Lando Norris says he would love to race in India as organisers pursue Formula 1 return

Reigning world champion Lando Norris said in Singapore on Thursday, October 8, 2026, that he would love to race in India as the country seeks to bring Formula 1 back. He made the comment ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix while responding to a PTI query.

The Indian government has formed a task force to try to revive the Grand Prix that ran for three editions from 2011-2013 and was dropped due to taxation and financial hurdles. The Buddh Circuit in Greater Noida is now owned by the Adani Group, which has held talks with Formula One Management about staging the event, but it is unlikely the race could be held in the near future.

Norris acknowledged the sport's large following in India (98 million as per latest Formula 1 figures) and said he had experience with the track on simulators. "Yeah, I've driven, I used to drive it on the sim, on the game. I've never driven the track in real life there, if it's the same track that you went to. It was a very cool track. So I would love to," said Norris.

The McLaren driver said he has strong personal ties to India through a long friendship with Jehan Daruvala, who was his teammate in junior categories. "I know I have a lot of fans from India, and I remember having Jehan as my teammate, an Indian driver, for many, many years and one of my best friends. And I've still never been to India, so I would love to go to experience it, first of all, but also to go and race there because I'm sure, and I know, that the fans out there love the sport. "They love Formula 1 and they love sport in general. And I know cricket and things like that are massive out there. So I think it'll be great for Formula 1, and I certainly look forward to it happening," added Norris.

Organisers face significant financial hurdles to revive the race: annual hosting fees are estimated to range from ₹300 crore to ₹500 crore. The Greater Noida track also requires substantial refurbishment, with renovation costs put between ₹150 crore to ₹200 crore.

The Adani Group's discussions with Formula One Management have not produced a confirmed date, and current assessments indicate it is unlikely the race could be staged in the near future. Any return of Formula 1 to India would therefore depend on resolving the cited financial commitments and completing the necessary track renovations.