Vettel takes pole spot at Indian GP

Red Bull hogs limelight despite poor crowd

The business end of the second edition of the Indian Grand Prix got off to a thrilling start at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) here on Saturday.

As Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel and his team-mate Mark Webber called the shots by clocking the first and second best times respectively in the qualifying session, a wholesome crowd, which had gathered at the improved Buddh International Circuit got a preview of what is to come on Sunday.

Going by what was seen during Friday’s free practice and Saturday’s qualifying, the organisers’ fears of a dwindling crowd came true, but what Jaypee Sports International lost in quantity, they made up for in quality. The second edition of the GP seems to have crowds with a thorough understanding of F1 as compared to last year when people flocked in as it was a novel affair.

Carrying team flags and sporting their T-shirts, people occupied most of the lesser-priced stands around the 5.127-km circuit while the grand stand, barring a few groups, wore a rather deserted look.

In the paddock, a few lesser-known celebrities too arrived to meet up with some of the drivers and view the qualifying session from the team garages.

However, things can be expected to change dramatically on race day. As this is one of the venues for the continuing fight for the drivers’ championship between Vettel and Alonso, ardent fans will come to the BIC, hoping to see something extraordinary.

The fans will also get to catch a glimpse of ace cricketer Yuvraj Singh and Sri Lanka’s Kumara Sangakkara, while Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan may also feature in the event by waving the chequered flag.

In all, a super Sunday is in the offing.