Mid-Day

Monisha Kaltenborn, the first female team principal in Formula One, is looking forward to visiting the country of her birth, thanks to the Indian Grand Prix.

Though she has been away from India for the major part of her life, the Sauber chief has remained close to her roots.

Monisha Kaltenborn

Dehradun-born Kaltenborn migrated to Austria with her parents when she was eight and has travelled across the world since then. An Austrian citizen now, she still retains her Indian surname, Narang, on the passport.

Kaltenborn took charge of Sauber at last week’s Korean Grand Prix, replacing team owner Peter Sauber.

Asked about the future of F1 in India (Oct 26-28), she said: “It’s difficult for any sport to find a place in India next to cricket. But I do think that the interest in Formula One has risen significantly since its debut last year.”