The Indian Racing League and the F4 Indian Championship raced at the Buddh International Circuit on October 31 and November 1, 2026, the first FIA-level racing there in 13 years. That is not the same as Formula 1 coming back. F1 itself has already ruled out the Sports Ministry’s 2027 target, and organisers say a real return would cost India roughly ₹300-500 crore a year, on top of a ₹150-200 crore track rebuild.
We covered the Indian Racing League’s return to Buddh when the 2026 calendar was first announced, and Aaron Mehta’s run as F4 India’s youngest-ever race winner at the previous round in Chennai. New this weekend: the racing actually happening at the old F1 venue, and how far India still is from getting F1 itself back.
What Actually Raced at Buddh on Day One
Saturday’s card was Round 2 of the Indian Racing League and Round 4 of the F4 Indian Championship, the fourth stop of F4’s six-round 2026 season. Both are domestic, India-based series; neither is Formula 1. Raoul Hyman of Goa Aces JA Racing won the IRL’s opening race at Buddh, with Speed Demons Delhi’s Nitiyiso Mabunda taking the F4 race by less than a second from championship leader Luviwe Sambudla.
| Race | Winner | Team | Time / Gap |
| IRL Round 2, Race 1 | Raoul Hyman | Goa Aces JA Racing | 27:40.759 |
| IRL Round 2, Race 1 (2nd) | Sai Shiva Sankaran | Kolkata Royal Tigers | +15.047s |
| F4 Round 4, Race 1 | Nitiyiso Mabunda | Speed Demons Delhi | 32:21.842 |
| F4 Round 4, Race 1 (2nd) | Luviwe Sambudla | Goa Aces JA Racing | +0.915s |
Sambudla went into the weekend leading the F4 standings with 138 points, 21 clear of Aris Kyriakou, after winning two of the three races at the previous round in Chennai. Finishing second on Saturday keeps him on top, though it trims his cushion. Racing continues on Sunday, November 1, with the final races of both rounds.
From F1 Host to Empty Calendar Slot
Buddh hosted the Indian Grand Prix three times, from 2011 to 2013, before F1 dropped it over tax and bureaucratic disputes that outlasted the race itself. India’s Supreme Court imposed a 40 percent tax on F1’s income from the race in 2017, and when Liberty Media took over F1 that year, the circuit’s then-owner Jaypee Group reportedly still owed $51 million in unpaid race fees. Liberty set aside $14.8 million just for the tax exposure.
The circuit itself never lost its FIA Grade 1 certification, the top safety rating that would let it host F1 again on paper. What lapsed was everything around it: the ownership, the finances, and the political will to sort out the tax treatment. The Adani Group is now in the process of acquiring the circuit through its takeover of Jaypee’s assets, and Karan Adani has said he is personally pushing to bring F1 back.
What Bringing F1 Back Would Actually Cost
Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd, which runs this weekend’s Indian Racing Festival, says 30 to 40 percent of the Buddh track needs rebuilding before it could host F1 again. Earlier PTI reporting puts that upgrade at ₹150-200 crore, separate from logistics and safety costs the report called substantial but did not price. On top of that comes an annual hosting fee of ₹300-500 crore, which the Adani Group would pay as local promoter if a deal goes ahead.
| Cost item | Estimate |
| Circuit rebuild (one-time) | ₹150-200 crore, for 30-40% of the track |
| Annual hosting fee | ₹300-500 crore (roughly $36-60 million) |
| Comparable fees elsewhere: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia | About $60 million a year each |
| Comparable fees elsewhere: Japan, Singapore | About $40 million a year each |
| Comparable fees elsewhere: China | About $60 million a year |
That puts India in the same bracket as the Asian races already on F1’s calendar, not a bargain slot. RPPL chairman Akhilesh Reddy has separately said Indian motorsport gets only “1 or 2 percent” of the government support other sports get.
The Minister Says 2027. F1 Says No.
In April 2026, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Indian news agencies: “There will be an F1 race in India in 2027. First race will be at the Buddha International Circuit,” adding that it would “take another six months to work out the modalities.”
A Formula 1 spokesperson’s response to PlanetF1 was direct: “we won’t be racing there in 2027.” The spokesperson added that interest in hosting F1 events has never been stronger, with 23 of 2027’s calendar slots already filled at the time.
A government minister calling a 2027 Indian Grand Prix “100 percent happening” and F1 flatly denying it are not a negotiation in progress. They are two different plans that have not met yet.
So When Does F1 Actually Come Back?
Not in 2027, by F1’s own account. The Sports Ministry’s task force is working toward 2028. Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok, who is Indian, thinks 2029 is more honest, and that is before the Adani takeover, the tax structure and the hosting fee are all settled.
FMSCI, India’s motorsport governing body, has provisionally won National Sports Federation status, which helps the paperwork but nothing with F1 itself. This weekend’s racing proves Buddh still works as a venue. Writing a ₹300-500 crore annual cheque and settling a decade-old tax dispute is a separate, slower problem.
The Indian Racing Festival returns to Buddh for Round 3 of the IRL and Round 5 of F4 on November 28-29, before the season finale, a night race on Navi Mumbai’s new street circuit, on December 5-6. All rounds stream live on JioHotstar and Star Sports.
When did Formula 1 last race in India?
F1 held the Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit three times, from 2011 to 2013, before dropping the race over tax and bureaucratic disputes with the circuit’s then-owners.
Is the Buddh circuit still good enough to host F1 again?
It still holds FIA Grade 1 certification, the top safety rating F1 requires. But the event’s own organisers say 30 to 40 percent of the track would need rebuilding, which is a construction project, not a formality.
Will Formula 1 race in India in 2027?
No. Despite the Sports Minister’s public claim that a 2027 Indian Grand Prix was “100 percent happening,” a Formula 1 spokesperson directly denied it. People close to the talks, including Indian driver Karun Chandhok, point to 2028 or 2029 as more realistic.
