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Sebastian Vettel remains the favorite to get on the podium again and win his fourth driver’s title at the Indian GP
The Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida has the ingredients of a classic circuit but the Indian GP now in its third edition hardly been exciting in the previous two editions given the waltzing victory for Sebastian Vettel and Red-Bull. Vettel is on the verge of entering the record books and join the greats of the sport and India is most likely to witness its first Championship decider. The race might be a snooze-fest at the top given the past history but plenty of action is expected down the order.
Here are the 5 things to watch out for at the Indian GP.
Another Vettel domination on the cards
He has been the man to beat in the last two editions of the Indian GP and remains the same in the build up to the race with 5 consecutive race wins and his ninth of the season in Japan. Even though his rivals will gain some confidence from the race in Japan considering he had to fight hard for the top-spot after being pushed down to third place, but still deserves the accolades for finding his way to the podium with some hard laps in the Red-Bull.
On the flip side he doesn’t need to win the race to become the World Drivers Champion for the fourth year in succession but has a simple equation of finishing 5th or higher in the race to grab the silver. The German driver has 35 career wins after Japan, leaving him fourth in the all-time standings.Should he be able to first to take the chequered flag in India, he would become the youngest driver in history to win four championships at the age of 26 , beating Michael Schumacher by six years.
Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen will battle it out to score maximum points at Indian GP
Battle for Second and Third
With the top spot virtually sealed by Vettel and Red-Bull, the battle is on for second and third in both the Driver’s and Constructor’s tally. Fernando Alonso currently placed second is 30 points ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in third with Lewis Hamilton further 16 points behind in fourth. Its much closer in the Constructors with Ferrari in second place with 297 points, followed by Mercedes 10 points adrift and Lotus 23 points behind.
With 4 races left in the season, the battle is bound to get intense with both teams and drivers trying to get maximum out of every race and stay ahead. Alonso has a good track record of finishing on the podium in the previous two editions while Hamilton(who wasn’t able to finish the last race) and Raikkonen would be looking to better their positions compared to last year. Romain Grosjean (who seems to have re-invented himself since Singapore) and Mark Webber have blended nicely into the mix with their recent podium finishes while Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa remain the dark horses capable of springing up a surprise.
Lewis Hamilton would be hoping for a top five finish at the Indian GP after his retirement in the last race
Hamilton and Mercedes need an energy booster
Since his emphatic victory in Hungary, Lewis Hamilton has just a single podium finish to add to his name. In Japan, he had his first retirement since joining Mercedes after a first-corner brush with Sebastian Vettel damaged the aerodynamics of the car and has failed to finish higher than fifth since his third place finish in Belgium. The team was first overtaken by Ferrari and then by Lotus in the constructors with both their drivers finishing among the points in South Korea and Japan.
If Hamilton is able to finish second or even third, ahead of rivals Alonso and Raikkonen, it will be his best finish in the very first season after making his move from McLaren and since his Championship triumph in 2008. Mercedes too could better their record in the Constructor’s since their debut in 2010 if they manage to finish second or third. India could play a vital role in deciding as to who stays ahead in fight for the second and third best of the season.
Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil would be under pressure to perform at their team’s home grand prix
Force India for pride and points at home
One of the teams to have suffered since the tyre fiasco, Force India, would be look to salvage pride and points in front of their home crowd. The season that began promisingly for driver Paul di Resta, with the British driver scoring bulk of the points including a fourth place finish in Bahrain, has gone awry after the British Grand Prix. Since then Di Resta managed to finish only two races out seven thanks to a combination of driver errors and tyres affecting the car setup.
At one point the team was looking to catch up and beat McLaren but that dream slowly faded away. Instead, they now find themselves being chased by Sauber (a difference of 17 points) after a recent resurgence from the Swiss team. Di Resta’s teammate Adrian Sutil, who was behind him in the first half of the calendar managed to get 3 points in the lacklustre second-half. Force India’s best finish at the Indian GP was an 8th place finish by Nico Hulkenberg last year improving on a 9th place finish by Sutil at the inaugural race event in 2011.
Even though both drivers managed to finish the race in Japan, they have their task cut-out in India considering they would have to beat Mclaren, Sauber and Toro Rosso to get a good home GP finish for a third consecutive time and racing in front of the home crowd could only add to the pressure.
Nico Hulkenberg is expected to carry on with his superb performance at the Indian GP
Sauber and Hulkenberg Charge to continue
While Nico Hulkenberg began the Sauber renaissance at the Italian Grand Prix, rookie Esteban Guiterrez helped them get a double finish in Japan. Thanks to that performance, catching Force India and a sixth place in the Constructors appears a realistic target to achieve in the final four races of the season for the Swiss team.
Sauber seem to improve with every race and with their star driver Hulkenberg leading the charge they have become a force to reckon with in the mid-field for the next season. A repeat of the performance in Suzuka will pull them level with Force India, and 6th in the Constructor’s championship will be theirs for the taking.
