The Indian Ministry of Sport aims to host "a Formula 1 race in India in 2027"

From 2011 to 2013, the pilots of Formula 1 had raced on the asphalt of the Buddh International Circuit, located in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, with all three editions of the Indian Grand Prix having been won by Sebastian Vettel at the wheel of a Red BullThe event, which had left the calendar after only three races due to taxation issues, high costs and bureaucratic obstacles, could however return to the F1 calendar next season.

The Indian Ministry of Sports does indeed aspire to bring the premier category back to the country. There will be a Formula 1 race in India in 2027. The first race will take place at the Buddh International Circuit. "This is what Mansukh Mandaviya, the Minister of Sports, told the press during a briefing in New Delhi, according to reports by The Telegraph India.

While the F1 calendar is being disrupted by a tense geopolitical situation in the Middle East, the South Asian giant intends to take full advantage of it. "Given the global situation related to the ongoing conflict in Iran, India is seen as a safe and viable location for sporting events, including F1."the minister insists. We plan to organize an event MotoGP before the return of Formula 1. The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) is currently in discussions with Formula 1, and we will act as facilitators. »

However, an Indian Grand Prix is ​​not guaranteed to take place as early as 2027, given the current contracts of the other circuits on the sport's calendar. For now, only the Zandvoort circuit is leaving the calendar in 2026, while the Spa-Francorchamps circuit will switch to an alternating schedule from 2027 onwards, joining the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit.

The issue of funding for the event had also been raised by Karun Chandhok at the beginning of 2026. There are probably three or four potential sticking points (on the return of F1 to India, editor's note). How will the event be financed? Will it be public or private? If the event is privately financed, it will still need to comply with all import laws, visas, taxes, etc. These are things that need to be put in place. " he explained to Indian coach.

Furthermore, aging infrastructure would need to be renovated. “Finally, the last point concerns infrastructure. The last F1 Indian Grand Prix took place thirteen years ago; the sport has evolved since then, so the circuit will need to be adapted to accommodate that.” " admitted the former Lotus driver.

Towards a 25th Formula 1 Grand Prix?

With a maximum of 25 events permitted under the current Concorde Agreements and an already extremely demanding season, the prospect of a 25th^e A Grand Prix might seem unrealistic. However, that was without taking into account a slip of the tongue... Pierre Gasly during Canal+'s "Formula One: Night Show", hinting at an additional event next season.

A return of India to the F1 calendar could otherwise be envisaged at a more distant horizon, for example after 2028 when the contracts for the Singapore, Mexican and Portuguese Grands Prix will expire.

The Minister of Sport is also proposing alternative routes to host the potential Grand Prix. Besides the BIC (Budh International Circuit, editor's note), We also have good tours in Chennai and Hyderabad (urban layout that accommodated the Formula E in 2023 (Editor's note).

He adds : " The government's role will be to ensure the proper maintenance of infrastructure and to manage fiscal matters., he explains. For example, if the entertainment tax cannot be completely repealed, we will try to arrange for refunds to be granted in order to encourage organizers to participate in the project. Discussions on this are ongoing. This is an interministerial matter, and we are doing our best to make the offer attractive to Formula 1. "India is thus showing real ambitions to bring motorsport back to the country, which has 79 million fans according to Formula 1.

Finally, it should be noted that India has since hosted other international motorsport events, such as the Indian Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in 2023 and the Hyderabad E-Prix the same year. The country was also scheduled to return to the MotoGP calendar in 2024, but the event ultimately never took place due to " operational reasons ", according to the Official website.

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