Formula One: Why the Indian Grand Prix will be missed
There are still a minimum of two races left for India to host as per the current Formula One contract. However, as things stand right now, the drivers and the fans won't get a chance to buckle their seatbelts at the Buddh International Circuit at least till 2015.
'It's a shame we are not racing here next year' - was one of the first things Sebastian Vettel said after winning the third edition of the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday and with it his world championship.
It is a shame no doubt. After just three editions the future of the Indian GP is uncertain. There is no race in 2014 and the teams aren't happy about that. Mercedes racer Lewis Hamilton told NDTV that just at the time the popularity of the sport was growing, for the Indian GP to be scrapped in 2014 is a shame.
India's former F1 driver Karun Chandhok told NDTV: "I spoke to team principal's, Cristian Horner from Red Bull and Ferrari's Stefano Domenicali said it will be a travesty if we don't come back and you know he's from the biggest motorsport brand in the world so I think they would all love to come back to India."
The Formula One Management headed by Bernie Ecclestone seem more inclined towards a March race, but the organisers seem to be sticking to their stand of a race in October. CEO of Jaypee International Sameer Gaur told NDTV that the race will definitely be back in October 2015. He also feels that October is the best time for the race, since it's the festive season and people want to come and enjoy.
But why is there no race in the 2014 calendar? Maybe because the experience of getting into the country through the painstaking bureaucratic hurdles is not one the teams relish.
The teams seem to be unhappy with the taxation policy and the red-tapism involved. Afterall, the race gets no tax exemption from the Government since it falls into the entertainment category and not sport. That means the drivers, teams, the Formula One Management and the local promoter, Jaypee all have to pay hefty tax.
At the end of the day, the image of the country takes a beating and the fans are denied a world class experience on Indian shores.
There are still a minimum of two races left for India to host as per the current F1 contract. However, as things stand right now, the drivers and the fans won't get a chance to buckle their seatbelts at the Buddh International Circuit at least till 2015.