Motorsport needs PPPs for a long drive in India: Executives
Motorsport in India
show immense promise but require strong
public-private partnerships
(PPP) for sustainable growth, industry executives said, citing the Uttar Pradesh government's deal to host
MotoGP
as a positive step.
Despite having hosted marquee events like
Formula One
(F1) and MotoGP in the past, regulatory and taxation challenges led to F1's exit from the country. Both F1 and MotoGP have over 50 million fans in India.
Industry executives added motorsport holds the potential to boost tourism, generate employment and drive infrastructure development. However, they cautioned that without supportive policies and active government backing, this potential will remain untapped.
"We see a fully structured and inclusive motorsport ecosystem getting built out in India, which definitely needs a two-way partnership-government putting in, private sectors coming in-with support through policy frameworks, funding, and a strong emphasis on the educational threshold that's needed," said Anshuman Singhania, MD,
JK Tyre
& Industries.
He added that an equally critical factor is how the sport gains popularity and how people begin to view it as a viable career path. Narain Karthikeyan, India's first F1 racer, was a JK Tyre prodigy.
Live Events
"JK Tyre will continue to invest in people and technology to make India a global motorsport hub," he said, noting that up to 15% of the company's annual marketing budget is allocated to motorsport.
"Over the past decade, JK Motorsport has invested approximately '200 crore in the development of motorsport-ranging from infrastructure creation and support for both emerging and established talent, to building intellectual properties, collaborating with existing events, and more," he noted.
Vicky Chandhok, vice-president of Madras Motor Sports Club and former president of FMSCI, said red tape and tax-related issues had forced F1 to exit India due to lack of government support. However, he said that the UP government's backing to keep MotoGP in the state has raised hopes.
"Today, we often say that India is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world-and rightly so. But if we truly believe that, we must embrace Formula 1 and MotoGP. These are among the most technologically advanced sports globally, and many corporates are keen to partner with such events-even if it's just for a single India round," Chandhok said.
He noted that F1 and MotoGP, being globally popular sports with billions of viewers, can deliver significant economic value to the country and help build Brand India.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
40 minutes ago
- India Today
Canadian Grand Prix: George Russell wins from pole as Piastri and Norris collide
George Russell secured Mercedes' first win of the 2025 Formula One season with a composed drive from pole position at a dramatic Canadian Grand Prix, while McLaren's championship battle took a chaotic turn as teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris collided in the closing who had also started on pole in Montreal last year before finishing third, made no mistake this time, leading confidently from the start and navigating multiple strategy shifts and a late-race safety car to take the chequered flag. The win marks his second career victory, his last having come in Las Vegas in November amazing to be back on the top step," said Russell after the race. "I felt last year was a victory lost, and today we made up for it. That pole lap yesterday really set it all up." The race, which started under overcast skies at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, was full of strategic variation. Some drivers opted for two-stop strategies, while others, like Norris, gambled on longer initial stints using the hard compound tyres. This mix created a tense finale with the top five cars all within striking distance as the laps wound held the lead from Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who had been aiming for a fourth consecutive win at the venue but had to settle for second after a late safety car scuppered any chance of a final them, all eyes were on McLaren. Oscar Piastri, in pursuit of third place, was being chased by teammate Norris in the final laps. With just three laps to go, the two came to blows - literally - as Norris clipped the rear of Piastri's car while attempting an ambitious overtake. The impact sent Norris off track and out of the race, prompting an immediate apology over team radio."I'm sorry. All my bad. All my fault. Stupid from me," said a remorseful Norris, who was later handed a five-second time penalty by the stewards - irrelevant given his emerged unscathed in terms of damage but lost track position and the chance to challenge for the podium. He pitted under the safety car, rejoining in fourth behind Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who held station to claim a sensational first career podium. At 18, the Italian becomes the youngest podium finisher since Max Verstappen's breakthrough in 2016 and the first Italian to stand on the rostrum since 2009."Honestly, I was just hoping the race would end!" said a beaming Antonelli. "It was a crazy final few laps and I'm still trying to take it all in."The late-race collision capped a weekend of growing tension within McLaren. Piastri now sits atop the drivers' standings with 198 points, extending his lead over Norris (176). Verstappen trails in third with 155, while Russell's win lifts him to fourth on the constructors' championship, McLaren maintain their lead, but Mercedes have now climbed to second, leapfrogging Ferrari and sitting 175 points adrift of the Woking Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came home fifth, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who endured a challenging race after an early collision with a groundhog caused minor front wing damage. Fernando Alonso took seventh for Aston Martin, with Nico Hlkenberg eighth for Sauber after a strong showing. Esteban Ocon brought Haas points in their 200th Grand Prix by finishing ninth, while Carlos Sainz took the final point in tenth for Red Bull lodged a protest relating to Russell's track limits on lap 42, but stewards dismissed the appeal over five hours after the race conclusion.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Red Bull challenges George Russell's Canadian Grand Prix win, stewards reject official protest
