Mallya confident of India hosting F1 Grand Prix in 2015
Indian business magnate and the co-owner of Formula One side Force India, Dr. Vijay Mallya has said he is confident that there will be a Grand Prix in India again in 2015.
|Last Updated: Oct 25, 2013, 11:03 AM IST|Source: ANI
Greater Noida: Indian business magnate and the co-owner of Formula One side Force India, Dr. Vijay Mallya has said he is confident that there will be a Grand Prix in India again in 2015.
Dubbed the `King of Good Times` for the playboy style of his younger days and his ownership of Kingfisher breweries, Mallya made the statement following Indian motorsport head Vicky Chandhok`s fears that F1 may never return to India despite promises to the contrary for 2015.
According to CNN, Mallya is confident that there will be an Indian GP in 2015 with 2014 given a skip because of scheduling issues (three new GPs scheduled next year), adding that he has tried to persuade his `good friend` F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone that India should not be ignored as it has a good market with its economic opportunities.
The report mentioned that Ecclestone shelved the Indian GP, to be held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida this year, for 2014 because of increasing costs due to rupee depreciation and tax issues faced by the teams.
However, Mallya admitted that there might be need of a new approach from the Indian government to secure the event`s future, adding that although the Delhi Grand Prix is staged by the track owners without any government involvement, he wishes that the Indian government would force some support to F1 to boost its own image.
Stating that India finally holding a Grand Prix was a `dream come true` for him, Mallya further said that although India has its fair share of challenges, there is no drought of potential fans despite cricket holding the No.1 position for which there is still a hope for the sport in the country.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.