24/10/2011
NEWS STORY
The recently-constructed Buddh International Circuit represents brand new territory for all the teams as well as Pirelli. With the track never having been used before, Pirelli has opted for a tyre nomination that should cover every eventuality, with the P Zero Silver hard tyre - making its final appearance of the season - alongside the P Zero Yellow soft tyre. Contrary to convention though, the softer tyre has been nominated as the prime choice in India with the harder tyre as the option. This means that the teams will have more of the softer tyres than the harder tyres at their disposal during free practice on Friday: the first opportunity that the teams will have to run on the 5.137-kilometre track. In addition the teams will also get an extra set of soft tyres on Friday, allowing them to maximise their running and provide Pirelli with some valuable information for the future.
Collecting as much data as possible prior to qualifying and the race will be a priority for everybody, but the track is likely to be 'green' and slippery, as it has never been used before. Just as was the case at the last race in Korea, there is likely to be considerable circuit evolution over the course of the weekend as more rubber gets laid down and the amount of grip changes. This effect is also caused by the new track surface cleaning, before the oils in the bitumen dissipate and the asphalt begins to age.
One of the highlights of the clockwise Buddh circuit is Turns 10 and 11: similar in its characteristics to the famous Turn 8 in Turkey. It is fast and long, putting a lot of lateral energy through the tyres, but unlike Turkey's Turn 8 it tightens rather than opens.
Paul Hembery: "We've opted for a deliberately conservative nomination in selecting the hard tyre alongside the soft, simply because on a brand new circuit you are never quite sure of the exact race conditions you will encounter. But we've structured the allocation in such a way that we think the teams will run more on the softer tyres, particularly because we are bringing an extra set of soft compound tyres for Friday. This will help us to make some decisions about our strategy for next year, particularly after we saw the excellent durability of the softer compounds. It's too early to talk about the number of pit stops we expect this weekend, but we anticipate a reasonably significant lap time difference between the two compounds. "
The simulation data for the Buddh International Circuit, which has 16 corners, suggests a lap time in the region of 1m27s. Average speed will be approximately 210kph, and the cars will reach nearly 320kph on the main straight, which will be the longest on the current Formula One calendar at just over one kilometre.
The circuit contains a number of elevation changes, increasing the vertical energy that is put through the tyres. The entry to the corners tends to be wide in order to promote overtaking, with Turns 10 and 11 being one of the key places for passing, overlooked by a 13,000-capacity series of grandstands.
The pit lane is one of the longest in Formula One, at over 600 metres, which will increase the time spent in the pits and therefore influence the race strategy. The race is scheduled for 60 laps, with a compromise medium downforce set-up needed. The weather should be warm and dry, in the region of 30 degrees centigrade.