India plans 'low-cost' Monaco
India has not completely given up on its hopes of landing a Formula 1 race in the long-term future, despite recent plans for an event in Hyderabad having fallen through following a change of local government
After baulking at the huge costs necessary to build a state-of-the-art venue in India, which would be required to match venues like Bahrain and Shanghai, consideration is now being given to creating a street circuit in the Andhra Pradesh region.
The Federation of Motor Sports Club of India (FMCI) has begun an investigation into whether a street race is feasible - and believes such an option may be the only realistic way that India could attract F1.
Sanjay Sharmi, an advisor to the FMCI, has told Indian media that the costs of creating a low-cost 'Monaco street race' would be viewed as good value considering the economic benefit of hosting a race.
"Considering the exorbitant cost involved in building a F1 track, no government is likely to come ahead," he said. "So now we are looking at the Monaco Grand Prix mode, in which the day-to-day used roads are converted into tracks
"When the F1 circus lands somewhere they require about 2500 rooms alone, and if we consider the other economic benefits coupled with it we can imagine the gain to the country."
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