India announces it will hold GP in 2009

[ArrowsFA1]

India has been awarded a Formula One grand prix race to be held from 2009, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi announced on Thursday.

"We have received a letter in this regard from Bernie Ecclestone, CEO of Formula One," he told a news conference.
"The IOA will be the promoter, the first event of which will be held in 2009."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/59752

[Big Ben]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/59752

That's a shame... I don't like the track at all

[leopard]

One in one out unless the number of the races added, which race will be out?

[AndyRAC]

Nothing against India but this is ridiculous, how many races will we end up with; 20,25,30??? Surely there is a limit, but obviously not for Bernie, more money the better, sod the sport and the people who work in it.

[millencolin]

the more races the better i say...

[Flat.tyres]

the more races the better i say...

within reason. i think 20 should be the absolute maximumotherwise your devaluing the competition and putting too much strain on the teams and drivers. 20 is a hell of a lot for a championship anyway and probably too much. 16 was about right I think.

I say more races, less testing.

Teams regularly clock up 20,000 miles in winter testing....that's the equivalent of 100 races.

[ArrowsFA1]

I say more races, less testing.
:up:

[aryan]

I say more races, less testing.

Teams regularly clock up 20,000 miles in winter testing....that's the equivalent of 100 races.
:up: I see no problem with increasing the number of races to 25, lengthening the season by 90 days and decreasing the amount of testing allowed to half.

After all, I don't get to see the test ;)

[blakebeatty]

I agree, 25 is a fine number. I also believe that the races should better span the globe. I think that the proposed speedways in India and Russia are beneficial to the sport. It would be cool to see something in South Africa too, and perhaps (again) Mexico

[Quetch]

I doubt they will build a race track in two years. They haven't even found the suitable land. Planning, getting the permits and building takes a lot of time, I guess.

[Dave B]

20 races per year is a good number, and I'd like to see Fridays made into a proper unrestricted test day. The changes for this year went some way to addressing that...

Anyway I digress. India's interest in F1 was massive while Narain Karthikeyan was in the sport, I wonder if hosting a race will bring some more local talent forward?

[Flat.tyres]

20 races would be OK dave but no more. i also like it when there's 2 weeks between meets. back to back gats a bit too much.

if we had 25 with 2 weeks inbetween, you'd only get 2 weeks off over christmas for a break :D

[kalasend]

I say more races, less testing.

Teams regularly clock up 20,000 miles in winter testing....that's the equivalent of 100 races.

Absolutely true!

Testing serves no economic (negative, in fact) value and very little entertainment value for the fans.

[trumperZ06]

;) With the logistics involved in moving from county to county as well as continent to continent, Formula 1 will be hard-pressed to hold ~ 24 races/year. There has to be "down-time" for development (think new models), and the Christmas/New Year holidays.

:p : Lets see just how many races Bernie can sell... to the racing teams !!!

[jens]

I say more races, less testing.


F1 is a tough sport and you always have to find a way to improve. Even if testing on track will be limited, teams will start searching for alternative options for improving and practicing. So IMO extra races will simply put on extra difficulty for participating in F1.

In WRC we have 16 events and most people agree that this is "too much" and that's partly the reason, why there aren't as many teams as there were before.

I'm afraid that "too many races" may start reducing the amount of competing F1 teams too.

[kalasend]

;) With the logistics involved in moving from county to county as well as continent to continent, Formula 1 will be hard-pressed to hold ~ 24 races/year. There has to be "down-time" for development (think new models), and the Christmas/New Year holidays.


What logistics? Starting in Asia/Middle East, then Europe, America, Europe, Asia, South America and hold testing sessions in Europe in between many races, makes no logistical sense.

FIA should:
- Let there be 20+ races per year with more logistically sensible schedule
- drop in-season testing
- shorten off-season length/reduce off-season testing

If FIA can do that, it would probably be a more comfortable schedule than current one.

[kalasend]

F1 is a tough sport and you always have to find a way to improve. Even if testing on track will be limited, teams will start searching for alternative options for improving and practicing. So IMO extra races will simply put on extra difficulty for participating in F1.

In WRC we have 16 events and most people agree that this is "too much" and that's partly the reason, why there aren't as many teams as there were before.

