Race
Ferrari was the centre of controversy over the course of the weekend when they displayed the flag of the Italian Navy on the nose of the F2012 in support of the Italian sailors held by Indian authorities over a shooting incident that resulted in the deaths of two Indian fishermen in February 2012. Tyre supplier Pirelli brought its silver-banded hard compound tyre as the harder "prime" tyre and the yellow-banded soft compound tyre as the softer "option" tyre. Sebastian Vettel took a dominant win, which was his 4th consecutive one ahead of Ferrari 's Fernando Alonso who got past Mark Webber when the latter suffered from a KERS problem in his Red Bull . Lewis Hamilton closed up to Webber but couldn't get past and had to settle for 4th place. After this race Vettel extended his Championship lead to 13 points over Alonso. There was speculation in the media that the chaotic Indian customs regulations might have cost Fernando Alonso the race. This was because Ferrari could not get certain crucial auto parts and equipment flown into India because of the complex paperwork associated with Indian customs. There was also some discontent between Ferrari technical director Pat Fry and Alonso, when Fry stated on Twitter that "In order to be where we wanted and where we were capable of being, we needed to be perfect today and we weren't", after Alonso qualified fifth behind the Red Bulls and the McLarens . Alonso apparently took this as a jibe against his driving skills, and the Ferrari management had to prevent him from responding to it publicly.
Free practice
The first practice session was run without incident. Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time, despite having spent most of the ninety minutes of the session in his garage. Jenson Button was second, three-tenths of a second behind Vettel, with Fernando Alonso in third, a further tenth of a second behind. Vettel was fastest in the second session as well, setting a time one tenth of a second faster than teammate Mark Webber and six-tenths of a second faster than Fernando Alonso . The un...
Qualifying
Seven teams were represented in Q3, but the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg elected not to run and consequently took tenth place on the grid. Sergio Pérez and Pastor Maldonado did well to qualify their cars in eighth and ninth positions; the Lotus of Räikkönen was in front of them in seventh. The session was split into two informal phases, with cars choosing to make two attempts at a good time. Sebastian Vettel made a mistake on his first flying lap and ran across turn 7, but he set a lap worthy of pol...
Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Part 1 | Part 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull-Renault | 1:26.387 | 1:25.435 |
| 2 | 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull-Renault | 1:26.744 | 1:25.610 |
| 3 | 4 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:26.516 | 1:25.816 |
| 4 | 3 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:26.564 | 1:25.467 |
| 5 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:26.829 | 1:25.834 |
| 6 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:26.939 | 1:26.111 |
| 7 | 9 | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus-Renault | 1:26.740 | 1:26.101 |
| 8 | 15 | Sergio Pérez | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:27.179 | 1:26.076 |
| 9 | 18 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams-Renault | 1:26.048 | 1:25.983 |
| 10 | 8 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:26.458 | 1:25.976 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The Renault power unit, a persistent thorn in Ferrari's side, delivered a frankly brutal 760 horsepower today – a peak figure they simply couldn't match with their V8. Observe the telemetry; Red Bull consistently wrestled an extra 35-40 bhp from the engine mapping, a calculated gamble exploiting the Buddh Circuit's unique elevation changes. Button's fastest lap, a testament to McLaren's tire management, was largely a defensive maneuver, acknowledging the Red Bull's raw power advantage. Narang's presence – a curious diplomatic gesture – felt less about motorsport prestige and more about placating the Indian government's fervent desire to showcase national sporting prowess.
The dust here isn't just clinging to the cars; it's coating the entire operation. Vettel's second consecutive victory, a sterile, almost robotic assertion of dominance, ignores the simmering tension between Renault and Red Bull. This is more than just a win; it's a calculated message.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The air hangs thick – fine, dry, a little hazy and a little dusty. Vettel's lead, a precarious thread at this stage, snapped with Button's late surge. Narang's presence, a curious addition to the podium celebrations, isn't about honoring motorsport, is it? More like a subtle flexing of power by the organizers, a reminder of who truly holds the keys to this artificial circuit. Rumours swirl – a quiet conversation between Bernie and the Gautam Buddh International Circuit's CEO, likely concerning future investment. Button's fastest lap – a tactical masterstroke, or a deliberate act of defiance against the German's dominance? Don't be fooled; this isn't about speed, it's about leverage.
Narang's presence on the grid – a curious touch, wouldn't you agree? The organizers, desperate for a palatable narrative, clearly believed a bronze medalist could somehow sanitize the spectacle. Vettel, predictably, barely acknowledged the gesture, his gaze already fixed on the telemetry, calculating the infinitesimal margins that separate victory from… well, anything else. Button, ever the strategist, was observing with a detached amusement. You could almost taste the manufactured goodwill, a thin veneer over a sport built on ruthless competition. Don't mistake the polite applause for genuine respect; it's a commodity, traded for a few fleeting moments of national pride. The air itself, dry and dusty, seemed to carry the scent of calculated ambition.