Maiden Indian F1 race to heat up Dec Delhi chills

Delhi. The wait for our very own Indian F1 Grand Prix just got a little longer. The first ever F1 race which was earlier scheduled on October 30 will now be organized either on December 4 or 11.


The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council decision in Barcelona to re-instate the Bahrain GP into the F1 calendar has forced the Indian GP to be shifted towards the end of the year. Bahrain GP was scheduled to be the 2011 season opener, but due to internal unrest in the country it was postponed.


This means the Greater Noida F1 circuit will be abuzz with Formula One cars during the coldest season of the year in India. Usually during December-January, Delhi is hit by intense fog and organizers are afraid that it may play spoilsport, as bad visibility can hamper proceedings in the F1 circuit. An extended season will also mean that drivers, race officials and engineers will have a very hectic schedule and will have very little break before the next season.


But looking at the brighter side, it’s going to be the coolest race in Asia, as mercury usually remains below 10 degrees and fans will definitely cherish the chilly weather. Also to host the season finale is a very prestigious feat for India.

Vettel wins crash hit Monaco GP

Monaco. Defending World champion Sebastian Vettel won his first ever Monaco F1 Grand Prix on Sunday, taking his overall driver’s championship points tally to 143, 58 points clear of Lewis Hemilton who is on 85. The 23 year old Red Bull driver has won 5 out of 6 races in this season and looks all set to clinch the driver’s championship before half of the season’s races are done.

The street race at Monaco provided all the action and the drama an F1 fan would long for. It was marred with crashes, safety cars, drive-through penalties and even overtaking manoeuvres. Vettel, on old tyres, was leading the race at lap 58 with Alonso and Button breathing on his neck. It was sure that both of them, on relatively new rubber would get past him.

But suddenly all hell broke loose at Monaco and due to a crash in which Renault driver Petrov had to be rescued by medical staff and taken to hospital, the race was suspended for 20 minutes and the safety car was out. Crashes forced four drivers – Alguersuari, Massa, Petrov and Maldonado – out of action while Michael Schumacher and Timo Glock were forced to retire.

This break gave Vettel the much needed breather and when the race resumed, Vettel, on new tyres, was simply uncatchable in the final six laps. Alonso finished second and Jenson Button in his McLaren came third. A drive thru penalty and a post race time penalty were imposed on Lewis Hemilton by race officials for causing two “avoidable collisions”.