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Latest updates: SC has cleared the standoff for now, so that the race can take place peacefully. Full news at :
India GP: SC gives nod, reserves 25% sale proceeds - Rediff.com Sports

NB: Please have a look at the comments section below the article. They are Hilarious

[myavu]

India preview quotes: Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel: "By the time we race in india, i'll have done several laps of the track on the simulator. What i know so far is that the track is 5.14km and in the industrial town of noida, about 50 minutes by car from new delhi. The track is a combination of slow corners and high- speed straights which flow into each other. The altitude difference is extreme, rather like in Spa or Turkey, which will give the driving an additional element. incidentally, we're expecting the track to have the second highest average speed of the season after Monza. That means that we'll be completing a lap at an average speed of 235kph, so there should be plenty of good opportunities to overtake. i'm really looking forward to india; i always do when we drive on a new track."

Mark Webber: "We have completed some good simulator work, but in terms of the kerbs and other subtle final details, these will obviously come into place right at the end, so i'd say we have an 85% understanding of what the track is going to be like. it's always nice to drive at a new venue and in the simulator it looks like quite a quick flowing track, very rewarding. it's going to be pretty warm, which is going to be a challenge for the tyres. i've never been to india before. There are some amazing cricket players from india - it's their number one sport and i'd love to watch australia play cricket there someday. i'm looking forward to the weekend."

Source: India preview quotes: Red Bull - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com

Cheers!

Vinu

[myavu]

India preview quotes: Renault

Bruno Senna

It was a trying weekend for you in Korea - what was your judgment?

In all honesty, it was a weekend riddled with problems. On Friday, our running was limited and we had some issues with the balance and aerodynamics of the car. On the Saturday I also endured a tough time, as I wasn't able to pick myself up in qualifying and, as a result, ended up P15 on the grid. As for the race, I think the car was better than where it finished. I had a poor start again, which dampened my expectations but I still gave it my all and managed to recover a few positions to finish in 13th. Unfortunately I didn't have the performance necessary to overtake a few more cars and my tyres were pretty beaten up by the end.

A relatively unknown track in Korea to a completely unknown one in India – what are your thoughts leading into this race?

India will be a complete voyage into the unknown, as no one has ever raced there before. We do not yet know how the car is likely to perform, though looking at the track layout it should suit us quite well, and we can expect to be up amongst the mix in the top 10; although we need to remain careful at this stage. From the maps I have seen, it looks to be a fast, flowing track that suits my style of driving so I am looking forward to racing there. It will be a test of who learns fastest. I think that whichever teams can extract the maximum from their cars in the short period of time that we are there will benefit most.

Are you excited to go to India?

Yes, very excited indeed. It's a country that loves its sport, and we have seen new sports events take place there recently such as the Commonwealth Games; I've no doubt it will be an interesting Grand Prix, with a completely different culture from anything I have seen before and I think Karun Chandhok is going to show me around – it's always good to have a local as your guide so I'm enthusiastic to get out there.

What must Bruno Senna take from the last three races to ensure he's a happy man come the end of the season?

Haha, well some of my best races were in Abu Dhabi and Brazil last year so there's no reason why I shouldn't enjoy similar fortunes this time around, especially because I am in a competitive car that can score points. The aim is to keep learning, keep improving, and to arrive in India with a much clearer head after the frustration of my weekend in Korea. I loved the experience of being in the points in Monza, and that's something I want to repeat. I have three races left to do that.

Vitaly Petrov

Looking at your early exit from the Korean Grand Prix, how would you evaluate your performance?

Over the course of the weekend we did a fantastic job; the whole team worked very hard. We got into Q3 comfortably and showed stronger pace than some of the teams we are fighting against. We were closer to Mercedes and I was fighting with Nico (Rosberg) and Michael (Schumacher). It was a pity the race ended the way it did. My first stint showed good pace. We had a fierce battle, but this time it was me who took Michael out of the race – normally it is him that takes me out! I apologised to him, and concluded that that's racing.

How did your incident with Michael come about?

I was fighting with Fernando (Alonso) on the straight. I used DRS to pass him, then he switched on his DRS and KERS, and passed me on the left hand side. This meant I was then on the right hand side which was a little dirty. I braked 15 metres earlier than normal, but because it was dirtier and I was travelling nearly 20 kph faster due to the slipstream, I was unable to stop the car. Not only could I not stop the car, I couldn't move to the left as Fernando was there and I was going to hit him. It was a pity, but on the plus side we were battling for high end places. We were disappointed about the weekend but there were some positives to be taken away.

What are your thoughts heading to the Indian GP?

It will be quite challenging for the teams and drivers because it is a new track where no-one has raced before. That was the same story in Korea two years ago so I know it's quite a tricky scenario. I have prepared in many ways and racing in India will be a refreshing challenge. As a new circuit, it is a level playing field for everyone.

How much do you enjoy the adventure of going to a circuit which has never been raced on before?

It is a good challenge for drivers as you never know what to expect. Sometimes the car will be very good straight out of the box, sometimes not, so it's difficult to know what will happen until you complete your first laps. When I saw the layout of the circuit I said it would be quite difficult, but for the last two races we have shown good performance even if we didn't always achieve the results we were capable of.

How will you prepare for this race?

We will arrive a little earlier than we would for a circuit we already know. Regrettably, I am starting with a five position penalty, due to the incident with Michael in Korea, so I will have to be right at the top of my game.

Eric Boullier

Disappointment in Korea – how would you summarise the weekend?

I had mixed feelings coming away from Korea. If I look at the weekend as a whole, we showed good pace but did not capitalise on it. It was disappointing for Bruno not to qualify higher than he did and the result was a tough race. Vitaly had a healthy grid position and was looking good until his mistake cost him on lap 15. If he had carried on as he did during the first stint of the race – when he was on soft tyres – then we could have expected him to finish at least eighth or maybe seventh. Unfortunately it was not to be, but we'll now look ahead to an exciting venue – the Indian Grand Prix.

Next stop India – what was your reaction when you first heard the country was going to host a Formula 1 race?

With an Indian Formula 1 team and an Indian driver – in Karun Chandhok – in the sport, a race was always the next logical step. It is a big country; a promising, powerful nation that is at the forefront of a lot of global activity. India is also a country that loves its sport. It is definitely a good thing to have a Formula 1 race in a new, emerging world economy, and for this sport to consider itself global it is important to bring the show to new territories. Taking F1 to India is a positive step for both the sport and the country. I'm thoroughly looking forward to taking the team racing there.

What have you heard about the Buddh International Circuit itself?

We, the team principals, have been updated regularly about the facilities by Bernie himself. It is always difficult to judge by pictures alone, but it appears to be a very promising facility with a strong, suitable infrastructure and I'm sure we will have a great event there. I, for one, am excited about it as it will be deviating from the F1 norm, and I've little doubt it will be a great experience all round. Let's hope we can take a good result from the weekend too.

Three races remain – how hard is it for the team to keep its focus on this season only?

There will be increasing temptation to start looking to next season, and to contemplate what exciting times might lie ahead. However, we have to maintain focus and look at the here and now; We won't allow ourselves an ounce of complacency from the team going into these final three races. We must ensure we have a good car to take with us to India, Abu Dhabi and Brazil; our pace has been satisfactory recently, we have some performance now but we must translate this performance into points. We will be disciplined in achieving that.

James Allison

Although the results did not come, the pace in Korea looked good – is there cause for optimism?

The pace was good in Korea. Part of this is as a result of track-specific characteristics. In Korea, most cars suffered from understeer in the race. This appeared to affect us somewhat less. However, we have continued to modify and improve the car and we hope to put up a respectable showing in the remaining races.

How much simulation can we do for a new track? What can we do in advance and what can only be learnt upon arrival at the site?

There are lots of tasks that can be well simulated prior to arriving at a brand new circuit. Conventional lap simulation can give us a good idea of items such as: optimal gear ratio selection, which rear wing to fit, what springs and rideheights to fit, fuel consumption, cooling levels, DRS effectiveness etc. Although much preparatory work has been done, there will remain several areas where the team can only really react once we start running in anger. For example: grip level of the tarmac, effect of track bumpiness on the optimal suspension setup, tyre degradation etc. To give you an example, a 3% variation in the asphalt grip would lead to 1 second difference on the lap time.

Are there elements of the circuit layout which resemble tracks we already visit on the calendar?

