Force India committed to find next Indian F1 driver: Mallya

Force India chairman Vijay Mallya said the Silverstone-based outfit is committed to unearth India’s next Formula One driver,saying there must be a Lewis Hamilton hidden somewhere in the country’s billion-plus population.

Talking to reporters on the eve of tomorrow’s European Grand Prix,Mallya did not doubt the talent of India’s first F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan or Hispania’s Karun Chandhok but said they did not suit his requirement.

“Let’s be clear,motorsport is not that advanced in India for a variety of reasons to throw up drivers who would ultimately reach Formula One,” said Mallya.

“We have drivers – Narain Karthikeyan,Karun Chandhok,and a couple of others,Armaan (Ebrahim),and there’s a boy called (Aditya) Patel. They are talented drivers. Now I must decide whether they suit my requirements in Force India Formula One or not,” he said.