Five themes to watch for in India

Dusty days

The Buddh International Circuit is nothing if not dusty. While the track configuration should lend itself to overtaking, the lack of grip off-line is going to make it difficult to pass. A lot will depend on how the DRS zones, located on the start/finish straight and the long run to the Turn 4 right-hander, pan out.

Most likely, a driver is going to need to be ahead into the braking zone to make anything stick - and then hope that the dust picked up on their tyres doesn't cost them too much grip in the next few corners as they clean up. Unfortunately, a late-braking move up the inside will likely result only in running far too deep into the corner.

The dustiness off-line could also play a part when backmarkers come into play. They will be reluctant to move off line any more than they need to, so there is potential for some drama during lappery.

Team orders

Webber said he doesn't want Vettel's help � sutton-images.com

Mark Webber, who starts second on the grid behind team-mate Sebastian Vettel, gave short-shrift to the idea that he would accept the German letting him past to aid the quest for the runner-up spot in the drivers' championship.

Red Bull itself hasn't ruled it out and would be keen to take a one-two in the title race, but Vettel is hardly the kind of character to give up wins, so it seems unlikely.

That said, the likes of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Nigel Mansell were all known to hand a win to their team-mates during their career, so everything is possible. Regardless of whether there are any team orders in play, the scrap for second looks set to go down to the wire.

Only 26 points cover Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton in this battle, and none will be keen to end the season third, fourth or fifth.

Hardly working hards

A blistered Pirelli tyre � sutton-images.com

With data about the new circuit at a premium, Pirelli took a very conservative approach to its compound allocation. For Sunday afternoon's race, drivers will have the soft and hard compound at their disposal and with a time difference of a couple of seconds (on a first flying lap at least, for the gap will be less over stint) the strategy will be driven by a need to run on the hard rubber for as little time as possible.

Much of the field is likely to two-stop, with a short stint on hards as the soft compound is lasting well, while the leading cars could end up three-stopping with a very short hard stint at the end of the race, as Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel did at the Nurburgring.

But also watch out for drivers starting on hards in the expectation of an early safety car, allowing them to get the compound out of the way with no time loss and complete the race on softs.

The wild card

After some issues, the track is ready for the race � sutton-images.com

The venue for India's inaugural grand prix is best described as rough and ready. By modern standards, the track itself is superb, but there have been teething troubles. Trackside recovery hasn't been as rapid as would normally be expected, which boosts the chance of a safety car, while during Friday morning practice a stray dog on the track triggered a red flag.

It should be noted that there has been no repeat of a canine interrupting an F1 session (a support category session was interrupted by a dog before practice on Friday, however) and action has been taken to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

Likewise, problems with inconsistency of power supply appear to have been stabilised, with plenty of generators at the ready! To date, the problems have been solved effectively, if not always elegantly, so there is no reason to expect anything to go awry come the race. But it would be wise to expect the unexpected, just in case.

The midfield battle

Force India currently hold sixth place � sutton-images.com

While the scrap up front will be the focus of attention, in the middle of the pack there is a high-stake battle going on. While sixth in the Constructors' Championship is not a great deal to write home about in the wider world, it makes a huge difference in terms of prize money compared to eighth.

Currently, Force India holds the position after an impressive run of form, but both Sauber and Scuderia Toro Rosso are within just 12 points. What's more, the Italian team is enjoying a remarkable upsurge in form off the back of a series of car upgrades first introduced at Suzuka and with both Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari in the top 10, it is a real threat.

Force India, however, should be in the hunt for a good points haul after Adrian Sutil qualified eighth. As for Sauber, on current form it appears destined for eighth after a super start to the season, although it should be noted that both the car and drivers Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi have had a knack for producing very effective race performances to the points from lowly grid positions. All the more reason to keep an eye on the classification outside the top half-dozen.