HYDERABAD: The organisers of the Indian Racing League have asked the state government to improve the quality of the city street track at NTR Marg alongside the Hussainsagar, as well as augment safety measures, if the second round of the races is to be held in Hyderabad on December 10 and 11.
Despite spending Rs. 100 crore on the track, the organisers encountered a slew of issues during Sunday’s event, as drivers complained of a wet track, spectators complained of poor arrangements and an onlooker was injured due to a concrete slab falling on her after a car collided with the barricade. On Saturday, a tree branch had fallen on the track during at test run
Citing the same, the organisers and the Federation of Motor Sports Club in India directed the HMDA, the nodal agency, for five major changes — surface improvements, angle of banking, quality of bitumen, double barricading and increased parking spaces.
The organisers are also seeking a smoother track.
HMDA officials, in turn, said that the track was sufficient for the IRL event, but may have fallen short of the Formula-E standards. They agreed to streamline the issues pointed out before the next race in December.
Over the poor crowd management, officials blamed sponsors and organisers for distributing passes at the last minute. They conceded that the parking facilities were not up to the mark and that this is a chance to resolve all the kinks before the main event, slated for February 11, 2023.
“We have to streamline everything prior to the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) inspection, which will inspect the track a week prior to the event. If everything is not according to their specifications, Hyderabad would lose the Formula-E event,” an HMDA official said.
Problem areas
- Drivers complained of a wet track
- Spectators complained of poor arrangements
- There was mismanagement of ticket sales
- An onlooker was injured after a concrete slab fell on her
- A tree branch fell on the track during an event
- Parking lots located far away, no communication regarding shuttle services
