Indian Grand Prix
Encyclopedia
The Indian Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA
Formula One
World Championship. It is currently held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida
, Uttar Pradesh
, India
. The first event
took place on 30 October 2011 as the 17th race of the 2011 Formula One season
, The new race track was officially homologated
on 1 September 2011 by Charlie Whiting
, and the inaugural race was won by Germany's Sebastian Vettel.
(Irungattukottai
), and Kari Memorial Speedway in Coimbatore
. At that time two 600 acres (2.4 km²) sites in the vicinity of the Bangalore
airport were examined. Also, in the state Andhra Pradesh
, chief minister Chandrababu Naidu
reserved 1500 acres (6.1 km²) of land near the airport at Hyderabad. Vicky Chandhok, father of Karun Chandhok, stated in an interview that "Andhra Pradesh is really pushing it like no other state! It is great to see a chief minister pushing so hard. Bangalore is a great location mainly because of the weather". In December 2003, a seven-year pre-agreement to host the GP in Hyderabad in 2007 was signed. The track was to be built near Gopanapally village, near the outskirts of Hyderabad, and consisted of 1367 acres (5.5 km²) of land.
However, in 2004 there came competition from Mumbai
, to shift the track from Hyderabad to Mumbai instead.
F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone
expected India to host a Grand Prix within three years, aiming for locating at either Hyderabad or Mumbai. But in the end these projects never realised, possibly due to anti-tobacco legislation, and a change in government policy.
Both projects then were declared 'dead' in the second half of 2004, when Mumbai's government decided "not to waste money on car fumes while there are more serious issues",
and the Hyderabad location was converted to an IT park for technology companies. However sites at Mumbai were still being investigated (Gorai and Navi Mumbai). In 2005, Narain Karthikeyan
was to perform in Mumbai in the Jordan F1
, but the road proved to be too bumpy.
As of 2007, five locations remained in the running for hosting the Indian Grand Prix: Bangalore, the Gurgaon
district in the state of Haryana
, a permanent track somewhere near New Delhi
, a street circuit
in New Delhi, as proposed by Vijay Mallya
, and a site in Lucknow
, Uttar Pradesh
.
Following months of negotiations, the Indian Olympic Association
(IOA) and Bernie Ecclestone announced in June 2007 a provisional agreement for India to host its first Grand Prix
in the 2009 F1 season. The track would be built in Gurgaon
, on recommendation by architect Hermann Tilke
.
However, in September 2007 the IOA announced that the debut race would take place in 2010 on the Buddh International Circuit
in Greater Noida
. After further assessments of the timeframe involved, Bernie Ecclestone announced in September 2008 that the Indian Grand Prix has been delayed to 2011.
In October 2008, the Renault F1
team showcased their car on a tour across all sites that were previously linked to an F1 circuit in India (except Mumbai): Gurgaon, Lucknow, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Calcutta, and in November 2008 they also performed a street demonstration on Rajpath
at the India Gate
end, New Delhi, the car being driven by Nelson Piquet, Jr.. In August 2009, the McLaren F1
team showcased their car in Lucknow. On 11 October 2009, the Red Bull F1 team gave a demonstration in Mumbai. David Coulthard drove the Red Bull F1 car across Mumbai's Bandra Worli Sealink.
The Indian F1 Race will occur as the 17th round of the 2011 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
On 30 October 2011, the first F1 Grand Prix was held at the circuit. Sebastian Vettel won the event, his 11th of the season. He also had the fastest lap of the race on his last lap although his team was telling him to "just bring it home".
Sachin Tendulkar
waved the chequered flag to welcome Sebastian Vettel. Redbull won the Constructors Trophy.
The only India
n F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan
of HRT F1 finished 17th position.
The only Indian F1 Team Sahara Force India driver Adrian Sutil
finished at 9th position.
in Greater Noida
, 24 km from Delhi
. The circuit, designed by F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke
, is 5.141 kilometres (3.2 mi). The track has spread across an area of 875 acres. The initial seating capacity is speculated to be around 150,000. However there are plans to increase the seating capacity to 200,000 later on. The sprawling circuit is a part of Jaypee Green Sports city and will also be used for hosting one or more rounds of Moto GP championships in the year 2012. The 10-year contract for the race has been given to the Indian construction company Jaiprakash Associates.
