India GP boss quits to work in Abu Dhabi

Indian grand prix boss Mark Hughes has quit, the promoters of this October’s inaugural event have confirmed.

Hughes, formerly involved with the F1 race in Bahrain, was in charge of the promoter Jaypee group’s project, which has a ten-year contract to host the event on a bespoke circuit currently under construction near Delhi.

An AFP media report on Monday said Hughes resigned last month for “personal reasons”.

A Jaypee spokesman said Hughes has been replaced by Azhar Ghazili, who formerly worked as an organiser for the formula one race in Malaysia.

“Mr Ghazali is a very capable man and he’s more than making up for Mr Hughes’s absence,” the spokesman added.

Hughes said he is now working with the organisers of the Abu Dhabi grand prix at Yas Marina, clarifying that he is “still closely associated with Jaypee” and “still advising them on the upcoming Indian grand prix”.

The Jaypee spokesman said the FIA is expected to homologate the new Jaypee Group Circuit in “July-August”.

© RIF | GMM