Mallya should have taken on an Indian driver, says Ecclestone
Ecclestone believes GP2 driver Karun Chandhok would have been a better choice
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By James Christie. |  |
Wednesday, 09, Sep 2009 11:43
By Adam Leveridge.
Force India missed an opportunity to take on an Indian driver, according to formula one supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
Ecclestone was disappointed by the decision of Force India team boss Viay Mallya to replace Giancarlo Fisichella with Vitantonio Liuzzi, saying that GP2 series runner Karun Chandhok deserved a chance.
"I was hoping Vijay would give Karun a chance," Ecclestone told the Hindustan Times on Wednesday.
"I'm a little disappointed that he has put the Italian guy in."
"Whether he has to do this by contract I don't know, but I'd have liked to see Karun in the car for the rest of the season."
Liuzzi will race for the first time since he drove for the Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso team in 2007, starting with his home grand prix at Monza.
Ecclestone's criticism of Mallya's choice of driver comes after India's sports minister Manohar Singh Gill dubbed F1 as "expensive entertainment" rather than a sport, after denying funding for the inaugural Indian grand prix in January, which is due to take place in 2011.
"We need to get Karun in an F1 car quickly," Ecclestone said.
"And he has got the talent and the ability, so it is a case of somebody just getting on and doing it now.
"We haven't seen him in an F1 car to know if Chandhok is ready, but there is no reason why he shouldn't perform."