The track is a conventional downforce circuit with a decent array of cornering speeds and a sensible length main straight. At one level all tracks are sort of the same, with similar straights and corners. However, the real character of a track only really unfolds once you start to run on it. This track looks like it offers a range of challenges to the drivers and I am sure it will prove to be popular.

How should the final three races suit our car?

We are a little concerned by Abu Dhabi as it shares many of the features of the other three tracks where we have not fared well this year. However, both in Abu Dhabi and at the other two remaining circuits of the year, the team will do their utmost to extract the maximum available performance from the R31.

Source: India preview quotes: Renault - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com

Cheers!

Vinu

[mayankk]

Thanks for consolidating these,myavu.
Really good read.

[Scorcher]

The cars had arrived!

Pics from Indian Grand Prix Fb page.

First is Ferrari and then Force India.
Interesting to know how they transport F1 cars

[myavu]

India preview quotes: HRT

Narain Karthikeyan: "Driving in front of the home crowd cheering on is going to be a surreal experience. A once in a lifetime experience and I feel extremely fortunate. There is a huge buzz around the Grand Prix already and I'm sure that it'll be a resounding success that will motivate more youngsters towards the sport and give us the future F1 drivers. Making it into F1 at the time I did was a seriously uphill task and the thought of being able to compete in the inaugural Indian GP was non-existent. But it is finally here and I'll be on the grid. It is going to be one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar. There are points at which, if you're in an F1 car, you will see nothing but the sky. The layout itself is going to put tremendous energy through the tyres and the strategy will play a key role in the final result. For sure I'll race hard and try to get a good result for myself and the team. I would like to ex press my gratitude towards Tata Group and the rest of sponsors for their continued support and belief throughout my career."

Daniel Ricciardo: "I haven't seen the circuit yet but I've tried it out on Red Bull's simulator. I've heard it looks quite good from Mark and Sebastian and if they say that then usually their judgment is pretty good. It's always nice to go to a new place and circuit. I think every driver is excited to see what it is like. I like Indian food but it's a little bit heavy, perhaps not the best for the diet, I will be quite careful leading up to the weekend but maybe on Sunday night I will enjoy a good curry. I did a show run in India a couple of weeks ago and there were loads of people, I've heard it's already sold out so there should be quite a good turnout for the race. We had a good performance in Korea and I hope we can keep on improving in India."

Colin Kolles, Team Principal: "Finally the time has come and we are heading to India for the first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix in its history. Going to new countries and race tracks gives all teams and sponsors a new platform and opens new opportunities that can be highly beneficial to the sport. Despite not being the most popular sport in India, the excitement around the Grand Prix and the effort that everybody is doing, makes us think that it will be an extremely popular event. And for HRT, it is even more special. Having Narain Karthikeyan, the first Indian driver in F1 history, and Tata with us makes it feel like a home race. Narain is a talented driver and we are proud to be going down this path with him. For this single event, Narain will be driving alongside Daniel Ricciardo. I have asked Tonio Liuzzi to step aside for the Indian GP in order to allow driving programs with Ricciardo and Karthikeyan to be completed. I have to thank Tonio for h is professional approach and attitude. After the positive performance the team had in Korea, I hope that we will keep on that line in India. Although Narain has already driven around the track and given us a positive feedback, we really don't know what to expect but we are looking forward to it."

Source: India preview quotes: HRT - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com

Cheers!

Vinu

[myavu]

F1 2011 - Red Bull - First laps on the Buddh International Circuit

F1 2011 - Red Bull - First laps on the Buddh International Circuit (Indian GP) - YouTube

Cheers!

Vinu

[myavu]

Indian GP: Preview - Pirelli

The recently-constructed Buddh International Circuit represents brand new territory for all the teams as well as Pirelli. With the track never having been used before, Pirelli has opted for a tyre nomination that should cover every eventuality, with the P Zero Silver hard tyre - making its final appearance of the season - alongside the P Zero Yellow soft tyre. Contrary to convention though, the softer tyre has been nominated as the prime choice in India with the harder tyre as the option. This means that the teams will have more of the softer tyres than the harder tyres at their disposal during free practice on Friday: the first opportunity that the teams will have to run on the 5.137-kilometre track. In addition the teams will also get an extra set of soft tyres on Friday, allowing them to maximise their running and provide Pirelli with some valuable information for the future.

