Despite having a contract to host a grand prix until 2015, Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said Indian Grand Prix will “probably not” happen in 2014.
The sport’s chief claims the reasons for India possibly losing out are very political.
Indian motorsport federation boss Vicky Chandhok told the BBC that Ecclestone and organisers the Jaypee Group were trying to find a new date earlier in the year rather than the October date that it currently has.
“To have it in October 2014 and again in March or April 2015 would be impossible for us in terms of finances and resources,” Chandhok said.
He claims Ecclestone wanted India to be in the early part of the season rather than in its current October date.
Ecclestone personally draws up the calendar for the Formula One season and there is a suggestion that a way round the current problem could be to extend India’s contract until 2016 with them missing out in 2014 and 2015.
Eccelstone is apprently trying to squeeze possibly 22 races into the calender, where the teams themselves apparently want just 20, and it looks like India are going to miss out.
“Is India going to happen next year? Probably not,” Ecclestone said.
This season’s next race is in Belgium at Spa-Francorchamps on August 25 where Lewis Hamilton will look to build on his Hungarian win for Mercedes.
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