Why the Indian GP was a winner

The sights, the smells and the sounds were not like any that I'd experienced at any previous Formula 1 race. One year ago we arrived in India to film how things were progressing and the Buddh International Circuit was a field, a construction site and a swamp all at the same time. To arrive there and discover a track of such high quality was a relief and a joy.

Fans 2011 Indian Grand Prix � sutton-images.com

It's always great to be at a 'first' grand prix, and everyone arrived in Delhi in the same way that they arrived in Korea last year and Abu Dhabi three years ago; with lots of excitement and a bit of suspicion, but ready to experience the unknown.

There were the usual scare stories before we got there and a few scary tales once we'd arrived at the track. Okay, it was Halloween weekend, but on Thursday we turned up to find a dead bat on my boss's desk, and later that day its friends invaded the media centre!

The commentary boxes had no windows and looked more like cells, by Friday some people from the BBC and in the paddock had fallen ill, and the toilets in the TV compound were, well, let's not even go there (figuratively or literally)!

But journalists love to moan and these were just a few blips. On the whole the Indian experience was great one.

The drivers couldn't speak more highly of the track, with Jenson Button saying that India will now be one of the races on the calendar that drivers really look forward to.

But it was when he went on to talk about how wonderful the fans were and how he had never seen so many people smiling that it really hit home how much everyone enjoyed coming here and how different this race really is. This love for India was echoed by Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.

True, the race could have been more exciting and the sheer amount of dust and dirt offline made it very difficult to overtake. But afterwards Sebastian Vettel, winner of this inaugural Indian Grand Prix, was already talking about how much he enjoyed the whole event and how he hopes he and the other drivers can offer advice to improve the few things that need to be worked on before next season.

The track was popular with drivers too! � sutton-images.com

New races used to be few and far between, but not these days; and there are many more tracks being built or pencilled in for the future. As I said in this column after Spa, we shouldn't lose the history or heart of F1, and I really do love the old tracks. But you cannot deny the passion and enthusiasm of the crowd who'd spent their hard-earned cash to come to the race.

The final two grands prix on the calendar sum up F1 right now; Abu Dhabi represents the new, the glitz and the glamour, while Brazil is the heart and history of F1. Both are great venues. But this weekend India has been a great host and I look forward to coming back here next year.