“To win four titles, I don’t know, it’s just a big number you know?” Vettel said. “Fangio put the number of five titles and everybody appreciated him as the best driver in the world. Michael came along . . . it’s incredible that one guy managed to score more championships than Fangio did.”, this was the last line by Sebastian Vettel on his last trip to India for the Indian Grand Prix, and since then, Indian F1 fans haven’t heard their beloved machines roar in front of them again.
Since the exile of BIC or popularly known as Buddha International Circuit, it has been a hub for other motorsports under the category of exhibitions, paid time trials and seldom motorsport events.
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Fans around the world are eagerly waiting for Formula 1 to return back to India and were positive that with the Liberty Media taking over F1, the long exile of F1 is surely going to end but the hopes ended in dust after the calendar was introduced and India couldn’t make it to list.
India hosted 3 GPs which were 2011, 2012, 2013 at the fast lane track of Buddha International Circuit.
With the increasing and indefinite troubles of Jaypee Group in the recent years and with one of the latter’s company being declared bankrupt, the hopes of an Indian Grand prix have diminished
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Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey who took over the baton from Bernie Ecclestone after 40 years has commented that he would like to expand business in Asian country, hinting towards India’s return to the Formula 1 calendar.
India has two years remaining on its original five-year contract, but it is becoming difficult to accommodate new races on the F1 calendar.
The grand prix return is further withheld due to the apex court’s order of paying $15.45 million as tax, which is probably the biggest concern.
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Can Liberty and all the F1 authorities involved work their head around the tax issues and get the F1 cars back onto the Buddha International Circuit.
Indian fans hope, and hope is all they have at this point.
