From F1 Glory to Silence: Now India Is Fighting to Bring Formula 1 Back to Buddh International Circuit in 2028
Now, more than a decade later, there is a fresh push to bring Formula 1 back to India, with 2028 emerging as a possible target.
Xtratime Webdesk: Once, the world's fastest cars raced right here in India. Then, almost overnight, F1 disappeared. For three years, the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida was the centre of India’s Formula 1 dream. From 2011 to 2013, the track welcomed the biggest names in motorsport. The grid featured legendary world champions including Sebastian Vettel (who won all three races and sealed his 4th World Championship there in 2013), Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Michael Schumacher. Then, after 2013, Formula 1 vanished from the Indian calendar.
The Indian Grand Prix was dropped after 2013, with taxation and regulatory disputes becoming major roadblocks. The race also faced the difficult economics of hosting Formula 1, leaving a world-class circuit without the sport it was built for. But Buddh International Circuit may not remain a forgotten chapter for much longer.
Now, more than a decade later, there is a fresh push to bring Formula 1 back to India, with 2028 emerging as a possible target. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has announced a 10-member task force, headed by NITI Aayog Programme Director and Adviser Yugal Kishore Joshi, to examine what stopped F1 from working in India and what needs to change this time.
This time, the approach is different. The task force will look at taxation, policy and regulatory hurdles, while also exploring possible public-private partnership models. Representatives from tourism, commerce, tax authorities, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra will be involved, with the circuit’s current stakeholders also part of the conversation.
That matters because India is no longer approaching F1 as simply another international sporting event. The country now has a huge motorsport audience, a growing automotive industry and a generation that has grown up watching Formula 1. Buddh International Circuit itself has already proved that it can host major international racing. It hosted MotoGP in 2023, showing that the circuit still has a place on the global motorsport map.
It is whether India can get it right this time using Buddh International Circuit to revive the motorsports ecosystem, attract more international racing and give the country’s growing motorsport culture a bigger platform. So, 2028 could be more than a comeback of Formula 1. It could be the beginning of a new chapter for Indian motorsport.
