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.
"I have talked to Dr Mallya this morning but will be able to give more details about anything regarding the deal only after this weekend," said a spokesperson from the Orange India Holdings, the joint consortium formed by Mallya and Dutch entrepreneur Michiel Mol, who has remaining 50 percent stakes.
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.
"We do have two Indian drivers with Karthikeyan and Chandok, but it is too early to say if one of them will be chosen, so I will not make any comments on that...
"An Indian team with an Indian driver would be the ideal combination," he said adding that "in the future I will look very carefully into our karting championship to identify talents that can be developed into potential candidates for the team."
"An Indian team with an Indian driver would be the ideal combination," he said adding that "in the future I will look very carefully into our karting championship to identify talents that can be developed into potential candidates for the team."
The Mallya-Mol consortium becomes the former Jordan team's third owner in just three years. The Midland group took over in 2005, before selling the squad on to Spyker late last year. Five directors will be appointed with three from Mallya group and two by the Mol family.