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With Indian Grand Prix facing an uncertain future because of various reasons, including red-tapism at different levels, Sahara Force India team owner Vijay Mallya has asked the Government of India to facilitate the event instead of becoming an obstacle.
The Indian GP is only three years old, but it has already been dropped from the 2014 Formula One calendar with two years of its contract still remaining.
Even though the race is expected to make a comeback to India in 2015, there are serious doubts about its continuation among motorsports fans because the Indian Government does not support the event.
“I will appeal to the government to see what goes on in other parts of the world where local governments actually support Formula One. But in India it is going to be very difficult to persuade the government because of the unique nature of the country and its problems,” Mallya, who himself is a Member of Parliament, said here today at the Buddh International Circuit.
“The Government should not interfere or become an obstacle. The Government should be a facilitator. If private enterprise is taking the responsibility of hosting Formula One event, the government should encourage it.
“The benefits of bringing Formula One to any country, including India are enormous. It provides visibility, exposure which translates into tourism,” he added.
The Uttar Pradesh Government considers Formula One race as an entertainment and not a sport, which means huge taxes are levied on the promoters of the event — the Jaypee Group.
If the Indian Government recognises Formula One as a sport, the event gets tax and duty exemptions.
But the Government requires drivers, teams, the Formula One Management and the local promoter, Jaypee, to pay local taxes for hosting the race. If that is not enough, the F1 teams require extensive paperwork to bring in their cars and other racing technology into the country.
Allaying fears about the future of the Indian Grand Prix, Managing Director of Jaypee Sports International Limited Sameer Gaur has said that the event will make a grand comeback in 2015.
He, however, said that he and his company have done their bid and it is now up to other stakeholders, including the government, to make the event a profitable and successful venture.
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