Indian Grand Prix faces cancellation threat over unpaid tax claims

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/oct/24/india-grand-prix-cancellation-unpaid-tax

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Formula One officials insisted on Thursday that Sunday's Indian Grand Prix would go ahead even though the country's supreme court will hear a petition on Friday calling for the event to be cancelled because of allegedly unpaid taxes.

It is claimed that organisers did not pay entertainment taxes for the 2012 event. But Vicky Chandhock, head of the Indian motorsport federation, said: "I don't think it endangers the race in any way whatsoever. We have had this situation before – at cricket matches – where someone files a case under public-interest litigation. It is not something that has been done against the law. It is not a criminal offence; it is a civil matter that will take its course.

"It has come now because of sensationalism. An individual has filed for it to be heard tomorrow. People who live in this country learn to deal with these things. It is not something that is worrying. The court is not going to grant an injunction to stop the race going on. Generally, judges will not grant an injunction for a sporting event to be stopped. Sport has to continue and the rest of it can be dealt with later on."

Formula One arrived here this week to be met with speculation that this could be the last race held in India, moreover – there will be no event in 2014 and plans for its return in 2015 are in considerable doubt. But there were no doubts about this year's grand prix until it emerged on Thursday that the supreme court would be discussing its future just two days before the on-track action is due to take place.

At the heart of the court hearing is a 2011 ruling that the grand prix should be classified as entertainment rather than sport, and should therefore be denied tax exemptions.

Chandhock added: "The event will go through as scheduled. They will let the litigation be heard as normal court but you cannot hold an event to ransom. That is not my worry at all.

"We are the world's largest democracy and filing a public-interest litigation in any court is possible. However, the courts by themselves are just a system, and the judges do not take kindly to a sporting event being stopped, especially on the eve of the event."

Sunday's race, which is likely to see the crowning of Sebastian Vettel as world champion for the fourth time in as many years, will almost certainly take place. But the most recent sense of chaos highlighted the doubts that already existed concerning the event's long-term viability.

The inaugural race here in 2011 took place against the background of workmen vainly attempting to get everything ready in time.

The grand prix still attracted a crowd of 100,000 – India is always up for a novelty event. But that crowd was down to 65,000 last year, even though the weekend was better organised, and this Sunday that figure is expected be down by about 10,000.

Sauber's India-born team principal, Monisha Kaltenborn, had a point when she said recently: "I think now it is a bit like giving up. When you know you are not planning to be there the next year, maybe the interest has gone down through that.

"We have not been able to market ourselves properly there. We have not been able to convince that many Indian companies. You can count the Indian companies that are in F1 since then on one hand. We've somewhere collectively failed."

Meanwhile, Jenson Button has said that Daniil Kvyat, 19, could face a tough season at Toro Rosso next season. The Russian GP3 driver will replace Red Bull-bound Daniel Ricciardo, and Button said: "There is a lot less testing than there used to be, so it is a lot more difficult. It is tough on the guy." Button said the young driver will also be challenged by the radical regulation changes that take place next year.

Felipe Massa, who will leave Ferrari at the end of the season, has confirmed that he is in talks with Williams about a drive in 2014.

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