Formula 1 Demo Drive in Trivandrum on 28th Aug. EDIT : Cancelled?

[Scorcher]

Looks like Trivandrum is gonna get it’s first taste of Formula 1 this month. As a part of Onam Celebrations, the Tourism Department has roped in Narain Karthikeyan to drive his HRT F1 car on Trivandrum roads.

He was in town today for evaluating the roads and has given a green light for the drive.

The date of the drive, as planned now, is 28th of August and the course would be Kowdiar-Vellayambalam-LMS-Fine Arts College-Palayam road.

Exclusive Interview: Narain Karthikeyan in Thiruvananthapuram for Demo Drive - YouTube

[junaid12345678]

200+ on kowdiar-vellayambalam road?. Sounds insane. Yeah, the car is capable but still is it possible?
Apart from all these, the youth watching the event will definitely try to attain such speeds, that means a street race?

[nitrous]

It's all good as long as Narain's not fined for over-speeding like the way Mumbai cops fined the Redbull driver for going over the 40 kph on the sea link.

[Ford5]

Is the tarmac that good for the formula 1 car? all i hear about Kerala's roads are potholes due to various weather extremes.

[DicKy]

Have been following this news on SSC for past two months, was praying that it was not cancelled or taken some where else like it usually happens.
Anyway a great gift for Onam.
Regarding the roads, the stretch is what's best Kerala has to offer. Not much wide, but unlike the highways and other roads the city roads under CRIP are good enough for an F1 car.
Oh. God can't wait to hear that marvel roaring thru the roads.
2 years back wouldn't even have dreamt of a Grand Prix in India, now it has come to my doorsteps.

[thoma]

Some guys have already decided to play spoilsport. Heard in the news that a petition have been filed regarding the 40 kmph speed limit on city roads.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by thoma

Some guys have already decided to play spoilsport. Heard in the news that a petition have been filed regarding the 40 kmph speed limit on city roads.

Wanted to share this news , but was afraid that the Mods would give infraction for badmouthing the great Citizen who did this. Words can't describe him, i mean i was waiting for something to block this program sooner than later but didn't think it would be for such lame reason.
Let him go and petition the political parties and NGOs for defacing the M.G.road in front of the Secretariat.
Hope common sense prevails and the court rejects the petition and the Demo drive go as planned.

[darklord]

Formula One drive hits legal roadblock

The much-awaited Formula One demonstration drive led by India’s ace driver Narain Karthikeyan in Thiruvananthapuram on August 28 has run into a legal tangle with a social worker serving notices on eight parties, including the Tourism Secretary.

Sabu Stephen, a native of the city, has served notices on the managing director, KTDC, member secretary, Kerala Road Fund Board, administrative officer, KRFB, director, Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Ltd, principal, M&N Racing Team, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Traffic (North) and Circle Inspector of Police, Traffic (North) over the issue.

Lawyers to move HC against F1 demo drive

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A group of lawyers from the city have decided to approach the high court against ace driver Narian Karthikeyan's F1 demo drive to be held in the city on August 28. The lawyers claim that holding the event will amount to violation of traffic rules.

The lawyers have also decided to question the conduct of the event since enormous funding is required for it. "We suspect there is some hidden agenda behind this," said Gopalakrishnan.

It is a ploy by the galactic overlords to control our minds.



Sigh!!

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by darklord

It is a ploy by the galactic overlords to control our minds.
Sigh!!

I find this incredibly funny.

Every day, I see a group of lawyers on two-wheelers waiting for the red-light at Corporation traffic-junction in Bangalore. They wait patiently for the red light so they could ride perpendicularly to the flow of traffic - on a one-way road and ON the Zebra Crossing - while they shove other vehicles away and make way to enter the Metropolitan Magistrate Traffic Court (MMTC)..

..only to fight their clients' cases pertaining to traffic-violations. It simply couldn't get more ironic than that.

Ridiculous.

EDIT: For all we know, it's these lawyers that have ulterior motives. I'm sorry, I know this rant has nothing to do with the F1 debacle in Kerala, but it just goes to show the double-standards and hypocritical behaviour in everyone.

[StarrySky]

Read in the newspaper today that the F1 demo drive has been cancelled. The reason is that the govt has not given the final go-ahead for the project so far and now it's too late to ship the car to India for the planned Aug 28th date. We may, however, get a chance to see cars from some lower series.

[Scorcher]

Yes, it's official, the losers win. The drive's been called off!

[kishorelal]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Wanted to share this news , but was afraid that the Mods would give infraction for badmouthing the great Citizen who did this. Words can't describe him, i mean i was waiting for something to block this program sooner than later but didn't think it would be for such lame reason.
Let him go and petition the political parties and NGOs for defacing the M.G.road in front of the Secretariat.
Hope common sense prevails and the court rejects the petition and the Demo drive go as planned.

IMHO the F1 Demo drive if allowed on the particular stretch of Road will give a wrong signal to the Wannabe illegal racing streakss which was taking place there causing damage to many poor pedestrians and other motorissts.
Although not a thiruvananthapuram resident I have once witnessed the dangerous nonsense that was taking place in Kaudiar in name of street racing.
Hope the court also takes a serious view of the petition.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by kishorelal

IMHO the F1 Demo drive if allowed on the particular stretch of Road will give a wrong signal to the Wannabe illegal racing streakss which was taking place there causing damage to many poor pedestrians and other motorissts.

I don't buy this wrong signal / right signal business. I believe people have brains. Most people have the ability to rationalize. That's what separates us from the animals. If we let ourselves be influenced by frivolous things, we're just being naive. It's like the government trying to ban movie-posters, censor every word on the telly and curb night-life in some cities. If anything, it's just going to get worse.

Why not let the citizens decide what they want to do?

How much damage will a Forumla 1 DEMO do? I'm sure the privately-run Kerala State buses drive worse than anyone else in the country. Who is influencing them? And it's not just in the State of Kerala, it's everywhere in the country.

I hope the govt. learns that 'banning' is not the answer to everything.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by kishorelal

IMHO the F1 Demo drive if allowed on the particular stretch of Road will give a wrong signal to the Wannabe illegal racing streakss which was taking place there causing damage to many poor pedestrians and other motorissts.
Although not a thiruvananthapuram resident I have once witnessed the dangerous nonsense that was taking place in Kaudiar in name of street racing.
Hope the court also takes a serious view of the petition.

Sorry sir but i can't understand yor view point. Then someone please ban all tne films showing violence and immorality for sake of 'public concern'.
Street racing will take place irrespective of a demo drive or not, and am sure the city cops are doing their best to curb the menace.
The drive if done would have been entertainment for the public, not 'influence' them go street race.
Hope that something relating to motorsports takes place during the onam celeb.

[thoma]

The Kowdiar-Vellayambalam stretch was once a race track for many bikers. But now the whole area is under surveillance camera 24x7 with police patrolling quite often. The Bangalore MG road stretch comes to my mind when I think of street racing.

If the F1 demo is banned, I wonder how the alternately suggested lower series cars can adhere to the stipulated 40 kmph!