The organisers of the Grand Prix of India — Jaypee Sports International Limited (JPSI) —walked away, the second year in a row, with the Best Formula One race promoter award at the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) gala in Istanbul on Saturday.
“This is indeed a very proud moment and I am honoured to receive this FIA award for the second time on behalf of my entire team and the country, whose support and enthusiasm was responsible for us to win this award again,” said JPSI managing director and CEO Sameer Gaur after winning the trophy.
“This award will motivate us to host a grandeur Indian Grand Prix next year and we would hopefully be able to complete a hat-trick of it.”
The FIA prize giving gala is organised every year to honour all those who make outstanding contributions to promote motorsports worldwide.
Farhan Vohra, in-charge of race operations at the Buddh International Circuit, was also recognised by the FIA as the ‘Best Clerk of the Course’ for 2012.
Vohra had the key responsibility of managing race operations and race control at the BIC during the first two editions of Grand Prix of India. Previously, he has also been a steward at the Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Germany F1 races, and is the only Indian accredited by the FIA to be a steward and a clerk at an F1 race.
“I am honoured with this recognition, which could not have been possible without the efforts of the entire JPSI team that helped ensure a smooth Indian Grand Prix for the second year running at the BIC,” Vohra said.
“We had made some changes to the track leading up to the second edition but to think that we were able to achieve greater heights than last year, as the recognition signifies, is a testimony to how much more Buddh International Circuit can offer to motor racing.”