India returning to F1? The Sports Minister is sure: “A race in 2027”

India seeks a return to F1 After the three editions held between 2011 and 2013, F1 abandoned India and focused on other markets due to the tax disadvantages involved in organizing a GP at the Buddh International Circuit. The Circus’s interest in the Asian giant has remained unchanged, but the first step must come from India. And this step could have arrived today: Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has declared that he wants to promote the organization of a Formula 1 race as early as 2027, simplifying the fiscal obstacles that in 2013 had led to the contract with the GP being torn up after three editions. In a media briefing, Mandaviya said that at least three companies have shown interest in running the circuit: “There will be an F1 race in India in 2027. The first race will be held at the Buddh International Circuit. The government will help get the tax breaks that had become a subject of controversy, so that the initiative is profitable for the organisers. Given the global situation caused by the war in Iran, India is considered a safe and viable venue for sporting events, including F1. The Federation of Clubs Indian Automobiles is currently in negotiations with F1, we will act as facilitators.” An impracticable dream Organizing a race for next year is a difficult goal to achieve, as Liberty Media has been working on the 2027 calendar in recent months and usually makes it official in the spring. F1 itself deemed this hypothesis highly unlikely. However, India’s renewed interest, willingness to meet the needs of F1 and the unchanged attraction of the Circus for the Asian state must be noted. Furthermore, the Buddh International Circuit, dormant for over a decade due to the financial problems of promoter Jaypee Group, could benefit from a change of management, with the Adani group finalizing its acquisition. This is a market of undoubted interest for F1, which abandoned India because the Asian giant intended the GP not as a sport but as entertainment, and therefore did not grant any tax exemption. Mandaviya seemed more open on the topic: “The entertainment tax cannot be completely repealed, but we will try to ensure that refunds are provided to incentivize the scheme for the organisers. Discussions on this are ongoing, it is an inter-ministerial matter and we are doing our best to make it attractive for Formula 1.” To be more credible, however, the Indian candidacy should shift the focus beyond 2027 and provide greater guarantees: all the latest major motorsport events organized in the country have encountered logistical problems, to the point that MotoGP and Formula E only raced there in 2023.