PREVIEW: Vettel returns from celebrations as F1 makes India debut

By Carsten Lappe Oct 27, 2011, 3:01 GMT

New Delhi - Sebastian Vettel returns from world championship celebrations to racing as Formula One makes its first stop in India on the weekend.

The race on the 5.137km Buddh International Circuit some 50km outside New Delhi sees the fourth new country in as many years to stage a race - the others being Singapore in 2008, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) in 2009 and South Korea in 2010.

Vettel celebrated back-to-back drivers titles last weekend in his German home town of Heppenheim and successive constructors' crowns with Red Bull last week at the team headquarters in Milton Keynes.

Now its back to racing and Vettel has the chance to equal Michael Schumacher's record of 13 season wins from the 2004 campaign at the final events in India, Abu Dhabi and Brazil.

An emphatic top spot two weeks ago in Korea was his 10th season win as Red Bull show no signs of taking it easy in the closing stages.

Like all other drivers, Vettel knows nothing about the new track apart from his laps on a simulator.

'The track is supposed to be a combination of slow corners and high speed straights which flow into each other. The altitude difference is extreme, rather like in Spa or Istanbul. This will give the driving there an added attraction,' said Vettel.

Incidentally, we're expecting the track to have the second highest average speed of the season after Monza ... I'm certainly really looking forward to India, as always when we drive on a new track.

Compatriot Hermann Tilke, the architect of the 400-million-dollar track, promises thrilling racing and names the F1 debut of India a logical development.

'India is a very big country with a lot of fans and potential. It is only logical to go to India,' he told dpa.

With an audience of 570 million across 180 countries every season and 200 of the world's biggest companies involved in F1, Indian companies are looking tap its immense global reach. India's dairy giant Amul and Hero MotoCorp are already sponsoring the Sauber F1 and the Hispania racing team.

Leading the Indian brigade is flamboyant tycoon Vijay Mallya who created the Force India F1 team after buying out the Spyker team four years ago.

Motor-racing is a new sport in cricket-crazy India but with half of its 1.2 billion population under age 25, the potential for growth is huge.

'I think it's important that the world championship is fully represented on the world's stage - and a grand prix in India is certainly a very positive step,' said McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh.

'I firmly believe that Formula One is the greatest sport in the world and I want us to spread that word across the whole Indian subcontinent.'

Record world champion Michael Schumacher of Mercedes agreed: 'My opinion is that if you do stage a world championship, let's do it all over the world. That's why I am welcoming to have India on the F1 map. I love challenges, and a new track always is a nice challenge.'

India is not the end of the road with a first Russian GP planned for 2014 in Sochi. The sport also returns to the US, with a race in Texas planned for next year and New Jersey racing against the backdrop of the Manhatten skyline from 2013 onwards.

The weekend show in India, meanwhile, will feature Bollywood stars and American pop act Lady Gaga as 100,000 fans are expected to show up on race day Sunday.

The drivers will get the first taste of the track in Friday practice ahead of qualifying Saturday and the 60-lap race Sunday.

Still up for grabs is second place in the drivers' championships behind Vettel (349 points), with Jenson Button of McLaren on 222 points, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso on 212, Red Bull driver Mark Webber on 209 and Lewis Hamilton of McLaren on 196.

McLaren can wrap up second place in the constructors' list as they rank 108 clear of Ferrari - with a maximum 129 points left to be won.