MotoGP’s organising committee, Dorna, shook hands with local authorities to simplify the formalities for visa entry but the problems do persist
The premiere motor racing spectacle, MotoGP, visits India for the first time as Buddh International Circuit prepares to host the first-ever Bharat GP in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. But all was not smooth sailing though understandably as the event has been facing plenty of challenges including the apparent issues on customs.
The bewildering tax side of affairs meant that riders were allegedly intimated to pay a portion of the taxes for their salaries and the circuit itself is awaiting to get the homologation from the governing body FIM. It is believed to be received only a day before the race weekend gets underway and the issues do not stop there.
The teams and personnel are facing complications with travel as the entry visas are not granted at will. MotoGP’s organising committee, Dorna, shook hands with local authorities to simplify the formalities for visa entry but the problems do persist as some team members could not leave for the race weekend on scheduled flights due to such issues.
Some top members of teams across different classes expressed concerns over the difficulties in getting visas approved according to media reports as they were received just on time or late. It appears that the local agency could not handle the situation smoothly as visa requests needed to be processed for approximately several 100s of people.
The BIC played host to Formula One in the past but the custom duties and local complexities played a major role in the circuit not being a regular feature on the calendar. We do hope the issues are settled before it is too late and the race weekend will do the talking as India is a major player in the two-wheeler industry.
The ticket prices for the Bharat GP range between Rs. 800 to Rs 1.80 lakh for an estimated seat count of one lakh. It must be noted that the passes priced at Rs. 800, Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 30,000 have already been sold out.