The track in all has 16 largely medium speed corners where F1 cars will lap at an average speed of 210 km/h. The back straight will let F1 cars reach 320 km/h making it one of the fastest tracks in the world. The expected F1 car lap time is 1 minute 27 seconds. The organizers have also taken feedback from teams which have done the track analysis via simulators leading to modification of the turn 7 in order to maximize overtaking opportunities into banked turn 10. A grand stand with a capacity of 13,000 will overlook the turn 10 and turn 11 giving the F1 fans an opportunity to be a part of the action.
Says Samir Gaur, MD and CEO of JPSI Sports, a subsidiary of Jaiprakash Associates, "Land acquisition for the 5.5 km track is on and we are hopeful of completing the exercise by February. The designer and contractor for the job too, have been finalised and we are sure of getting the track ready by February 2011, in time for the championship." According to Ashok Khurana, executive vice-chairman of JPSI, the core area of the circuit would be spread over 4,000 hectares and building the infrastructure of the circuit would cost between Rs 12 billion and Rs 15 billion (US$309 million/£188 million/€216 million, at exchange rates of 21 August 2009).
The latest development (January 2010) with the circuit in India was the appointment of Mark Hughes, former number 2 at the Bahrain International Circuit
for 5 years and also advisor to the Yas Marina Circuit for their first Grand Prix at the end of 2009. But on 24 January 2011, Hughes confirmed that he quit the Indian job due to 'personal reasons'. His post later went to Mr. Azhar Rehman, a former race organiser in Sepang, Malaysia
. It is the second fastest circuit in the world with top speed of about 324 km/h.
holiday, when consumer spending is typically at its highest and many people are travelling which further improves economic prospects.
said, after signing a sponsorship agreement between his Kingfisher Airlines
and the Force India
team, (of which he is also team principal) that he was confident the sport would come to the subcontinent
. "It has always been my dream to bring Formula One to India," he told a news conference on the sidelines of the launch of Force India's car in 2008. "The government of Delhi I think really wants Formula One in India and I am optimistic that maybe we will be able to host our first race in 2009."
Both the Motorsports Association of India and the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India have expressed some scepticism. The latter's president, Rajat Mazumder, has said that "The only authorised body that can run motorsports in the country is ours" despite the fact the deal has been signed with the Indian Olympic Association
.
Increased awareness has led to the popularity of merchandise, Formula 1 tickets and race tours to F1 destinations. Tickets worth 1.25 crore rupees were bought in the first 3 hours of sales. The organisers were expecting a full house, , but actual race day turnout was 79% of total capacity
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
World Championship. It is currently held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida
Greater Noida
Greater Noida is located in the Gautam Budh Nagar district of the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh . It is under the purview of the National Capital Region of India...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The first event
2011 Indian Grand Prix
The 2011 Indian Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 30 October 2011 at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India...
took place on 30 October 2011 as the 17th race of the 2011 Formula One season
2011 Formula One season
The 2011 Formula One season was the 62nd FIA Formula One season. The original calendar consisted of twenty rounds, including the inaugural running of the Indian Grand Prix before the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Pirelli returned to the sport as tyre supplier for all teams, taking over...
, The new race track was officially homologated
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
on 1 September 2011 by Charlie Whiting
Charlie Whiting
Charlie Whiting is FIA Formula One Race Director, Safety Delegate, Permanent Starter and head of the F1 Technical Department, in which capacities he generally manages the logistics of each F1 Grand Prix, inspects cars in Parc fermé before a race, enforces FIA rules, and controls the lights which...
, and the inaugural race was won by Germany's Sebastian Vettel.
History
As early as 1997, there have been plans to host an Indian Grand Prix at Calcutta. In 2003, India had only two permanent raceways, one in ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
(Irungattukottai
Irungattukottai Race Track
The Irungattukottai Race Track is a permanent motor racing circuit located in Irungattukottai, Sriperumbudur, Chennai, India. It was built in the late 80s. The Madras Motor Sports Club is owning and operating the racing....
