Indian GP in trouble?

UPDATE A significant dip in race-day attendances failed to stop Indian Grand Prix organizers basking in the glory of an otherwise successful second edition. The Buddh International Circuit on the outskirts of Delhi put behind the teething problems that plagued the inaugural race last year and put up a show without major glitch. The drivers gave a thumbs-up to the 5.14 kilometer track, teams hailed the clean paddock and the facilities sported a completed look that was not the case last year.

None of these, however, could gloss over the dip in the numbers of fans, the most important constituent of any sport, as 65,000 of them turned up for Sunday's race down from last year's 95,000. Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone was not worried.

"First races are always high and the second year goes down. If the third year isn't going up, then it's something to worry about," the Briton who celebrated his 82nd birthday at the circuit told reporters. "We have a competitor here. What's the name of that game? Cricket. That's it."

Indian motorsports federation chief Vicky Chandhok reiterated the same three-year cycle and predicted a bigger turnout in 2013.

"Formula One is like this only. This is the trend everywhere. From third race onwards, you'd see some kind of stability. Overall, it has been a huge improvement from last year," he said.

10/28/12 There were so many empty grandstand seats for today's Indian GP it was evident to everyone that the future of this race is in jeopardy with the race promoter taking a financial bloodbath. With only one Indian driver in the race (Karthikeyan) running in a backmarker car, Indian race fans have little reason to find interest in the event.