Breaking news
Formula 1
Buddh International Circuit converted into quarantine facility
The Buddh International Circuit is being converted into a makeshift quarantine facility by local authorities to combat the increasing spread of coronavirus in India.
Rachit Thukral
Published: Mar 31, 2020, 8:03 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The 5.14km circuit, which hosted the Indian Grand Prix between 2011-13, will house migrant workers who were leaving Delhi for their hometowns after the country imposed a 21-day lockdown starting March 25.
India has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent days, with 1300 cases - including 32 deaths - reported across the nation by Friday morning.
The officials are wary of letting tens of thousands of workers leave the capital, as they risk spreading COVID-19 into smaller towns and villages in the adjoining state of Uttar Pradesh.
As a result, the Jaypee Sports City, which includes the Buddh International Circuit, will serve as a temporary shelter for workers until the lockdown ends on April 14.
The core parts of the facility, including the track itself, will be cordoned off, but the local authorities are still confident of making space for 5,000 people in the sports city, according to reports in the local media.
The decision to convert the sports city into a quarantine zone comes a month-and-a-half after the authorities sealed the circuit over non-payment of land dues to the tune of Rs 600 crore ($80 million). The track, however, has continued to host a number of automotive events since then.
The beleaguered Jaypee Group, which built the circuit, has been in financial distress for a number of years, with its infrastructure arm Jaypee Infratech battling insolvency proceedings since 2017 amid legal action by homebuyers.
This has meant that Buddh International Circuit has hosted limited racing action since the circuit was dropped from the F1 calendar in 2014, with the Asia Road Racing Championship and the MRF Challenge being the only international categories to visit the venue in the last six years.
Apart from Buddh Circuit, Indian authorities have also turned the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the primary venue of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and several train carriages into temporary shelter homes.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article How Mercedes has taken F1 brake design to the next level
Next article Formula 1 could extend 2020 factory shutdown
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Rachit Thukral
Why aerodynamics will become "even more important" under 2027 MotoGP regulations
MotoGP
MotoGP
Qatar GP
15 h
Why aerodynamics will become "even more important" under 2027 MotoGP regulations
Sebastien Bourdais hopes latest WEC success will remind teams of his value
WEC
WEC
Monza
17 h
Sebastien Bourdais hopes latest WEC success will remind teams of his value
Latest news
Carson Hocevar and Cleetus McFarland win LeMullets 2026 in epic finish
General
Misc General 2 h
Carson Hocevar and Cleetus McFarland win LeMullets 2026 in epic finish
TV ratings released for NASCAR Cup season finale
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
8 h
TV ratings released for NASCAR Cup season finale
Chase Elliott's car chief leaves Hendrick for NASCAR Truck crew chief role
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Homestead
9 h
Chase Elliott's car chief leaves Hendrick for NASCAR Truck crew chief role
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe