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I have been to the Indian GP both times. Alone. In spite of that I have never felt alienated. India is known for its amiable people and living by its name, I never found it difficult to find a friend with similar preferences. The inaugural Grand Prix had more number of stands on offer than in the second and the present year. I went for the Classic Stand East in 2010 and Star Stand East 2 in 2011. The Classic Stand though no longer present, had a view of the turns 6, 7, 8 and 9.
The Star Stand has a view overlooking the long straight and turn 4, which is the second DRS range. Every stand is dappled with food courts and washrooms. The F1 village is located near the Main Grand Stand. The people around are all quite friendly and forthcoming but you should be aware of the dilettantes. Often you will come across a guy who only recognizes, well, the red car as Ferrari and the driver as Michael Schumacher. Still, there is a good reception for all the drivers and everyone is cheered.
The Race:
The season ticket will allow you to watch the practice sessions, qualifying and the race. Apart form the F1 action you can also catch the JK racing and MRF championship. Even though Free Practices are all about tyres, setup and strategy testing, they are still great to watch. The grunt and speed of every car is enthralling. India doesn’t have the luxury of Fanvision or any sort of live time-keeping device and the live commentary and screens in front of each stand are dubious. But all the smart phones now flaunt various apps to help you keep track of your favourite driver and the various happenings of the event.
Of late, we have witnessed monotonous races with only one man, Sebastian Vettel dominating the championship. And it is very likely that this man who has won both of the races here will go on for the hat-trick. But still there are two more places on the podium and all the other drivers will be scuttling to be on the higher step. The last year saw the Indian GP being dubbed as boring and was rated a low score of 5.194 by the F1 fanatics that placed it even behind Korea.
But I don’t see the fault of the venue here. The races in the second half of the season follow the trend of processional races. The championship by the end of the season is almost ascertained, and the teams by now would have started working and developing the next year’s car and stalled the development of the present car, which results in predictable outcomes and hence boring races. The second DRS section last year was less effective but only if Pirelli had made the choices of tyres right this year, we could have a better though not a not-Seb-dominating race.
Liking and not liking depend upon personal preference and opinion so either take it or leave it. I feel the Indian GP is a worthy holder of a slot in the F1 calendar. The organizers and the title-sponsors have done whatever they can for a better reception. Now it’s up to the Indian government to avert the ignorance and embrace it as its own. Even if we can’t make it as grand as Singapore and Abu Dhabi we can at least make it a Malaysia or China. A little understanding of the sport, a little appraisal of the sport and maybe a little awareness can make it stay in the calendar. Hope it finds its way out and appear in the F1 calendar for years to come.
