vijay mallya |

vijay mallya |

FORMULA ONE NEWS

Mallya (left) celebrates with Fisichella. MALLYA LEFT STUNNED BY PODIUM Force India tycoon Vijay Mallya was left "in a state of shock" after Giancarlo Fisichella broke the team's Formula One points duck at Spa. The usually-ebullient Mallya appeared somewhat subdued despite Fisichella's second place from pole in the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing just 0.9 seconds behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. In their 30th race, Force India were on the podium two years ahead of Mallya's stated ambition as he had previously set such a target by the time of the Indian Grand Prix in 2011. "As you well know, this is our first real year in Formula One as Force India," remarked Mallya. "Last year all we did was race the Spyker car because we bought the team at the end of 2007, and in 2008 it was the same Spyker package, the same management team, the same engineering. "Then we revamped everything and designed and built this car, and I think since Australia it's fair to say we haven't been the laggards at the back. "We've been a good midfield team and improving all the time, and we went into this race again hoping for points. "Then when pole showed up we were ecstatic, and clearly we are ecstatic today with the podium finish." Despite his comment, Mallya was anything but ecstatic, so when asked as to why he was not, the owner of the Kingfisher empire added: "I'm in a bit of a state of shock actually. "We are still a small team, but obviously we are a good enough team to be on the podium and score some points, so obviously I am very happy. "The pole was the first real breakthrough, a little surprising, but a very pleasant surprise. "Starting from pole I was quietly confident we would be in the points that have literally eluded us for a long time. "We were distinctly unlucky in three previous races in which we should have been in the points, but the podium is obviously a bonus." There is every prospect Mallya will now lose Fisichella for the rest of the season as Ferrari are expected to prise away the 36-year-old prior to his home race in Italy in a fortnight. Luca Badoer's two performances as replacement for Felipe Massa have been so bad, it is inconceivable Ferrari will keep faith with their tester of 12 years with so much at stake in front of their fans. Yet despite an Italian television company claiming before the race the deal was done, Mallya and Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali played down the speculation. "Ferrari hasn't come to me, Fisi hasn't come to me, his manager hasn't come to me," insisted Mallya. "This is all speculation, something I should not be commenting on at all because as far as I am concerned the proposal doesn't exist. "Fisi is a very valuable member of my team and I'm sure he's very proud and pleased with his own performance today and the car that we have given him to drive." As for Domenicali, he said: "Giancarlo is a driver that seems to be very fast, and he had a great race. "But I cannot say whether the speculation is true or not." As part of Massa's rehabilitation after his horrifying accident in the Hungarian Grand Prix that left him with a fractured skull, he is to undergo further medical tests in Miami on Monday at the hands of renowned neurosurgeon Steve Olvey. Domenicali added: "I heard from Felipe after the race and he was very happy. He cheered with us. "He is already in Miami, and tomorrow he will have his medical check." via:http://www.sportinglife.com/formula1/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=formula1/09/08/30/manual_195456.html