The glamorous globetrotters of Formula 1 will stop in South Asia for the first time this week as India makes its debut on the grand prix calendar.
There is a real sense of anticipation within the sport that the race outside the capital city of Delhi will add some spice to the season now both championships have been settled - as well as introducing a new global powerbroker into F1.
"It's a historic and symbolic moment," enthused Narain Karthikeyan, India's first F1 driver, who returns to a seat at the HRT team this weekend.
"Never did I think there would be Indian race in Formula 1 and never did I think I'd be in it. It's going to be the biggest day of my career."
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In Yeongam
It has been a while since Formula 1 has seen Lewis Hamilton smile, so it was a surprise that even after taking a significant pole position for McLaren in Korea his trademark, happy grin was still missing.
The 26-year-old stared into the middle distance as he stood alongside Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, who has been beaten just four times in qualifying this year, and his own team-mate Jenson Button.
For the record books Hamilton's pole position represented an end to Red Bull's dominance over one lap this season. For the 2008 world champion, it meant a glimmer of redemption.
When asked directly why he wasn't smiling, Hamilton answered: "I don't feel I deserve it.
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Jenson Button arrived in Japan as the last man standing in the fight to stop Sebastian Vettel winning the 2011 title.
To keep his title hopes alive, the McLaren driver has to win this weekend and hope Red Bull's championship leader fails to score a single point.
It is a task almost certainly doomed to fail and Button joked in Suzuka that Vettel was the only person still saying he had a chance to steal a second title from under his nose.
Vettel, who is seeking a third straight pole-to-flag victory in Japan, is the favourite this weekend after taking a mind-boggling 12th pole of the season in Suzuka, but Button lines up second after two days in which McLaren have looked surprisingly competitive.
Button's hopes of victory are very real and, regardless of the championship situation, the 2009 champion has both professional and personal reasons to want to perform well on Sunday.
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People often ask how I came to be the Formula 1 lady for the BBC website. Well, after being dragged around vintage car rallies and auto jumbles by my Dad, motor racing got under my skin. I am now a fully paid-up member of F1's travelling circus after a year on the road as part of the BBC team. I look forward to bringing you more on- and off-track adventures here. You can also follow me on 