India makes its grand debut on the glitzy Formula One circuit this weekend under pressure to deliver a smooth and safe event after twin deaths rocked the world of motorsports.

The lavish F1 roadshow rolls into Greater Noida, a burgeoning satellite of New Delhi, where India will hope to erase memories of last year’s chaotic Commonwealth Games with a seamless first race on Buddh International Circuit.

India’s first Formula One grand prix also comes after this month’s tragic, mid-race deaths of IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon, 33, and rising MotoGP star Marco Simoncelli, 24, left fellow racers in shock.

Formula One’s seventh and possibly most ambitious Asian stop is in Jaypee Greens Sports City, a 2,500-acre development which will meld housing, business and entertainment venues with stadiums and golf courses.

The undulating, 5.14 kilometre track, named after Lord Buddha, is known to most drivers only through their hi-tech simulators but it is expected to be challenging with top speeds of around 330 kilometres per hour.

India’s Narain Karthikeyan will be given a rare drive by his team, HRT, for the occasion, although Lotus pulled the plug on plans to let Karun Chandhok stand in for either Heikki Kovalainen or Jarno Trulli.

“Driving in front of the home crowd cheering on is going to be a surreal experience. A once-in-a-lifetime experience and I feel extremely fortunate,” Karthikeyan said.

With both the drivers’ and team titles wrapped up by Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull outfit, all eyes are on India’s hosting of the event as Formula One and its sponsors seek to tap the billion-strong, rapidly growing market.

The fundamental difference with the government-run Commonwealth Games is that the grand prix is a venture of India’s bullish corporate world in the shape of infrastructure conglomerate Jaypee.

However, eleventh-hour preparations continue at the 400-million-dollar circuit and organisers were forced to slash ticket prices this week in a bid to fill the 120,000-capacity venue.

The grand prix also suffered a legal hitch last week when the Supreme Court froze 25 per cent of ticket revenues over a tax dispute, while local farmers have protested over the deal used to secure their land for the track.

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