Collecting as much data as possible prior to qualifying and the race will be a priority for everybody, but the track is likely to be 'green' and slippery, as it has never been used before. Just as was the case at the last race in Korea, there is likely to be considerable circuit evolution over the course of the weekend as more rubber gets laid down and the amount of grip changes. This effect is also caused by the new track surface cleaning, before the oils in the bitumen dissipate and the asphalt begins to age.

One of the highlights of the clockwise Buddh circuit is Turns 10 and 11: similar in its characteristics to the famous Turn 8 in Turkey. It is fast and long, putting a lot of lateral energy through the tyres, but unlike Turkey's Turn 8 it tightens rather than opens.

Paul Hembery: "We've opted for a deliberately conservative nomination in selecting the hard tyre alongside the soft, simply because on a brand new circuit you are never quite sure of the exact race conditions you will encounter. But we've structured the allocation in such a way that we think the teams will run more on the softer tyres, particularly because we are bringing an extra set of soft compound tyres for Friday. This will help us to make some decisions about our strategy for next year, particularly after we saw the excellent durability of the softer compounds. It's too early to talk about the number of pit stops we expect this weekend, but we anticipate a reasonably significant lap time difference between the two compounds. "

The simulation data for the Buddh International Circuit, which has 16 corners, suggests a lap time in the region of 1m27s. Average speed will be approximately 210kph, and the cars will reach nearly 320kph on the main straight, which will be the longest on the current Formula One calendar at just over one kilometre.

The circuit contains a number of elevation changes, increasing the vertical energy that is put through the tyres. The entry to the corners tends to be wide in order to promote overtaking, with Turns 10 and 11 being one of the key places for passing, overlooked by a 13,000-capacity series of grandstands.

The pit lane is one of the longest in Formula One, at over 600 metres, which will increase the time spent in the pits and therefore influence the race strategy. The race is scheduled for 60 laps, with a compromise medium downforce set-up needed. The weather should be warm and dry, in the region of 30 degrees centigrade.

Source: pitpass - Indian GP: Preview - Pirelli

Cheers!

Vinu

[myavu]

India preview quotes: Williams

Mark Gillan, Chief Operations Engineer: "The whole team is looking forward to heading out to the Buddh International Circuit for the first time this week. The simulations of the new track indicate a high downforce and medium braking severity track, which should also be reasonably hard on the tyres. Despite our preparations there are still a few uncertainties, such as what the actual tyre grip will be and how the track will evolve throughout the weekend. We should see over a one second lap time delta between the two tyre choices for this race, namely the soft and hard tyres, with the soft being quicker. We are also expecting dry weather throughout the weekend, with ambient temperatures in the mid-20°Cs to low 30°Cs and track temperatures up in the low 40°Cs."

Rubens Barrichello: "I have never been to India and as the circuit is new I have been preparing by playing my home simulator to get to know the track. I am very much looking forward to this race as it will be different to other weekends in terms of culture. I have always wanted to go to India, so this is a great opportunity for me to get to know the country as well as do what I love at the same time: drive a Formula One car."

Pastor Maldonado: "I think India will be really interesting for everyone. I haven't been before so I can't wait to get there. Going somewhere new and experiencing new things is always exciting. That's one of the great benefits of Formula One - it takes you to places you may never have visited before! The circuit itself looks good and it will be new for all the drivers. For once we will all be starting from scratch! I was at the factory last week working with my engineers in the simulator so I feel as ready as I can be."

Source: India preview quotes: Williams - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com

Cheers!

Vinu

[myavu]

India preview quotes: Virgin

John Booth: "I think we have a very interesting weekend ahead of us and I'm sure India is going to present some surprises that even the best preparation cannot cater for. It's the first time here for everyone and a level playing field is always most welcome. The track is provides an undulating lap with a combination of slow turns and high-speed straights, with many elevation changes that will make it a real challenge for the drivers. We can't wait to experience it for ourselves during the first Free Practice session on Friday, but from our data and simulations the circuit looks quite interesting.

