A Formula 1 race is a three-day carnival for spectators. Delhi is all set to host the 17th race of the 2011 season on October 30. Jaypee Sports International will host the race at Greater Noida’s 5.14 km-long Buddha International Circuit which can seat up to 120,000 spectators. According to CEO Sameer Gaur: “We promise an event that will be world class; spectators from India and abroad will have an enjoyable experience.”
In cities like Singapore and Abu Dhabi, a race-day weekend is a week-long festival with international artists performing in the city, food festivals and cultural events all over the place. While Delhi might not be able to match that, as the event is being held in Greater Noida, the organisers say there won’t be any embarrassment. People are worried because they have not forgotten the mismanaged Commonwealth Games where things weren’t ready till the 11th hour.
One of the biggest issues that the spectators are jittery about is ticketing. The CWG fiasco and the controversies around the World Cup tickets are still fresh in their minds. But Gaur, who has tied up with Bookmyshow.com, is confident of making it a hassle-free experience. “We will start selling tickets next month, and it will be a smooth process.” The tickets will be moderately priced with the cheapest going for Rs 2,500 and the grandstand tickets for Rs 35,000.
Apart from the race, a multitude of events are being planned in and around the track. There are reports of rock band Metallica coming to the city to perform. “Our pride is at stake, as is the country’s, and we don’t want to ruin anyone’s reputation,” says Gaur. He is hopeful that the race will provide a fillip to the economy in direct and indirect ways. F1 has a huge international fan base and people from all over the world are expected to witness the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. The hotel and tourism industry is expected to see a boost during the race-day weekend.
But what about the track when the race is over? Though Gaur is tightlipped about how it will be put to use, he does confirm that there are talks being held to organize other national as well international events. “But that will be only in 2012. We are exploring various opportunities in motorsports and we will hopefully announce a few things soon,” he adds. Other circuits over the world use the track for a lot of other motorsports events — for both motorcycles and cars — but in India motorsports are still a nascent sport. Gaur believes that the race will herald a new beginning for motorsports in the country. “The interest has always been there and now the corporate world is showing interest which will give it a boost,” says he. With companies like Tata, Maruti getting serious about motorsports and taking part in more events, the scene for the sport in the country looks better.
The track, designed by German architect Hermann Tilke who has earlier designed racing circuits in Malaysia, Bahrain, China, Turkey, Indonesia and UAE, is expected to be completed by August. Gaur says that construction is almost complete and his people are putting the final touches. Vicky Chandhok, the chairman of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India and a consultant to Jaypee Sports International, believes that the track is spectator friendly and the drivers will love it. The company has invested over Rs 1,500 crore on the project. “There are no worries like the CWG about missing deadlines or anything,” says Gaur.
