SO HERE’s my first SportzPower column of 2012 and there’s a lot of positives about Indian Motorsport to share with my readers. To go back a few months, in one of my pre-Indian GP columns, I had mentioned that the success of the Formula1 race in India could be the ‘KERS boost’ for motorsport in the country. Not only was the inaugural Indian GP a success, but the organisers were also awarded the ‘Best Promoter’ of the 2011 Formula1 season. Yes, an old fact, but an important one.
The three months post the Indian GP has seen some interesting announcements for the sport. First up, we have the much-awaited and I could add, much-delayed i1 Super Series that is expected to be the next big thing in Indian Motorsport. The city vs. city racing league has been garnering mixed reviews in the recent months, but the truth really is that it will offer the Indian drivers good exposure while they go racing with ex-Formula1 greats. There have been some inadvertent delays in the start of the league’s debut season, but I do expect that there will be a huge surge of interest in motorsport with this league.
India is one of the largest automobile markets in the world but manufacturers in India have taken little interesting in developing motorsport in India. In fact, there have been less than a handful of manufacturers involved in the sport in the last decade, but at the recently announced Auto Expo, Toyota announced the launch of their ‘Toyota Racing Development’ in India, which would select, train and nurture young Indian drivers in saloon car racing on their Etios and EtiosLiva platforms. This project is expected to run on similar lines as Volkswagen’s Polo Cup.
The announcement of Toyota’s initiative came days after Mercedes Benz India announced their performance driving school housed in the Buddh International Circuit. These announcements give two positive indications: first, there are more driving / racing academies in India offering youngsters an opportunity to pursue a career in motorsport. Second, manufacturers have realized the potential of motorsport in India and are willing to invest in it.
The arrival of the Toyota Etios Motor Racing Championship will only strengthen the existing field of Indian racing championships that comprise of the Volkswagen Polo Cup, Indian National Road Racing Championship and the MRF F-1600s. The total no. of cars on the grid (across all championships) has gone up from about 40 to over 100 in the last few years.
Motorsport is an expensive sport and active participation from globally renowned manufacturers also increases the chances of attracting sizeable sponsorships for the series and the drivers. The sponsorship market in Indian motorsport is yet to take off, but in my opinion, this is the next area to watch out for.
Currently sponsors are limited to automobile and ancillary companies, but I would expect brands (focusing around youth, luxury, technology, etc.) to explore the marketing benefits motorsport would offer.
Trends indicate strong growth for Indian motorsport in 2012, but it does come with its challenges. The first challenge dogs every other sport in the country and it is to do with infrastructure. Barring the Buddh International Circuit, there are only two other racing tracks in the country that too with focus only in the state of Tamil Nadu. Similarly, karting tracks are few with most tracks offering more entertainment than serious racing action. Karting is the most accessible form of motorsport and hence the need to have tracks spread across the country. However, owning and maintaining tracks is expensive and is one of the main reasons for their low penetration.
The second challenge would be to control and administer this sudden burst of manufacturer-promoted series. A possibility would be to put a structure to the sport and its various series thereby creating a ladder for younger talent as they dream of progressing from Indian to Asian and then eventually European motorsport series.
While these manufacturer-led series are a boost, one must not forget that the traditionally strong Indian National Rally Championship is struggling for sponsorship and participation.
Could the FMSCI introduce reforms to ensure that the manufacturers also support the other important championships?
And last but not the least… Indian Motorsport is witnessing some much needed investments after many decades and there are many factors that have contributed to this. However, these investments need to be managed carefully and expectations of every stakeholder need to be set right. This would be critical to ensure that the stakeholders remain invested in the long-term and this is where the FMSCI’s role will be most crucial going forward.
So if you’re a young budding racer, feel positive and go make the most of the opportunities. If you’re a brand looking to make the most of the growing sport in the country, come join the brandwagon. And if you’re a well-wisher for Indian motorsport, your wishes might just come true!
