SINGAPORE: With momentum gradually building for India's potential return to the Formula 1 calendar, Pranav Adani's personal visit to the Singapore Grand Prix has attracted considerable attention.
PTI has learnt that Pranav was in the Singapore GP paddock in a personal capacity and attended the event as a guest of the FIA, the world governing body for four-wheel racing.
The Adani Group has acquired the debt-ridden Jaypee Group, with the deal also including the Buddh International Circuit, which hosted Formula 1 races between 2011 and 2013 before the event was discontinued due to taxation and financial hurdles.
Karan Adani has publicly expressed his desire to bring Formula 1 back to India, and the Indian government is also keen to host the marquee event. It recently formed a task force to work towards its revival.
There is no definite timeline for the race's return, but the Adani Group and Formula One Management have held exploratory discussions on the subject.
In fact, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has, on multiple occasions, expressed his desire to have a race in a country of 1.5 billion people at the "right" time, when sufficient awareness of the sport has been created.
Against this backdrop, Pranav's meeting with FIA officials, albeit in a personal capacity, has piqued interest. Other stakeholders in the paddock, including drivers led by Lando Norris and team bosses, are also keen to race in India again.
"I know I have a lot of fans from India, and I remember having Jehan (Daruvala), an Indian driver, as my teammate for many, many years. He's one of my best friends.
"And I've still never been to India, so I would love to go to experience it, first of all, but also to go and race there because I'm sure, and I know, that the fans out there love the sport," reigning world champion Norris said ahead of the Singapore GP.
Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad, who has Indian roots, and Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen are also excited about the prospect of India returning to the calendar.
The Adani Group and the Indian sports ministry have demonstrated a clear intent to host the mega event. They see it as an opportunity to showcase India's infrastructure, capabilities, aspirations and confidence on the global stage. However, significant challenges need to be addressed before the project can come to fruition.
Formula 1 will require absolute clarity on tax rebates before advancing discussions, while the local promoter, in this case the Adani Group, will need to pay an annual hosting fee of between Rs 300 crore and Rs 500 crore.
Additionally, the circuit requires a major upgrade, which is likely to cost between Rs 150 crore and Rs 200 crore. There would also be substantial logistics and safety costs.
Asia remains important to Formula 1’s growth plans, but an increasing number of countries are seeking to host races, intensifying competition for India.
"If there's a passion for motorsport in India, then it makes sense. Formula 1 is very competitive now. Twenty years ago, it was difficult to find regions or cities that wanted races, and now it's the opposite. So India would have to compete with other places," Alpine MD Nielsen said in the Singapore paddock.