I'm afraid that "too many races" may start reducing the amount of competing F1 teams too.

That's why you need to keep growing the schedule. Wear the people and money out.

This may not sound sensible, but every paradigm change in the business world is because things get worse till some threshold is past, and traditional solutions(re$ource$) don't work any more.

At current structure, we have this boringly long off season during which:
- Teams still work hard but not doing any good for the audience
- Bigger, richer teams get more time to expense their resource$

Shorter off-season, less testing will benefit smaller teams for sure

[ShiftingGears]

I agree, 25 is a fine number. I also believe that the races should better span the globe. I think that the proposed speedways in India and Russia are beneficial to the sport. It would be cool to see something in South Africa too, and perhaps (again) Mexico

F1 once had something going for it in South Africa - Kyalami. Unfortunately there were political sanctions after 1985 and the track was butchered before F1 returned in 1992 and 1993. The new track wasn't favoured by anyone and a bankruptcy on the part of the promoter killed off the F1 South African grand prix.

I'd like F1 to return to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico but I don't think that will happen again without many chicanes and massive runoff areas. So maybe it is best that F1 doesn't go there.


Hopefully this Indian circuit will be a good one, but I'd imagine more races on the calendar would put enormous strain on team logistics as opposed to testing, as most of the testing is in Europe, rather than continents away from where teams are based.

[Storm]

Nothing against India but this is ridiculous

Why is it ridiculous exactly ?

India has had a F1 driver , there are a couple good ones in the making, a huge fan base, lots of marketing possibilities and 1 more race is not that big a deal.

Good stuff, but Delhi in October and Tilke doing the design :erm:
and on top of that I have full faith in IOA and Kalmadi...............NOT!

[leopard]

I agree, 25 is a fine number. I also believe that the races should better span the globe. I think that the proposed speedways in India and Russia are beneficial to the sport. It would be cool to see something in South Africa too, and perhaps (again) Mexico

25 races looked so optimistic, in a year we have 52 weeks with assumption we have the average race every other week means 26 weeks available.

20 I think the maximum races some of which need back to back races. Such race will not allow any injury driver (like Kubica) get the proper recovery for the next race.

Not sure about Russia, do they have proclivity delighted in racing?.
However the most important is diversity, the ultimate diversity

[Garry Walker]

yeah, lets stop racing in countries where racing is traditionally held in high esteem and go to countries where most people have no understanding of racing nor do they have any love for it :rolleyes:


I think that the proposed speedways in India and Russia are beneficial to the sport.

Trust me, F1 doesnt want to get involved in Russia. Thats if Bernie has any sense in his brain.

[Viv]

For obvious reasons, I am in favour of this move :)
I just hope it doesn't fizzle out like the last plan or turn out to be something like the Malaysian track :(

[SteveA]

Why is it ridiculous exactly ?

India has ... a huge fan base

The tickets would have to be very cheap if they hope to attract the fans. Even highly qualified IT professionals (with degrees) earn about a 10th of what they would in the UK.

I know I wouldn't pay over £2,000 a ticket to go to Silverstone ;)

[leopard]

The tickets would have to be very cheap if they hope to attract the fans. Even highly qualified IT professionals (with degrees) earn about a 10th of what they would in the UK.

:D :D

[leopard]

yeah, lets stop racing in countries where racing is traditionally held in high esteem and go to countries where most people have no understanding of racing nor do they have any love for it :rolleyes:
You underrate India(n)? :rolleyes:

[ArrowsFA1]

yeah, lets stop racing in countries where racing is traditionally held in high esteem and go to countries where most people have no understanding of racing nor do they have any love for it :rolleyes:
Could you explain why we have races in, for example, China and Bahrain in that case?

[Garry Walker]

Could you explain why we have races in, for example, China and Bahrain in that case?

I dont know, Werent the stands at Bahrain quite empty?
People in those countries dont care about racing, but they have the money, thats the only thing Bernie cares about.
We dont need races in such countries.

[aryan]

.

if we had 25 with 2 weeks inbetween, you'd only get 2 weeks off over christmas for a break :D


Well then, run 5 european races back to back and you'll have 7 weeks of holiday.

As has been mentioned, shorter periods of testing will certainly benefit smaller teams :up:

[rohanweb]

having expensive grandprix in any country got to be welcome!!!

