India's long wait to enter the high-profile world of Formula One car racing finally seems to be getting over. Indians will soon get a chance to see the world's best F1 drivers showcase their driving skills in the ultimate motor sport event.
The inaugural F1 Grand Prix in India will take place on October 30, 2011. The Federation Internationale del' Automobile (FIA) has included the Indian Grand Prix in its 2011 calendar.
India will stage the 18th Grand Prix on the 20-race calendar, which was released yesterday by the FIA after a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.
India's maiden F1 race will be held at the Jaypee Group Circuit, which is under construction at Greater Noida, pending FIA homologation. It should be ready by June 2011.
The estimated cost to develop the 5.15km circuit is about US$215mn. It will have a seating capacity of 150,000.
The 2011 F1 season would be the longest on record.
Abu Dhabi will now be the penultimate race on November 13, 2011 and the concluding Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos on November 27, 2011.
The F1 season next year will start in Bahrain on March 13, 2011.
The only other change sees Turkey now opening the European campaign on May 8, 2011.
The FIA also announced on Wednesday that no entry had met the required standard to fill the vacant 13th team spot.
The decision ends for now ex-world champion Jacques Villeneuve's hopes of returning to the grid as the Canadian had lodged one of the rejected entries.
Villeneuve had joined hands with the Italian ex-GP2 team Durango, while another bid had come from the Spanish outfit Epsilon Euskadi.