"The season is coming to an end very quickly - it's unbelievable how the time has flown by! Reliability has been our watchword this season, so we hope to continue like this until the end of the season and aim for a positive result at the first ever Indian Grand Prix."

Timo Glock: "A new race is always a big challenge for the whole team but at the same time it's always very exciting to get to know a new country and drive at a new track. There are always some big unknowns but this time it's the same for everyone, so what we have to do is focus hard on finding the right set-up for the weekend.

"I'm really looking forward to discovering this new circuit - it looks like an exciting one, as it will have one of the highest average speeds in Formula One and there are a couple of challenging corners and good overtaking opportunities.

"We are getting to the end of the season we continue to push to get the most out of the car and to take forward valuable lessons and information for next year."

Jerome D'Ambrosio: "This is going to be my first time in India and I'm really looking forward to it. It's a very different cultural experience which I've always wanted to sample, so I'm really excited about the race weekend ahead.

"What is also good about this is that the track is going to be a new one for everyone - it will equal things a bit. I have also had time to see the new layout and it looks really exciting! I hope to get to grips with the track quickly and, as always, I will aim for a positive result for myself and the team here in India."

Source: India preview quotes: Virgin - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com

Cheers!

Vinu

[myavu]

More pictures coming from BIC Pit/Team building through Facebook Indian Grand Prix page.

Source : Indian Grand Prix | Facebook













Cheers!

Vinu

[myavu]

No worries about safety at Indian GP: Ecclestone

London: Two deaths on the racing track in the past week have sent shockwakes through the motorsports fraternity but Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has said that he has no safety concerns over Sunday's Indian Grand Prix.

British driver Dan Wheldon, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, was killed in a 15-car pile-up in an IndyCar race in Las Vegas a week ago while Italian MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli died in a crash in Sepang on Sunday.

"In Formula One we do everything possible to secure the safety of the drivers and the spectators. I'm very happy the new circuit in India has been built to conform to our safety requirements," Ecclestone was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

"We would never have let that race take place in Las Vegas last week. With 34 cars racing on a 1.5 mile oval track, they were heading for disaster," he said.

On the fatal IndyCar race last weekend that saw the death of Wheldon, Ecclestone said: "It made the race a little like all-in wrestling - with a high risk attachment. While our sympathies lie with Dan's family, the whole episode has not been good for motorsport in general."

Austrian Roland Ratzenberger and three-times world champion Ayrton Senna were the last Formula One drivers to be killed during competition.

Source: http://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/news/item/180198-no-worries-about-safety-at-indian-grand-prix-ecclestone

[myavu]

Tendulkar lined up for chequered-flag duties

The Times of India reports that Sachin Tendulkar has been asked to wave the chequered flag at the end of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix this weekend.

Tendulkar, who is a keen fan of the sport, has been suggested by the organisers as the best candidate, although a final decision will be taken by the Formula One management on Thursday.

"Sachin's love for motorsport is well known, and he is also the biggest sporting icon of the country," said a spokesman for the organisers. " It's only logical that we nominate him."

Tendulkar has followed Formula One since he attended his first grand prix at Silverstone when in England in 2002.

Asking the great and the good to wave the chequered flag might seem a good idea - and also to be a fairly straightforward task - but it can go wrong. At the 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix, Pele missed race winner Michael Schumacher crossing the line and instead waved the flag at a bemused Takuma Sato who was several laps behind.

Source: Tendulkar lined up for chequered-flag duties - Indian Grand Prix | Indian Grand Prix | Formula 1 news, live F1 | ESPN F1

[myavu]

India preview quotes: Lotus

Heikki Kovalainen: "I think India is going to be a fascinating race, for us and F1 in general. I suspect we are going to be given an incredible welcome, and to be able to race on a brand new circuit is always an interesting challenge, so whatever happens in the race I think it will be a great week for the whole sport.

"After Singapore I went back to Europe to do a day in the simulator to get used to the track, and it looks cool. There's the obvious overtaking zone at the end of the long straight and then a few pretty standard medium speed corners but I think the main challenge for us is going to be finding a balance that suits the demands of T10 to T13, which is quick, and the haripins at T3, T4 and T16. We won't know anything about tyre degradation until we get out there, but whatever happens it's going to be hot, probably a bit mad, but seriously good. I can't wait!"

