Sports
India lacks well-oiled system to handle F1: David Coulthard (Interview)
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By Sandip Sikdar New Delhi, March 12
Former racing driver David Coulthard believes that India does not have a "well-oiled system" to host a sport like Formula 1.
The
pinnacle of motorsport, F1, took place at the Buddh International
Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida for three consecutive years from 2011 to
2013. However, it disappeared from the calendar following tax and
administrative hurdles the next year.
"There were issues whether
it was for drivers withholding tax and things like that. We travel the
world and pay taxes in a number of countries as we are foreign
entertainers and we are performing there. It surprised me that India did
not seem to have a well-oiled system of handling foreign entertainers
as other countries," Coulthard told IANS in a telephonic interview from
London.
"This may be because it is still getting used to that as a
concept, but it does surprise me when you say India is a powerhouse of
engineering, creativity, work ethic and so many positive aspects that it
did seem that there is a sort of accountancy at the government level
which is a bit caught up in some sort of bureaucracy which didn't
embrace foreigners coming in to perform."
The Scot, who raced in
F1 from 1994 to 2008 for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull and is currently
a race expert with BBC, echoed what international automobile federation
(FIA) president Jean Todt said in Mumbai on Monday - that India
deserves a Grand Prix.
While the race was not scheduled for the
2014 and 2015 seasons, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone recently said that
Formula One Management (FOM) and race promoters Jaypee Sports
International (JPSI) are looking at a possibility of bringing back the
race in 2016.
"Everyone in Formula 1 would like the Indian Grand
Prix to be back because we enjoy it being a part of the World
Championship. India is a huge country with over a billion population.
There has got to be a future of Formula 1 within that population to
develop the grassroots level talent," said the 43-year-old, who raced in
247 GPs.
The Briton also blamed the JPSI for not honouring contractual obligations, news that IANS broke exactly a year ago.
"With
a good track and many other reasons, we would like to be there, but
somebody has not honoured their agreement. They signed it willingly,
presumably, and then failed to keep it. I just don't understand why
people would sign something with no belief or intention of being able to
honour it because it gives false hope," added Coulthard, who has won 13
F1 races.
However, JPSI chief executive Sameer Gaur has often said it would honour all its commitments in totality.
Though
there is a possibility of the race returning next season, history has
shown that if a GP goes off the calendar, there are very few chances of
it returning. Also, the constant addition of more races each season will
hardly leave the calendar with any space to host another Grand Prix.
Coulthard will return to India soon when he drives a Red Bull on the streets of Hyderabad on April 5.
The 2015 Formula 1 season begins this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
(Sandip Sikdar can be contacted at [email protected])