), and Kari Memorial Speedway in Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
. At that time two 600 acres (2.4 km²) sites in the vicinity of the Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
airport were examined. Also, in the state Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, chief minister Chandrababu Naidu
N. Chandrababu Naidu
Nara Chandrababu Naidu born 20 April 1950, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh was the President of Telugu Desam Party , a regional party in the southern India state of Andhra Pradesh from 1996 to until he resigned. He served as the Chief Minister of the State for a record holding of nine years...
reserved 1500 acres (6.1 km²) of land near the airport at Hyderabad. Vicky Chandhok, father of Karun Chandhok, stated in an interview that "Andhra Pradesh is really pushing it like no other state! It is great to see a chief minister pushing so hard. Bangalore is a great location mainly because of the weather". In December 2003, a seven-year pre-agreement to host the GP in Hyderabad in 2007 was signed. The track was to be built near Gopanapally village, near the outskirts of Hyderabad, and consisted of 1367 acres (5.5 km²) of land.
However, in 2004 there came competition from Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, to shift the track from Hyderabad to Mumbai instead.
F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...
expected India to host a Grand Prix within three years, aiming for locating at either Hyderabad or Mumbai. But in the end these projects never realised, possibly due to anti-tobacco legislation, and a change in government policy.
Both projects then were declared 'dead' in the second half of 2004, when Mumbai's government decided "not to waste money on car fumes while there are more serious issues",
and the Hyderabad location was converted to an IT park for technology companies. However sites at Mumbai were still being investigated (Gorai and Navi Mumbai). In 2005, Narain Karthikeyan
Narain Karthikeyan
Kumar Ram Narain Karthikeyan , is the first Formula One motor racing driver from India. He has previously competed in A1GP, and the Le Mans Series. He made his Formula One debut in with the Jordan team, and was a WilliamsF1 test driver in and...
was to perform in Mumbai in the Jordan F1
Jordan Grand Prix
Jordan Grand Prix was a Formula One constructor that competed from 1991 to 2005. The team is named after Irish businessman and founder Eddie Jordan...
, but the road proved to be too bumpy.
As of 2007, five locations remained in the running for hosting the Indian Grand Prix: Bangalore, the Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
district in the state of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, a permanent track somewhere near New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, a street circuit
Street circuit
A street circuit is a racing circuit composed by temporarily closed-off public roads of a city, town or village, used in motor races. Facilities such as the paddock, pit boxes, fences and grandstands are usually placed temporarily and removed soon after the race is over but in modern times the...
in New Delhi, as proposed by Vijay Mallya
Vijay Mallya
Vijay Mallya is an Indian liquor and airline baron. The son of industrialist Vittal Mallya, he is the chairman of the United Breweries Group and Kingfisher Airlines. His United Spirits is world's second largest liquor maker, by volume...
, and a site in Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
.
Following months of negotiations, the Indian Olympic Association
Indian Olympic Association
The Indian Olympic Association is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and other international athletic meets and for managing the Indian teams at the events...
(IOA) and Bernie Ecclestone announced in June 2007 a provisional agreement for India to host its first Grand Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
in the 2009 F1 season. The track would be built in Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
, on recommendation by architect Hermann Tilke
Hermann Tilke
Hermann Tilke is a German engineer and auto racer, who has designed numerous Formula One motor racing circuits.-Racing:...
.
However, in September 2007 the IOA announced that the debut race would take place in 2010 on the Buddh International Circuit
Jaypee Group Circuit
The Buddh International Circuit is an Indian motor racing circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, near Delhi. The circuit is best known as the venue for the annual Formula One Indian Grand Prix, which was first hosted in 2011...
in Greater Noida
Greater Noida
Greater Noida is located in the Gautam Budh Nagar district of the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh . It is under the purview of the National Capital Region of India...
. After further assessments of the timeframe involved, Bernie Ecclestone announced in September 2008 that the Indian Grand Prix has been delayed to 2011.
