Connect the dots: A Gandhian activist, a former Chief Minister, the heavy metal band Metallica, and a stray dog.

How did these dramatis personae script the anticlimax of India’s F1 story?

Between 2011 and 2013, an ensemble cast of actors joined forces to stage three international Formula One racing events in India. The racing champion Sebastian Vettel shone in all three, and the races were pivotal in establishing the reputation of the Buddh International Circuit, where these motorsport events were held. Although intended to put India on the fast track to motorsport fame, it became the graveyard where Grand Prix dreams crashed and burned.

Designed by German track designer Hermann Tilke, the Buddh International Circuit in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district has a 5.14 km race track with 16 turns, with seating for up to 200,000 spectators. It has a pit building with 41 garages, a race control room, and a VIP gallery with access to two helipads.

But the numbers didn’t quite add up.

Although the racing legend Lewis Hamilton praised Buddh, a world-class motor racing circuit alone wasn’t enough to sustain the big-bucks luxury sport in India. Today, it mostly hosts mediapersons for car launches.

The story of Formula One racing in India began and ended in a blur. But why?

There isn’t exactly a pit-stop answer to that question.

In a nation where fans will pay any price to watch their local heroes shine in a cricket match, F1 was too niche a sport to excite the everyday Indian. Without a strong Indian driver in the fray, it failed to rev up local interest. Although the first race drew 95,000 spectators, some paying as much as ₹21,000 for a seat, subsequent editions did not break even.

To complicate matters, the government viewed Formula One racing not as sport but entertainment. The higher taxes slapped on F1 drove up ticket prices, discouraging spectators and sponsors, and leading to differences with the promoters who wanted to recover their investment. After the last race in 2013, Formula One exited India, and the Buddh circuit has not hosted a Grand Prix since.

Hosts Rahul De and Kailash Koushik join the dots to break down the saga of F1 in India. Listen to ‘Short Circuit - India’s F1 Story’ on your favourite podcast services.

Credits

Akshay Ramuhalli, Bijoy Venugopal, Bruce Lee Mani, Gorveck Thokchom, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Sananda Dasgupta, Seema Seth, Shraddha Gautam, Supriya Joshi, and Velu Shankar

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