But.........
India should and must get rid of modern day slavery / casts & bring the livelyhoods of the millions to a minimum acceptable level though, before trying to show off with a grandprix,

all of us just know about the IT industry,so india is great,
to be honest from my past visits it isnt true, handful of minority are in good shape & the others living under utter poverty!

Grandprix carnival is not needed there at this time!

sorry for my comments to any friends from India here!!!

[tacksharp]

1. Five days pre-season testing during official F1 test week. Barcelona would seem to be the popular location. Paid attendance, television coverage.
2. No in-season test days. No money is made on a test day, it's only spent away. Sponsors like televised events.
3. Friday practice at each race will instead be a six hour test day (test drivers allowed).
4. 24 races. Keep traditional Euro circuits, they're close enough to have back-to-back races.
5. Pay attention to huge markets like China and India.
6. Don't dis America because TV audience is not so big (talkin' to you Bernie). All the manufacturers know that America is their most important market. Try making the sport more appealing to Americans, Bernie (i.e., more passing).

[kalasend]

Why is it ridiculous exactly ?

India has had a F1 driver , there are a couple good ones in the making, a huge fan base, lots of marketing possibilities and 1 more race is not that big a deal.

Good stuff, but Delhi in October and Tilke doing the design :erm:
and on top of that I have full faith in IOA and Kalmadi...............NOT!

Agreed with everything except "India has a huge fan base".

I asked my Indian co-workers if they know/heard of Narain Karthikeyan. Nope.
I asked them if motorsport is popular in India (a foolish question to start with). Nope
I asked them what brands they consider to be sporty cars. Toyota Camry/Honda Accord are among Indian favorites.

Indians are simply not culturally tuned to motorsport yet.

Therefore having GP in India is great!

[kalasend]

yeah, lets stop racing in countries where racing is traditionally held in high esteem and go to countries where most people have no understanding of racing nor do they have any love for it :rolleyes:

Trust me, F1 doesnt want to get involved in Russia. Thats if Bernie has any sense in his brain.

I do not understand your way of thinking. Per your thought, Chinese GP shouldn't have been started because the country was not known to be enthusiastic to racing (which was not true. Before when there is no established track and economy was not growing fast enough, there's handful of rallying events. Not to mention though Macau was Porteugese colony, it is majorly Chinese city)

Now look what happened when Shanghai event was added. I believed seats are fully sold every year so far. I expect similar in India and other destinations.

[tacksharp]

Indians are simply not culturally tuned to motorsport yet.

Therefore having GP in India is great!

It's about cultivating a humongous market. Bernie is looking to the future. F1 is stupidly expensive and Bernie knows he needs to continuously look for new sources of major sponsorship. That's why F1 is somehow becoming a middle eastern / far eastern sport. I don't like it, I think most of us want it to remain a Euro-centric sport, but we obviously accept the model of >100 million dollar budgets, so we have to accept that F1 goes wherever the money is.

[kalasend]

I don't like it, I think most of us want it to remain a Euro-centric sport,

So, in your ideal:
- Super Aguri should be out?
- Takuma Sato should be out?
- Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian, Bahrain GP should be out? (ie. all non-Latin language countries)
- What about Toyota and Honda?
- What about black driver(s)?

If any of the above is to be made true, is F1 still "the pinnacle of motorsports"?

I am not white. English is not my native tongue. But am I biased?

[kalasend]

This is unbelievable. Just because India plans to have a GP and there are these ridiculous opposing comments. And more amazingly they are not criticizing the poor Tilke designed tracks or anything that would ruin a GP event, but the simple fact that the GP is not held in a traditional racing land.

If F1 has been developed like these people liked to, I wonder where F1 stands today in global motorsports. Bernie Ecclestone may not be doing everything smartly, but expanding F1 to new venues is nothing wrong.

Btw, I have yet to meet a sport(any sport) fan that does not wish people from other origins to participate in it.

[tacksharp]

Hey hey, you're misreading me! I'm in favor of a race in India! I just mean that F1 should maintain its traditional European races. I think most of us want to see races on each continent. By expanding the schedule F1 can preserve the European races and expand into the emerging markets.

Takuma Sato is my favorite driver!

