Even as there is a growing chatter around Formula One’s potential return to India in the near future, the country’s representation in the sport has been sparse. So far, there have been only two drivers who have managed to reach the glamorous world of F1, and there hasn’t been one on the grid since 2012. Now, in a bid to identify potential future racing drivers, the Mumbai Falcons Racing Team is seeking to create a pathway to unearth talent, albeit in an unconventional way. One of the biggest problems is that the sport is the preserve of the rich, and the cost of trying to forge a career, even at the lowest levels, is prohibitive. To address that, Mumbai Falcons - which competes in various championships in the UAE and the Middle East and has run current F1 drivers like Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Arvid Linblad - will host a nationwide Sim Racing championship in association with F1 to help some of the top performers transition to real-world racing. “The idea is basically to find the next F1 driver. That’s the ultimate goal. But when we got into the psyche kids, we found out it’s too expensive and dangerous. That’s when we thought of doing this: virtual-to-reality? And then, you never know, you can just find one star out of them and who can start coming to our academy in Dubai and move up the rungs from karting to F4, F3 and so on,” said Ameet Gadhoke, owner of Mumbai Falcons. Participants will race from home on their console of preference at the first stage of screening. The second stage will be held in 10 cities as a zonal event, with an expected participation of nearly 10,000 across two sections: juniors (under-14) and seniors (over 14), all using the same