In October 2008, the Renault F1
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
team showcased their car on a tour across all sites that were previously linked to an F1 circuit in India (except Mumbai): Gurgaon, Lucknow, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Calcutta, and in November 2008 they also performed a street demonstration on Rajpath
Rajpath
Rajpath is the ceremonial boulevard for the Republic of India. It runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan through Vijay Chowk and India Gate to National Stadium, Delhi. The New Delhi avenue is lined on both sides by lawns with rows of trees and ponds...
at the India Gate
India Gate
The India Gate is the national monument of India. Situated in the heart of New Delhi, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It was built in 1931...
end, New Delhi, the car being driven by Nelson Piquet, Jr.. In August 2009, the McLaren F1
McLaren F1
The McLaren F1 is a supercar designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. Originally a concept conceived by Gordon Murray, he convinced Ron Dennis to back the project and engaged Peter Stevens to design the exterior of the car...
team showcased their car in Lucknow. On 11 October 2009, the Red Bull F1 team gave a demonstration in Mumbai. David Coulthard drove the Red Bull F1 car across Mumbai's Bandra Worli Sealink.
The Indian F1 Race will occur as the 17th round of the 2011 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Races
Season-2011: 28-30 October 2011:On 30 October 2011, the first F1 Grand Prix was held at the circuit. Sebastian Vettel won the event, his 11th of the season. He also had the fastest lap of the race on his last lap although his team was telling him to "just bring it home".
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
waved the chequered flag to welcome Sebastian Vettel. Redbull won the Constructors Trophy.
The only India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan
Narain Karthikeyan
Kumar Ram Narain Karthikeyan , is the first Formula One motor racing driver from India. He has previously competed in A1GP, and the Le Mans Series. He made his Formula One debut in with the Jordan team, and was a WilliamsF1 test driver in and...
of HRT F1 finished 17th position.
The only Indian F1 Team Sahara Force India driver Adrian Sutil
Adrian Sutil
-Biography:Sutil is the son of professional musicians Monika, a German, and Jorge, a Uruguayan. He has two brothers named Daniel and Raphael. He weighs 165 pounds and is 6 feet tall. A talented pianist, Sutil started karting at 14 before moving up to Swiss Formula Ford 1800 in 2002...
finished at 9th position.
Winners
| Year | Driver | Constructor | Location | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 2011 Formula One season The 2011 Formula One season was the 62nd FIA Formula One season. The original calendar consisted of twenty rounds, including the inaugural running of the Indian Grand Prix before the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Pirelli returned to the sport as tyre supplier for all teams, taking over... |
 Sebastian VettelSebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won the championship in and .... |
Red Bull Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the... -Renault Renault Sport F1 Renault Sport F1 is the current incarnation of Renault's involvement in Formula 1. It was born at the end of 2010, when the carmaker sold the 25 per cent final share property from its Enstone-based team, Renault F1, to major stockholder Genii Capital but kept for itself the control of its... |
Greater Noida | Report 2011 Indian Grand Prix The 2011 Indian Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 30 October 2011 at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India... |
Sponsors
- Airtel Grand Prix of India 2011 – 2016 for Rs 34 crorehttp://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/formula-one-vs-cricket/1/19225.html
The circuit
The race was held at the Buddh International CircuitJaypee Group Circuit
The Buddh International Circuit is an Indian motor racing circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, near Delhi. The circuit is best known as the venue for the annual Formula One Indian Grand Prix, which was first hosted in 2011...
in Greater Noida
Greater Noida
Greater Noida is located in the Gautam Budh Nagar district of the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh . It is under the purview of the National Capital Region of India...
, 24 km from Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. The circuit, designed by F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke
Hermann Tilke
Hermann Tilke is a German engineer and auto racer, who has designed numerous Formula One motor racing circuits.-Racing:...
, is 5.141 kilometres (3.2 mi). The track has spread across an area of 875 acres. The initial seating capacity is speculated to be around 150,000. However there are plans to increase the seating capacity to 200,000 later on. The sprawling circuit is a part of Jaypee Green Sports city and will also be used for hosting one or more rounds of Moto GP championships in the year 2012. The 10-year contract for the race has been given to the Indian construction company Jaiprakash Associates.
