The Indian Grand Prix (Hindi: भारतीय ग्राँ प्री) will be a Formula One race held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. The first event is scheduled to take place on October 30, 2011 as the 17th race of the 2011 Formula One season,[2] The homologation of the new race track will take place on September 1, 2011.
The race will be held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, 50 km from Delhi.[29] The circuit will be roughly 5.14 kilometres (3.19 miles) and will be designed by F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke. The track will be spread in an area of 875 acres. The initial seating capacity is speculated to be around 150,000. However there are plans to increase the seating capacity to 200,000 later on. The sprawling circuit will be a part of Jaypee Green Sports city and will also be used for hosting one or more rounds of Moto GP championships in the year 2012. The 10-year contract for the race has been given to the Indian construction company Jaiprakash Associates.[30]
The track in all has 16 largely medium speed corners where F1 cars will lap at an average speed of 210 km/h. The back straight will let F1 cars reach 320 km/h making it one of the fastest tracks in the world. The expected F1 car lap time is 1 minute 17 seconds. The organizers have also taken feedback from teams which have done the track analysis via simulators leading to modification of the turn 7 in order to maximize overtaking opportunities into banked turn 10. A grand stand with a capacity of 13,000 will overlook the turn 10 and turn 11 giving the F1 fans an opportunity to be a part of the action.[31]
Says Samir Gaur, MD and CEO of JPSI Sports, a subsidiary of Jaiprakash Associates, "Land acquisition for the 5.5 km track is on and we are hopeful of completing the exercise by February. The designer and contractor for the job too, have been finalised and we are sure of getting the track ready by February 2011, in time for the championship." According to Ashok Khurana, executive vice-chairman of JPSI, the core area of the circuit would be spread over 4,000 hectares and building the infrastructure of the circuit would cost between Rs 12 billion and Rs 15 billion (US$309 million/£188 million/€216 million, at exchange rates of 21 August 2009).[32]
The latest development (January 2010) with the circuit in India was the appointment of Mark Hughes, former number 2 at the Bahrain International Circuit for 5 years and also advisor to the Yas Marina Circuit for their first Grand Prix at the end of 2009. But on January 24, 2011, Hughes confirmed that he quit the Indian job due to 'personal reasons'. His post later went to Mr. Azhar Rehman, a former race organiser in Sepang, Malaysia.[33]
Economic benefits
Delhi has been seeing a lot of infrastructure developments for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. However, there has been no direct funding provided for an Indian Grand Prix yet.[17]
According to experts[who?], the benefits of a booming economy like India joining the F1 calendar are clear. Not only would the hotel and tourism industry get an immediate boost, the country's profile, too, would get a lift.
Experts are also of the view that once the Indian Grand Prix kicks off, it has the potential to generate around $170 million in revenue and employ as many as 10,000 people. The opportunity in advertising tie-ups between manufacturers and F1 cannot be overlooked either.[32] The race was to coincide with the important Diwali holiday, when consumer spending is typically at its highest and many are travelling, so economic prospects are excellent.[34]
Reactions
Leading businessman Vijay Mallya said after signing a sponsorship agreement between his Kingfisher Airlines and the Force India team (of which he is also team principal) that he was confident the sport would come to the subcontinent. "It has always been my dream to bring Formula One to India," he told a news conference on the sidelines of the launch of Force India's car in 2008. "The government of Delhi I think really wants Formula One in India and I am optimistic that maybe we will be able to host our first race in 2009."[35]
Both the Motorsports Association of India and the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India have expressed some scepticism. The latter's president, Rajat Mazumbar, has said that "The only authorised body that can run motorsports in the country is ours" despite the fact the deal has been signed with the Indian Olympic Association.
Increased awareness has led to the popularity of merchandise, Formula 1 tickets, and race tours to F1 destinations.[36]
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