28/10/2011
NEWS STORY
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Sahara Force India Formula One Team and Mobil 1 have announced the winners of the One From A Billion Hunt.
After hosting the regional rounds across seven cities in India, the Sahara Force India Formula One Team Academy has finally chosen the three winners from thousands of applicants during the final round of the Hunt held at Silverstone last week.
Arjun Maini (14 years old) from Bangalore was chosen as the winner. The first runner-up was Tarun Reddy (14 years old) from Chennai, with the second runner-up being Jehan Daruvala (13 years old) from Mumbai. While Arjun Maini and Tarun Reddy qualified from the Bangalore and Chennai regional rounds of the One From A Billion Hunt, Jehan Daruvala qualified through the Wild Card Entry Round held in Hyderabad.
At the end of the intensive hands-on week, an expert panel consisting of Deputy Team Principal, Robert Fernley, Eddie Jordan, Anthony Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg, evaluated and picked the three winners on the basis of a holistic assessment of their capabilities and proficiency in requisite areas.
"We have discovered three extremely talented participants during the Silverstone finals of the 'One From A Billion Hunt'," said Vijay Mallya. "We are delighted with the response the programme has received up to now and we wish the winners all the very best. Through the Sahara Force India Formula One Team Academy, we look forward to helping nurture and groom this young talent while providing them with the necessary skills required to be future Formula 1 drivers for the Sahara Force India Formula 1 Team."
The winners were chosen from the ten national finalists selected during the National Finals held in Goa. The ten finalists went on to do a week-long intensive stint at Silverstone, UK comprising sessions of driver tuition on Dmax Karts, a day at the Porsche Human Performance Centre to assess and develop fitness for motorsports, and media training with Goodman Media. They completed their experience with a race in Senior Dmax karts at the Daytona Kart Circuit in Milton Keynes.
"We are delighted at the outstanding response that the "One from a Billion Hunt" has received from karting enthusiasts across India," Eric Carmichael, Asia Pacific Marketing Manager, ExxonMobil Lubricants. "I would like to thank Dr. Vijay Mallya for the opportunity to work together in popularizing motorsports in India through this unique hunt and we look forward to continuing this into the future. I would like to wish the three young finalists of this programme every success as they set out to break new ground and inspire other youngsters to join the sport. It may not be long before we see an Indian driver on the podium in Formula 1."
"The top three were very close in the race for the championship and I have decided that all three will be sent to Europe for a comprehensive Driver Development Programme," added Mallya. "The decision to be taken in consultation with their parents will ensure their education, lodging and training by Sahara Force India."
Arjun Maini, Tarun Reddy and Jehan Daravala will receive a fully funded European-based driver development programme preparing them to become Formula One drivers. They will commence their journey with a go-karting programme in Europe. They will then advance to an appropriate single-seater Formula series before progressing to GP3, GP2 and then F1.