The track in all has 16 largely medium speed corners where F1 cars will lap at an average speed of 210 km/h. The back straight will let F1 cars reach 320 km/h making it one of the fastest tracks in the world. The expected F1 car lap time is 1 minute 27 seconds. The organizers have also taken feedback from teams which have done the track analysis via simulators leading to modification of the turn 7 in order to maximize overtaking opportunities into banked turn 10. A grand stand with a capacity of 13,000 will overlook the turn 10 and turn 11 giving the F1 fans an opportunity to be a part of the action.
Says Samir Gaur, MD and CEO of JPSI Sports, a subsidiary of Jaiprakash Associates, "Land acquisition for the 5.5 km track is on and we are hopeful of completing the exercise by February. The designer and contractor for the job too, have been finalised and we are sure of getting the track ready by February 2011, in time for the championship." According to Ashok Khurana, executive vice-chairman of JPSI, the core area of the circuit would be spread over 4,000 hectares and building the infrastructure of the circuit would cost between Rs 12 billion and Rs 15 billion (US$309 million/£188 million/€216 million, at exchange rates of 21 August 2009).
The latest development (January 2010) with the circuit in India was the appointment of Mark Hughes, former number 2 at the Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 and the annual Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix was the first held in the Middle East. Since 2006, Australian V8 Supercar has been raced at the BIC and the V8 races are named as the Desert 400...
for 5 years and also advisor to the Yas Marina Circuit for their first Grand Prix at the end of 2009. But on 24 January 2011, Hughes confirmed that he quit the Indian job due to 'personal reasons'. His post later went to Mr. Azhar Rehman, a former race organiser in Sepang, Malaysia
Sepang International Circuit
The Sepang International Circuit is a racing circuit in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located near Kuala Lumpur International Airport, approximately 60 km south of the capital city Kuala Lumpur. It is the venue used for the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix, A1 Grand Prix as well as the...
. It is the second fastest circuit in the world with top speed of about 324 km/h.
Economic benefits
The Indian Grand Prix has the potential to generate around $170 million in revenue and employ as many as 10,000 people. The opportunity in advertising tie-ups between manufacturers and F1 are also a consideration. The race also coincides with the important DiwaliDiwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
holiday, when consumer spending is typically at its highest and many people are travelling which further improves economic prospects.
Reactions
Vijay MallyaVijay Mallya
Vijay Mallya is an Indian liquor and airline baron. The son of industrialist Vittal Mallya, he is the chairman of the United Breweries Group and Kingfisher Airlines. His United Spirits is world's second largest liquor maker, by volume...
said, after signing a sponsorship agreement between his Kingfisher Airlines
Kingfisher Airlines
Kingfisher Airlines is an airline group based in India. Its head office is Kingfisher House in Vile Parle , Mumbai. Kingfisher Airlines, through its parent company United Breweries Group, has a 50% stake in low-cost carrier Kingfisher Red....
and the Force India
Force India
Sahara Force India Formula One Team, the trading name of Force India Formula One Team Limited, is a Formula One racing team based in Silverstone, United Kingdom which currently holds an Indian licence. The team was formed in October 2007 when a consortium led by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya and...
team, (of which he is also team principal) that he was confident the sport would come to the subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. "It has always been my dream to bring Formula One to India," he told a news conference on the sidelines of the launch of Force India's car in 2008. "The government of Delhi I think really wants Formula One in India and I am optimistic that maybe we will be able to host our first race in 2009."
Both the Motorsports Association of India and the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India have expressed some scepticism. The latter's president, Rajat Mazumder, has said that "The only authorised body that can run motorsports in the country is ours" despite the fact the deal has been signed with the Indian Olympic Association
Indian Olympic Association
The Indian Olympic Association is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and other international athletic meets and for managing the Indian teams at the events...
.
Increased awareness has led to the popularity of merchandise, Formula 1 tickets and race tours to F1 destinations. Tickets worth 1.25 crore rupees were bought in the first 3 hours of sales. The organisers were expecting a full house, , but actual race day turnout was 79% of total capacity