Motorsport in India can take IPL route, says Gautam Singhania

Gautam Singhania, India's representative to Formula One's governing body International Automobile Federation's (FIA) World Motor Sport Council. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Building Indian motorsport up from the grassroots is crucial to addressing the country's waning presence in F1, felt Gautam Singhania, who was elected India's representative to F1 governing body International Automobile Federation's World Motor Sport Council last year.

"We do not have a motorsport culture because the cost is high. You have to reverse this - how do I make motorsport affordable? How do I promote go-karting?," said Raymond Chairman and Managing Director Singhania.

Since Narain Karthikeyan became the first Indian to race in F1 in 2005, followed by Karun Chandhok, there has been no Indian driver in the fray. Vijay Mallya's Force India team also has new owners now and operates under a British license. The Indian Grand Prix has also fallen off the calendar after just three of its contracted five editions.

Singhania suggested going the Indian Premier League way: "How do you add some masala or make it a tamasha? Can we bring entertainment into it? Can we bring food and make motorsport a part of it, like the IPL. It's an F&B package. So we have to rethink this whole thing."

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