Formula 1 could return to the Buddh International Circuit, but 2028 is currently a target under study rather than a confirmed race timeline. A new task force has been formed to examine whether the tax, regulatory, infrastructure and commercial issues that ended the earlier Indian Grand Prix can be resolved.
The panel is being led by Yugal Kishore Joshi of NITI Aayog and is expected to include representatives from the Sports Ministry, the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, state governments, circuit operators and other stakeholders. Its brief goes beyond simply finding a date for an F1 race. It will look at the conditions needed to bring major international motorsport back on a more regular basis.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has indicated that 2028 is being considered for a Formula 1 comeback. That would bring F1 back to Greater Noida 15 years after the last Indian Grand Prix in 2013.
The Buddh International Circuit hosted Formula 1 in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The 5.125 km track was purpose-built for F1, with 60-lap Grands Prix covering just over 307 km. Sebastian Vettel won all three races for Red Bull and clinched his fourth world championship at the circuit in 2013.
The track itself was well regarded. It combined long straights, elevation changes and a fast middle section, including the long Turn 10 right-hander. The problem was not a lack of a suitable circuit. Taxation, regulatory disputes, financial issues and event operations made continuing the race difficult after 2013.
Those old problems are exactly what the new panel now has to examine. Racing cars, spares and specialised equipment move across borders for a Grand Prix weekend, so customs treatment and taxation can have a major effect on event costs. The government is also looking at circuit standards, investment requirements and the commercial case for hosting global championships.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has said the championship is interested in returning, while also making it clear that the right promoter, partners, investment and timing are still needed. That is an important distinction because F1’s calendar is crowded and a government study by itself does not secure a place on it.
There has also been movement around the local motorsport structure. The FMSCI received provisional recognition as a National Sports Federation for motorsport in July 2026, giving it a more formal role in dealings with the government.
The Buddh circuit remains the obvious venue because it has already hosted both Formula 1 and MotoGP. However, an F1 return would still require the circuit to meet the championship’s current technical and safety requirements, along with a promoter capable of funding and operating the event.
The strongest sign of progress is that the discussion has moved from general interest to a task force examining specific obstacles. Taxation, customs, infrastructure, commercial viability and the promoter structure are now being treated as practical work items.
That still leaves several steps before fans can expect tickets to go on sale. Formula 1 and a promoter would need to reach a commercial agreement, the circuit would need the required approvals, and the race would need a confirmed slot on a future calendar.
Featured image: PTI file photo