India continues to strive for its own spot on the F1 calendar. The Indian government sees the pinnacle of motorsport as an important means to enhance the country’s international image. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has previously spoken about a possible return of Formula 1 to the Buddh International Circuit. A special committee has now been established to explore the possibilities.
Mandaviya previously stated that India would host a Grand Prix again in 2027. “There will be an F1 race in India in 2027,” he declared in April. “This will happen 100 percent for sure. The first race will take place at the Buddh International Circuit.” FOM denied those claims but did not rule out future cooperation with India. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali also mentioned during his mid-season press conference that talks are ongoing with various Asian countries about possible new Grands Prix.
The Indian government now seems to have postponed the plans by a year and is focusing on a possible agreement with Formula 1 in 2028. According to the Indian newspaper The Indian Express, Mandaviya has called on potential investors to collaborate on the sport’s return to the country. “We will establish a body to conduct a thorough evaluation of the country’s motorsport ecosystem and investigate the challenges related to its growth,” he responded.
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Committee investigates feasibility of GP India
An important task for that committee will be to examine the economic feasibility of a new Grand Prix. India already hosted three Grands Prix at the Buddh International Circuit between 2011 and 2013, which was designed by Hermann Tilke. The track is located near Greater Noida, about forty kilometers from the capital New Delhi. The researchers appointed by Mandaviya have the task of mapping both the costs of a new contract with Formula 1 and the necessary investments in infrastructure.
India is – like many other countries – interested in the potential benefits of a Formula 1 return. A Grand Prix typically offers additional employment, increased tourism, and greater international visibility. Sport has now been included in the priorities of the Ministry of Public Enterprises, which may provide new resources for the development of the sports sector and a future Grand Prix on Indian soil. The GP of India disappeared from the F1 calendar after 2013 due to high financial losses for the organizers, combined with serious bureaucratic and tax-related disputes with the government. One of the causes was that the state considered the pinnacle class as ‘entertainment’ rather than as sport.
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