Excerpts from the interview...

What is the future of the Indian Grand Prix ?

Why didn't the Indian GP work out?

Was Delhi a good choice as a venue?

Why is there no one who can keep the Indian flag flying in F1 ?

Is Force India a disappointment for the Indian drivers who wanted to make it big in F1?

Did Force India give you a raw deal?

Are there any young Indian drivers waiting to make it big?

DUBAI: Narain Karthikeyan , the first Indian to drive in Formula One , is into development and engineering of racing cars. On the sidelines of MRF Challenge 2015, Karthikeyan spoke to TOI.I don't think the Indian GP will ever happen again. The Formula One promoters are also not showing any interest. The government has to show interest in hosting F1. Without the support from the government, it is impossible. There are only two or three where the government is not involved and India is one of them.It was too expensive... the affordability was a big factor. The maintenance of the track itself ran up to 5 crore per month. Then the spectators didn't turn up. After that there were differences between the F1 promoters and the organizers of Indian GP. Subsequently, it went into a spiral. Personally, I don't think India is ready to host a GP yet. The EPL is more popular than the F1 in India.Yes, Delhi was a good choice. F1 is a glamorous sport and Delhi has the right kind of clientele. They host high-profile events, so Delhi was a right choice or perhaps Mumbai. But it just didn't click.The system in India is flawed. There are so many factions here. There is no unified body. No one is ready to come together. It's just some bloated egos. There needs to be a huge change. The guy who is leading FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India) should take responsibility in ensuring that everything comes together. Right now, everything is going haywire.Well, Force India is largely funded by Mexican investors like Carlos Slim. So it is their prerogative to select drivers. That's why I guess...whichever nationality brings in the sponsors, the priorities go there.They had a plan and they went ahead with their own plan. So that's about it.Yes. There are three or four drivers who are good. There is Jehan Daruvala, and then Arjun Maini, Tarun Reddy; these three have the potential to go far.