Formula 1 has become one of the most popular sports in the world in the past five years. The circuit’s boom has directly correlated to an increased desire to host an F1 race and also the number of races. The current season is proof of that very aspect with the sport boasting a record calendar. However, McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes that F1 cannot be truly global without getting countries like South Africa and India a spot on the calendar again.

Both countries have hosted Grand Prix events in the past but fell out of favor for various reasons. South Africa’s recent bid fell through because of greed, as reported by various news outlets. Whereas the Indian GP was snubbed after three races because of tax issues with the local government.

However, Brown believes the sport needs to break into the Indian and South African markets to increase diversity and also to truly claim its global presence. As quoted by Speed Week, he said, “If we were to do a few more races, I would say Asia is an important area. If it’s about opening up more markets, then another race in Asia, one in India and one in South Africa, would ensure that we have a truly global presence.” (Translated via Google)

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We’re not sure if South Africa will bid again. However, India can and might put its name in contention after a few years thanks to their latest project city, which will host a $120 million circuit.

Will the GIFT City fulfill Zak Brown’s Indian GP desire?

India is slowly and gradually becoming a powerful economy. The country which was looked down upon for decades is holding its own in almost all sectors. However, the motorsport industry is still operating on a small scale. Despite India hosting three Grand Prix more than a decade ago, from 2011 to 2013, which saw the iconic Sebastian Vettel celebration, we haven’t heard a peep from the second most populous country in the world. However, that might change soon.

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India is currently building a city near Gandhinagar in the western state of Gujarat called GIFT City. The government reportedly wants to make it a financial sector for international companies. This venture will also put a major focus on developing entertainment and leisure infrastructure to make the city liveable.

With that in mind, an F1 track is also proposed in the city, for which an initial bidding process has already been done. A consortium of German racetrack designer Tilke, real estate consultancy company CBRE, and architecture firm Arcop are the front runners among the six bidders for the F1 circuit project. The proposals will be laid out in August and the winning proposal will win the bid to construct the $120 million project.

The new circuit will replace the Buddh International Circuit in Noida, Uttar Pradesh as the front runner and will perhaps take over the official hosting duties in the future ending India’s F1 draught. Let’s wait and see if the circus comes back to the busy streets of India.