New Delhi: Current Formula 1 driver’s champion Sebastian Vettel believes that the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) outside New Delhi is one of the most challenging circuits in the world.
“The BIC really has emerged as one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar for the drivers. I loved the track layout last year, but not just because I won the race. With an average speed of 235 km/h, the course is the second quickest of the year after Monza,” said Vettel, who hails from Germany, on the official F1 website.
“There is a lot of elevation change around the lap which adds to the fun, from as much as eight percent downhill and up to 10 percent uphill; it’s like a roller coaster.”
Vettel currently leads the driver’s World Championship with 215 points, six ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. He won the last race in Yeongam, South Korea.
Team mate Mark Webber also said that the track is challenging and one which he loves to drive.
“It’s a challenging venue and I really enjoy the track, it’s a nice circuit to drive. The track is similar to Korea with mainly long straights in Sector 1 followed by a very busy Sector 2 and 3, so we need to get the balance right between downforce and top speed.
“It should be reasonably straightforward weather-wise and I’m looking forward to getting out there. There was a massive crowd there last year and it was a good atmosphere,” said the Australian, who earned the pole position and finished second in the Korean Grand Prix on October 14.
Meanwhile, McLaren star Lewis Hamiton said he is a big fan of India and its people and has also likened the BIC to the “great” Spa circuit in Belgium.
“I love India – the people, the colour, the noise, the spectacle, the chaos: it’s an intense and vibrant country, with some of the most enthusiastic and friendliest people we meet all year,” Hamilton, who will leave McLaren for Mercedes for the 2013 season, said.
The British driver said BIC was different from many tracks in the world.
“The circuit, too, is something of a revelation. Most modern tracks have a very similar feel; you find that the same driving style and rhythm suits them all. But the Buddh International Circuit is different: it has more in common with a great track like Spa than it does with any number of the more modern places we visit,” he said.
Hamilton said the outlay of the circuit is such that it allows the driver to push the car to limit.
“It’s got an incredible flow – basically, from Turn Four, a wide-apex right-hander that sweeps downhill, the track is just a series of fast, rolling curves which really allow you to put the car absolutely on the limit.
“I didn’t have a particularly tidy weekend there last year: but I feel I’ve been driving better than ever recently – even if the results haven’t quite shown it – so I’m headed to India determined for another good result. I think we’ll have a car that’s a match for the circuit and I can’t wait to get out there and start practicing on Friday,” he said.
Hamilton’s teammate Jenson Button, who finished second last year, was also full of praise for BIC and compared on of the features to Japanese track.
“It’s a circuit I like: it has a good feel to it, and you can tell it’s quite different from the normal places we visit. There are a couple of unusual factors: firstly, the approaches to Turns Three and Four are incredibly wide – almost like a motorway – in order to stimulate different lines into the corner and encourage overtaking.
“Secondly, the combination of Turns 10 and 11 is also pretty special – it’s a huge, bowl-shaped double-apex right-hander, a bit like Spoon at Suzuka.
It’s unusual for a new circuit to have such fast corners, and it’s really enjoyable when you get the car hooked up through there – the lateral g feels great,” he said. (Agencies)