Indian Grand Prix

During 1997, there were plans to host an Indian Grand Prix at Calcutta. But now, the dream is yet to come true within months. The Indian Grand Prix will be a formula one race held in at the Buddh International Circuit which is ready set to wind for the F1 season 2011. The first international event in India is scheduled to take place on October 30, 2011. However the circuit is under homologation by the International Council and the decision will be made by the end of July 2011. In 2003, India had only two permanent raceways, one in Chennai (Irungattukottai), and Kari Memorial Speedway in Coimbatore. But there were reservation of lands is huge acres for the construction of race tracks in various states of India. In December 2003, a seven-year pre-agreement to host the GP in Hyderabad in 2007 was signed. The track was to be build near Gopanapally village, near the outskirts of Hyderabad. However, in 2004 there came competition from Mumbai, to shift the track from Hyderabad to Mumbai instead. By later that year both the projects were declared as DEAD due to the anti-tobacco legalization. F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone expected India to host a Grand Prix within three years, aiming for locating at either Hyderabad or Mumbai. By the year 2007, five locations remained in the running for hosting the Indian Grand Prix: Bangalore, the Gurgaon district in the state Haryana, a permanent track somewhere near New Delhi, a street circuit in New Delhi, proposed by Vijay Mallya, and a site in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

The Indian Olympic Association and Ecclestone announced in June 2007 a provisional agreement for India to host its first Grand Prix in the 2009 F1 season. The track would be built in Gurgaon, on recommendation by architect Hermann Tilke. However, in September 2007 the IOA announced that the debut race would take place in 2010 on the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. After further assessments of the timeframe involved, Ecclestone announced in September 2008 that the Indian Grand Prix has been delayed to 2011.

The track will be spread in an area of 875 acres. The initial seating capacity is speculated to be around 150,000. However there are plans to increase the seating capacity to 200,000 later on. The sprawling circuit will be a part of Jaypee Green Sports City and will also be used for hosting one or more rounds of MotoGP Championships in the year 2012. The 10-year contract for the race has year been given to the Indian construction company Jaiprakash Associates.

The track in all has 16 largely medium speed corners where F1 cars will lap at an average speed of 210 kmph. The back straight will let F1 cars reach 320 kmph making it one of the fastest tracks in the world. The expected F1 car lap time is 1 minute 17 seconds. The organizers have also taken feedback from teams which have done the track analysis via simulators leading to modification of the turn 7 in order to maximize overtaking opportunities into banked turn 10. A grand stand with a capacity of 13,000 will overlook the turn 10 and turn 11 giving the F1 fans an opportunity to be a part of the action. The circuit will be of roughly 5.14 kilometers.

And thus for the great fans of F1, the cars of dream and the sounds of heart beat are coming to roar next to us in our own country and in the streets of Noida. Hope the Council will homologate the track and the race will be held in India on October.

Tags: F1, Formula One, Indian Grand Prix, Jaypee Green Sports City, Motorsport, Noida