And yes, I want to drop the Chinese GP because those commies are gonna be the next superpower because of short-sighted American and European investment and outsourcing, but that's a different discussion.

[ClarkFan]

Hmmmm........the Autosport article states that the track is still vaporware. No design, no permits for construction, no land purchased, not even a site identified.

Perhaps 2009 is just a bit optimistic?

And was the anouncement source from the ChampCar press office? :s

ClarkFan

[tacksharp]

Indians are simply not culturally tuned to motorsport yet.

Therefore having GP in India is great!

Sorry, I misread this quote. I thought you were being sarcastic! That's why you misread my post, I was actually supporting a race in India, while wishing that all the European races be preserved. That's why my previous post supported an expanded schedule.

[kalasend]

And yes, I want to drop the Chinese GP because those commies are gonna be the next superpower because of short-sighted American and European investment and outsourcing, but that's a different discussion.

Sorry about all the misreading. But....

Dropping the Chinese GP shakes the base of the communist party? Who lose if Chinese GP is removed? Do you think Chinese people are equally evil like its gov? Don't want to get political on this forum, but seriously are you under 20? (or under 30 in case you are from the US).

[jens]

I think most of us want it to remain a Euro-centric sport,

Although I'm European, then I guess I'm in minority. :p :

As the name of the series is Formula One World Championship, then I'm glad to see Asia getting more and more involved in the sport. Hopefully besides a Grand Prix also some talented race drivers or why not even teams come from India, China, etc countries. :)

[ShiftingGears]

yeah, lets stop racing in countries where racing is traditionally held in high esteem and go to countries where most people have no understanding of racing nor do they have any love for it :rolleyes:



Trust me, F1 doesnt want to get involved in Russia. Thats if Bernie has any sense in his brain.

It all depends on whether Bernie will make lots and lots of money out of it, and not on whether the area is a good place to build a great racetrack. Sadly.





And another thing about having 25 races...it will give drivers a less time to recover from injuries. And due to the points system being more rewarding of consistency, I think I could see some drivers having a problem with it.

[aryan]

1. Five days pre-season testing during official F1 test week. Barcelona would seem to be the popular location. Paid attendance, television coverage.
2. No in-season test days. No money is made on a test day, it's only spent away. Sponsors like televised events.
3. Friday practice at each race will instead be a six hour test day (test drivers allowed).
4. 24 races. Keep traditional Euro circuits, they're close enough to have back-to-back races.
5. Pay attention to huge markets like China and India.
6. Don't dis America because TV audience is not so big (talkin' to you Bernie). All the manufacturers know that America is their most important market. Try making the sport more appealing to Americans, Bernie (i.e., more passing).


Couldn't agree more! :up:

[Garry Walker]

Now look what happened when Shanghai event was added. I believed seats are fully sold every year so far. I expect similar in India and other destinations.

They were giving away the tickets at very cheap prices if I remember correctly. You wouldnt be able to visit the toilet at European GPs for a similar cost

[call_me_andrew]

I think everyone's a little too excited about nothing. The deal is "conditional" and India is "already running behind schedule with work related to staging the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi". If they can't get ready for 2010 on time, I have low expectations for 2009.

[kalasend]

They were giving away the tickets at very cheap prices if I remember correctly. You wouldnt be able to visit the toilet at European GPs for a similar cost

Free tickets were given to officials and business people or whoever is in the "network". For the first Shanghai GP, tickets were sold out a year before and the cheapest I heard is ~us$200.

[Ranger]

Free tickets were given to officials and business people or whoever is in the "network". For the first Shanghai GP, tickets were sold out a year before and the cheapest I heard is ~us$200.

I heard that the average Chinese GP ticket price as of 2006 was the average of 9 weeks wages for the average Chinese person - barely toilet price.

[kalasend]

You guys has a lot more to learn about India and/or China, if you ever feel like to that is.... But to pull comments like "F1 should be Euro-centric", or "No new events should be held where motorsports ain't popular" etc is just arrogant.

Nobody in India, China, Bahrain or whatsoever cares about how much Ecclestone makes. The fact is, when there's GP event, local people welcomes it. What is so sad about that?

These emerging GP holders have nothing to do with this sport being expensive, or that the tracks suck.