Bernie wants to give Indian GP a break

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It’s that time of the year Formula One ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone drops hints about the following season’s calendar, issuing indirect ultimatums to struggling race promoters.
With Russia and Austria are likely to join what is set to be a 20-race calendar for 2014, one venue from the current 19-event season has to make way to the newcomers. Hinting at combination of issues such as financial viability, customs duty and taxation, Bernie seems to have earmarked the Indian GP for the axe.
“Is India going to happen next year? Probably not,” Bernie was quoted as saying at Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
Bernie is no stranger to making sensational statements. During the 2012 Indian GP, the F1 boss spoke about the possibility of having another GP in Mumbai, only to reverse his comments the very next day saying “India doesn’t need two races.”
Maybe because of Bernie’s penchant for flip-flop statements, and their holding a valid contract till 2015, the Indian GP promoters — the Jaypee
Group — are confident of hosting three more Grands Prix. But, the issue looks rather serious.
If New Delhi hosts the 2014 edition in October, it’s financially difficult for them to organise the race again in another six months. According to sources, Bernie is hellbent on accommodating the inaugural Russian GP, which is pumping in a lot of money, in the October slot at Sochi and thus the octogenarian is highlighting India’s red tape and bureaucracy as hurdles to negotiate different dates.
No doubt, the Indian government’s customs and taxation rules are not helping the Grand Prix either. The sports ministry refused to give duty exemption to Formula One, terming it “of no national importance” and the burden of paying the temporary import duty for the equipment fell on the Jaypee Group. For this year, the government reportedly wants F1 teams and drivers to be taxed according to their incomes.
President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India, Vicky Chandhok, who is known for his close association with Ecclestone, says India could be dropped for 2014 and return for the early part of 2015. “Formula One Management wants to have the race in India during the first half of the season. So the two parties are in negotiations now,” Chandhok said.
“If New Delhi hosts the 2014 edition in October, it’s financially difficult for them to organise the race again in another six months. So, the FOM could extend India’s contract for one more year to make up for 2014,” he added.