F1 not returning to India anytime soon

There is often a price to pay when standing up for what's true and Narain Karthikeyan might seem the unlikely villain here. However, the former Formula One driver may be right in claiming the clouds hanging over the future of the sport in India may not have a silver lining.

Three years into a five-year deal to host the Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in Noida, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone decided to pull the plug on the race due to a tax dispute between organizers Jaypee Sports International Limited and the Uttar Pradesh government which had rendered the hosting of the race less profitable than initial estimates. The 2014 edition of the race was moved to early 2015, but then altogether cancelled, with Ecclestone claiming that the sport would consider making a return in 2016 if the tax situation had been resolved.

But with a number of other races added to the calendar, a comeback seems improbable and Karthikeyan has thrown his weight behind the belief that F1 may skip the Buddh in the foreseeable future.

"F1 is not going to return to India anytime soon because the calendars have already been set for the next few years with a lot more races included in the season to replace the Indian Grand Prix," said Karthikeyan, who is promoting the television premiere of the biographical sports drama Rush, which highlights the intense rivalry between former drivers Nikki Lauda and James Hunt.

"The Buddh International Circuit is an absolutely world class facility and definitely one of the best I've seen around the world, but it is a shame that India had to be taken off the calendar so early because the race was one of the best things to have happened. So while F1 was good for India because it brought the common man closer to the sport with a lot of international exposure." Karthikeyan should know best after all he spent years in the high-octane world of F1 racing with both Jordan and HRT.

The 37-year-old currently spends his time shuffling between India and Japan, where he is racing in the Super Formula Series. The series uses regulations that are similar to F1 and Karthikeyan is presently placed 12th in the 20-driver table after six races. Speaking of his Super Formula experience, Karthikeyan added: "Nothing compares to F1 obviously, but this perhaps the next best and fastest thing. It is an interesting series because the cars are equal so there is every chance to win races

"The series uses the same technology as Formula One, but the cars are a bit different. But this is a series that is supported by a lot of manufacturers, so it is a strong championship with a lot of European drivers, a lot of ex F1 drivers too. It's difficult to find your feet in F1 because it is a capital-intensive sport."