India will hold its first Formula One race in 2010

It is now officially confirmed, India will hold its first Formula One race in 2010. Formula One's architects visited New Delhi and saw several sites in the National Capital Region. They did an aerial survey and selected two sites - in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Sohna in Haryana. Both areas are suburbs of New Delhi and it's been left to India to choose between the two shortlisted venues. Formula One handed India two contracts - one a race promotion contract and the second a circuit rights agreement. While F1 is not an Olympic event, the IOA is involved as part of its attempt to bring as many major sporting events as possible to New Delhi ahead of the city's staging of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. With the game being hosted in India, it's a benifit for Mallya.

Business tycoon Vijay Mallya, who has completed 88 million euro deal to acquire 50 per cent stakes in Spyker-Ferrari Formula One, plans to give his team an Indian flavour, although he is yet to confirm a name or driver line-up for 2008. Mallya will be busy in attending the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai this weekend.

The liquor baron, before completing the official documentation with the Spyker team, had admitted India had "robust basis" to acquire the deal with names like Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok but refused to comment on the likely composition of his 2008 team.