 | « Back to article | Print this article |
India is a special country; BIC is different track: Hamilton
McLaren star Lewis Hamiton is a big fan of India and its people, and likenes the Buddh International Circuit to the "great" Spa circuit in Belgium.
"I love India -- the people, the colour, the noise, the spectacle, the chaos; it's an intense and vibrant country, with some of the most enthusiastic and friendliest people we meet all year," Hamilton, who will leave McLaren for Mercedes for the 2013 season, said.
The British driver said BIC is different from many tracks in the world.
"The circuit, too, is something of a revelation. Most modern tracks have a very similar feel; 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," he said.
'I feel I've been driving better than ever recently'
Hamilton said the outlay of the circuit is such that it allows the driver to push the car to the limit.
"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."
"I didn't have a particularly tidy weekend there last year: but I feel I've been driving better than ever recently -- even if the results haven't quite shown it -- so I'm headed to India determined for another good result. I think we'll have a car that's a match for the circuit and I can't wait to get out there and start practicing on Friday," he said.
Hamilton's teammate Jenson Button, who finished second last year, was also full of praise for BIC and compared on of the features to Japanese track.
'The circuit encourages overtaking'
"It's a circuit I like: it has a good feel to it, and you can tell it's quite different from the normal places we visit.
"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.
"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 -- it feels great," he said.