Indian Grand Prix – Buddh International Circuit (2011-2013)
The Indian Grand Prix was meant to be the ultimate high-tech expression of India’s newfound place on the world stage and a symbol of its status as one of the world’s fastest growing economies.
In the end, however, the circuit acronym BIC was apposite, as despite the universal praise the track received, the superb fans and the wonderful culture, the race was undone by the amount of biros used to fill in the endless forms required by the country’s labyrinthine bureaucracy. Indeed, so complex and frustrating was everything to do with gaining admission to the country and with leaving it with what F1 had brought in, it made the officialdom of the film Brazil seem like a model of efficient organisation and thorough due diligence.
In the end, local laws insisted F1 was not a sport but a form of entertainment and it was thus liable to heavy local taxation. This proved a bridge too far, and though paddock wags suggested the Indians were half way right as F1 is never sporting but also rarely entertaining, the prospect of handing over a significant portion of their annual TV money to the Indian taxman was too much for teams. F1 canned the 2014 race and we haven’t returned since.
The Indian Grand Prix was certainly not without its highlights, however, the most memorable among them perhaps being Sebastian Vettel’s spectacular title win at the final Indian Grand Prix to date.
After crossing the line to seal a fourth consecutive title (and his third straight Indian GP win), the German quite rightly went into celebratory mode and set about some spectacular donutting in his RB9, before clambering out to salute the crowd and bow down before his championship-winning car. The result of his ostentatious show of emotion? The killjoy FIA fined him $25,000 for his antics.
Last November, F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone was reported to have met with the race organisers and had “fruitful discussions” about a return to Greater Noida with more favourable tax laws in place for the sport but the 2016 calendar is with us and the Indian Grand Prix still appears a long way from a return. Perhaps the paperwork hasn’t gone through yet?
