Supreme Court gave the go-ahead on Friday to the Indian Grand Prix Formula One race set for this weekend, after refusing a bid to have the race delayed due to alleged unpaid taxes.
The race is scheduled to be held at the Buddh International Circuit on the outskirts of the Indian capital.
“The public interest litigation was rejected by the Supreme Court. The race will go on as per schedule,” said Manoj Kumar, a spokesman for race organisers Jaypee Sports International.
Sanjib Sen, the lawyer who filed the petition, said the court would hold a hearing on the case next Friday.
“The urgency was not there to take up the petition... so the race can go ahead,” he said.
The petition sought to put the race on hold as the organisers of the race had allegedly not deposited the full amount of tax for events in 2011 and 2012.
Formula One races are taxed more highly as entertainment, rather than as sports events.
The Government of Uttar Pradesh, where the circuit is located, had earlier filed a separate petition with the Supreme Court seeking to end a tax exemption granted to the race organisers by a previous Government. The hearings on that petition are continuing.
There are no further challenges to the event this weekend, said Rajiv Mehrotra, a lawyer representing the Government.
“I don’t think the race ever faced the danger of being called off. The Supreme Court couldn’t have gone into a petition that seeks to scuttle an international event of such standing,” Vicky Chandhok, head of Indian motorsports said.
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel can clinch a fourth straight Formula One world title in Sunday’s race. The action begins Friday with two practice rounds.