Bernie Ecclestone “very unhappy” about loss of these two races from F1 calendar

Former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says he was “very happy” when South Korea and India dropped out of the calendar after 2013.

Under Ecclestone, F1 expanded into new destinations around the world, particularly in Asia, as he sought to increase the series’ revenue and fan base.

This expansion saw F1 make its debut in South Korea in 2010 at the newly-built Korea International Circuit, before adding another race in India at the Buddh International Circuit outside Delhi the following year.

However, the Korean GP failed to capture the public imagination, primarily due to the circuit’s remote location in Yeongam, and was axed from the schedule after four years.

The Indian GP suffered a similar fate, with trackside audiences dropping every year after an impressive crowd of 95,000 spectators in 2011.

Taxation and bureaucratic issues, combined with the financial troubles of circuit owner and promoter Jaypee Group, sealed its fate, leaving F1 without a home in what was then the world’s second-most populous country.

Ecclestone controlled F1 for over thirty years and saw many races come and go, but said the departure of India and South Korea from the calendar hurts him the most.

“South Korea and India! I was very, very unhappy after losing these races,” he told F1 Destinations.

“Again, there was always politics in the background. With India it was very simple. The people there did an incredible job, really.

“But then the payment to us wasn’t carried out correctly, and we didn’t really know why. It turned out to be an issue with the tax system in India. That’s why we couldn’t continue, although it was a very good circuit.”

Ecclestone lost control of F1 when Liberty Media bought the series from previous owner CVC Capital in 2017.

He was initially appointed in a non-executive position as the chairman emeritus of F1, but has had no formal association with Liberty since 2020.

Since then, he has remained largely out of the limelight, although he was seen at both the Austrian Grand Prix and the Hungarian GP this year.

Asked if there was one race on the current calendar he would like to attend, the 94-year-old picked the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal as his favourite.

“Definitely not Silverstone, not at all!,” he said when asked about his home race. “ If I would be asked which race I would attend, I would probably say the Canadian Grand Prix. It’s a very good circuit and Montreal is a very nice city. Baku is another great city to visit.”