Indian GP Thread - Contains Spoilers of all sessions - Sponsored by Sebastien Vettel's Title Polish

[Fernando]

First topic message reminder :

If Japan’s Suzuka, scene of Sebastian Vettel’s strategically astute ninth win of the season last time out, is regarded as one of the greatest of Formula One’s ‘classic’ circuits, this weekend sees the championship move to a track that has been widely praised as one the finest recent additions to the calendar – India’s Buddh International Circuit.

The location for round 16 of the 2013 F1 World Championship features good changes of elevation, two long, fast straights and a technically challenging middle sector that features the tricky multiple apex Turn 10. The circuit has quickly proved popular with the sport’s drivers, who appreciate it having the second highest average speed of the year after Monza, but also the skill required to hook up a good lap around its 5.125km length.

Getting that perfect lap requires a car that treads a very fine line in balancing the speed needed to get the best from the long straights and good aerodynamic grip and balance for the middle sector.

Vettel’s victory in Japan, his fifth win in a row this year, has given him a 90-point advantage over Fernando Alonso in the Drivers’ Championship and with the Ferrari driver all but conceding defeat in the wake of the race at Suzuka, this weekend could see Vettel crowned champion. The Red Bull driver needs fifth place or better here to become just the fourth driver in F1 history to win four titles and only the third to win four in a row – alongside Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher.

Meanwhile, in the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull Racing have 445 points, compared with 297 for nearest rival Ferrari, so the Milton Keynes-based team can this weekend also conceivably wrap up the manufacturers’ title. prvw-flag-india.jpg

CIRCUIT DATA

BUDDH INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT

Length of lap: 5.125km
Lap record:
1:27.249
(Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, 2011)
Start/finish line offset: 0.251km
Total number of race laps: 60
Total race distance: 307.249km
Pitlane speed limits:
80km/h throughout the weekend.

CHANGES TO THE CIRCUIT SINCE 2012
► Other than routine maintenance there have been no changes of significance.

DRS ZONES
► There are two DRS zones at the Buddh International Circuit. The detection point of the first is 16m before Turn Three and its activation point is 350m after Turn Three. The second zone’s detection point is 10m after Turn 15, with the activation point 36m after Turn 16.

Indian GP
Fast Facts
► This will be just the third running of the Indian Grand Prix. The race joined the F1 calendar in 2011.
► Sebastian Vettel has not only taken pole position and victory in the two Indian GPs staged so far, he has also led every lap of each race. Last year he also finished in P1 in every practice session. Red Bull Racing have locked-out the front row at both grand prix, with Mark Webber second on the grid in 2011 and 2012.
► At this season’s most recent race, in Japan, Vettel recorded his fifth victory in a row this season. The last time a driver recorded five or more successive wins was in 2004, when Michael Schumacher won the opening five races of the season. The Ferrari driver then went on to win seven in a row between the European and Hungarian GPs that year, so Vettel will need to win here and in Abu Dhabi to match that feat. ► Depending on your view, the outright record for consecutive wins belongs to Alberto Ascari, who recorded nine in a row between the Belgian Grand Prix of 1952, the third of eight races that season, and the same event the following year, when it was fourth on a calendar of nine races. On the way to that tally, however, he did not compete in the 1953 Indianapolis 500, which formed part of that year’s F1 World Championship. To match Ascari’s tally, Vettel will need to win all the remaining rounds this season.
► Vettel’s 2011 pole position gave Red Bull a record 16th in a single season. It was the 28th of Vettel’s career. Since then he has been on pole a further 14 times.
► Apart from Vettel, the only other driver to feature on both Indian GP podiums is Fernando Alonso. The Ferrari driver was third in the inaugural race and second last year.
► Jaime Alguersuari scored the last points of his F1 career to date in the first grand prix here. Over a 46-race career, beginning at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, the Spanish driver racked up 31 points in total driving for Toro Rosso. The final four points of that tally came with eighth place at the Buddh International Circuit in 2011.
► This will be the first Indian GP without an Indian driver involved. Narain Karthikeyan raced in 2011 and 2012 for HRT, while Karun Chandhok participated in free practice for Team Lotus (now Caterham) in 2011.
► To cope with the demands of the Buddh International Circuit, F1 tyre supplier Pirelli is this weekend bringing its Soft and Medium tyre compounds. This is a change from the previous two years, when the company brought its Soft and Hard configurations. Soft and Medium tyres have been used this season in China, Germany and Hungary.
► Despite being built on relatively flat land, the track has had plenty of undulations built in, with more than four million tonnes of earth moved during the construction of the circuit. The track rises 14 metres between Turns One and Three alone.

