Vettel wins,drivers won over: Dhanyavaad,congrats

The drivers too were genuinely impressed,by both the Grand Prix and their Indian experience.

Headphones wrapped around ears,Sachin Tendulkar leaned low over the railing and flicked his wrists over the chequered flag. Under the waving squares of white and black,Sebastian Vettels Red Bull thundered into the start-finish tarmac of the Buddh International Circuit for one last time on Sunday. As plumes of high-octane smoke rose from his exhaust,curtains fell over the first Formula One Grand Prix of India. However,the party for 95,000 spectators scattered around the circuit and the whos who of Indias page three personalities at the Paddock Clubs had just started.

From the luxurious vantage point near the podium,Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta clinked their wine glasses towards Vettel,as the reigning world champion made his way past pit girls in minis for the presentation ceremony. As the black,red and yellow of the German flag unfurled itself high over the main garage,the thunderous roar of approval from the main grandstand echoed louder than Deutschlandlied Germanys national anthem did over the blaring woofers.

Minutes later,Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati handed over the trophy to the Red Bull driver. The customary spraying of champagne that followed quenched the thirst of the VIPs as well as the common man. A successful race meant that the true racing fan now had a home track to be proud of,while the rich had another elite sport make that the most elite to indulge in. The drivers too were genuinely impressed,by both the Grand Prix and their Indian experience.

Dhanyavaad, said Vettel during the press conference. I have tremendous respect for your country. The double world champs praise for the Indian people and his Hindi vocabulary didnt end just there. Aapki aankhe bahut sundar hai. The Indian women are just lovely. They have very beautiful eyes, he added.

The high-adrenaline race may have lasted just 90 minutes,but their time in India,despite lasting a total of four days,seemed to have left an indelible mark on the F1 drivers.

Europe is a different world to your nation. The people of India seem very content with whatever little they have. I consider myself lucky to have experienced this country,and will take back great memories. India is an inspiration I will never forget, the German driver said. And he wasnt even talking about the track.

Despite many people believing the circuit itself wouldnt be ready in time as the organisers ran into several construction and logistical hurdles along the way,India managed to produce a track that was both spectator-savvy and driver friendly. Just ask Jenson Button,who finished second in Sundays race.

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We need to say a big congratulations to the Indian people for their efforts in building the circuit. In the years to come,it is going to be one of the greats, the Briton driver said.

Ferraris Fernando Alonso,who completed the podium set,echoed his rivals sentiments. I completely agree with Jenson and Sebastian. The circuit is very nice to drive on and the Indian people are amazing. We have learned a lot from the Indian experience, the Spaniard said.

These words were testament to the 1,80,000 people that flooded the BIC over the race weekend. While some of them arrived in the hope of witnessing a good day of motor sports,a majority of the others made their presence felt in order to experience Indias first F1 race. With the novelty factor out of the way,it remains to be seen how many will return to watch the Indian Grand Prix of 2012.

But one man is positive he will be there. I honestly cannot wait to come back to India, said Vettel.