Charlie Whiting postpones the inspection of the Indian GP

As the organizers of the Indian Grand Prix enter the critical phase of the final three months before hosting the F1 extravaganza, Vicky Chandhok, president of the Indian federation, reveals in *Asian Age* that the final inspection of the Buddh circuit, initially scheduled for this week, will ultimately take place on September 1st: « We have sent bi-monthly reports to the FIA and they are completely satisfied with our progress. In fact, the final inspection was planned for the first week of August and the circuit was ready for it, but the FIA technical director, Charlie Whiting, confirmed that he would only come to New Delhi on August 31st. »

No need to worry, however, as the memory of the last-minute homologation of the Yeongam circuit in South Korea still lingers. In India, the garages, grandstands, hospitality, and media center are already completed, and the final layer of tarmac will be laid by mid-September.

Vicky Chandhok aims to be reassuring: « The curbs and Tecpro barriers are in place. The German consultants appointed by the FIA advised the promoters to lay the final layer of tarmac only 45 days before the event. After that, as a trial run, a round of the JK Tyre National Racing Championship will take place to ensure everything is operational. »

The facilities should still evolve in the future, even as the Grand Prix could see its calendar date for 2012 moved forward to April: « The 5th floor of the hospitality area and a restaurant exclusively reserved for the media will be finished later. »