Short Circuit - India’s F1 Story

Connect the dots: A Gandhian activist, a former Chief Minister, the heavy metal band Metallica, and a stray dog.

How did these dramatis personae script the anticlimax of India’s F1 story?

Between 2011 and 2013, an ensemble cast of actors joined forces to stage three international Formula One racing events in India. The racing champion Sebastian Vettel shone in all three, and the races were pivotal in establishing the reputation of the Buddh International Circuit, where these motorsport events were held. Although intended to put India on the fast track to motorsport fame, it became the graveyard where Grand Prix dreams crashed and burned.

Designed by German track designer Hermann Tilke, the Buddh International Circuit in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district has a 5.14 km race track with 16 turns, with seating for up to 2 ...