Formula One stewards rejected a Red Bull protest of George Russell's Canadian Grand Prix victory for Mercedes on Sunday. The stewards said in a lengthy statement issued five-and-a-half hours after the end of the race that the protest was not founded. Red Bull, which forfeited its deposit, had Max Verstappen finish second. They had argued Russell breached the rules by driving erratically when the safety car was deployed in the final laps of the race and also showed unsportsmanlike conduct. READ: Canadian Grand Prix: George Russell holds off Max Verstappen for win as McLarens collide The stewards dismissed the allegations. While Russell and Verstappen are not friends and have clashed on the track, notably in Spain two weeks ago when Red Bull's four-time world champion was heavily punished, Christian Horner, Red Bull principal, said it was not personal. Red Bull has, however, protested twice in the space of five races now, both times against Russell. In Miami in May, it protested the Briton's third place, arguing the driver had failed to slow when yellow flags were waved during a virtual safety car period. Verstappen was fourth that time. The stewards had rejected that protest as well.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Canadian GP: George Russell holds off Max Verstappen for win as McLarens collide
George Russell won his first race of the Formula 1 season as the Mercedes driver held off defending race winner Max Verstappen at the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday. It was the fourth victory of Russell's career, and the race ended under yellow when McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris staged a wheel-to-wheel late battle that ended with Norris hitting the wall. 'It's amazing to be back on the top step,' Russell said. 'I felt last year was a victory lost, so to get the victory and see (teammate) Kimi (Antonelli) on the podium, too, is an amazing day for the team. I think it shows the strength of our cars in the cooler conditions, so let's see in the coming races.' Russell started on pole for the second consecutive year in Montreal and held the advantage for most of the race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The British driver became the fourth race winner this year, joining points leader Piastri, Norris and Verstappen, the four-time reigning F1 champion. Verstappen, who has one more race to go before points drop off his license and eliminate the possibility of a one-race suspension, was satisfied with his second-place finish. 'Was quite a good race, even though in the first two stints, we were struggling with the tires,' the Dutchman said. 'We hung in there in the final stint. That was the maximum we could have achieved today.' Mercedes rookie Antonelli finished third behind Verstappen for his first F1 podium. 'A really good day. It was absolutely victory on merit,' Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said. 'We controlled the race all the way. George drove brilliantly and Kimi didn't crack under pressure, even with the McLaren right behind him. 'It's been a while since we've had two cars on the podium with a win and that's why everyone is delighted.' The two McLarens came together when Norris, then in fifth, attempted to pass Piastri multiple times on the 67th lap out of 70. Norris ultimately ran into Piastri and bounced into the wall, drawing a safety car for the final laps. 'I was defending the inside, then I felt a small touch,' Piastri said. 'That's all I've got to go on at the moment. It's a shame for the team.' Norris received a 5-second penalty for contact with Piastri after the race and took responsibility. 'I just went for it. I thought Oscar would move a bit more to the right, not leave a gap,' Norris said. 'I wasn't expecting anything easy from him. But in the end, it was all my mistake. I take full blame, and I want to apologise to my whole team and to Oscar for attempting something like that.' Piastri finished fourth, ending an eight-race podium streak dating back to the second race of the season. McLaren as a team failed to reach the top three for the first time this year. 'We never want to see a McLaren car involved in an accident and definitely not contact between our two cars,' team principal Andrea Stella said. 'This is a situation we know is not acceptable. At the same time, we appreciate that Lando immediately owned it. 'He raised his hand, as you should, and apologised to the team. For us, that sort of resets the situation. I'm sure there's an important learning point for him from this race. He's paid a price for the championship, and we value the way he handled it.' Piastri arrived in Montreal—the 10th of 24 stops this season—with a 10-point lead over Norris amid a dominant season for the papaya-coloured cars. The Australian driver extended his advantage to 22 points over his British teammate. Verstappen, ranked third in the drivers' championship, now trails Norris by 21 points. A race win is worth 25. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fifth and sixth. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, Haas' Esteban Ocon and Williams' Carlos Sainz Jr. rounded out the top 10. Leclerc, after holding off on a second pit stop, was the leader until the 54th lap when he finally swapped tires. That set up a five-man race to the finish involving Russell, Verstappen, Antonelli, Piastri and Norris in the final 16 laps. A little more than five seconds separated the drivers. Lance Stroll, the lone Canadian on the 20-driver grid, finished 17th after starting 18th. The Aston Martin driver received a 10-second penalty for forcing Alpine's Pierre Gasly off the track on the 47th lap. The Canadian GP returns to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve next year. The next F1 race is the Austrian Grand Prix on June 29.
