2012 Formula 1 Airtel Indian Grand Prix preview

After a two week gap since Sebastian Vettel’s dominant display of driving at the Korean Grand Prix, Formula 1 returns to the Buddh International Circuit near New Delhi this weekend for the second running of the Indian Grand Prix. With Sebastian Vettel only six points ahead of Fernando Alonso in the Championship, the battle is well and truly on at the front.

Although Kimi Raikkonen remains confident he can produce another comeback reminiscent of 2007, the Drivers’ Championship is now realistically only between Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. Both finished on the podium last time out in Korea, and both will be unarguably striving to leave India in command after Sunday’s 60-lap race. Sebastian Vettel will be eager to replicate the successes similar to that witnessed at last season’s inaugural Indian Grand Prix this weekend, a race which saw the eventual World Champion storm to pole position, fastest lap and the race victory for Red Bull.

Last season saw Jenson Button finish 2nd behind the dominant German, with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso 3rd. Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa collided during the inaugural race, in a season which featured many on-track skirmishes between the two. Eventually Felipe Massa retired with suspension woes, whereas Lewis Hamilton could only manage a distant 7th behind the Mercedes duo of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg.

This season’s race has all the ingredients to be yet another intriguing chapter of the season, with Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso squabbling for dominance at the sharp end of the Drivers’ Championship. Despite McLaren’s recent run of bad luck, the Woking-based outfit remain confident they can somehow catch Red Bull and possibly even take several victories in the remaining few races of the season.

The DRS zones for this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix remains the same from last year, with the two separate zones situated in close proximity of each other throughout the opening stages of the 5.125km lap. The detection zone for the first DRS zone is situated 10m after turn 15, with the activation zone located 36m after the final turn 16. This will offer the drivers the entire length of the start/finish straight to open their DRS flaps and try and overtake the car in front.

The second DRS zone is located along the tremendously long back straight between turns 3 and 4, with the detection zone located 16m before turn 3. The second zone has been lengthened by 80m to try and encourage further overtaking, after very little overtaking maneuvers were carried out during last season’s race. The activation zone is therefore located 430m after turn 3.

Former Australian F1 World Champion, Alan Jones, will return to the FIA representative steward role at this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix. This will be the third race weekend which the 65-year-old has held this position for the FIA, after the 1980 World Champion appeared at the inaugural Korean Grand Prix in 2010 and the Japanese Grand Prix last season.

With only four races left in this highly entertaining season, one minor mistake from either Sebastian Vettel or Fernando Alonso could have massive implications on the outcome of the World Championship. Both drivers are striving to secure their third Drivers’ Crown, with Vettel aiming to become the first driver to win three back-to-back Championships since fellow countryman Michael Schumacher did so with Ferrari. Can anyone stop the resurgent Red Bulls, or will Adrian Newey’s masterful mind conquer the grid once again?

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