Govt explores return of F1 races to India

NEW DELHI: The Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida could again host Formula One races, with the global motorsport event possibly returning to India after it was last held in 2013. The govt has encouraged the track owners to hand over the facility to a sports management company for a certain number of years to host the India round of the championships. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!It’s been learnt that sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya met officials from the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) last week and told them to carry out efforts to get the Grand Prix back to India. The plan to revive F1 races are part of the govt’s efforts to bring global sports championships to India ahead of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which the country will be hosting in Ahmedabad, and to strengthen its bid for the 2036 Olympics.YEIDA presently owns and maintains the Rs 2,000 cr F1 racing facility at BIC after its original owners, Jaypee Group, declared themselves bankrupt in June 2024. “The minister went to see the F1 track recently and held discussions with the promoters about when the latest race can be held. He told the track owners to hand over the facility to a sports management company for 2-3 years, which will work on the sport’s comeback to India. There had been tax issues in the past which stopped hosting F1 races, but they will be resolved soon,” a ministry source said.The F1 Indian Grand Prix was held for three seasons, from 2011 to 2013, before it was discontinued due to tax disputes and a lack of govt recognition as a sport. The Uttar Pradesh state govt classified the event as “entertainment”, leading to tax burdens, import duties on F1 cars and financial unviability on team owners.In 2023, the BIC played host to the inaugural MotoGP Bharat event from Sept 22-24, but the races were subsequently discontinued.