NEW DELHI: The Formula One Indian Grand Prix is supposed to help the country's tourism industry in a significant way. But the government's apathetic approach in issuing visas to F1 team members, including drivers and journalists, tells a different story.

Karun Chandhok, one of India's only two F1 drivers, spent the whole weekend at Monza during the Italian GP fending off questions about clueless embassy officials who have rejected visa applications due to lack of information.

"I just came back from Monza where people have been complaining about how difficult it is to get visas for the trip to India," Chandhok told TOI.

Despite a letter dated August 24, 2011 issued by the ministry of home affairs (foreign division) which states that "Indian Missions abroad are authorized to issue conference visas to delegates on production of an invitation letter from the organizers", teams and journalists have been finding it hard to procure visas.

According to the rumour mill and speculative stories online, Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg's visa has been rejected as has half of the Hispania Racing Team's. Narain Karthikeyan drives for HRT! Journalists are miffed that they have to pay more for a journalist visa than for a regular tourist visa. The entire process has proved to be tedious.

Adam Hay-Nicholls, a senior motorsports journalists who writes a column for Metro, has received his visa. "I know Indians have to wait even longer and pay even more to enter the UK (he paid 145 euros whereas a tourist visa costs 95 euros), so I don't have it too bad, but as a freelance journalist who can't hand over his passport for long or pay a fortune for a visa, and I'm going to India to promote this, I thought it was unfortunate," he told TOI.

FIA officials were also waiting for the Indian visa to come through. Matteo Bonciani, head of communications of the sport's governing body, said: "If the government takes three weeks to process a visa application, almost 90% of F1 people, me included, won't attend the race."