[phamilyman]

To all those who rubbish the expensive entertainment logic:
MAHB Annual Report

I quote pg 27: "SIC (Sepang International Circuit) Sdn Bhd is non-core business, Govt. will purchase it for RM1 and assume its liabilities (approx RM121mn)"

Doesn't seem like some numbers add up, eh?

[Hypercar]

Originally Posted by amitoj

I dont think the Ministry refused permission to hold the event. They just said they wont give any money for it.

That was my understanding too. The sports minister said something like let them go to the tourism department and ask for land?

[sgiitk]

Looking at the Renault fiasco may be they are right!!

[kishg]

Yeah, there maybe a grain of truth in their position. F1 is more a business than a sport these days. I still think India should have a race though. It's about time..

[heavy_foot]

I think Mr Gill did the right thing after reading this For Kalmadi, F1 is Family 1st
For Kalmadi, F1 is Family 1st . For these swines this is nothing more than an opportunity for "Jhol".

[vampire]

Guys on the flip side. Do you think we should spend that amount of money for F1 development in India? Don't you think we've other core issues to handle. Yes cricket is there but how much money is the government spending and comparatively they are getting much more out of advertisements.

But think about the chaos that'll be created for commonwealth 2010. F1 is a far more elite game.

GODSPEED

[nitrous]

Originally Posted by vampire

Guys on the flip side. Do you think we should spend that amount of money for F1 development in India? Don't you think we've other core issues to handle. Yes cricket is there but how much money is the government spending and comparatively they are getting much more out of advertisements.

But think about the chaos that'll be created for commonwealth 2010. F1 is a far more elite game.

GODSPEED

The amount of foreign currency entering the country will be massive.
F1 fans from abroad would couple the GP with a tour around for sure.

Most of all, when will we ever start making inroads into motorsports? WHEN?

[RacingForIndia]

I am against spending public money on a sport which only a few indulge in. So I sure hope that the ministry does not pump our hard earned millions into building a race track for sure. India has some very big corporates and a principal of an F1 team. These are reasons enough for the finding to flow from the corporates and not from the govt. Look at what’s happened to funded tracks from Malaysia, Bahrain and China. They look awesome but no attendance. If the people are not there to see the races why make these tracks. Shouldn’t the DNA of a country be strong enough to build its own moto sport track by interested private parties?
The tickets are priced so much that at the cost of one ticket, you can run a small school in a village for a whole year.
I love F1, don’t get me wrong, my siggy will testify it and my avtaar too, but not at the cost of the money which can be used for better purposes.
$400 USD is a lot of public money.
So yes, F1 is not a sport, its an event, a must have event too, but cost is everything.

[vinaydas]

only two sports exist Racing and Boxing the rest are merely games.
the only mass entertainment that exists in india is cricket and the ministry wants to keep it that way.

[McLaren Rulez]

Well its a good thing India is joining the likes of USA, France, etc. and telling the FIA to shove it. Look at how Bernie is bleeding Silverstone dry. Why would India's govt want to put itself in that position? If India wants a race, private players can step up.

[cbr954rr]

Originally Posted by RacingForIndia

I am against spending public money on a sport which only a few indulge in. So I sure hope that the ministry does not pump our hard earned millions into building a race track for sure. India has some very big corporates and a principal of an F1 team. These are reasons enough for the finding to flow from the corporates and not from the govt. Look at what’s happened to funded tracks from Malaysia, Bahrain and China. They look awesome but no attendance. If the people are not there to see the races why make these tracks. Shouldn’t the DNA of a country be strong enough to build its own moto sport track by interested private parties?
The tickets are priced so much that at the cost of one ticket, you can run a small school in a village for a whole year.
I love F1, don’t get me wrong, my siggy will testify it and my avtaar too, but not at the cost of the money which can be used for better purposes.
$400 USD is a lot of public money.
So yes, F1 is not a sport, its an event, a must have event too, but cost is everything.

What most people do not understand is that it rakes in huge revenues for the government in the form of tourism, taxes, etc. The business that happens during that week is probably even half of what happens during the year for the city.

600 million watch F1 every race and this makes it one of the most watched sport in the world. The visibility of the city and the brand value shoots up !

My 2 cents worth.

Cheers