Indian Grand Prix, Highlights: Sebastian Vettel wins to enter F1 record books

Sebastian Vettel raced his way to F1 glory at the Buddh International Circuit on Sunday (October 27). Here are the highlights from the Indian Grand Prix:



16:52 (IST): Vettel speaks after his win: Gave all my heart in this race. It has not been an easy season for us and I would like to thank the team. (Also) Like to thank the crowds here. They have been unbelievable. It's a shame we are not racing here again next year.

16:50 (IST): Nico Rosberg and Romain Grosjean - on the podium with Vettel - lift the Red Bull driver on their shoulders!

16:42 (IST): Unprecedented celebrations from Sebastian Vettel. The F1 champion has tears in his eyes as he jumps out of his car and waves around to fans animatedly before greeting his Red Bull team.

16:36 (IST): Sebastian Vettel WINS ONCE AGAIN! He becomes the youngest ever to win four consecutive F1 titles. This is his third consecutive win in India as well. Red Bull seal top-spot.


16:25 (IST): Red Bull fans have to wait for just seven more laps before they celebrate yet another F1 title for Sebastian Vettel. The German has been extremely systematic in his approach to the race so far.

16:10 (IST): Sutil makes a pit-stop at last! He switches to option tyres and rejoins the race in the 9th spot.

16:07 (IST): Mark Webber is OUT of Indian F1. Gear box trouble may have ruined his race but confirmation is awaited. "I am aware," says teammate Vettel on the radio.

16:05 (IST): Star appeal on raceday has been surprisingly sparse.According to this report, very few known faces were seen and even the main grand stand appears sparse.

15:55 (IST): Pit stops at will for the two Red Bulls. Sebastian Vettel takes  a stroll into the pit lanes and comes out second only to take the lead again once Webber too pits for medium. The Australian however comes out slightly behind Ricciardo.

15:50 (IST): Battles brewing in the middle even as the Red Bulls continue to stroll up at the top. Sutil, Massa and Hamilton engaged in fight for P4 while Di Resta, Alonso and Raikkonen are battling for the 11th position. After 30 laps, Vettel back in lead, Webber second followed by Daniel Ricciardo.

15:35 (IST): Vettel makes a move on Perez and McLaren almost wave the Red Bull forward! It's now a 1-2 for the Red Bulls here but expect Vettel to replace Webber at the top as the Aussie is yet to pit.

15:33 (IST): Sergio Perez told on the team radio that he is not fighting the man behind - Vettel! Wonder if McLaren need to be more aggressive by being more defensive and keeping the German behind...

15:30 (IST): Sahara Force India fans have something to cheer about. Adrian Sutil is fifth after 17 of 60 laps. He however has not made any pit stops though. Teammate Paul di Resta is 12th. Webber still in lead with Perez second and Vettel behind him.

15:24 (IST): Esteben Gutierrez, currently sixth in his Sauber, will be investigated for a possible jump start. Update: A drive-through penalty for Gutierrez.

15:22 (IST): Sebastian Vettel has been steadily climbing the ladder after an early pit stop. He came out 12th and after 13 laps, his up to the fourth spot. In the 12th lap, the German set the fastest time!

15:15 (IST): After 8 laps, Felipe Massa with a slender lead with Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber and Sergio Perez making up the top-five.

15:07 (IST): Disappointment for Ferrari fans as Fernado Alonso pits at the end of second lap due to a front-wing damage. Vettel was in pits too for 3.1 seconds to get the medium-compunds on his car.

15:05 (IST): The Indian GP is a go! Vettel leads with Massa, Rosberg and Hamilton in pursuit. At the end of the opening lap, Vettel's lead over Ferrari is 2.4 seconds!

14:55 (IST): The drivers are in their cars and are set to start the Indian F1 race - possibly the last time unless F1 returns here in 2015 or later. Vettel on pole. Live updates here.

14:25 (IST): Just a little over half an hour left for the start of the third Indian Grand Prix. Here is a quick recap of the track here: Laps - 60, Race distance - 307 kms, Circuit length - 5.1 kms.

13:50 (IST): And here are the pit girls for the Indian GP...

13:00 (IST): Eyes are peeled for a certain German here. Sebastian Vettel is on the verge of history once again but the man was quoted by national dailies as saying he sleeps well every time he is set to seal a title!

12:30 (IST): Close to 52,000 tickets were sold till the end of the qualifying session yesterday with the organisers saying they expect to reach the 65,000 sales mark from last year. Fans have been thronging the venue to catch a glimpse of the race cars in action and the buzz in the stands surely can't be missed despite the engine roars.

12:15 (IST): It continues to be a hazy day here in Greater Noida. The qualifying session a day earlier was delayed due to the smog and the consequent low visibility. Today, it is overcast once again. Temperature though is a rather comfortable 25C which means on-track conditions may be better than they have been in the past two years.

11:45 (IST): Ferrari's Fernando Alonso is second in the drivers standing, a staggering 90 points behind Vettel. He needs to win three out of the remaining four races and finish second in the other to harbour any hopes of being crowned champion. Vettel would also have to magically disappear for this to happen - an impossible feat to say the least!

11:40 (IST): Force India did not have the best of qualifying sessions. Both drivers failed to make it into Q3 and Paul di Resta will start 12th while Adrian Sutil is P13. It has not been the best of seasons for Force India but they will be looking to get into the points in their 'home' race.

11:35 (IST): To add to his rivals' misery, Vettel has qualified on pole, over half-a-second ahead of his nearest competitors. The two Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton will start 2nd and 3rd while Red Bull's Mark Webber starts fourth on the grid.

11:30 (IST): Can anyone stop Sebastian Vettel? It looks highly highly unlikely. The German is all set to claim his fourth-straight drivers world championship and India is most likely to host his crowning moment. Vettel needs to finish in the top five at the Buddh International Circuit to be crowned champion.