Narain Karthikeyan Linked To Force India Drive

Former Jordan and HRT driver Narain Karthikeyan has become the latest driver to be linked to the remaining race seat at Force India, amid continued speculation as to who will eventually team-mate Paul di Resta. The last seat for the Silverstone-based outfit remains the only vacancy on the 2013 grid.

With only several weeks remaining until the season opening Australian Grand Prix, Force India remain the only team on the grid without a fully confirmed driver line-up, after Marussia and Caterham signed Luiz Razia and Giedo van der Garde respectively to complete their driver line-ups for the forthcoming season. Many drivers have been linked to the vacancy at Force India, including the likes of Jaime Alguersuari, Adrian Sutil, Jules Bianchi and now Narain Karthikeyan.

Narain Karthikeyan’s sudden link to the Indian outfit comes after it emerged that the 36-year-old would be able to bring wealthy sponsorship money to the team with Tata, which would essentially see Karthikeyan pay for his drive within the team. The topic of pay drivers has been rife throughout the paddock of late, however it has become a well known fact that some teams up and down the grid require such income to continue their existence in sport.

“As soon as Narain’s long-term sponsors Tata increased the budget for 2013, talks with Force India began.” Explained a source in the Deccan Chronicle. “Unlike the past, the negotiation has been a lot more positive. As reserve drivers don’t have much of a role in F1 these days, Narain is only interested in the second driver seat. If talks fail, he will probably go to America for [the] IndyCar Series where a couple of teams have already shown interest.”

Should Narain Karthikeyan complete the switch from the ashes of HRT to Force India, he would become the first Indian driver to secure a full-time race seat with an Indian outfit. Although this would be an ideal PR opportunity for the Indian Grand Prix later in the year, Karthikeyan’s previous record is unarguably against him with the likes of Adrian Sutil and Jules Bianchi in the mix.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Narain Karthikeyan Pondering IndyCar Switch

Former HRT Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan has confirmed he is pondering a switch to America’s IZOD IndyCar Series, should the Indian driver fail to secure a drive in Formula 1. With HRT withdrawing from F1 after last season, Karthikeyan has been left without a drive in the sport.

Like many drivers before him, Narain Karthikeyan is considering focusing on a switch to America, which would see the 36-year-old Indian driver return to oval racing. During the 2010 season, Narain Karthikeyan competed in the NASCAR Camping World Series, which enabled the Indian driver to gain valuable experience on some of America’s top ovals including Texas, Las Vegas and Talladega. Karthikeyan strongly believes his experience on ovals would assist him should he complete the switch to the IZOD IndyCar Series, despite the differences between NASCAR and IndyCar.

“There are obviously some very big differences between NASCAR and IndyCar, but the oval racing experience I have can only help.” Explained Narain Karthikeyan to Autosport, “There will be a lot to learn, but at least I have a small advantage over a total rookie. If you look at what Rubens [Barrichello] achieved in IndyCars last year, you can see that it is possible to get some good results even if you are not driving for a top team straight away. So hopefully with the experience I have, I should be able to do a good job and prove myself.”

After 19 years competing in Formula 1 with some of the tops teams, Brazilian ace Rubens Barrichello switched to the IZOD IndyCar Series last season to partner good friend Tony Kanaan at KV Racing Technology. The 40-year-old finished a personal best of 4th at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, however decided to switch once again to the Brazilian Stock Car Series for 2013. Many other drivers such as Takuma Sato, Giorgio Pantano, Justin Wilson and Toranosuke Takagi have switched to IndyCar racing in America, with Narain Karthikeyan looking likely to become the latest driver to do so.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Karthikeyan Remains Adamant He Did Nothing Wrong To Vettel

Narain Karthikeyan has remained adamant he did nothing wrong when he was lapped by Sebastian Vettel during the United States Grand Prix, only moments before the German driver lost the lead to Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages of the race. At the time, Vettel vented his frustration towards the Indian driver over the team radio.

