Formula One: Why It Must Keep the Indian GP on the Calendar

There’s a lot to be said for Formula One sticking to its European roots and not branching out to any old Asian or Middle-Eastern country that builds a race circuit.

It goes too far, though, to suggest that the logic is totally flawed.

Yeongam in Korea had potential, as organisers promised much and built an interesting circuit—but the overall package was terrible.

While it failed to galvanise a meaningful attendance, the BBC reported driver outrage at the lack of thought that went into the original pit-lane entry and Kevin Eason of The Times and The Australian attests that it would be a contender for the worst location in the sport.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, a prime example of what a new facility can offer the championship is the Circuit of the Americas in Austin.

A wonderful race track crafted into the topography of the landscape and using elevation changes to create something that looks good on the eye and encourages good racing. Its debut appeared to have the desired effect on American fans, but of course things are tougher in the sophomore year.

So where does the Buddh International Circuit in India fit into this?

A Troubled Birth...

It’s had its fair share of controversies, chief among which is that India’s government does not consider F1 a sport therefore teams are not given a customs exemption—but it remains an impressive facility and benefits from serious backing from race organisers Jaypee Sports International.

First, to its problems, which have aligned to see the race stricken from the 2014 calendar.

AUTOSPORT’s Jonathan Noble reported that such were the fears of McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh and other bosses that there was talk of a boycott.

JPSI had even offered to pay any customs duties, such was their determination for the race to be held, but it was not enough to save the race for 2014.

In an interview with Reuters’ Alan Baldwin, Ecclestone said that the "very political” situation in India meant the 2014 race was in serious jeopardy.

However, there is good news according to Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India chief Vicky Chandhok, father of former F1 driver Karun. He told the same organisation that JPSI and Ecclestone were "in talks to shift it from a late 2014 slot to early 2015 with an extension to 2016", which would act as a delayed race rather than a skipped race.

...But a Potentially Bright Future

In other words, move the race from the end of one season to the beginning of the next, meaning there is an extra four months until the race is held rather than a full season.

With the organisers apparently at odds with the sport’s bigwigs, is keeping the race worth the trouble?

Yes, I believe so.

The troubles themselves are a great indication of just why it’s so important to have the Indian Grand Prix on the calendar.

The race has a promoter which is so determined to host a grand prix that it was willing to fork out the perceived over-the-top taxes the teams faced, because it thought that would allay concerns.

Karun Chandhok, who raced for the HRT F1 team in 2010, told CNN there was "no question" it would be a shame, because of the "huge amount of work that has gone in to getting us where we are today."

That is a reference to the impressive bill footed in order to make the race—10 years in the planning—a reality, with the Daily Mail estimating build costs of more than $300m and a licence from Ecclestone to the tune of $40m a year for five years.

On top of that, JPSI announced recently they would slash ticket prices for this year’s grand prix to combat a 33% drop in attendance from the inaugural race in 2011 to last year’s, as the Times of India report.

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This is a big deal: Look at what happened with Donington Park when they assured everyone that they had the necessary finances to take the British GP away from Silverstone.

It’s bad for circuits, countries and the sport if venues fail to follow through on their word.

That’s why having a race where everyone involved is not just saying the right things, but putting them into practice is absolutely pivotal for the sport’s future.

On top of that, the track itself is magnificent—though it did host a rather processional grand prix last year and has yet to showcase itself as a particularly “Tilke” circuit in terms of overtaking opportunities.

But that’s something that comes with the territory: every race has its off-years. There are plenty of worse venues that remain on the calendar and offer far less than the BIC.

F1 is an incredibly excessive sport in every way, and as it sees its future in more and more flyaway races, there must be a confidence in those flyaways to deliver not just as a grand prix, but form part of F1’s next chapter. These races need identities and character; those are the ones that survive.

India is still a fledgling country in motorsport terms and, minus government support, has all the elements required to be a calendar mainstay.

There’s little JPSI can do but work with Ecclestone and the Indian authorities. Our sport doesn’t just stand to lose a race; it stands to lose a potential legacy.