Formula 1's Indian adventure lasted just three races.
From 2011 to 2013, the sport came to the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, on the edge of Delhi. Fans filled the grandstands, Indian drivers raced at home and one man won every time. Then, as quickly as it arrived, the race was gone.
A new circuit near Delhi
Buddh was designed by Hermann Tilke, the German architect behind many of the modern calendar's tracks. A lap was 5.125 km and the race ran over 60 laps.
The posters said "New Delhi", but the circuit actually sits across the state line in Uttar Pradesh. That detail would matter later.
Vettel's playground
Sebastian Vettel won all three Indian Grands Prix for Red Bull.
- 2011: The first race, on 30 October, was a clean sweep. Vettel took pole, set the fastest lap and led every lap, the first "grand slam" of his career.
- 2012: He won again from pole, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber.
- 2013: He won from pole on 27 October and sealed his fourth consecutive world title. It turned out to be his last.
Home heroes
Narain Karthikeyan, India's first Formula 1 driver, raced at home for HRT in 2011 and 2012, finishing 18th and then 21st.
At the first race, Karun Chandhok drove in Friday practice for Team Lotus and set the first flying lap the circuit had ever seen.
Why it ended
After 2013, the race was dropped from the 2014 calendar, with a return planned for 2015. That return never happened.
A tax dispute with the Uttar Pradesh government was the main reason. The state reportedly treated the race as entertainment rather than sport and taxed it accordingly, and the circuit also faced a large annual fee to host it. Formula 1 has not raced in India since.
Race it on Late Brake
Buddh is not one of Late Brake's circuits, but six real ones are, at true scale and free in your browser. Pick one, set a lap and race your own ghost.
Sources: Indian Grand Prix, 2011, 2012 and 2013 Indian Grand Prix (Wikipedia)