The Jaypee group has been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the formula one race at India for the next 10 years. The JPSK group a subsidiary of the Jaypee Group is going to be constructing the track at Noida. Mark Hughes who was the operations head of the circuit at Sakhir Bahrain is the man incharge of the Indian Grand Prix event. He claimed that the track construction is as per schedule and the first race would happen in October 2011. By then Delhi and the NCR would have also hosted the commonwealth games and would be having the infrastructure needed to maintain such a huge gathering of sportspersons and technical people from around the globe.

The Indian Grand Prix has always had a heavy backing from people like Bernie Ecclestone and Vijay Mallya. The sports ministry had tried to play spoilsport last year by refusing to recognise formula one as a sport and granting tax relief with respect to equipment imported for the same. The huge influx of tourists for the event though is expected to change things. The race organisers peg the turnout for the race at more than 1 lakh spectators, most of them from outside the country. Such a huge influx of foreign tourists and revenue will surely make the Government recognise the Indian Grand Prix as an event of National Importance.

“We fully expect the race to go ahead next October” Mark Hughes said.

“The circuit is part of a sports city being constructed 35 kilometres outside the Indian capital on a 2,800 acre site with areas set aside for the Formula One track and a 100,000-seater international cricket stadium,” Hughes added.

“Jaypee Group head Jaiprakash Gaur is passionate about sport and he has a dream to develop Indian youngsters with talent and prospects to progress,” Hughes added. “The sports hub is part of that dream.”

“We expect to complete construction by July 2011 and once the FIA has given its approval we can finalise training for marshals, track officials and medical staff in time for an October race.”

Meanwhile as most of you might be aware Karun Chandhok became the second ever Indian to race in the formula one championship. He is racing for the HRT F1 team (Campos meta).