The Indian Grand Prix and its troubles

India is one among the nineteen countries currently hosting a F1 race, which apparently is thought to be the pinnacle or the acme of motor sport. Motorsport in India is a fledging concept. F1 brought its splendour to the country in the year 2011. The event has garnered a huge thumps-up from the spectators as well as the F1 drivers.

Even the FIA in its gala ceremony awarded the Buddh International Circuit the ‘Best Promoter Trophy’ (twice for 2011 and 2012) and also ‘The Motorsport Facility for the Year 2011’ for the successful and smooth organization of the event. Having said that, the Indian F1 track situated at Greater Noida is going to be dropped for the 2014 season and the future of F1 action in India still remains obscure.

This summer, F1 supremo Mr. Bernie Ecclestone casually discarded the venue as a contender for a 2014 slot. With teams rejecting the idea of having an excess of 20+ races and with more venues vouching for an entry, some of the current venues had to be put in the passenger seat. And India, with its controversial customs laws, red-tapism and other troublesome affairs, was one of the best candidates for the drop.

But why such a hindrance? The ASSOCHAM’s assessment of the profit from the Indian GP rounded about 10,000 crores and they predict a revenue of 90,000 crores in a span of ten years. And that seems to be a fair projection, because the lucrative business of F1 with its set of intricacies has its presence everywhere. The business doesn’t get hit by economic recessions.

Our own neighbours, Malaysia, Singapore, China and Abu Dhabi have been hugely successful in this regard, while India struggles to retain the spot in the calendar even after having a contract of 5 years. The exclusion can solely be attributed to the Government policies, political norms, red-tapism and taxation.

Out of the 19 races this season, 16 of them are government-sponsored events. The Indian government, on the other hand, doesn’t consider F1 as a sport and hence the hurdle of organizing the event is excessively large for the promoters Jaypee. With various new venues, which include New Jersey, Mexico and Russia contesting for a slot on the calendar, the future of F1 in India lies in the hands of the Government. Nevertheless, we still have a race in October this year and here is my take as to why it should/must be a grandiose affair this year too.

The Buddh International Circuit:

Though F1 isn’t a festival in India like it is in Singapore, the hype around it is plausible. Reaching the track is not at all arduous. Once there, shuttle services will help you reach the stands. A brief security check and you enter the affluent world of F1 in its purest form. It would be an understatement to say that the track is beautiful as even the drivers consider the 5.14 km BIC one of the best racetracks. A phalanx of F1 and motorsport fans, blustering sounds of the V8s, the tri-colour stands, the asphalt confluence and the world of F1 are all conspicuous. The flow of the long straight after turn 3 and turns 10 and 11 are the highlights of the track. No wonder several drivers compare it to the likes of Spa and Suzuka.

I have been to the Indian GP both times. Alone. In spite of that I have never felt alienated. India is known for its amiable people and living by its name, I never found it difficult to find a friend with similar preferences. The inaugural Grand Prix had more number of stands on offer than in the second and the present year. I went for the Classic Stand East in 2010 and Star Stand East 2 in 2011. The Classic Stand though no longer present, had a view of the turns 6, 7, 8 and 9.

The Star Stand has a view overlooking the long straight and turn 4, which is the second DRS range. Every stand is dappled with food courts and washrooms. The F1 village is located near the Main Grand Stand. The people around are all quite friendly and forthcoming but you should be aware of the dilettantes. Often you will come across a guy who only recognizes, well, the red car as Ferrari and the driver as Michael Schumacher. Still, there is a good reception for all the drivers and everyone is cheered.

The Race:

The season ticket will allow you to watch the practice sessions, qualifying and the race. Apart form the F1 action you can also catch the JK racing and MRF championship. Even though Free Practices are all about tyres, setup and strategy testing, they are still great to watch. The grunt and speed of every car is enthralling. India doesn’t have the luxury of Fanvision or any sort of live time-keeping device and the live commentary and screens in front of each stand are dubious. But all the smart phones now flaunt various apps to help you keep track of your favourite driver and the various happenings of the event.

Of late, we have witnessed monotonous races with only one man, Sebastian Vettel dominating the championship. And it is very likely that this man who has won both of the races here will go on for the hat-trick. But still there are two more places on the podium and all the other drivers will be scuttling to be on the higher step. The last year saw the Indian GP being dubbed as boring and was rated a low score of 5.194 by the F1 fanatics that placed it even behind Korea.

But I don’t see the fault of the venue here. The races in the second half of the season follow the trend of processional races. The championship by the end of the season is almost ascertained, and the teams by now would have started working and developing the next year’s car and stalled the development of the present car, which results in predictable outcomes and hence boring races. The second DRS section last year was less effective but only if Pirelli had made the choices of tyres right this year, we could have a better though not a not-Seb-dominating race.

Liking and not liking depend upon personal preference and opinion so either take it or leave it. I feel the Indian GP is a worthy holder of a slot in the F1 calendar. The organizers and the title-sponsors have done whatever they can for a better reception. Now it’s up to the Indian government to avert the ignorance and embrace it as its own. Even if we can’t make it as grand as Singapore and Abu Dhabi we can at least make it a Malaysia or China. A little understanding of the sport, a little appraisal of the sport and maybe a little awareness can make it stay in the calendar. Hope it finds its way out and appear in the F1 calendar for years to come.