Norris Wins Yet Again after Leaders Drop the Ball

Qualifying:

Pos#DriverConstructorQ1Q2Diff.
156Einar ÁrmannssonAudi1:11.3781:17.677
239Sho TsuboiROOKIE-Toyota1:12.5031:11.990+0.612
320Kevin MagnussenAudi1:12.2461:12.005+0.627
49Jehan DaruvalaROOKIE-Toyota1:12.4171:12.357+0.804
547Lando NorrisCaterham-Judd1:13.1891:12.889+1.511
61Sebastian VettelCaterham-Judd1;13.4191:13.114+1.736
743Franco ColapintoWilliams-Ferrari1:13.1951:13.402+1.817
834Felipe DrugovichWilliams-Ferrari1:13.8521:13.618+2.240
937Victoria DesaiFerrari1:13.8121:13.803+2.425
1094Pascal WehrleinMRT-BMW1:14.6911:14.079+2.701
1163George RussellMcEwan-Judd1:14.1231:14.123+2.745
1298Colton HertaAndretti-Ferrari1:14.2311:14.323+2.853
1310Alessio LorandiFerrari1:14.4221:14.280+2.902
1423Jules BianchiMRT-BMW1:14.3631:14.363+2.985
1580Raven RothAndretti-Ferrari1:14.9961:14.702+3.324
167Charles LeclercToyota1:14.8911:14.733+3.355
1755Carlos Sainz, Jr.Aston Martin-Judd1:15.2081:15.127+3.749
1846Alessandro Cicognani McEwan-Judd1:15.6951:15.502+4.142
1999Sacha FenestrazToyota1:15.7121:16.082+4.334
2081Oscar PiastriAston Martin-Judd1:15.9051:15.867+4.489
2133Max VerstappenRed Bull-Ferrari1:16.8951:16.683+5.305
2229Roger IbeRed Bull-Ferrari1:16.9761:17.713+5.598
2331Esteban OconDARE-Audi1:17.8661:17.599+6.221
242Stoffel VandoorneDARE-Audi1:17.8711:17.638+4.527
254Robin FrijnsLoonmotor-Judd1:19.4261:19.108+7.730
2695Beitske VisserLoonmotor-Judd1:19.4151:19.336+7.958

Report:

Both Red Bulls suffered simultaneous motor failures, similar to teams in other open-wheel series.
The Madras Motor Race Track is a popular venue on the calendar, as it provides spicy racing. This year’s Indian Grand Prix was no exception, as Lando Norris’s third win of the season required a lot of good fortune, as the drivers ahead of him faced issues.

Jehan Daruvala got the crowd in a frenzy as he won the start, taking the lead. He maintained it after the stops and was successfully fighting off a quicker Einár Armannsson until a technical issue forced him to make an additional pitstop. Ármannsson himself threw the lead away with two laps to go on an unforced error.

Sebastian Vettel took his second podium of the season with second place. He is now as far away from Lando Norris in the championship as Norris was away from him, so surely Vettel will still have hope to win his fourth championship in his final year.

One team that impressed this weekend was Williams-Ferrari. The famous team was planning on bringing a major upgrade to Bahrain, but had to delay it. In India, the altered monocoque and ground floor unfolded their full power, allowing Franco Colapinto to take the first fastest lap of the race of his young career.

Race:

Pos#DriverConstructorTime/RetiredGridPoints
147Lando NorrisCaterham-Judd59:51.920510
21Sebastian VettelCaterham-Judd+10.05868
356Einar ÁrmannssonAudi+12.64417
49Jehan DaruvalaROOKIE-Toyota+23.49545
543Franco ColapintoWilliams-Ferrari+24.36774
639Sho TsuboiROOKIE-Toyota+46.34123
798Colton HertaAndretti-Ferrari+48.092122
837Victoria DesaiFerrari+52.50791
920Kevin MagnussenAudi+39.2583
1010Alessio LorandiFerrari+41.428*13
1163George RussellMcEwan-Judd+47.61711
1280Raven RothAndretti-Ferrari+43.46215
1394Pascal WehrleinMRT-BMW1 Lap10
1423Jules BianchiMRT-BMW1 Lap14
1555Carlos Sainz, Jr.Aston Martin-Judd+95.22817
1646Alessandro CicognaniMcEwan-Judd+87.87718
1721Oscar PiastriAston Martin-Judd1 Lap20
1899Sacha FenestrazToyota1 Lap19
194Robin FrijnsLoonmotor-Judd1 Lap26
202Stoffel VandoorneDARE-Audi2 Laps21
2131Esteban OconDARE-Audi2 Laps20
2295Beitske VisserLoonmotor-Judd1 Lap25
DNF7Charles LeclercToyotaAccident16
DNF33Max VerstappenRed Bull-FerrariMotor21
DNF29Roger IbeRed Bull-FerrariMotor22
DNF34Felipe DrugovichWilliams-FerrariMotor8

Fastest Lap:

Franco Colapinto – 1:13.740

Infinite Improbability Drive Of The Race:

Jehan Daruvala – drove brilliantly and could have won if he did not suffer technical issues.

Reject Of The Race:

Red Bull-Ferrari – while they probably are not to blame for their simultaneous retirement, it is simply embarrassing.