Schumacher hopes for strong fan support at Indian GP

New Delhi: Seven times Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher says it will be interesting to see if the enthusiasm among the Indian fans has remained as it was during the inaugural Indian Grand Prix.

Around 95,000 people turned up at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) to watch the race last year. "The Formula 1 debut of India last year was certainly a success. There were a surprising amount of fans during the weekend, and the track itself really is cool. We drivers were given a very enthusiastic reception, and it will be interesting to see if this enthusiasm has remained as strong," Schumacher, who drives for the Mercedes GP team, told the official Formula 1 website ahead of the Oct 26-28 event. The German will retire with the end of the 2012 season. His teammate Nico Rosberg expressed that he was impressed by the passion for the sport of the Indian fans. "Last year I was really impressed by the passion and friendliness of the Indian people so I`m looking forward to visiting again and having some more interesting experiences. ," said Rosberg, who had a crazy time in 2011 while visiting the busy streets of Old Delhi. "The BIC is very challenging with an interesting combination of slow speed corners and long fast straights. The track also has one of the highest average speeds in Formula 1 and is good for overtaking," added Rosberg. IANS