Starry adieu to F1
The fast-paced world of Formula One, with a plethora of international stars, may be far removed from anything traditional, but when a group of young boys and girls — dressed in colourful attire — showcased their moves on the foot-tapping bhangra in front of the impressive line of Ferraris and Red Bulls at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida on Sunday afternoon, it made for a heady cocktail.
It set the tone for a Super Sunday for the countrymen, who enjoyed an amazing mix of sporting action and fun-filled dance performances at the second Grand Prix of India.
Cricketer Harbhajan Singh was one of the first to arrive and spent close to 20 minutes at the Ferrari garage, asking the engineers about the nitty-gritties of the cars and its mechanism. A self-confessed Ferrari and Fernando Alonso fan, the spinner posed happily with a Ferrari helmet in his hand and was accompanied by model-actor Geeta Basra.
Harbhajan said, “This is my second year at the F1 race and as an Indian, I feel extremely proud that we are hosting it. It is a huge event for the country and we are getting better by the year. I am a die-hard Ferrari fan and hope for a Ferrari win despite Red Bull’s dominance.”
Asked if he too would like to own a Ferrari like Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan laughed and said, “No, I am just happy watching and supporting!”
Tendulkar, who was handed the chequered flag last year, missed out this time as he is training with the Mumbai Ranji team.
All-rounder Yuvraj Singh arrived just at the start of the race at 3 pm and was seen enjoying the action.
Also present was actor-model Gul Panag, who inspected the pits along with FMSCI president Vicky Chandhok. “I have always been a sport fanatic and love the atmosphere. It is a proud moment to witness an F1 race in the country and I am sure the people of the country are loving it too,” she said.
Bollywood actors too did not lag behind. Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha and Anil Kapoor made the most of their Sunday at the circuit.
Hockey stars Sardar Singh, Sandeep Singh and Shivendra Singh — all Jaypee invitees — though missed out on what would have been their maiden Grand Prix experience. “The national camp is on and it was difficult for us to travel to Delhi in the mid of the camp,” said midfielder Sardar. “It would have been a great experience.”
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