[GSC]

Kobayashi offered plenty of entertainment, wheel to wheel scraps and overtaking in difficult places, and that's how fans rate the best drivers apparently

[bogbrush]

No he doesn't need to win doubters over but he says being booed hurt so it does affect him that he feels he is not getting the credit and so does give a monkeys in my opinion.

You're seriously suggesting he should do what no other driver has ever done (go looking for an inferior car) just to win the approval of guys with your opinion?

Madness.

[CaledonianCraig]

No of course not. For himself (and any other driver in history would) he should stay put at Red Bull and carry on as is and if Newey stays put then more titles are virtually guaranteed. However, more walk-over titles aren't going to automatically catapult him to an all-time great in my personal opinion. Sure some will have him already as an all-time great but I am the sort who looks at the full picture - the driver, the challenges faced in their careers, their great races against their closest rivals of that era and such-like. Others such as yourself will have other things that meet the criteria of what is greatness but I am not here pulling you down for it - that is also your opinion and you are intitled to it.

[dyrewolfe]

Well, that was predictable. Only surprise Vettel pitted as early as he did. Credit to him for working his way through the field to retake the lead, but to be honest it didn't look like he had any real fights on the track, even though it took him about 18 laps (roughly 1 place per lap). Once back in the lead, the win was never in doubt, as nobody had the pace to live with him...even Webber, who made his different tyre strategy work pretty well, until his retirement.

Speaking of which, I can't help but feel RB screwed Mark one last time. They can talk about an "alternator failure" all they like but the car was working just fine at the time and you could hear the incredulity in Webber's voice when he was told to retire. That just reeks of BS, even though Webber was not even racing Vettel (being 10-12 seconds behind at the time).

Are we really expected to believe a problem that forced Webber's immediate retirement, was able to be "managed" in Vettel's car until the end of the race?

Seriously, even if Vettel had retired, it would only have delayed the title win by 1 more race. that's why I'm not buying all their talk of electrical problems. Anyway, glad to see Webber didn't let it bother him...and why should he, as he won't have to put up with that crap much longer.

Best thing Vettel did for me were his donuts after he finished the race and bowing in front of his car. Nice to see he knows where the real talent lies. Anyway, congrats to him making it 4 on the bounce. Just really hope next years' regs shake things up a bit.

Decent race for Mercedes. Great drive by Rosberg for his 2nd place. Didn't make up any places from the grid, but had to work his way back through the field after his pit stops. Disappointing race for Hamilton, who just didn't seem to have Rosberg's race pace. Seemed to suffer higher tyre wear than his team mate and was unable to hold off Sergio Perez, finally finishing 6th.

A mixed race for Lotus too. Drive of the race for my money by Romain Grosjean. Started 17th after a botched Q1 and seemed fairly innocuous for much of the race, but came alive in the final stint. managed his tyres probably better than anyone else and reaped the rewards in the closing laps, catching Raikkonen in leaps and bounds, eventually taking 3rd place off his team mate. Think Kimi suffered a similar screw-job to Webber (funny how they're both off to pasture new next season), with his tyres falling off the cliff yet again and on top of that being told to conserve fuel. Did well to finish 7th considering and had the consolation of taking the fastest lap time off Vettel, after a VERY late pit stop for soft tyres.

Mixed fortunes for both McLaren and Ferrari. Perez started 1 place ahead of Button in 9th, but drove a great race and finished 5th. Jenson, on the other hand, struggled throughout the race and finished a lowly 14th. Massa made a blistering start and held 2nd place for a few laps, before being caught by Rosberg and the Lotuses. Still managed to hold on for a respectable 4th place finish. Alonso never really looked in the race today and finished out of the points in 11th, 3 places down on his grid position.

Force India will probably quite happy with their showing. Adrian Sutil looked as though he might be on for a podium, running in the top 3-4 for some time, before falling back down the pack. Still an 8th place for Di Resta and 9th for Sutil at their home grand prix should please the sponsors.

[Guest]

The computer predictions were saying Webber should have won because vettel would end up in traffic n would lose time after pitting. That's my problem with DRS. Its too easy, no skill required n vettel just breezed from the back to third at one point in like 10 laps. On tracks with excessive DRS in a dominant car it's a total stroll. Contrast that to Hamilton, couldn't even pass 37 lap old tyres of ricciardo in the DRS because of wrong setup n not being in a RB.

