The Indian Grand Prix preview

Formula 1 prepares to make history this weekend as it heads into the previously uncharted territory of India for the country's first ever grand prix. With India's growing economic importance the race makes commercial sense for the manufacturers and sponsors, but pre-race fever - helped by having Indian drivers and an Indian team owner - means tens of thousands of fans are expected to descend upon the Buddh International Circuit. And the hope is that the race, unlike so many new venues, will prove a lasting success with the local population.

The race will also provide an interesting test for teams and their drivers. Already thousands of simulator miles have been done, and the expectation is that the Buddh circuit will be one of the fastest on the calendar.

There is no substitute for real, practical experience, however, as teams try to find the best set-ups, gear ratios and strategies, opening up the possibility for one or two surprise results if teams can gamble and get it right early on.

The one man who doesn't need to roll the dice is Sebastian Vettel. The German proved in Korea that clinching his second world title has done nothing to diminish his focus or appetite. Vettel has a keen appreciation of the sport and its history, and there will certainly be an appeal in entering the record books as the first winner of the Indian Grand Prix.

For Red Bull too there is a chance to make history if it can claim its 16th pole position of the year. Christian Horner's outfit had taken pole in every race this year until Korea, when McLaren and Lewis Hamilton interrupted its run, but Red Bull's one-lap pace is undoubted and both the team and its drivers will get a kick from the chance to break the record.

If they are to be stopped, McLaren looks the most likely candidate to beat them. Lewis Hamilton was able to put some of the heavy flak he has received this year behind him in Korea, taking a stellar pole position and then defending admirably, and without fault, to hang on to second from Mark Webber.

The Indian GP will go some way to proving whether the race represented a new chapter, a break from his previous mistakes, or simply a temporary respite.

Jenson Button, who tried to join the fray in the closing stages in Korea, has outscored everyone but Vettel over the past six races and will also be in the mix.

Pirelli will bring its hard and soft tyre, which doesn't directly play into Button's famously smooth style. Ferrari likewise has struggled to generate heat and grip on the durable hard option, and could therefore struggle to replicate the pace of McLaren and Red Bull.

Further down the field, and of particular interest to what is expected to be a huge crowd, is the lucrative battle for sixth in the Constructors' Championship. Force India currently holds the spot, but is coming under increasing pressure from Toro Rosso, strong off the back of its Suzuka upgrades. Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi could also benefit if Toro Rosso can make its new exhaust raceable, piling on the pressure for Vijay Mallya's squad.

While Mallya's presence will give the crowd a vested interest in Force India, in truth their hopes will rest on Narain Karthikeyan, subbing for Tonio Liuzzi in a one-off appearance for HRT.

A race finish should remain the realistic limit of his ambition, but his participation is nevertheless a boost for the race and the crowd, who will be deprived of the chance to see another home hero, Karun Chandhok, after Team Lotus made the difficult decision to select Jarno Trulli and give itself the best possible chance of securing 10th in the constructors' battle.

As for overtaking, the long straight down to the second gear Turn 4 should provide the biggest chance of success - although the fact it is such a busy circuit, with little rest for drivers or tyres, means overtaking may also come through high rates of attrition.

Strategy

The surface of the Buddh International Circuit is an unknown quantity for teams, and therefore rates of tyre wear and degradation will only be discovered in practice. With Pirelli bringing its hard option, durability should not be too much of a problem - instead the challenge may be in working how to switch the tyre on to generate both temperature and grip.

Pirelli will also bring its less durable soft option, throwing open a wide range of possible strategies. Red Bull's decision to save tyres on Saturday didn't quite pay off in Korea, but the gamble could work in India if it can extract enough additional performance on the soft option compared to the hard. On the opposite end of the scale, expect to see some midfield teams opting for long runs on the hard rubber in a bid to move up through the field.

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