For someone new to the Formula One, the sound that is generated during the race may be noise but for a fan of this fast-paced sport, it is music.
And, when that music hit the Buddha International Circuit here on Friday, all the screeching reverberated to the nearby areas of Greater Noida. Despite the entire problems surrounding the future of the Indian GP, when the engines fired from all cylinders and the wheel guns screamed, everything else took a back seat
As the Indian GP 2013 formally got a start with two free practice sessions, as expected, Sebastian Vettel — who is on verge of a fourth championships on the trot — led both sessions with best lap timing for his Red Bull team while teammate Mark Webber finished second ahead of the lotus driver Romain Grosjean.
Two-time defending champion Vettel’s best in the early session was1:26.683 seconds while in the latter one, he improved it to 1.25. 722 seconds. “It is a good day today. But, we have to improve our show and fine-tune the set-up and be prepared for the Sunday race. Soft tyres is what we are working at,” Vettel, said. That means he would go with softer tyres even if their durability has been questioned.
Apart from a KERS problem, it was a perfect day for Vettel and Red Bull. Webber’s 1.26.011 seconds was .209 seconds better than Grosjean, who has 87 points and has two consecutive podiums. Mercedes’ lewis Hamilton was fourth with a timing of 1, 26,399 while Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who is second on the drivers’ championships standings and shy by 90 points from the leader, followed the Brit.
Alonso suffered a gearbox problem in the morning session and could complete only six laps but in the afternoon, he managed to make his car work and got a timing of 1.26. 430 seconds. “Unfortunately we couldn’t do the programme we were expecting to do. We had a problem on a little spring inside the gearbox. At the end of the day, we managed to change it,” Stefano Domenicali, the Ferrari Principal said.
Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg was sixth followed by Felipe Massa. Kimi Raikkonen, who was in the morning fined for overspeeding finished 17th in the morning session and was eighth fastest in the second. Sahara Force India’s Adrian Sutil got a 12th finish with a timing of 1.27.375 seconds while his teammate Paul di Resta finishing 15th.
“I am happy with today’s practice sessions’ performances,” Sahara Force India’s Team Principal Vijay Mallya said. Mclaren’s Sergio Perez (1.26.857 seconds) and Jenson Button (1.26. 972 seconds) got ninth and 10th position. At the end of the first day of the Indian GP, the recurring question stays. Is this the beginning of Vettel’s dominance in the third Indian GP and therefore the drivers’ championship at the BICIJ