Long term goal to care for Indian riders: Mahindra

Last year, when Mahindra announced its entry into two-wheeler racing and that too at the big league (FIM MotoGP 125cc World Championship), it was greeted with more skepticism than excitement by many motorsport enthusiasts in the country.

But last weekend, when German rider Marcel Schrotter won the first championship points for the Indian team at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, the management and the riders had reasons to celebrate. The 13th-place finish and three points not just marked the entry of Mahindra Racing into the points table, but it was also proof that the team was not just making the numbers in MotoGP, but fighting for some serious silverware.

Anand Mahindra, vice chairman and MD of Mahindra Group, believes the team has a long way to go to reach its full potential. And apart from "establishing themselves as a force in the circuit and further enhancing the reputation of the country in the sport," Mahindra's long-term goal is to start a programme through which Indian riders can be nurtured for the big league.

"That is indeed our long term goal," says Mahindra. "But that is for later. My belief is that we can't nurture riders if we don't know the game ourselves.

"We want to establish ourselves as one of the strongest teams in the circuit and then we will slowly bring up Indian riders. Of course, slowly we will graduate to Moto2 (250cc). That's the next logical step," he adds.

"We are just two races old and it's great that we already made a mark by scoring our first points. But there is a lot more to do in this season itself," says Mahindra.

"Our riders, Danny Webb (of England) and Marcel, are very experienced in the circuit. Last Sunday's race was proof enough of their quality. As a manufacturer, we are glad that we were able to provide the riders the best hardware possible. That was my primary concern," he added.

The Mahindra bikes were indeed competitive in wet conditions at Jerez on Sunday with Webb setting sights on a top-10 finish before he crashed out. Schrotter, the junior rider in the team, took over though. Starting 23rd on the Grid, the 18-year-old German made his way through the field to finish 13th.