Motorsports and racing has been alive and thriving in India for many decades, though it hasn’t been much of a spectator sport – in fact, it still isn’t. There are thousands of Formula One and Moto GP fans here, but most of us seem to be content watching all the action on our TV screens.
There was a bit of excitement when Formula One first came to the country at the Buddh International Circuit. But, after the first edition of the Indian GP, interest waned as was evident from the fall in grandstand ticket sales. Of course, the Indian GP hasn’t been on the F1 calendar for the last two years and one still hopes it will make.
But, for decades motorsport in India has been dominated by rallying much more than track racing. There are a number of rallies that are conducted annually, with the most popular and well-known being the Raid De Himalaya. Though there are fewer fans in India, globally the biggest rallying event every year is the World Rally Championship (WRC). There are probably more Indian fans for the video game franchises of the WRC, than for the real-life sport.