Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has revealed plans to develop a dedicated motorsport city in the state. This will include a new racetrack, capable of hosting F1, F2, F3, F4 and other international races.
“An Olympic city will be set up in Chennai. A Motor Sports City will also be set up in Chennai to host Formula 1 races. The talents of youth in motorsport will be identified, and training and racing opportunities will be provided to create national and international level champions,” Vijay said during the state Assembly.
He added, “Establishing world-class motor vehicle car racing arenas will provide opportunities for tourism, special vehicle manufacturing industries, employment and economic development.”
- New Chennai race track aims to host F1, F2 and more
- Venue will also include training facilities
Chennai Motor Sports City plans revealed
Tamil Nadu is at the very heart of the motorsport scene in India, with tracks like the Madras International Circuit and Kari Motor Speedway hosting the majority of national championship races. There’s also the Madras International Karting Arena, which is the first karting track in the country to meet global CIK (Commission Internationale de Karting) standards.
Vijay highlighted the business case behind setting up the new motorsport city in the state. Tamil Nadu is currently a leading state for the production of various two-wheelers and four-wheelers, as well as racing vehicles. He added that setting up “world-class” racing venues will provide opportunities to boost tourism and specialised vehicle manufacturing industries, as well as employment and the local economy in general.
While the precise location of this new motorsport city hasn’t been revealed, Vijay shared that the goal is for the venue to be capable of hosting international-level racing like F4, F3, F2 and even F1.
Driver development will be another key focus area. Vijay stated that the venue will also include training facilities to identify and nurture local racing talent in a bid to give them opportunities on the national and international stage.
India eyes F1 return
This announcement follows renewed interest from the Indian government to bring F1 back to India.
The Buddh International Circuit last hosted the F1 Indian GP from 2011 to 2013. But the race was then dropped, mainly due to the Uttar Pradesh government’s taxation policy at the time, which classified F1 as entertainment rather than sport.
However, speaking to the media earlier this year, sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya shared that the government is working to make India a viable host country for international racing. “For instance, if the entertainment tax cannot be altogether repealed, we will try to ensure that reimbursements are provided to incentivise the project for the organisers. Discussions are ongoing on this issue. It is an interministerial matter, and we are trying our best to make it attractive for Formula 1,” he said at the time.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has stated that there is “big interest” in the championship’s return to India but also stressed that this won’t happen anytime soon and will require several conditions to be met. “There are the right things that we need to do – to again find the right promoters, the right collaboration and the right timing, which will not be in the very short term. But when we talk about five years in Formula 1, it seems to be very far away, but it’s not,” he told F1 India broadcaster FanCode.