Sachin Tendulkar To Wave Chequered Flag At The Indian Grand Prix

Sachin Tendulkar needs no introduction; however, you must know that he is the ‘brand ambassador’ for the i1 Super Series, a new racing league scheduled to run post the Indian Grand Prix. However, that is not what I am writing this post for.

The organizers of the Indian Grand Prix have requested Bernie Ecclestone if Sachin Tendulkar, India’s Cricketing God, can have the honour of waving the chequered flag at the end of their first-ever Formula1 race. This would mean that on the last lap of the race, Tendulkar will make his way to the little box just above the start-finish line and drop the chequered flag, signaling the end of the Indian Grand Prix.

Tendulkar waving the flag is a fantastic PR story for the Indian Grand Prix. My last memory of a famous personality waving the flag at the end of a race is of football legend Pele, who did so at the 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix. If you know of any other such instances, please leave them in the comments section below.

This news story is not confirmed as Bernie is yet to approve of this idea, however, this comes days after Tendulkar went on national television and claimed his support towards the Sahara Force India team at the Indian Grand Prix. (Read post: Shahrukh Khan To Raise The Flag For Sahara Force India)

Should JPSI’s request come through, I would expect most fans to probably miss out on which driver takes the chequered flag, after all, their eyes will be glued on the person who is waving it!

Kunal Shah is an FIA-accredited Formula 1 journalist who has been reporting on Formula 1 for nearly two decades. He worked with the Force India Formula 1 Team for 6 seasons in Marketing, Sponsorship and Commercial roles. As a former single-seater racer, he was responsible for Force India's grassroots talent program, One from a Billion Hunt. Presently, he co-writes a regular Formula 1 column for Firstpost, speaks on Inside Line F1 Podcast & Pits to Podium and produces broadcast/OTT content for NENT Group (Viasport & Viaplay).

3 comments On Sachin Tendulkar To Wave Chequered Flag At The Indian Grand Prix

  • This is such a great news.. Yes I will be able to watch him from the Grand Stand :-). There was a funnt incident when Pele waved the flag at the 2002 Brazilian GP as he didn’t know when to wave it.. He waved it after the Race winner got past him.. That wont happen with Sachin Tendulkar as he knows the sport very well. Felipa Massa waved the chequered flag at the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix. Very happy to hear the Sachin News..

  • John Travolta waved the chequered flag for the 2010 Australian grand prix and also handed out the second place trophy to robert kubica

  • Sachin Tendulkar meets Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone

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