I am not against F1 and consider it a very good form of competitive entertainment but I can't just accept it as a sport just because it involves a competition. If you went by that attitude we will have everything as sports including video games and quiz sessions. I know (and agree) that the excuse given by government is flimsy and that they are not really concerned about doing anything for any sport (which includes cricket). So I hope government agreed to the proposal for F1 for entertainment purpose and for the fact that this entertainment will bring in lots of other benefit to the country.
PS I am not here to fight anyone. I am an avid follower of F1 myself. Have always been and don't see that changing in coming times.

Ever heard about the fitness regimes that modern-day F1 drivers undergo? Hint: It's way more strict than what most people subject themselves to. Way more than some athletes, even.

Yes I am aware. So does that proves anything for Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar?

I just wanted to put my views. Not to start any fight or to argue. I just put them for a different perspective. If that perspective offends someone I take them back.
Peace my brothers

Salman Khan and akshay kumar do not go head to head in a controlled, competitive environment with equipment adhering to Formula specifications which is overseen by a governing body. Neither do they have to subject themselves to medical tests conducted on a random basis for performance enhancing substances.

Also, common sense

A little insight into the training regime of F1 drivers (Source: Formula 1 complete - all access F1)

Drivers' fitness is tailored-made to offer the best possible answers to these facts:

- The Lateral G-forces exerted on a driver can be as much as 4.5 G, which means about 25 kg on the neck
- The Longitudinal G-forces exerted on a driver can be as much as 4.5
- Acceleration: to 1G, braking up to 4.5G, cornering up to 3G
- For instance, a F1 car can brake from 185kph to stand still in 3.5seconds and 80 metres (rate of deceleration 4G)
- The heart rate can reach 170 - 190 BPM for example on the starting grid
- During a Grand Prix, the pulse rate of a Formula 1 driver hovers around 160 beats per minute, and has peaks of over 200. The pulse rate of a healthy young man is typically in the region of 60 beats per minute.
- Blood pressure can increase up to 50% whilst racing

Training

Improving a F1 driver's muscular mass and endurance implies a very localised bodybuilding: any car designer will indeed tell you that the thinner, the lighter, the better to fit in the tiny F1 car cockpit. It is then important to develop strength without increasing volume and weight too much. Some specific muscles groups particularly need to be developed, one of the most important being without doubt the driver's neck.

Some activities are commonly integrated to all drivers fitness programme:

- indoor activities: running and cycling on machines, weight-lifting as well as training on special equipment designed to reproduce F1 racing conditions.
- outdoor activities: mountain biking, race cycling, jogging, tennis, kayak (which is excellent for cardio-vascular training)

Most of the time, the programme has to be completed with the drivers' favourite activities. As they have to train so long hours, it is important that they do not get bored too quickly...

Drinking and eating
Peak physical condition and response to F1 cars constraints is also given by a proper healthy diet. The point is to provide energy, proteins (main muscles feeder) and minerals without slowing down metabolism and digestive system, as this does not only affect the body but also the mind capacities and reactions.

- F1 Drivers loose approx. 2-3 litres of water during a race
- Importance of fluid level in the body has been underlined by sports studies showing that a person losing just 4% of their body weight can lose up to 40% of their psycho-physical capacity.
- The average recommended daily fluid intake is four litres (which few common people manage)
- The Toyota drivers drink no less than 8 litres in the days preceding very hot races like Australia, Malaysia, and Brazil...
- Drivers have a drinking bottle (containing water and mineral salts) installed in the cockpit with a pipe going through their helmet. Capacity around 75cl.

A typical regime is a balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein and various vitamins and minerals, if necessary through a complement aside of meals.
No wonder why all drivers regularly quote mineral water and pasta as their favourite food and drink...

