Motorcycling: Mahindra plots Indian entry into MotoGP - Economic Times

NEW DELHI: Indian auto maker Mahindra and Mahindra said on Monday that it would enter a team in the 2011 MotoGP Grand Prix world championships, a further sign of the country's growing motorsport ambitions .

The Mahindra team will compete in the 125cc class, which is a stepping stone for young riders on their way to the premier class of the competition that has been dominated recently by Italian star Valentino Rossi.

"We are planning a Mahindra team for next year, but have not finalised any details yet," a company spokesman told AFP, confirming Indian press reports. "We hope to formally announce our intentions shortly."

MotoGP holds an 18-series annual championship in which bikes from manufacturers including Ducati, Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki currently compete.

Each Grand Prix event has separate races in 125cc, Moto2 and the premier MotoGP categories.

India will host its first Formula One race next October at a new circuit on the outskirts of New Delhi. The country also fields its own Formula One team, Force India, owned by liquor and airline magnate Vijay Mallya.

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