When Formula One headed to India for the first time at the Buddh International Circuit, it was a move quite ahead of its time. Social media existed back then, but it was not a means of promotion just yet. However, with F1’s growing popularity in recent years, Indian fans have been clamouring for a return. 

F1’s primary streaming partner in India, FanCode, recently got in touch with the racing series’ CEO, Stefano Domenicali, who has expressed a desire for F1 to revisit India.

However, he feels that it won’t happen in the short term, and it is a few years away, since the sport needs to be economically sustainable, and that can only happen by setting up a proper infrastructure.

“It's very important to say that we need to feel and see that growing interest from all the stakeholders of India because this is a project that, when we reach back to your country, has to be big, has to be the right one, has to be with the right level of investment, and has to be with the right level of people. 

There’s a lot of thinking behind this, and you can be sure that India is on our priority list to develop our attention for the future.”

Since the Buddh International Circuit is currently India's only FIA Grade 1 circuit, any potential return of the Indian Grand Prix would most likely be at the Greater Noida venue. The last Grand Prix held at the track was in 2013.

When asked about his plans for the Indian market, regardless of an Indian Grand Prix in the future, Domenicali emphasised pushing content on social media, curating specialized content for regional audiences, and a large-scale collaboration with Bollywood, considering the fandom some actors/actresses enjoy. 

Domenicali’s comments also come following a renewed push to bring back F1 to India. Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, the Indian Sports Minister, recently suggested that an Indian Grand Prix could be held as early as 2027, which was rather unrealistic and premature, considering there is little chance of India making it to the F1 calendar in such a short span of time. 

The Indian Sports Minister’s comments also came at a time when F1 was going through an unexpected pause due to the cancellation of two rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, exacerbated by the West Asia crisis. 

This prompted Liberty Media to respond via an official statement. It acknowledged the sport's fan base and popularity in the country, but also stated that such arrangements are not possible on short notice. 

Is the Adani Group planning a return of the Indian Grand Prix?

The Buddh International Circuit has been a subject of conversation in India’s recent push to bring back Formula One. In November 2025, the Adani Group emerged as the leading bidder to acquire the Buddh International Circuit from the Jaypee Group. The acquisition amount was said to be approximately USD 1.54 billion. 

Sometime before that, Karan Adani, the MD of Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd., expressed excitement over the acquisition and potentially bringing F1 back to the country, calling it his passion project. 

Shortly after the acquisition, former Indian F1 driver Karun Chandhok drove the very car that propelled Sebastian Vettel to victory in the 2012 Indian Grand Prix. Fresh off that, he, too, spoke of the renewed interest in F1 in India. 

According to him, key challenges include securing funding, be it privately or via the government, along with addressing legislative hurdles, and finding a slot on the calendar amid high demand.

Additionally, infrastructure upgrades are essential to meet modern standards, given that more than a decade has passed since the last Indian Grand Prix, and the track will need some reworking. 

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Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason