beers in celebration.

"We are still a small team but obviously we are a good enough team to be on the podium and score some points so obviously I am very happy," he said.

"I think ever since Australia it's fair to say that we haven't been the laggards at the back. We've been a good midfield team and getting better all the time."

Mallya had previously set his team a target of fighting for points this year and then being in a position to fight for a podium finish by the time of the first Indian Grand Prix scheduled for 2011.

Asked whether he would have to re-set his targets, he replied: "It's just too early, I'm just trying to assimilate it all. We will talk about targets later on."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/SPORTS/Racing/Top-Stories/Force-India-in-shock-after-first-points-and-podium/articleshow/4952634.cms

[keep-it-cool]

This is really good news. Mallya has taken a lot of stick in the media for his sporting pursuits - some for right reasons as well. But I guess one needs to give him his due. He appears to have been a lot more patient with his F1 team than his IPL team - probably because he intuitively understands F1 better. However, overal, he seems to be walking the talk insofar as willingness to put money behind his teams are concerned.