NEW DELHI There has been a lot of speculation in India about the return of Formula 1 especially after union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said in April that they are pushing for the sport’s return to the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in 2027.
However, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali clarified on Wednesday that although they are keen on returning, it won’t be any time soon.
“There is a big interest from us to return to your country. There are the right things that we need to do — to find back again the right promoters, the right collaboration, and the right timing, which will not be in the very short term,” said Domenicali.
“But when we talk about five years in Formula 1, it seems to be very far away, but it’s not. There is not yet a fixed date on which we can really say something, but we see the interest that is growing at all levels.”
The Indian Grand Prix was held at the BIC from 2011 to 2013 before the race ran into tax, administrative and bureaucratic hurdles, prematurely ending its run in India despite a five-year contract.
Today, the F1 calendar is already packed with many more countries showing interest to host the pinnacle of motorsport. So high is the demand that legendary tracks like Barcelona and Spa-Franchorchamps are having to alternate races every year.
“It is very important to say that we need to feel the interest from all the stakeholders of India because this is a project that, when we reach back to your country, has to be big,” Domenicali added.
“It has to be the right one, with the right level of investment and the right level of people, because your market is just phenomenal. I just want to guarantee that we’re going to be there for sure one day and in the right condition.”
Reflecting on his experiences in India and the current state of the market, Domenicali, a former team principal at Ferrari, described India as a destination with immense potential that will be even more important in the future.
“It is a country of magic, a country of passion, a country of colour, a country of smiles. India is an incredible market. First of all, because it’s huge, but it’s young — our fans are getting younger, more diverse, and there is an incredible enthusiasm. India for us will represent even more in the future an important market where we have to go,” Domenicali said.
“In India, for us, it is about pushing content with our social media and trying to find new projects — like potential Bollywood projects — that can be very attractive for our fans in India. India is on our priority list to develop our attention for the future.”
FanCode is the official broadcaster of F1 in India. Its new approach has included regional commentary in Hindi & Tamil.
The next race, eighth of the season, will be held at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, from June 26-28.
