Indian Grand Prix: Bernie Ecclestone ‘passionate’ about promoting F1 in India

Greater Noida, India: Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone remains passionate about establishing the sport in India and is hoping that the government will wake up to supporting F1 in the country.

“Look at this circuit. It is fantastic. It is one of the best in the world. You can’t let it go away. We are negotiating with Jaypee Group to bring the race back in 2015. But in the long run, your government will have to support it,” a source close to Ecclestone told IANS in the paddock of the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) ahead of the third Indian Grand Prix Sunday.

“Despite the problems, Ecclestone loves India and he wants to have the race. At the same time, he is puzzled with teams complaining about the administrative hassles in India. Your government needs to wake up to support this global event,” said the source.

He was speaking after organisers of this weekend’s troubled GP breathed a sigh of relief Friday after the Supreme Court pushed back a petition calling for the race’s cancellation.

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel is expected to be confirmed as Formula One champion in Sunday’s race on the outskirts of Delhi, needing only to finish in the top five to clinch the title for a fourth year in a row.

His coronation had been thrown into doubt Thursday when the country’s top court agreed to hear a petition brought by an activist who says organisers have still to pay entertainment taxes from last year’s race.

The petition had added to a general mood of despondency at the Greater Noida circuit which has already been removed from next season’s list of Formula One venues.

Although the court had been due to hear the petition on Friday, a lawyer involved in the case said it had now been pushed back.

“The hearing will now take place next week,” the lawyer told AFP on condition of anonymity. “This means the race can go ahead.”

The Indian government doesn’t consider motor racing as a sport. It was only last month the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave full recognition to the FIA, world governing body for motorsports, of which the Indian body FMSCI is a member.

The source said the hurdles in customs, visa and taxation were not as big as made out to be by the teams.

“There are issues but it will all end if your government supports the sport followed by millions around the world. A tiny country like Abu Dhabi invites multiple heads of state for the Grand Prix, promotes the event so good. If they can do it, a country of more than a billion can easily do it.”

“I had a meeting with the Delhi police commissioner the other day and he did not know much about F1. When I explained to him, he was amazed to hear the stature of the sport around the world.”

Ecclestone wants to shift the race in the first half of the year while the organisers prefer the current slot. Both parties have signed a five-year contract.

Asked how tough would it be for F1 to return to India: “The comeback is always tough but as I said Ecclestone doesn’t want to part ways with the country in the first place.”

This year’s event is the third to be held at the $450 million Buddh International Circuit as part of a five-race contract.

Sameer Gaur, CEO of the circuit’s owners Jaypee Sports International Limited (JPSI), has said there “should be no doubt that we will be back in 2015” but his conviction is not widely shared.

“We should have a clear indication if the race is going to be held here again or not,” Monisha Kaltenborn, the India-born principal of the Sauber F1 team, told reporters.

“We fail to understand why these kind of obstacles are being created and if there is a hidden agenda.

“We need support from teams, sponsors and the government which however looks very unlikely in the current scenario. Without that it is going to be very difficult to establish ourselves here.”

The Times of India argued the central government’s attitude had always been cool as it had “never accepted the race as its own”.

“The general mood in the paddock is that of disappointment that F1 has failed to set roots in the country,” said the paper.

“The race is already off the provisional racing calendar for 2014 and there is plenty of scepticism whether it will indeed return in 2015.”

If it is to be the last race, then spectators can at least look forward to the prospect of watching the championship decider.

The 26-year-old Vettel has a 90-point lead over his nearest challenger, Spain’s Fernando Alonso.