Ecclestone confident of India hosting GP in 2011
CHENNAI, India (Reuters) - Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone was confident India's first grand prix in 2011 will go ahead as planned despite exchange control obstacles and an unsupportive stand by India's sports ministry.
In January, the sports ministry rejected a request by race promoters JPSK Sports to remit $36.5 million in foreign currency to Ecclestone's British-based Formula One Administration (FOA).
"We are waiting for the circuit to be constructed," Ecclestone told PTI agency on Wednesday.
"The foundation stone will be laid in late October. I will be in India to lay the foundation stone," he said.
"It's (the race) been on for a long time. There's never been any doubt. The contract was signed a long time ago."
Interest in F1 has zoomed upwards in India after Force India's Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella finished second at the Belgian grand prix on Sunday to record the Indian team's first points in 30 starts.
But Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill made his stand clear, dismissing F1 as "expensive entertainment".
"That's his view. The rest of the world thinks it is a sport," said Ecclestone.
Cricket-crazy India is trying to shed its tag of being a one-sport nation and interest in Formula One grew when Narain Karthikeyan became the first Indian driver in the series in 2005. Continued...
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