Chennai's Formula 4 Race: Not Much To Be Proud Of, If Anything, The Organisational Mess Was Appalling

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) members and supporters proudly portrayed the Formula 4 street race conducted in Chennai as a big achievement of Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. 

They were in a jubilant mood and some even brought in a reference to the party's talk of 'social justice'.

The race, considered a pet project of Udhayanidhi, also received copious praise from celebrities like actors Kamal Haasan, Dhanush, Sivakarthikeyan, and music director A R Rahman. 

Haasan, whose party, the Makkal Needhi Maiam, is now an ally of the DMK, congratulated Udhayanidhi and his father Chief Minister M K Stalin and said that they had transformed Tamil Nadu into the ‘sports capital’ of India.

But the reality wasn't all that rosy.

Court Battles, Questions Raised Over State Government Spending Rs 42 Crore

The race in itself was challenged in the Madras High Court. One of the main objections was that the route planned was near hospitals and defence establishments.

Questions were also raised over the safety of people as these cars would race at high speeds on public roads.

The court too asked the state government over why it had agreed to spend Rs 42 crore on the event to be conducted by Racing Promotions Private Limited (RRPL). When informed that a revenue sharing agreement had been signed between them, it asked for the memorandum of understanding between the two.

Later, it allowed the race to be held but asked RRPL to reimburse the amount to the Tamil Nadu government.

The company, however, secured relief from this by way of a stay order from the Supreme Court.

Organisational Issues Made It A Not So People-Friendly Experience

Till the last moment, the race had not got the Fédération Internationale del' Automobile (FIA) homologation certificate due to issues with the track.

People who had purchased tickets complained about not being allowed to enter. The event organisers were also said to have failed to give timely updates.

Apart from these, a number of roads were dug up for putting promotional banners, and erecting barriers to create the circuit. This had led to traffic congestion in the days running up to the event. 

Some people questioned if the municipal corporation, which does not have a great record when it comes to tackling potholes, would quickly repair the affected roads. 

Critics also stated that if ‘social justice’ had to invoked while praising the race, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati should be given credit, because it was during her tenure that a Formula 1 race (the Chennai race was a Formula 4 race, much lower in the pecking order), was held in Noida’s Buddh International Circuit.

Companies Allegedly Asked To Cough Up

The race was also marred by allegations of corruption and extortion. 

In an X post about a month ago, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Annamalai wrote that the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board had been tasked with compelling industries in Chennai and the Kongu region to cough up money for the race.

“The TNPCB officials have rate cards ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1,00,00,000 and the contributions are to be made to a company named “Racing Promotions Private Limited”. Any concern not paying, is certain to face visits by TN pollution control board officials and will face their music.

“Incidentally, Thiru Akhilesh Reddy, a close friend of the Gopalapuram Scion, is the Chairman & Managing Director of “Racing Promotions Private Limited”, he added.

He ended his post by calling for the company’s statements to be made public:  

“On behalf of @BJP4TamilNadu, we demand full disclosure of the statements of this company to be published in the public domain and let the people of Tamil Nadu see how this Government fleeces people’s hard earned money.” 

All of this makes one wonder if the street race was indeed worth it. 

While there is no doubt that sports must be encouraged, it might be better to hold such races in circuits built for the purpose. 

And the good thing is that the state has not one but two such racing circuits. One being the Madras Motor Race Track at Irungattukottai near Chennai and the other being the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore. 

Also Read: Chennai’s F4 Debut: How A Stray Dog And Safety Concerns Red-Flagged The Race