Lewis Hamilton praised India's F1 circuit as 'a revelation' as F1 prepares for its second Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit.
'Most modern tracks have a very similar feel,' said Hamilton, 'you find that the same driving style and rhythm suits them all'.
'But the Buddh International Circuit is different: it has more in common with a great track like Spa than it does with any number of the more modern places we visit.
'And that's because it's got an incredible flow ' basically, from turn four, a wide-apex right-hander that sweeps downhill, the track is just a series of fast, rolling curves which really allow you to put the car absolutely on the limit.'
Jenson Button compared the home of the Indian Grand Prix to another much-praised track, Suzuka:
'There are a couple of unusual factors: firstly, the approaches to turns three and four are incredibly wide ' almost like a motorway ' in order to stimulate different lines into the corner and encourage overtaking. I hear that's an element that'll be carried over to the new [Circuit of the Americas] track at Austin, too.
'Secondly, the combination of turns 10 and 11 is also pretty special ' it's a huge, bowl-shaped double-apex right-hander, a bit like Spoon at Suzuka. It's unusual for a new circuit to have such fast corners, and it's really enjoyable when you get the car hooked up through there ' the lateral G feels great.'
Sebastian Vettel, who won the inaugural race at the circuit last year, also lavished praise on the track: 'With an average speed of 235kph (146mph), the course is the second quickest of the year after Monza*.
'There is a lot of elevation change around the lap which adds to the fun, from as much as 8% downhill and up to 10% uphill; it's like a roller coaster. It really has emerged as one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar for the drivers.'
*NB. The fastest lap of the track last year was Vettel's pole position time of 1'24.178, an average of 219kph (136mph). That was the seventh-fastest pole position time of 2011, behind Monza, Silverstone, Spa, Suzuka, Melbourne and Istanbul.
2012 Indian Grand Prix
- Drivers praise India's 'Spa-like' Buddh circuit
- Hard tyres for Japan and India, super-soft in Korea
Image © McLaren/Hoch Zwei
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