Indian GP thread

[Fernando]

F1 arrives at the world's biggest democracy to put on a new show - will it thrive like Singapore or be a bit of a Turkey...?

This weekend sees the much-awaited debut of the Indian GP at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida near Delhi. It's events like this that lured that old stager Michael Schumacher back into the sport.

Having trudged round the GP circuits of the world from 1991 with few new notable additions to the calendar, the minute he retired we got Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Korea, India and the prospect of Austin in Texas and Sochi in Russia. With Schumi showing no sign of slowing down he can at least tick off Austin in 2012, even if waiting for Sochi in 2014 might be a stretch.

India will be a great race for him as he's a huge star on the sub-continent, a very well-known face. That's in part due to the world domination he enjoyed at Ferrari and partly because he drives like a Delhi taxi driver. A profession not for the faint-hearted.

Obviously the people most looking forward to the event are Narain Karthikeyan - who's been guaranteed a seat in an HRT and Karun Chandhok, who now won't be competing in the race for Team Lotus. Tony Fernandes says he doesn't want to risk 10th place in the Championship, but with Hiekki Kovalainen more often than not outpacing Jarno Trulli it's not much of a risk putting Karun in the car.

The world's TV cameras are not going to be focusing on an often-miserable Roman railing about the state of his power steering this weekend, but they might pay a bit of attention to an Indian driver in a car that is beginning to challenge the Saubers.

Karthikeyan will return to an HRT race seat, replacing Tonio Liuzzi, for his country's first GP which he has been enthusing about. "They've taken a lot of corners from many tracks - they've kind of taken the best and put it there. It's very wide in places.

But Narain insists it's not another identikit Hermann Tilke circuit (with the pitlane exit coming out behind a blind crest on the main straight). "It has more character," he said. "There is a lot of up and down even on the main straight you climb up and then come down and then climb up and brake. It's come out really well."

It's a leap in the dark for all of the teams who will dutifully have logged the data into their simulators and worked out a sketchy Plan A. As for tyres, Pirelli are giving them softs and hards but an extra set of soft tyres

Paul Hembery explained the logic: "We've opted for a deliberately conservative nomination in selecting the hard tyre alongside the soft, simply because on a brand new circuit you are never quite sure of the exact race conditions you will encounter," he said.

The likelihood is that with a non-abrasive track and the potential of the hard tyre to be two seconds a lap slower than the hard, the teams will save up all their soft tyres for the race and run a very short stint on the hard tyre.

We all know what this means for qualifying. Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren will try and get through Q1 without using a set of softs. They'll have to use one set in Q2 and may just use one set in Q3. Mercedes won't want the embarrassment of going out in Q1 and so may have to use soft tyres early on, so if they get through to Q3 they'll trundle round on an old set.

Force India may actually be shamed into running in Q3 if they get there, because they won't want to be seen as not flying the flag at the home GP.

As well as trying to get to grips with the new track as quickly as possible, McLaren is also likely to spend some time in Friday practice trying to find out why Lewis Hamilton's car suffered a front wing downforce loss in Korea.

Hamilton lost 10 points of downforce (whatever that means) during the Korean Grand Prix, which the team suspects was caused by tyre marbles getting stuck between gaps in the wing and affecting the air flow. Presumably Jenson had the same thing. With the Delhi surface likely to be smoother than Korea it shouldn't recur, but the prospect of having a 'slot gap marble clearer' waggling a stick through the front wing at each tyre stop is something to look forward to.

On Monday it was reported that only 80,000 of the 120,000 race day tickets had been sold and the promoters were slashing prices to fill the venue. This might work in the first year but it's going to make your average Indian F1 punter very wary about buying his or her tickets early next year.

A spokesman said India hadn't woken up to the idea of having an F1 race yet. But given the number of people turning out to the various demonstration runs prior to the event, you would have thought that the rush would be this year when it was still a novelty. Watching an Indian driver start 24th on the grid and finish as the last car on the road three laps down is hardly going to electrify a cricket-loving nation.

Obviously if they're going along to support Sutil and Di Resta, then yes, they do have a chance of some points. The car does carry the national colours after all. And they are locked in one of the few battles left, the fight for sixth place in the Constructors' championship with Sauber and Toro Rosso.

There is also the question as to who will finish second in the drivers' table. That really could go down to the wire in Brazil. Jenson is currently there, Fernando would like it, Mark says he'd sooner have race wins, but you can bet that Christian Horner would like the neatness of having his drivers 1-2 in the table.

source: http://www.planet-f1.com/race-features/7266027/The-Indian-Grand-Prix-Preview

[Guest]

There is also the question as to who will finish second in the drivers' table. That really could go down to the wire in Brazil. Jenson is currently there, Fernando would like it, Mark says he'd sooner have race wins, but you can bet that Christian Horner would like the neatness of having his drivers 1-2 in the table.

