2013 Indian Grand Prix preview by Karun Chandhok
The first two editions of the Indian Grand Prix have seen a Red Bull on the top step of the podium and 2013 should be no different. So the usual suspects - namely Red Bull - look likely to be strong at the 2013 Indian Grand Prix. We're at a stage in the season when teams aren't bringing in too many updates to their cars, and development wise, things are pretty much status quo as attention has turned to the 2014 season already. Of course, Sebastian Vettel is the favourite to win at the Indian Grand Prix this year as well, which will make it his third victory at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC).
Now, the BIC is somewhat similar to the Yeongam Circuit in Korea â€" there are long straights, slow corners, and a few fast direction changes thrown in. The track favours cars with good levels of front end downforce. Which means we can expect the Mercedes AMG F1 cars to do well, with both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg looking set for a strong performance. Another driver to watch out for could well be Romain Grosjean who is on a roll with strong performances in the last few races leading up to the Indian GP. On the other hand it's Grosjean's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen who appears to be struggling. The Iceman's pace in qualifying hasn't been where it should be since mid-season. And unless Lotus can help Raikkonen sort out qualifying pace, it is unlikely that we'll see the 2007 world champion on the top step of the podium.
Other than Vettel, we really ought to keep our eyes peeled for good performances from Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Romain Grosjean and Mark Webber too. Of course, you can never discount Fernando Alonso either, and we just might see him get a good start down the main straight.
As for the 2013 championship title? Well, Sebastian Vettel just has to finish in the top 5, irrespective of where any other driver finishes, in order to clinch the championship. Which means it's almost a given that we'll see the world champion being crowned at the Buddh International Circuit.
[Click here for Karun Chandok's take on the F1 season so far]