Webber could of managed but it starts grinding on other parts of the car n then sets fire to the engine n we know how limited they are on those n for next year. Had to laugh at the embarrassing, `dont drink the fluid` radio message....seriously annoying n they expect or try to fool the idiots into thinking vettel endures the same issues that mark does.

[bogbrush]

Are you serious dyrewolfe? You're suggesting they dumped him from 2nd while no threat to Vettel. Why? What was their advantage?  It's ideas like this that make conspiracy theorists look like swivel eyed lunatics.

Agree, great to see what a fun and humble guy Seb is. About time people recognised him the way he is rather than this baby Schumi arrogant kid nonsense you see spouted around.

[GSC]

Next race, RB will disable Sebs steering just to pretend there's a problem

[bogbrush]

As Martin Brundle said "he's got the best car, all the greats made sure they had the best car and the best people around them, but he's also the best driver at the moment, of that I have no doubt, and I stand out on the corner of the track every weekends and I've seen every racer there's been".

Wise words from the most expert observer in the sport.

[dyrewolfe]

Are you serious dyrewolfe? You're suggesting they dumped him from 2nd while no threat to Vettel. Why? What was their advantage?  It's ideas like this that make conspiracy theorists look like swivel eyed lunatics.


Agree, great to see what a fun and humble guy Seb is. About time people recognised him the way he is rather than this baby Schumi arrogant kid nonsense you see spouted around.

None if it makes any sense...in as much as I don't believe Webber's car actually had any issues.

Think about it though...Vettel was going to win RB the drivers' and constructors' titles just by winning, so they didn't need Webber to finish.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think Webber got screwed...

Also, despite his funny and charming public persona, I still believe Vettel is the arrogant Schumacher clone many think he is.

[bogbrush]

So there's no logic but that's enough to convince you. Both on the car and his behaviour.

Ok. There's nothing to say really is there?

[CaledonianCraig]

Are you serious dyrewolfe? You're suggesting they dumped him from 2nd while no threat to Vettel. Why? What was their advantage?  It's ideas like this that make conspiracy theorists look like swivel eyed lunatics.


Agree, great to see what a fun and humble guy Seb is. About time people recognised him the way he is rather than this baby Schumi arrogant kid nonsense you see spouted around.

None if it makes any sense...in as much as I don't believe Webber's car actually had any issues.

Think about it though...Vettel was going to win RB the drivers' and constructors' titles just by winning, so they didn't need Webber to finish.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think Webber got screwed...

Also, despite his funny and charming public persona, I still believe Vettel is the arrogant Schumacher clone many think he is.

Sorry but I don't believe that. Webber was just unlucky again. I see no logical reason why the team would have felt the need 'to screw' Webber.

[GSC]

I'm sorry but when you suggest a team sabotages its own car you've lost all credibility for me. For one thing it's immensely unsafe

[Fernando]

They retired Webber because if he kept going he's engine would of blown and would of needed a 9th Engine and got a grid penalty.

If you have everything in the bag why bother and save the engine for the final few races.

[Guest]

I don't believe in conspiracy, guy just does not look after car aswell, is usually in traffic which upsets the tightly packed fragile parts of the car etc n just generally is putting the car thripough more stress throughout the season because of not being in pole or in dirty air. Majorly unlucky but not always.

[bogbrush]

That's actually a good point; Mark stresses the car more.

[Fernando]

Webber is very much in the Hamilton school of looking after the car, Doesn't quite understand going slower sometimes will improve chances of a podium or win.

[SteveG]

Contrast that to Hamilton, couldn't even pass 37 lap old tyres of ricciardo in the DRS because of wrong setup n not being in a RB.

Seem to recall he was also stuck behind Bottas early in the race - says everything. Just what the heck is going on with his setup strategy?? You know there are two long DRS zones and you know that there is serious overtaking to be done because of the performance gap between the tyres. The only thing that can be said is Hamilton has had no input in the design of the car which hopefully will be addressed next year.

[GSC]

Of course he had some input in the car, he didn't sign the day before preseason testing

[Guest]

Yeah took about five laps to pass bottas because of the setup, that was generally the difference between him n rosberg. Nico could clear the traffic, lewis couldn't. Also shows how lewis` overtaking skill in f1 is basically void now against his rivals, DRS makes it too easy, if you have correct setup. Frustrating

[SteveG]

Of course he had some input in the car, he didn't sign the day before preseason testing

Any input would have been minimal. They start designing the car at least 6 months before the stat of a season. Lets put it this way - his car aint 'shrink wrapped' around his driving style in the way Vettels is.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I put a bet on Hamilton to win at 28-1 before the weekend, which would explain why he's had a pants weekend

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