Immensely looking forward to the Indian Grand Prix, however does anyone think that Lewis has a chance of finishing 2nd in the drivers standings? Twenty-six points behind Jenson Button & only sixteen points behind Alonso with three races left is hardly out of reach for a driver of Lewis' ability. I understand he may need some luck but could the forgotten man, it seems, achieve something quite remarkable out of a season of disappointment? Thoughts......

[Critical_mass]

Yeah i reckon lewis has a chance, but would require luck in the form of jenson either finishing way down the points or not at all. Still possible and im sure he'll do his best to maximise the points.

Though either of Alonso or webber could snatch it from under Buttons nose.

[dyrewolfe]

Webber just doesn't seem to able to get anything like the performance out of the Red Bull that Vettel can. I think he'll have to content himself with points finishes for the rest of the season.

Hamilton seems to be finding something approaching his best form and I expect him to finish strongly, either well in the points, or on the podium.

Button still tends to blow hot and cold, doing very well or rather disappointingly from race to race. Still, he has a decent cushion and is more than capable of maintaining his place.

Alonso would be a threat if the Ferrari's performance allowed, but I think he is too hamstrung to seriously challenge Button. The McLaren has had the edge over the Ferrari fairly consistently this season.


I'm really looking forward to seeing how India pans out as a racing spectacle, as much as the results, now that the titles have been decided.

[Fernando]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/15426871.stm

A track guide to India with world champ Sebastien Vettel

[Guest]

After watching FP1/FP2 I must admit they've produced a fantastic grand prix facility in India and the atmosphere looked a marked improvement on that of Korea. The only criticism is the pit exit which looks decidedly 'dodgy' and turn 6 looks to be catching the drivers out, producing vast amounts of dust leading into turn 7. The Hamilton penalty was 'harsh' and basically just enhances the chances of Vettel gaining pole and strolling to the win. Hamilton will have to battle through the field now if he qualifies lower than fourth, damaging his tyres and therefore in my opinion has no chance of race victory which is another shame. Thoughts?

[Fernando]

I think its a lovely track and should have an excellent race, regarding the penalties Lewis and Sergio both know the rules and shouldn't have gone as fast as they were going with marshall's on the track but then again it could easily be said that they may well have slowed but the track was rubbering in alot faster then it seemed

[Alessandro Ciambella]

Bonjourno!

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton has been handed a three-place grid penalty at the Indian Grand Prix for ignoring caution flags in first practice.

Sauber's Sergio Perez has also been handed the same penalty, which arose at the end of the Friday morning session at the new Buddh International Circuit.

The penalty was for "ignoring double waved yellow flags while marshals were in close proximity to track".

Hamilton said he had no argument with the stewards' decision.

"I was engaging the DRS (overtaking device, which boosts straight-line speed) when the yellow flags were on and you're not allowed to," he said.

Continue reading the main story I have no-one else to blame do I? There's only me driving
Lewis Hamilton

"I went in there and put my hands up and said I accept whatever penalty I get and they gave me one.

"I don't have any feelings. It is what it is. I'm a bit frustrated with myself as it's my fault - as usual.

"I just have to do what I can from wherever I qualify tomorrow. I have less hopes of pole - but tomorrow could be a different day."

Asked why he was being so self-critical, Hamilton replied: "I have no-one else to blame do I? There's only me driving."

Marshals were close to the race track attending to the Williams of Pastor Maldonado, who had stopped with an engine failure.

Both Hamilton and Perez set their fastest lap times while the caution flags were still waving, for which there is an instant penalty.

BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter Natalie Pinkham said: "Lewis Hamilton accepted it. He is frustrated, but has no real beef with the stewards."

The penalties to Hamilton and Perez makes it three drivers taking a grid drop in India - Renault's Vitaly Petrov was handed a five-place penalty for crashing into Mercedes driver Michael Schumacher at the Korean Grand Prix two weeks ago.

It is the latest in a series of incidents involving Hamilton this year.

Hamilton started the campaign with a second-place finish in Australia but came eighth in Malaysia following a drive-through penalty for weaving in front of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

He won in China but was embroiled in controversy in Monaco, launching a furious attack on stewards after twice being penalised.

A coming together with team-mate Jenson Button led to Hamilton retiring from the Canadian Grand Prix, though Button went on to triumph.

His race in Belgium was ended by a collision with Kamui Kobayashi's Sauber, while he clashed with Ferrari's Felipe Massa in Singapore and Japan ahead of a second-place finish in Korea.

Source: BBC Sport: Formula One

Forza Alonso!

[Guest]

As I've said in another topic, basically enhances Vettel's chances of pole and strolling away for a win. really disappointing.

[sportykeppy-1]

Sorry Lewis, do keep fighting hard and things will work out for you one day, we are not giving up on you.

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