Overview
- Following Monday’s confident pledge by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya that India would host F1 in 2027 at Buddh International Circuit, an F1 spokesperson said the championship will not race in the country that year.
- The government says it is working for about six months on tax fixes, including possible relaxations or reimbursements, to make a race commercially viable and has positioned MotoGP as a potential step before any F1 comeback.
- Mandaviya said at least three companies want to run the Greater Noida venue, and the Adani Group is reported to be exploring an acquisition of the circuit and has expressed interest in reviving the event.
- F1 points to a near-full 24-race schedule and high hosting fees reported in the tens of millions of dollars per round, which make new races hard to add and require long lead times to organise.
- India last staged grands prix from 2011 to 2013 before taxes on F1 as entertainment, freight duties on team equipment, and promoter money troubles ended the event, and recent attempts with MotoGP and Formula E did not endure.