With almost 80 million fans and a Sports Minister who has declared a 2027 return – it is clear why India is keen on hosting Formula 1 once again – even if a comeback as early as next year has been officially denied.
The commercial picture behind that ambition is compelling. The Adani Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates, is set to acquire the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida from the troubled Jaypee Group.
At least three companies have separately expressed interest in operating the venue. A MotoGP event is being planned as a precursor to any F1 return – a staging strategy that mirrors how other markets have successfully built towards grand prix status and takes on extra weight given Liberty Media now owns both series.
The government is also moving on the barriers that ended the Indian Grand Prix after just three editions between 2011 and 2013.
All three races were won by Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel, with the 2013 edition delivering the German his fourth and final World Drivers’ Championship title.
The Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to classify F1 as entertainment rather than sport triggered a tax liability that made the event financially unviable, forcing organisers to write off losses of over $25 million.
Bernie Ecclestone, then F1’s chief executive, cited bureaucratic and political issues as the reasons for the race’s exclusion from the 2014 calendar – and those obstacles have cast a long shadow ever since.
But Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has now committed to resolving them and insisted the race would be a surprise inclusion on next season’s already packed F1 schedule.
“There will be an F1 race in India in 2027. This is 100% happening. The first race will be at the Buddh International Circuit,” he said.
“The government will help in getting the tax relaxations that had become a bone of contention so that it is a viable venture for the organisers.
There will be an F1 race in India in 2027. This is 100% happening. The first race will be at the Buddh International Circuit.
Mansukh Mandaviya
“It is an inter-ministerial matter and we are trying our best to make it attractive for Formula One.”
The geopolitical context has also shifted in India’s favour. With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix cancelled in 2026 following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, India is positioning itself as a stable and commercially attractive alternative for future calendar slots.
“Given the global situation due to the ongoing Iran war, India is being seen as a safe and viable venue for sporting events, including F1,” Mandaviya added.
However, F1 played down the claims soon afterwards and said it would not be racing in India next year, while acknowledging the country’s commercial appeal.
“While India is a valuable market for Formula 1’s continued growth with an amazing passionate fanbase, we won’t be racing there in 2027,” a spokesperson said.
The calendar reality reinforces that position as F1 operates 24 races and available slots are fiercely contested. With Portimao in Portugal’s Algarve confirmed for the 2027 schedule, space is already at a premium.
Few voices carry more weight on the subject than Indian racer Karun Chandhok – the former F1 driver and Sky Sports commentator competed in the sport from 2010 to 2011 and has long championed India’s commercial potential to grand prix racing.
His father was also President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India – the very body Mandaviya confirmed is currently in talks with F1 – and worked directly with Ecclestone on the original Buddh International Circuit project.
“Good to see the ambition, but 2027 is too soon for the level of work needed to make this happen,” Chandhok posted on X.
“Would love to see the Indian GP back but the owners need to carry out work on the track, work on the financial model and the regulatory and taxation issues. 2029 – 2030 at the earliest.”
Chandhok has previously spoken about the unique commercial opportunity for F1 in India, something that would likely appeal to the sport and its 11 teams should the possibility of a return arise in future.
“Seventeen teams picked up one-race sponsorship deals,” he said in an interview with Motor Sport Magazine.
“That doesn’t happen when you go to the French Grand Prix or the German Grand Prix or even the British Grand Prix.”
With a fanbase of 79 million – a figure cited by F1 when announcing its Indian broadcast partnership last December – and government backing now firmly in place, that commercial appeal has only grown. Maybe the question is no longer whether F1 returns to India, but when.
