After MotoGP Success, Will F1 Return To India?

Buddh International Circuit’s (BIC) 10-year dry spell was finally quenched by the first-ever MotoGP race in the country. MotoGP coming to India was big news, but how we would handle it was a cause for concern. Everything from track readiness to visa delays to finally rainfall—it was a whole Indian drama, but at the end of the day, everything went off well, and neither the riders, race engineers, nor the spectators had any reasons to complain. It was good to see the action back on track. Hope you know that this very track is used by Acko Drive to conduct its Jury meets for two and four-wheeler vehicles.

MotoGP attracted a crowd of over 1.10 lakh over the course of the three days and seating capacity was not used to the fullest but still, overall from a sports point of view, everything had gone well. Does this successful completion then open doors for F1 to make a return to the country? Well, according to a report in The Times Of India, Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) CEO Arun Vir Singh said that a discussion with its organisers is likely to take place soon to put India back on the F1 calendar in 2025.

Both F1 and MotoGP have private commercial rights holders, the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) for MotoGP and the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) for F1 and both issue certifications for the track. While the FIM certification has already been received by BIC, the FIA remains pending, and we are told that it’s a mere formality.

But whether it will come to India is a question for the government to answer, as it was because of the high taxation that the organisers decided to not host F1 in India. The then government did not classify F1 as a sport, but rather a source of entertainment. Hence, the tax exemptions that were given to sports in the country were not made available for F1, and the customs fees for engines and tyres were not cancelled. Though there was a 5-year contract between the Indian government and the FIA, the race was cancelled after the first 3 editions (2011, 2012 and 2013).

The fanbase for motorsports has seen a rise in the country and India has played host to the Formula E race in Hyderabad just this year. Changing of policies is the need of the hour and hopefully, we will get to see that in the context of F1 as well.