The countdown has begun. The engines are set to roar and burn rubber as the Formula One cars prepare to go flat out at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, near Delhi.
In a country where cricket is an obsession, the efforts to promote India 's entry into the Formula One circuit with the Grand Prix of India have been massive.
The yacht party in Monaco, Lewis Hamilton's visit to Chennai and Bengaluru and the Red Bull cars racing on Rajpath and the Khardung La pass — we're just getting an idea of what's in store for us from October 28 to 30.
2011 – A recap
Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull seems to have done almost everything right this season to successfully defend his F1 crown and become the youngest driver in history to win two successive world titles. Jenson Button looks to be the critics' choice to finish second in the championship. The seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher is yet to consolidate his place in his team, Mercedes GP, as the top driver. Sadly, Fernando Alonso has not been in good form this year.
Red Bull is only a race away from wrapping up the championship, ahead of McLaren who have looked a lot better than Ferrari. Force India , as always, raised its game in the second half of the calendar, crawling to sixth place.
The team's second driver and rookie Paul di Resta seems to be matching Adrian Sutil in terms of competitiveness. Among the new teams Team Lotus looks to be the best of the lot.
Indian GP
Any new circuit is always treated with utmost respect and joy due to its unpredictable nature. McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh is very optimistic about the Grand Prix of India and believes it will see some of the best racing yet.
Vettel too feels that winning the first ever Indian GP will add another feather to his cap. Popular F1 commentator Alex Yoong has said that having heroes will also raise the profile of the event.
As for the race, the onus is on Force India to perform. Narain Kathikeyan, who will race for the HRT, will be under immense pressure. The huge home crowd will support them but will also add to the pressure.
As someone rightly said, “F1 needs India a lot more than India needs F1”. A home race, a home team, and a couple of Indian drivers should go a long way in helping F1 find its feet in the country in the years to come.
