MRF Challenge eyes European expansion "in a few years"

Talking at the Autosport International Show, Mammen explained the business of MRF and took through its motorsport involvement in India and abroad.

Joining Mammen on the podium were series coordinator David Lowe, Red Bull's Adrian Newey and his son, Harrison, who races in the MRF Challenge winter series.

When asked on the future of the international Formula 2000 series, Mammen said that the current focus lies on making it stronger in the Indian and Middle Eastern market, before venturing into Europe.

“Currently, we are positioning ourselves as a [proper] winter series and we are really looking at the Middle East, India and also into the Far East.

“Probably in one or two years we will look into how we can move into the European market, but that will take some time,” he said.

“We are not looking at in the next two years probably, maybe after few years we can look at bringing it [the series] into this part of the world.”

The series which started in 2012-2013 with only races in India, expanded to Middle East in 2013-2014 season and has raced on four Formula 1 & MotoGP circuits.

In the on-going season after two rounds, the standings is headed by Joey Mawson with Newey in second, while Felipe Drugovich lies third, three points ahead of Mick Schumacher.

2017/18 provisional calendar released

At the show, series coordinator, Lowe, also revealed the proposed calendar for the sixth season to take place in the year 2017-2018.

The championship will feature the same four venues as the current season, with it starting in November at Bahrain, once again as the support to FIA WEC's 6 hours of Bahrain race.

It will then move to Dubai in December, before the Indian leg in January and February at the Buddh International Circuit (marked TBC) and the Madras Motor Race Track respectively.

Having previously raced at Losail in Qatar and Yas Marina in Abu Dhbai, Lowe said that while they have options to stage its races on other tracks in the region, but the time constraints means they only have four rounds to host in one particular season.

2017/18 MRF Challenge calendar - provisional:

Round	Venue	Date
1	Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir	November 16-18
2	Dubai Autodrome, Dubai	December 7-9
3	Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida*	January 19-21
4	Madras Motor Race Track, Chennai	February 2-4