How to drive your own car or bike at Buddh International Circuit

Three ways onto India's old F1 track

Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida was built for Formula 1 and hosted the Indian Grand Prix from 2011 to 2013. You cannot simply drive up to the gate and ask for a few laps. The venue is private property and access is controlled, says a visitor guide published by Vedvan Park. There are three real ways onto the 5.125 km, 16 turn track, and none of them is a walk in ticket counter.

Route one: buy a ticket and watch

The easiest way in costs only a ticket. National racing is back at Buddh after a long gap. The Indian Racing League and F4 India held their first rounds at the circuit on 31 October and 1 November 2026, the first FIA level racing there since the Indian Grand Prix ended in 2013, Autocar India reported on 7 October 2026. A second round follows on 28 and 29 November. Watching from the stands needs a ticket from the event's own platform, not a racing licence or a car of your own.

Route two: join an organised track day

To actually ride or drive on the circuit, you join a track day run by a club or academy that has booked it for the day. ISBK Racing, one such promoter, lists open sessions at Buddh on 3 and 4 October 2026, and again on 20 and 21 February 2027 and 20 and 21 March 2027, according to its own website. Riders are grouped by level. Level 1 and Level 2 sessions suit beginners who are already comfortable on a manual transmission motorcycle. An open session, where you ride alone without an instructor beside you, needs at least a Level 1 FMSCI certificate first.

Fees are not always published upfront. Apex Racing Academy's motorcycle track riding school, which also runs sessions at Buddh, starts from ₹16,000 per rider per event, its own listing shows, though it does not spell out what that single fee covers. Expect to need your own roadworthy motorcycle or car, a full face helmet, and a valid driving or riding licence. Every organiser has you sign an indemnity waiver before you are let onto the tarmac.

Route three: a brand's invitation

The third route is by invitation only. Car and bike manufacturers periodically hire the circuit for customer clinics or media drives, and these are not open for the public to register for directly. If you own a performance model from a brand that runs such programmes in India, the invitation usually comes through the dealership or the brand's owners' community, not a public booking page.

What to check before you pay

Buddh has no public box office for casual visits. The Vedvan Park guide warns buyers to confirm who is actually organising an event before paying, since resellers sometimes advertise general "circuit visits" that do not exist. There is no walk-in circuit tour with published timings. If a ticket or registration link does not name the promoter, the FMSCI or the circuit itself, treat it with caution.

One more fact worth knowing. The circuit's FIA Grade 1 licence, the top grade used for Formula 1, lapsed in November 2022 after years without a world championship race, Wikipedia's circuit entry notes. That has not stopped national racing or track days, which run on the circuit's basic safety certification and do not need an F1 grade licence.

Sources

• Buddh International Circuit: Events & How to Visit (2026)
• ISBK Racing
• Apex Racing Academy: Pro Motorcycle Track Training in India
• Indian Racing League, F4 India to make BIC debut
• Buddh International Circuit