Jarno Trulli: "I'm looking forward to India more than most. I'll do my usual cycle around the track on Thursday and have a close look at the circuit, and when I get in the car I'm usually up to speed within four or five laps. We'll run similar downforce levels to the Korea / Suzuka spec and as we were genuinely competitive in the races at both those tracks I think we'll be ok in India. I'm sure it will be another good race for us, and I think the whole weekend will be fascinating, for us and for the fans."

Karun Chandhok: "I am very excited about driving at the new Buddh International Circuit in FP1 in front of my home crowd and while I am obviously disappointed that I won't have the chance to race on Sunday, I accept the team's decision to opt for the experience and talent they have at their disposal with Jarno and Heikki. This is a team that is still young, still growing, and I know that they have to do their best to secure their future in the sport - sometimes the hard decisions have to be made, and in this case it must have been a very difficult choice, but I understand that this isn't about me. It's about the team and everything the 254 people on track and back at the factory are doing to build for the future. For me, I believe that I have grown as a driver in and out of the car this year with my role in the Friday practice sessions and I'm looking forward to playing my part in helping the team have another strong weekend on track."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "From a technical perspective the track looks like quite a few of the modern era F1 circuits, with a mix of high and medium speed corners and a long straight with a tight turn at the end at T4, which I am sure will create decent overtaking opportunities. It looks like there will be multiple lines for the drivers to take into that corner, as well as into T3 leading onto the straight, so I think we will see a lot of action onto and out of that section. Turns 10, 11 and 12 also look like they present the drivers with a bit of a challenge – they combine to make a long right that will be hard on the front left tyre and in layout it is akin to T8 in Turkey, but instead of being flat throughout it will need the drivers to go in hard on the throttle, come off the power into the first apex and then get back on through the middle section and out onto the run to T13. The next couple of turns are a little fiddly, but we might also see some overtaking into the final corner, T16, as it is a tight right leading onto the start finish straight after a pretty quick T15 which leads straight into T16.

"The tyres have probably been the single most important factor in upping the entertainment factor this season, but we will not know until Friday practice is completed just how they will perform in India. New tracks obviously lack basic grip until any meaningful running has been completed on them, and I am sure the Buddh circuit will be the same. Everyone up and down the pitlane will be in the same situation, so we will all be working hard on Friday to gather as much data as we can and give ourselves as good a shot at qualifying as we can, and at maintaining the race pace we showed in the last two Grands Prix. Whatever happens I am sure it will be a great weekend and one that will show the world just how well India can put on a global sporting spectacle."

Tony Fernandes, Group CEO: "I am very excited about the Indian Grand Prix and I would like to congratulate The Jaypee Group and everyone involved at the circuit for their hard work in creating what I am sure will be an incredible event.

"From the team perspective the key goal for us this weekend is to maintain the performance levels we saw in the last two races and while I am sure there will be fans in India who want to see Karun race for us on Sunday we had to make the best decision for the future of the team. While all the emotional reasons for him driving were right we were conscious that the limited running he has had in the car this season, largely due to the weather conditions that have hit most of his FP1 sessions, has not given him the best preparation for this race, so we have taken the very difficult decision not to run him in the race this weekend. It is absolutely vital that we secure tenth place in 2011 to give us the platform to keep growing and despite the fact that Karun's performance levels have continued to improve every time he has driven for us in 2011, it was considered too much pressure to put on Karun to drive in his first home race, deal with all the attention he would have had and be able to perform at the same level as either of our regular race drivers over the whole weekend. For that reason we had to take the pragmatic decision to put our faith in the experience and pace we have in Jarno and Heikki, and are confident they will continue to perform at the level they have over the last two years with us. While this is obviously not the decision Karun wanted us to take he understands that we have to take the long-term view and do so in the best interests of the team. He also understands that his relationship with our team is not about just one race, it is about growing together and while this is an historic event, there will be many opportunities to race in India in the future, and he is in the best possible place with us to take advantage of those chances in seasons to come."

Source: India preview quotes: Lotus - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com

Cheers!

Vinu

[shipnil]

I have seen one advertisement about Mahindra Scorpio being associated with some track duties. Is it for safety car? I have seen Mercedes car to be safety car most of the times.