2013 Indian Grand Prix The Indian Grand Prix

Lap 2: Button dives past Maldonado as van der Garde complains his suspension is broken and slams Max Chilton.

Lap 2: Rosberg has slipped past Hamilton again on the opening lap to run third, with Hamilton fourth and Hulkenberg a strong fifth.

Lap 2: di Resta and Vergne pit - is that just to escape the soft tyre early?

Lap 2: Webber's dropped down to seventh as a result of that.

Lap 2: Vettel flashes past the pits for the first time with a big 2.4s margin over Massa.

Lap 1: Button has gone the other way, and is 14th.

Lap 1: Maldonado has made a stunning start, jumping five places to 13th.

Lap 1: Massa challenges the Mercedes and blasts past both into second place. Great move!

Lap 1: Contact at the back of the field at Turn 3, looks like Grosjean and Gutierrez. But it's very minor.

Lap 1: Vettel leads on to the back straight from a fast-starting Hamilton, but it has gone wrong already for Webber!

Cars forming up now and we await the lights...

Vettel tours in to the grid markings, making final checks on his clutch settings.

Through the twisting middle sector now as Vettel leads them back around to the grid.

Vettel heads off with the pack in tow, with all cars away from the grid without drama.

Green lights on the gantry and the cars head off for the formation tour.

The engines fire with a minute to the formation lap.

Two DRS zones at this circuit, with wing opening opportunities down the pit straight and the long back straight into Turn 4.

Five minutes to the formation lap of the Indian Grand Prix.

Red Bull's Christian Horner shares a laugh with Pirelli's Paul Hembery. Will it still be all smiles once the serious running starts on the softs?

Final tyre choice being bolted on to the cars now, with those outside the top 10 having a free choice of rubber - likely to go for mediums.

Drivers getting ready now as they get a final briefing from race engineers, with the interesting strategy picture adding complexity today.

Pirelli has brought the medium and soft versions of its tyre to India and there are serious concerns over the durability of the latter. Looking after the delicate rubber will be crucial today.

That led to a split in strategy in qualifying, with six drivers opting for a better grid position and four qualifying on the slower tyre but in knowledge that they will be able to run a longer first stint.

It's the man in fourth who should be watched with keen interest. Mark Webber is the highest placed driver starting on the medium tyre, and is quietly confident of getting the job done if he can make hay in the early stages of the race.

For a frame of reference, check Friday practice: Red Bull struggled with blistering on the soft fronts in FP2, but its long run pace on the medium was ominous.

Mark Hughes' Friday form guide: It's Red Bull vs tyre graining

The Indian national anthem is played as the atmosphere builds ahead of this potential title decider.

By contrast, Vettel is still doing media interviews with his race suit unzipped. He's in complete control of his own destiny.

The pits are now closed, 15 minutes before the formation lap, with all the cars now on the grid.

Hamilton, helmet adorned, is milling around the front of his Mercedes. He's very focused.

Here's how the unchanged grid will line up today: Pos Driver Team 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 5. Felipe Massa Ferrari 6. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 7. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 9. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 10. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 11. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 14. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 15. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 17. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 19. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 20. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 21. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth

Track temperature is up at 35 Celsius this afternoon.

It's another warm day to the south of New Dehli, with temperatures now up to 30 Celsius. There's no credible chance of rain, but a light industrial haze is limiting the sunshine somewhat.

Here's how the standings look, with Vettel on the brink of a fourth world title: World Championship standings, round 15: Drivers: Constructors: 1. Vettel 297 1. Red Bull-Renault 445 2. Alonso 207 2. Ferrari 297 3. Raikkonen 177 3. Mercedes 287 4. Hamilton 161 4. Lotus-Renault 264 5. Webber 148 5. McLaren-Mercedes 83 6. Rosberg 126 6. Force India-Mercedes 62 7. Massa 90 7. Sauber-Ferrari 45 8. Grosjean 87 8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 31

Hulkenberg pushes his Sauber on a set of soft tyres as he drives around to take up position on the grid.

Plenty drivers already heading out to get a look at the track conditions.

The pitlane is now open for drivers to make reconnaissance laps to the grid.

Hello and welcome to AUTOSPORT Live's coverage of the 2013 Indian Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel is looking to land his fourth consecutive Formula 1 drivers' title. He needs to finish in the top five to do so, and gave himself the best possible chance by topping qualifying.

Vettel flies to Indian Grand Prix pole

Mercedes duo Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton will hope to challenge Vettel into Turn 1 from second and third on the grid. Vettel's Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber starts fourth - and his strategy makes him a serious factor in this race. More on that in a moment.

Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen and Nico Hulkenberg are next up, ahead of the only man that can stop Vettel in the championship: Fernando Alonso.

The Ferrari driver has his work cut out starting eighth, but he is at least on the medium tyre - as are the McLarens of Sergio Perez and Jenson Button, who complete the top 10 on the grid.