F1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone realized that F1 could ignore India, a growing F1 powerhouse, no longer. And India will welcome F1 every bit as much as the other way round.
The benefits of aspiring nations joining the F1 calendar are clear: an Indian grand prix could generate around $170m in revenues and employ 10,000 people.
Hotels and tourism also get a boost as more international flights arrive, given that certain flyaway events (the races held outside Europe) sell at least 50 percent of their tickets to foreigners.
“Given the sheer size of India and its booming economy it should be on the Formula One calendar,” declared Dr Vijay Mallya, Kingfisher airline and beer tycoon, and owner of the Force India F1 team.
Just as in China, which got its foot on the F1 ladder in 2004, India’s love affair with the motor car is growing—at an average annual rate of 17.2 percent over the last five years. The potential advertising tie-ins between manufacturers and F1 are plentiful.
“An Indian GP would satisfy the legions of Indian fans of the sport who are currently glued to the television on Sundays and turn up in droves at various venues where large viewing screens are put up,” said Narain Karthikeyan, who became the country’s first F1 driver in 2005.
“The launch of Force India, as one of only 10 teams on the Formula One grid, has stimulated the interest in Formula One in India dramatically, and it is getting more and more popular,” Mallya said.
And that is just the support for a struggling team. The possibilities with a high-flying, home-grown driver are manifold—if only there was one on the horizon.
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