Vettel set to clinch title

The race is certainly off the 2014 calendar and, while the promoters are fighting for a 2015 return, the chances seem slim with the populous country throwing heaps of bureaucratic obstacles in the sport’s path.

The race marks the 16th round in this year’s championship and is likely to see Sebastian Vettel crowned for the fourth consecutive season after a run of successes. Red Bull Racing has simply done the best job and in the five races scheduled since F1’s August summer break, the German has taken a full-house of victories, mainly from pole position, with fastest lap as matter of course.

The 26-year-old is 90 points ahead of his only remaining rival in Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. With 100 points to play for over the remaining four rounds, the Spaniard needs to win the lot with Vettel scoring less than a single fifth place through to Brazil.

Ferrari’s former double world champion Fernando Alonso. Picture AFP.

Behind Vettel and Alonso there are scraps over minor placings with Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) on 177, followed by the mercurial Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (161) and Red Bull second-stringer Mark Webber (148). The trio are capable of challenging for race honours if it goes sour for Vettel.

Romain Grosjean in the second Lotus, has impressed greatly of late, as has Nico Hulkenberg, the German spearheading the resurgent Sauber effort.

The 5 125km Buddh International Circuit, within a half-finished development 50km north of Delhi, is a mix of the truly spectacular and downright shocking. The layout itself ranks among the best with virtually every one of its 16 (9R/7L) corners offering a unique challenge.

RISING STAR: Romain Grosjean has got his act together in Formula One and was on the podium in Japan.
Picture: AFP.

On the downside construction standards border on the disgraceful, with the wavy façade of the main grandstand and constant tripping of electrical circuits being a few of the pointers to shoddy workmanship.

That said. the circuit has a host of decent straights, two of which provide DRS overtaking zones while significant elevation changes also contribute to what is a rewarding circuit.

Long-term weather forecasts point to clear and sunny 30o skies throughout, meaning Pirelli’s medium (white) and soft tyre (yellow) compounds will receive a challenging work out. The “greenness” of the track, due to disuse since last year’s round, will further add to degradation.

While the driver title is likely to be settled this weekend, Red Bull Racing (445 points) needs to wait another weekend before clinching the equally important constructor championship. Ferrari, on 297, and Mercedes, a further 10 points adrift, could both theoretically haul in the reigning champions. Lotus is now out of the running, but close enough to leap frog both teams into second – so the heat is on in more ways than one.