No Indian GP in 2014, aiming for early 2015 return

[caption id=“attachment_997899” align=“aligncenter” width=“380”] There will no Indian Grand Prix in 2014 because of scheduling changes. AFP[/caption] The Indian Grand Prix has been dropped from the 2014 calendar with organizers and the sport’s commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone working to reschedule the race for early in the 2015 season instead. India made its Formula One debut in 2011 and the Grand Prix has taken place over the last weekend of October in both the years that the event has been held, with the 2013 running of the race also scheduled for October 27th. But for 2015, organizers JPSI and Ecclestone are working to club the race with the first leg of flyaway Asian races that kick off the year. As a result, Formula One will skip the 2014 race, rather than have two races in the space of six months, with the race extending into 2016 to make up for the lost year under the country’s five-year deal to host the race. “It has been dropped. They are now working on 2015 and 2016,” Vicky Chandhok, chief of the Federation of Motor Sports Club of India confirmed. “When we signed the five-year deal with Jaypee, we were keen on going to India in the first half and Jaypee wanted it to be in October,” Ecclestone was quoted as saying by IANS. “We gave in at that time, but now it looks we will have the race early 2015,” the sport’s commercial boss said. Such chopping and changing of the schedule with races moving from one end of the calendar to another has happened before. Malaysia hosted the season finale in October 2000 before being slotted in to play host to the second round of the championship the next season just five months later. Brazil used to be one of the early rounds of the season, playing host to the third round of the championship in 2003 before being moved to the bottom of the calendar. India has traditionally been part of the second leg of Asian races along with Singapore, Japan, Abu Dhabi and the race in South Korea which is generally held before the Indian event. This year, there has been a slight tweak to the calendar with Japan preceding India and with the Korean race also rumoured to be facing the axe, India is being clubbed with the Asian races at the start of the year instead. “That is what they’re looking to do so that with Korea being off the cards, then everything moves to Europe and America, South America, whatever, so they don’t backtrack again all the way to India,” Chandhok said. The organisers, Jaypee Sports International Limited, said they were amenable to a change in schedule. “October-November period suits us better both weather-wise as well as it being festive season, but if Formula One Management wants us to hold our race in March, 2015 we don’t have any problem with that,” JPSI Chief Executive Sameer Gaur said. Confirmation that the Grand Prix will be dropped from next year’s calendar comes after speculation over the race’s future received fresh impetus over the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend with Ecclestone raising the possibility of dropping the event. Formula One is scheduled to add three more Grands Prix in Russia, Austria and New Jersey to its ever-expanding calendar next year which would take the number of races in a season to 22. However, teams are not keen on more than twenty races in a year and India – along with Germany and the little-loved South Korea – had been rumoured to be facing the axe. India is a major market for Formula One with the sport, its sponsors and the car manufacturers involved keen to tap into the growing demand generated by the rising incomes and increasing purchasing power of an emerging middle class. The race has also proven to be a favourite with drivers, who love the layout of the track with its elevation changes, while fans in the country are increasingly warming up to the sport, despite lower attendance numbers at the second running of the race – something that is normal in a new market – suggesting otherwise. However, the sport has had to overcome bureaucratic hurdles in getting to India while teams have also expressed reservations about the authorities taxing them in the country, an issue they are believed to have brought up at a private meeting with Ecclestone in Hungary. “Well, we had those (tax issues) earlier on as well when we actually came and it would be a pity if for these reasons we don’t go there,” Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn, who did not attend the meeting with Ecclestone, said. “We understand that under legislation in many parts where we go to we are subject to certain taxes, which is alright and part of the legislation, but I think one should find a good solution there which is good for everyone and just doesn’t tax the teams too much,” Kaltenborn said.