Speed Carnival

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If you are a Formula One fan who has had to perforce be content with watching Grands Prix over the years on your television set, then, you ain’t seen (or heard) anything yet.

There’s nothing quite like the scream of a V-6 2.4 litre F1 engine at full throttle to set your heart racing (and the ears aching). And it will all be on show come the October 28 to 30 weekend at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, just outside the national capital, in the form of the inaugural Grand Prix of India.
Hurdles remain. The race organisers, Jaypee Sports International, are yet to get a final make on customs duties to be paid on the masses of equipment to be imported, and then re-exported, once the race weekend gets over. The Greater Noida area has also witnessed farmer agitations over land compensation issues but JPSI have repeatedly made assurances that all will be well come the race weekend.
So what is Formula One? In essence it is the top class of single seater car-racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA, in which “formula” means a set of rules all participating cars must follow. And make no mistake, it is an expensive sport.
A look at what went into readying India’s first F1 track tells its own tale. The track and its attendant structures and infrastructure will have finally cost anything between `1,200 crore to `1,500 crore ($300-$400 million). The circuit is built around a 5.14 km track and is configured to seat 120,000 with a total parking capacity of 15,000 cars. The complex itself is spread over approximately 875 acres. Little wonder F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was moved to call the BIC “one of the nicest” on the calendar.
In all, JPSI are believed to have invested over `1,800 crore on the venue, which also includes a sports city, stadia, etc.
Big figures, these. And the organisers, who are hoping to pull in `80 to 90 crore from ticket sales alone, have priced them for the three days — Friday free practice, Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s Race Day — from `2,500 to `35,000. Corporate boxes, which are selling like hot cakes, range between `35 lakh and `1 crore.
Awaiting those lashing out such sums is a treat of speed, noise and plenty of glamour. The boxes have drawn a number of high-profile buyers including cine superstar Shah Rukh Khan besides corporate honchos Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries, Bharti Enterprises’ Sunil Mittal, and Anil Ambani of ADAG.
With the heavy-duty schmoozing that is part and parcel of every Grand Prix, it comes as no surprise that companies — and individuals — are lashing out such large sums. The Formula One paddock is a stage to impress and awe friends, clients, and sometimes, even the odd foe. So there are bound to be plenty of claws bared over the three days.