A typical race day menu
The time when meals are taken also has an impact on performance and nothing is left to chance, particularly on a race day:

07:30 Breakfast: milk and/or yoghurt, cereals, fresh fruits...
08:00 Massage to wake up and warm-up muscles
09:30 Warm-up session

Throughout the day, drivers drink carbohydrated drinks, which are an excellent way to hydrate the body and provide him with energy without hampering digestion

10:00/11:30 Warm-up technical debrief followed by PR activities

Ideally lunch should take place about 4 hours prior to the start of the race but it is generally very difficult to fit this in the race day schedule. Therefore drivers usually do as follow:

11:30 Very light portion of pasta, vegetable soup
12:00 Drivers take a rest and most of the time sleep
12:40 30-minute massage to reawaken muscles
13:15 Drivers get ready to jump in their race car
14:00 Race start
End of the race Debriefing and PR duties followed after a certain time by relaxing massage and a good meal to recover lost proteins and vitamins.

Concentrating

The sensitivity of a top-line Formula 1 driver is so finely developed that he can feel a change as tiny as 0.5% in front-rear aerodynamic balance. He can sense a difference in the car's behaviour if its front ride height is altered by as little as 1mm.
Throughout the race, a driver aims to keep his engine RPM within a band of 2000rpm (where maximum power is produced). He can judge his pace so exactly that, on a clear track, he can repeatedly achieve consecutive lap-times within a range of 0.2 second.
It is then utterly important to help him maintaining a perfect level of concentration throughout the race to keep all his senses at their peak awareness. To that effect, a special training based on in depth medical and psychophysical studies is given to the drivers to enable them to control stress level and work on their concentration.


And a for a Motogp rider (must read): MotoGP: Building the rider | Page 1 | MotoGP News | 2008 | Crash.Net

F1 is a sport.

OKAY ...& Here's definition of sports as per wikipedia :

Sport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determinant of the outcome (winning or losing), but the term is also used to include activities such as mind sports (a common name for some card games and board games with little to no element of chance) and motor sports where mental acuity or equipment quality are major factors. Sport is commonly defined as an organized, competitive and skillful physical activity requiring commitment and fair play. Some view sports as differing from games based on the fact that there are usually higher levels of organization and profit (not always monetary) involved in sports. Accurate records are kept and updated for most sports at the highest levels, while failures and accomplishments are widely announced in sport news.
The term sports is sometimes extended to encompass all competitive activities in which offense and defense are played, regardless of the level of physical activity. Both games of skill and motor sport exhibit many of the characteristics of physical sports, such as skill, sportsmanship, and at the highest levels, even professional sponsorship associated with physical sports.
Sports that are subjectively judged are distinct from other judged activities such as beauty pageants and bodybuilding shows, because in the former the activity performed is the primary focus of evaluation, rather than the physical attributes of the contestant as in the latter (although "presentation" or "presence" may also be judged in both activities).
Sports are most often played just for fun or for the simple fact that people need exercise to stay in good physical condition.
Although they do not always succeed, sports participants are expected to display good sportsmanship, standards of conduct such as being respectful of opponents and officials, and congratulating the winner when losing.

So motorsports is a sport --Period

& sumit :if salman & akshay were to stand against each other in a closed arena to be judged on their physical apperance i.e. bodybuilding ,Than that too would definitely constitute as sport.

So come on now ...be a "sport" and curse the ministers

I have sportingly done both in my previous posts. Agreed that f1 is a sport and cursed the ministers also

all our ministers are dumb old man idiots...they only know a single sport which is how to play in politics by handling their DHOTI

Well I know for one , when paintball professionals asked gov. about giving them import duty cuts on their equipment since it qualifies as a sport they ridiculed them saying "goti khelna is not a sport" ( they probably thought it was painted balls).

btw , Whats the point of this thread here , except for sharing this piece of news. We (most of us) agree its a sport anyways

Well, it leads to a lot of Govt bashing that everyone enjoys.

F1 is a motorsport. It is a pity GOI cannot recognize it that way.

Oh yes, F1 is not a sport!!! People watching them are dumba#$. Grow up India

Actually Singapore is a street course..and an amazing one at that! When has any indian goverment been broad minded or pragmatic??? i totally expected this...

Formula 1 is not a sport??
Are people there out of their minds?