Buddh International Circuit - the best thing ever to happen to motorsport in India
It’s a bit ironical that while all major car and motorcycle manufacturers are present in India, and given the fact that there has been a healthy interest in motorsport in the country for many decades, we still have a serious dearth of motor racing infrastructure. The Sriperumbudur circuit near Chennai and the Kari Motor Speedway near Coimbatore aren’t really up to the task of accommodating very fast, powerful machinery. And yet, these two tracks are all we have. A relatively small country like the UK has at least 18 motor racing circuits, while India has all of two!
But things will change in August this year, when the first world-class motor racing facility in the country – the Buddh International Circuit – will be homologated by the FIA. Being built near Greater Noida by Jaypee Sports International Ltd (a subsidiary of the Jaypee Group), this 5.14km long circuit with host the inaugural Indian Grand Prix on the 30th of October, 2011. In addition to Formula One, this Herman Tilke-designed circuit is also expected to host MotoGP and other top-level car and motorcycle racing events from 2012 onwards.
‘BIC has been designed as one of the fastest, most exciting racing circuits in the world and is well suited to the requirements of very powerful, very fast racing cars and motorcycles. With its 16 corners, high-speed straights and dramatic changes in elevation, we’re sure the track will offer some pretty spectacular racing in the months and years to come,’ says a JPSI spokesperson. ‘Also, in terms of adherence to safety norms and regulations, and things like run-off areas, medical facilities, facilities for the media and overall infrastructure, BIC will be among the best in the world,’ he adds.
Situated in Gautam Budh Nagar district, near Greater Noida, BIC is at a distance of about 40km from New Delhi. Noida is well connected to Delhi via metro rail and during the F1 race week, Jaypee Sports also plans to arrange for shuttle bus services that will operate from various points in Delhi and NCR and will bring fans to the circuit.
Indeed, motorsports fans in India are both happy and excited at the prospect of an F1 race taking place in the country – something that has been discussed for many years and which is now actually happening. Tickets to the inaugural Indian Grand Prix haven’t gone on sale yet, but it’s expected that these will be available by mid-June via BookMyShow, JPSI’s ticketing partner for the Indian Grand Prix. And while ticket prices haven’t officially been announced, it is widely anticipated that there will be a range of tickets to cater to various budgets – starting from around about Rs 3,000 for a grass-stands ticket, going all the way up to Rs 40,000 for a main grandstands ticket.
At long last, motorsport in India finally seems to be on the right track. With F1 and perhaps MotoGP coming to the country, there is, hopefully, no looking back for motorsport enthusiasts now.
BIC: By the Numbers
Total Length: 5.14km
Number of Turns: 16
Highest point of elevation: 14m
Width of the track: Between 13m-20m
Expected average speed: 218km/h
Top speed for an F1 car: About 320km/h
Total seating capacity: 110,000
Approximate cost of building the track: US$400 million
Distance from New Delhi: 40km
