India will host its Grand Prix in 2011, not before!

Bernie Ecclestone spoke yesterday on BBC Asian Network about the future Indian Grand Prix of F1. The Formula 1 boss confirmed the entry of the emerging country into the calendar from 2011, and not before as the local authorities had hoped.

The Indian Olympic Association announced in 2007 that the first Formula 1 race in the country would take place in 2010. However, Ecclestone stated last year that the race would only happen in 2011. He has confirmed this date since, despite the delay in the construction of the circuit.

Of course the circuit will be ready, otherwise we wouldn’t have signed any agreement with the association… declared Bernie Ecclestone to the BBC Asian Network.

The Briton also confirms his interest in the country, a future economic power: « It’s a big, big country with a large population and it’s good for sponsors, car manufacturers, and all players in Formula 1. »

Since the announcement of a Grand Prix in India, Indian companies indeed seem to be increasingly interested in F1. The most obvious example is, of course, Force India, a team created by Vijay Mallya, a major player in the aviation industry in India. Other brands are also showing growing interest. The company Tata has become a sponsor of Ferrari a few months ago.

Indian drivers are also increasingly capturing the interest of the population. Narain Karthikeyan was elevated to the status of a national star during his participation in the Grand Prix in 2006, and other Indian drivers should soon be able to join the F1 grid, such as Karun Chandhok.

F1 will nevertheless remain a second-tier sport for Indians, according to Ecclestone. He indeed finds it hard to imagine his enterprise surpassing the excitement felt for Cricket, by far the number one sport in India.

« I doubt that anything in India can rival cricket, but we will see… », he added.