The Buddh Circuit gets all dressed up ahead of the Indian Grand Prix

In 2011, the Indian Grand Prix made a notable entry into the world championship calendar, with drivers unanimously praising Hermann Tilke’s latest creation. However, for the 2012 edition, the organizers decided to address all the minor issues that surfaced the previous year, starting with the omnipresence of dust, which notably limited overtaking possibilities due to poorer grip conditions off the racing line: “The dust on the track should not be a problem,” says Farhan Vohra, general manager of race operations. “We have acquired special mechanized sweepers from Bahrain, and they will start working from October 15th to clean up dust particles on the track that cannot be removed with traditional sweepers. Two Bahraini specialists will also come to inspect the circuit to ensure that the track is impeccable before the race can resume at the Buddh circuit on October 26th.”

Similarly, the 2011 edition had been marked by the incursion of stray dogs on the circuit, which had led to fears of the worst for Fernando Alonso if it had happened during the race. The organizing company – Jaypee Sports International (JSPI) – has assured that everything has been done to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Still on the safety side, if in 2011 the organization had called upon the marshals of the Bahrain Grand Prix, in 2012, 112 of the 148 track marshals were recruited from the Indian Institute of Fire Engineers: « We evaluated the students for two days before choosing 112. They will be on the circuit from October 22 and will be stationed there until the end of the Grand Prix, » confides Farhan Vohra.

Minor modifications were also made to the circuit. Following Felipe Massa’s two spectacular front suspension breaks on the curbs, they were extended from 5 to 15 meters to prevent drivers from overusing them, in accordance with FIA recommendations: « We have introduced orange sausage-shaped curbs in sequences 6 to 7 and 8 to 9 to discourage drivers from taking shortcuts. The height of the curbs across the circuit has also been standardized at 25mm. Astroturf has also been added on the edge of fast corners 10 and 11, as the gravel inside the corner tends to spread onto the track. »

Spectator access to the circuit has also been improved, with the organization providing 21,000 parking spaces for cars this time – compared to 15,000 last season – and 1,000 spaces for motorcycles. Two hundred buses will also be available to shuttle between Greater Noida and the Buddh International Circuit.

But the viewer will not be left out either, as the number of cameras has also been increased, from eleven to seventeen, to not miss anything from this second Indian Grand Prix.