The buzz in India ahead of its first Formula One Grand Prix in October 2011 was something. Everyone in India seemed to want to make the jou...
The buzz in India ahead of its first Formula One Grand Prix in October 2011 was something. Everyone in India seemed to want to make the journey to the Buddh International Circuit in Noida and interest in F1 peaked. However, in 2014, the event was suspended and subsequently cancelled due to a tax dispute with the Uttar Pradesh government.
Yes, there was Force India but it never really felt like an Indian operation and the lack of Indian drivers on the grid (Narain Karthikeyan was done by 2012 and Karun Chandok last had a proper go in 2010) meant that there was a certain disconnect with the sport.
Then, Formula E came along in 2014. Initially, people weren’t quite sure of what to make of it. It just seemed like an experiment – the concept was great, the cars were cool, the drivers were good but could electric cars really do this? It was a wave of the future no doubt but did it have a place in the present?
But they got the ball rolling, did the hard yards, roped in enough manufacturers, scheduled races in three continents and all of that led to Formula E gaining World Championship status to become the ABB FIA...
