It’s that time again. It seems like only yesterday that India made its debut on the F1 World Championship calendar amid much furore. But here we are once again, all set to host the third edition of the Indian Grand Prix. While it is difficult to match the reception and novelty of the maiden event in its third running, the likelihood of Sebastian Vettel clinching his fourth Driver’s world championship on Indian soil has certainly made it an event to look forward to with excitement.
Back in 2011, Vettel arrived in India as a double world champion and bulldozed the opposition with a dominant pole-to-flag victory. And 12 months later, in 2012, those hoping for a different result were destined to be disappointed yet again. Vettel took his fourth straight win and erased any hopes of a competitive fight, in a season which earlier had seen seven different winners from the first seven races.
His 2012 title rival Fernando Alonso arrived in India with a six-point deficit to the championship leader and, despite putting up a relentless fight to eventually finish second, left for Abu Dhabi 13 points behind. He eventually went on to concede the title to Vettel at the season finale in Brazil.
This year again, the main protagonists in the championship remain the same, albeit the situation is closer to 2011 than to last year. The ‘situation’ refers to the extent of Vettel’s advantage, as his current lead over Alonso in the standings (more than three victories’s worth) may see him being crowned as the youngest-ever four-time world champion at the Buddh International Circuit.
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