Sebastian Vettel Red Bull
Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel is one race away fom a fourth drivers' championship titleReuters

Sebastian Vettel looks on course for his fourth straight Formula One world championship title after taking pole in the Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit.

The German only needs to finish fifth or better to win another drivers' championship crown and with the Red Bull looking much stronger than any other car, a top-five finish, if not a win, looks like a foregone conclusion for Vettel.

"How does the saying go: don't count your chickens before they're hatched," Vettel, who is unbeaten in the Indian GP, said. "That is me. I do one step at a time and don't let myself get distracted when others are already five steps ahead. First there is a race tomorrow - and of course I would love to win it. Everything else is not on my immediate radar.

"The car has been great all year long, so this here doesn't come as a huge surprise. If you are able to do with your car what you want - and the car follows you - then you probably are able to squeeze out a better time. Hopefully that goes for the whole race distance. And yes, I like the track here."

Fernando Alonso, the only man who can prevent Vettel from winning the title on Sunday, only managed eighth in qualifying but does have a few tyre strategies up his sleeve, which could prove vital in the end result.

"Before qualifying we looked at what might be the best strategy and it was very difficult to choose between two possibilities of equal worth," Alonso said. "Using the Soft tyres in Q3, we could have aspired to a better starting position, while the Mediums would mean running a race with no traffic, because if the softer compound follows the pattern we have seen so far, then those starting with it will have to stop very early, around lap six.

"This would put them behind a group of cars that will stay out until lap 30. It's true that at some point, I too will have to fit the Softs, which will signal a more difficult moment and we must be prepared for that. On Friday, I did fifteen or sixteen laps on them, while today [Saturday] just three and that's why it's absolutely impossible to say how it will go tomorrow [Sunday]. Only after the chequered flag will we know which was the right choice."

Where to watch

The race is scheduled for a 3 p.m. IST start with live coverage on ESPN and ESPN HD. You can also catch the race live online by clicking the official link HERE.