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THE circuit for next year's Indian Grand Prix will be ready in time and tickets for the first Formula One race in the country will go on sale by the end of this year, according to the man who was part of the top team which helped mastermind Bahrain's emergence in the sport.
The negative publicity surrounding the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games in Delhi will not prove to be a hindrance either, said Mark Hughes, vice president (operations) of Jaypee Sports International, which is building the track near New Delhi.
Hughes, who was the operations head of the circuit at Sakhir, said the FŽdŽration Internationale de l'Automobile, commonly referred to as the FIA, would make an initial inspection in May next year to see how the construction of the track was going.
"People are a bit sceptical of India's ability to host international events. I genuinely hope that the Commonwealth Games, once it's running, shows that India is able to host international events," Hughes said. The Games, intended to showcase India's growing financial might, threatens to be a national embarrassment with the organisers fighting corruption charges and struggling to get venues ready with less than a month to go.
"We will not block the media from coming to the venue. We will work closely with them to make sure that the world is aware that we will be ready," Hughes said of the circuit.
The Indian round is due to be the 18th of next year's Formula One championship - which will kick off once more in Bahrain in March - and will be held on October 30 subject to the facility passing a final FIA inspection.
Hughes says that the average lap time on the Noida track is expected to be around one minute and 24 seconds, among the top five in the world.
The track would be ready by May 31, Hughes said. "It's a monumental task and work is under way at a staggering pace," he said. "Greater Noida might just be the place to visit in October next year for an adrenaline-induced weekend."
The 5.14-km track is being built about 35km from Delhi with the complex having a seating capacity of between 100,000 to 120,000 at a cost of around $350 million.
The circuit is being built by JPSI which is part of the Jaypee Group. It was designed by German F1 circuit architect Herman Tilke, the company behind the Bahrain International Circuit and Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina.
Hughes, 39, told GulfWeekly: "We are delighted about the announcement to join the 2011 calendar. We were watching the FIA world council meeting very closely and the date suits us perfectly. The weather in Delhi will be great and it fits right in with the construction schedule.
"This is big news for India as it is the country's first ever F1 race - something hundreds of thousands of fans have been waiting for a long time to see happen.
"The initial inspection should probably happen around May next year which will give us a few months for any fine tuning. It is a routine procedure to ensure that the finished circuit matches the designs already approved by the FIA.
"We have liaised closely to ensure that the plans are followed and it should be a formality. The circuit has a lot of undulation, some interesting turns some of which will be extremely quick. The track will be great fun to drive."
The circuit's creation has been a real adventure for Hughes who says his time in Bahrain was an immense learning curve which helped equip him with the necessary skills to take the Indian venture forward.
He spent five years in the kingdom, living in Budaiya with his wife Suze, a Brit born at Awali Hospital, and son Morgan, now six.
He said: "Bahrain is a very special place for me. Apart from helping to run the circuit for five years, I met my wife in Bahrain - she was born there. We still have lots of friends in the kingdom and I thoroughly enjoy coming back, especially for the opening grand prix - I'll be there!
"I also had a lot of Indian staff working for me on the facilities management side of things in Bahrain and they were a great help in teaching me about India, such as what to expect.
"And, the BIC still help me out now if I need any advice! But overall, it's been a real adventure for me as I've had to learn about a new culture, understand the different market place here as well as learning about the different rules and regulations. But that's one of the things I love about my work. I get to work in these incredible locations. As I had said before, in my opinion, India is going to be 'the benchmark' grand prix for the next 10 years.
"Getting a track ready for a Formula One race is just the start. There is a racing academy, corporate and retail driving products, track and facility rental all of which need planning, setting up and running and all of which I'd like to be part of. My contract is for three years so I'll be here until 2013 at least."
Bahrain will host the first race of the 2011 season on March 13. The season will end in Brazil on November 27, two weeks after the Abu Dhabi race.
