Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that the championship has a “great interest” in returning to India. However, he also stressed that any potential revival of the Indian Grand Prix remains several years away and will require a number of important conditions to be met before it can become a reality.
“There is great interest from our side in returning to your country,” Domenicali told Indian F1 broadcaster FanCode. “There are a few things we need to do: find the right promoters, establish the right collaboration, and identify the most appropriate timing. This is not something that will happen in the very short term. But when we talk about a timeframe of five years, for example, it may seem very far away, yet in Formula 1 it never really is.”
The comments from the Italian executive come at a time when efforts to bring Formula 1 back to India are gaining momentum. The Adani Group, which is currently competing to acquire the Buddh International Circuit (BIC), has confirmed that it is actively evaluating plans aimed at reviving the event.
On the government side, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently told local media that the Indian Grand Prix could potentially return as early as 2027. At the time, however, sources close to Formula 1 dismissed those suggestions, describing the proposed timeline as unrealistic. While acknowledging that India remains a strategically important market for the championship, they pointed out that “organizing and successfully delivering a Formula 1 race takes time due to the complexity involved.”
Domenicali has now reinforced that position, stating: “There is still no specific date when we will be able to say something concrete, but we can clearly see that interest is growing at every level.”
Buddh International Circuit remains central to the plans
The Buddh International Circuit hosted the Indian Grand Prix from 2011 to 2013, with both the track and its facilities receiving widespread praise from teams, drivers, and members of the Formula 1 paddock.
The event was eventually removed from the calendar, largely because of tax policies implemented by the Uttar Pradesh government at the time. Those regulations classified Formula 1 as entertainment rather than a sporting event, creating significant financial and administrative complications for the organizers.
Domenicali emphasized that if Formula 1 is to return to India, the project must be built on a solid agreement rather than a temporary compromise.
“It is very important to underline that we need to feel the interest of all Indian stakeholders because this is a project that, once implemented in your country, will need to be a major one,” said the Italian.
He added: “It will need to be the right project, with the right level of investment and the right number of people involved, because your market is simply phenomenal. I just want to ensure that one day we will definitely be there, under the right conditions.”
Encouraging signs, but significant challenges remain
Although the road to an Indian Grand Prix comeback remains long, there are some encouraging developments. The Uttar Pradesh State Transformation Commission recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AVW Global to bring MotoGP back to the Buddh International Circuit.
In addition, races from the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) are also scheduled to take place at the venue, further strengthening hopes that the circuit can once again become a major motorsport destination.
For Formula 1 specifically, however, the challenges are considerable. Reports suggest that hosting fees for a modern Grand Prix now range between $70 million and $150 million per event, representing a dramatic increase compared to the costs associated with the final Indian Grand Prix in 2013.
Calendar space is another major obstacle. With the Formula 1 schedule already packed, even established venues such as Spa-Francorchamps and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya have been forced into rotation agreements to maintain their places on the calendar.
Securing a slot for India is therefore far from straightforward. As Stefano Domenicali made clear, bringing Formula 1 back to the country is a long-term project that will require patience, investment, and broad support rather than an objective that can be achieved in the immediate future.
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