New Delhi
Formula One racing is forever on the move and in 2011 ventured east yet again for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. In light of recent F1 successes in Korea and Singapore, India - and more specifically its capital city New Delhi - became the latest Eastern powerhouse to welcome the paddock with open arms. After learning plenty of lessons from hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games, New Delhi wowed the international sporting stage once more with its first race.
A brand new circuit was built for the Grand Prix, to the south of the city in the suburb of Noida. The track, designed by renowned circuit architect Hermann Tilke, stretches to 5.125-kilometres and seats around 130,000 spectators. Two sizeable straights and an interesting mix of corners guarantee a track full of challenges for drivers and engineers alike.
In an interesting move, organisers also consulted several of the Formula One teams before construction began in earnest. The track design was run in various factory simulators and as a result several amendments were made in an effort to boost overtaking for the drivers - and excitement for the fans.
Four million cubic tons of earth was moved to give the track plenty of undulation, and it rises 14 metres between Turns One and Three alone. Inspiration was also drawn from rival venues' best features, with Turkey's famous Turn Eight inspiring a double-apex corner, slightly banked, which forms part of a 'mini-arena' which alone can accommodate 13,000 spectators.
The earthworks for the circuit were finished ahead of India's 2010 monsoon season and the track was officially opened on October 18, 2011, just under two weeks before its first Grand Prix. It was a huge success, with the event drawing universal praise from teams, drivers and fans, and with numerous pundits instantly declaring it one of the best rounds on the calendar.
Session Times
Fri 26 Oct 2012
Practice 1 05:30 - 07:00
Practice 2 09:30 - 11:00
Sat 27 Oct 2012
Practice 3 06:30 - 07:30
Qualifying 09:30
Sun 28 Oct 2012
Race 09:30
All live on Sky Sports F1. For BBC times and info see here. FIA 2011 race edit can be found here.
Race preview - http://www.vivaf1.com/blog/?p=10077
Track:
Track Diagram
Track DRS
2 x zones, pit straight and back straight.
Circuit information
Number of Laps: 60
Circuit Length: 5.125 km
Race Distance: 307.249 km
Lap Record: 1:27.249 - S Vettel (2011)
Current Standings
Technical Changes
http://www.formula1.com/news/technical/
Photos from the event
Thursday - http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/10/25/2012-indian-grand-prix-thursday-pictures-2/
Friday - http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/10/26/2012-indian-grand-prix-practice-pictures/
Saturday - http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/10/27/2012-indian-grand-prix-qualifying-pictures/
Sunday - http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/10/28/2012-indian-grand-prix-pictures/
FIA Press Conference
Thursday - http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/10/13958.html
Friday - http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/10/13968.html
Saturday - http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/10/13975.html
Sunday - http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/10/13984.html
Practice 1
Code:
[b]Pos Driver Team Time Laps[/b]
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m27.619 22
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m27.929s + 0.310 22
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m28.044s + 0.425 24
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m28.046s + 0.427 25
5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m28.175s + 0.556 22
6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m28.447s + 0.828 25
7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m28.542s + 0.923 24
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m28.993s + 1.374 23
9. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m29.204s + 1.585 24
10. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m29.291s + 1.672 24
11. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m29.691s + 2.072 26
12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m29.760s + 2.141 23
13. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m29.802s + 2.183 1$
14. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m29.850s + 2.231 19
15. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m29.895s + 2.276 19
16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m30.041s + 2.422 26
17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m30.401s + 2.782 23
18. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m30.630s + 3.011 24
19. Giedo Van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m30.896s + 3.277 20
20. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m31.212s + 3.593 29
21. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m31.903s + 4.284 22
22. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m32.125s + 4.506 24
23. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m32.369s + 4.750 19
24. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m32.859s + 5.240 13Practice 2
Code:
[b]Pos Driver Team Time Laps[/b]
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m26.221 35
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m26.339s + 0.118 33
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m26.820s + 0.599 34
4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m27.022s + 0.801 38
5. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m27.030s + 0.809 40
6. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m27.131s + 0.910 38
7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m27.182s + 0.961 24
8. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m27.233s + 1.012 37
9. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m27.397s + 1.176 36
10. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m27.738s + 1.517 36
11. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m28.004s + 1.783 32
12. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m28.178s + 1.957 39
13. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m28.222s + 2.001 37
14. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.239s + 2.018 37
15. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m28.296s + 2.075 23
16. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m28.455s + 2.234 40
17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m28.596s + 2.375 38
18. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m29.167s + 2.946 35
19. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m29.320s + 3.099 43
20. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m29.606s + 3.385 22
21. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m30.950s + 4.729 37
22. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m31.113s + 4.892 35
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m31.372s + 5.151 20
24. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m31.493s + 5.272 31Practice 3
Code:
[b]Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps[/b]
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m25.842s 20
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.034s + 0.192s 17
3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m26.108s + 0.266s 18
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.151s + 0.309s 21
5. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m26.209s + 0.367s 22
6. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m26.214s + 0.372s 24
7. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m26.521s + 0.679s 15
8. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m26.531s + 0.689s 21
9. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m26.652s + 0.810s 21
10. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m26.664s + 0.822s 21
11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m26.691s + 0.849s 13
12. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m27.140s + 1.298s 18
13. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.162s + 1.320s 21
14. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m27.193s + 1.351s 22
15. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m27.229s + 1.387s 21
16. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.374s + 1.532s 21
17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.711s + 1.869s 20
18. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.983s + 2.141s 19
19. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m29.035s + 3.193s 20
20. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m29.237s + 3.395s 20
21. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m29.617s + 3.775s 20
22. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m30.298s + 4.456s 20
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m30.824s + 4.982s 22
24. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m30.873s + 5.031s 22Qualifying
Code:
[b]Pos Driver Team Time Gap [/b]
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m25.283
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m25.327 + 0.044
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m25.544 + 0.261
4. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m25.659 + 0.376
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m25.773 + 0.490
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m25.857 + 0.574
7. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m26.236 + 0.953
8. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m26.360 + 1.077
9. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m26.713 + 1.430
10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes no time
Q2 cut-off time: 1m26.939s Gap **
11. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m26.136s + 0.701
12. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercede 1m26.241s + 0.806
13. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m26.331s + 0.896
14. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m26.574s + 1.139
15. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m26.777s + 1.342
16. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercede 1m26.989s + 1.554
17. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.219s + 1.784
Q1 cut-off time: 1m27.517s Gap *
18. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.525s + 1.477
19. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m28.756s + 2.708
20. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m29.500s + 3.452
21. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m29.613s + 3.565
22. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m30.592s + 4.544
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m30.593s + 4.545
24. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m30.662s + 4.614Race
Code:
[b]Pos Driver Team Time[/b]
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h31:10.744
2. Alonso Ferrari + 9.437
3. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 13.217
4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 13.909
5. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 26.266
6. Massa Ferrari + 44.674
7. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault + 45.227
8. Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes + 54.998
9. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 56.103
10. Senna Williams-Renault + 1:14.975
11. Rosberg Mercedes + 1:21.694
12. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:22.815
13. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:26.064
14. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1:26.495
15. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
16. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 1 lap
17. Petrov Caterham-Renault + 1 lap
18. Kovalainen Caterham-Renault + 1 lap
19. Pic Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap
20. Glock Marussia-Cosworth + 2 laps
21. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps
22. Schumacher Mercedes + 5 laps
Code:
[b]Drivers: Constructors: [/b]
1. Vettel 240 1. Red Bull-Renault 407
2. Alonso 227 2. Ferrari 316
3. Raikkonen 173 3. McLaren-Mercedes 306
4. Webber 167 4. Lotus-Renault 263
5. Hamilton 165 5. Mercedes 136
6. Button 141 6. Sauber-Ferrari 116
7. Rosberg 93 7. Force India-Mercedes 93
8. Grosjean 90 8. Williams-Renault 59
9. Massa 89 9. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 21
10. Perez 66
11. Kobayashi 50
12. Hulkenberg 49
13. Di Resta 44
14. Schumacher 43
15. Maldonado 33
16. Senna 26
17. Vergne 12
18. Ricciardo 9
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