Indian race may be axed

BUDAPEST: The Indian Grand Prix is likely to be dropped from next year’s Formula One calendar as Russia prepares for its debut, according to commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

‘‘Is India going to happen next year? Probably not,’’ he said at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Asked what the problem was with the race at Greater Noida, near Delhi, the 82-year-old British billionaire replied: ‘‘Very political’’.

Ecclestone, who has run Formula One for decades, draws up the calendar and usually presents it to the governing International Automobile Federation to be rubber-stamped in September.

He currently has a possible 22 races jostling for space on the calendar with teams expressing a strong preference for a maximum of 20.

Russia, with a debut race pencilled in for the Black Sea resort of Sochi towards the end of next year, and a Grand Prix in New Jersey are the two novelties planned for 2014 with Austria also due to make a comeback after an 11-year absence.

India first hosted a Grand Prix in 2011 to positive reviews from the Formula One community and this year’s is scheduled for Oct 27 as the 16th round of the 19-race championship.

The two races to date in India have both been won by Red Bull’s triple world champion Sebastian Vettel.

There have been bureaucratic hurdles to overcome, however, as well as concern about finances and the sport’s exposure to high local taxation.