» Praise from F1 stars for India’s World Cup win

India’s victory in last weekend’s Cricket World Cup championship has prompted much praise from Formula 1 circles, with many drivers and team figures praising the success of the ‘Men in Blue’.

The response was – not surprisingly – led by India’s own F1 representatives: Force India boss Vijay Mallya and HRT F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan, who took to Twitter to send their congratulations.

The Indian team beat opponents Sri Lanka in the final, sending the cricket-mad Indian nation into a frenzy.

Indian cricket legend – and F1 junkie – Sachin Tendulkar met Narain Karthikeyan during his stint with Jordan in 2005

“Into Overdrive …… All the way to the finish line……. Nothing can stop us now…. Team India rulz (sic)!!!” Kathikeyan wrote on his Twitter feed.

“A very proud moment for India to be Cricket World Champions. We need to acknowledge every player but especially Captain Dhoni-outstanding!” added Mallya, who owns one of the teams in the Indian Premier League championship.

Even those outside the Indian circle were good enough to acknowledge the success of the Indian team, which took its first World Cup trophy in over 20 years.

Lewis Hamilton, whose English team were beaten in the semi-finals by Sri Lanka, sent his congratulations via Twitter.

“Congrats to all in India on ur (sic) cricket success. Namaste:),” wrote the 2008 World Champion.

And Mark Webber is another who is no stranger to cricket. A close friend to many in the Australian team, Webber predicted that India would take the cup after it bundled out his Australian side in the quarter-finals.

“It was a great knock from Ricky Ponting [Australia’s captain, who scored a century in that match], superb in the circumstances. He proved form is temporary and class is forever. But, India too strong in the end. Hope they go all the way as place will go crazy!” he tweeted.

[Images via cricinfo, Sporty Desktops]