With Lewis Hamilton swarming over the back of Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull, the duo closed up upon the slow moving HRT of Narain Karthikeyan. Unfortunately for Sebastian Vettel, the opening sector of the Circuit of the Americas is exceedingly difficult to overtake on. This therefore saw Vettel loose an enormous amount of time behind Karthikeyan, and allowed Hamilton to close the gap and eventually overtake the Championship leader with DRS-assistance down the back-straight.

However, Narain Karthikeyan has remained adamant that he did nothing wrong during the race, and that he did not impede Sebastian Vettel purposefully. Prior to the race, Karthikeyan spoke with race director Charlie Whiting on the matter of traffic, and Whiting confirmed to the Indian driver that lapped traffic would not be required to move over during Turns 3 to 7.

“I spoke to Charlie before the race because I knew a situation like this could come up,” explained Narain Karthikeyan to Autosport. “It’s impossible to get out of the way in that part of the track unless we drive off the circuit. Charlie said that it was absolutely fine not to move over from Turns 3 to 7 so I did not do anything wrong. Once I was through there, I let him past and he overtook me at the exit of Turn 7 into 8. You cannot go anywhere else and it’s impossible to get out of the way before. You tell me where we can drive off the track? If he complains, it’s too bad.”

After a difficult race weekend at Austin, both HRT drivers were able to make it to the end of the race, albeit in 21st and 22nd position. Rumors circulating the paddock indicate that a Chinese buyer could be interested in purchasing the team, after current owners Thesan Capital put the team up for sale last week. This would greatly assist the team’s development driver Ma Qing Hua, who could well receive a full-time drive should the team become Chinese-owned.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Narain Karthikeyan Suffered A Fuel Pick Up Issue During Qualifying

Narain Karthikeyan was struck with a fuel pick up issue during the closing stages of Q1, which prevented the Indian driver from improving upon his time. The HRT duo have endured a disastrous weekend at Austin, and have qualified in 23rd and 24th position for tomorrow’s United States Grand Prix.

At the beginning of the weekend, rumors began circulating the paddock that HRT were running low on spare parts, after the team were put on sale by their current owners Thesan Capital. Throughout the weekend, it has been touch and go as to whether the Spanish outfit would qualify for the race, with both Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan only just managing to qualify 105.647 and 106.402 percent within the 107 percent rule.

As the opening segment of qualifying came to a conclusion, Narain Karthikeyan was seen coasting to a halt at Turn 2. It was later confirmed that the Indian driver was struck with a fuel issue on his F112, which prevented Karthikeyan from completing another lap. The 35-year-old is adamant that he could’ve improved upon his time had he been able to complete another lap.

“Driving was quite challenging in the morning because it was difficult to bring the tyres up to temperature.” Explained Narain Karthikeyan, “But things improved a lot in the afternoon with a much warmer track. The tyres and the car performed much better and we managed to put in a few good laps. I think we could still have improved on the last laps but the car suddenly stopped. We had a problem with the fuel pick up that we are now looking into it but we don’t expect it to be a problem for tomorrow’s race.”

HRT are hoping for a much more successful race tomorrow, despite starting from the back row of the grid. The Spanish outfit will simply be hoping to see both cars finish the race, as they aim to end the season on a positive note as negotiations rumble on with regards to a new potential buyer for the team.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Hydraulic Issues Caused Karthikeyan’s Violent Incident With Rosberg

Narain Karthikeyan suffered a hydraulic issue on his car throughout the early stages of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which greatly effected his steering and forced him to slow down on the track. Unfortunately for the Indian driver, the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg was right behind him, and flew over the top of his car in violent fashion.

Luckily both drivers were unscathed after the heavy incident, which saw Rosberg slam into the retaining barriers after making contact with the slow moving HRT of Karthikeyan. The Mercedes driver was running towards the back of the pack after a minor collision with the Lotus of Romain Grosjean at the start of the race, which damaged his front wing. This forced Rosberg to pit, and saw him plummet through the order. Despite not scoring a point since Singapore, the German is pleased that both himself and Karthikeyan were uninjured after the crash.

“My car felt competitive today so it’s a real shame not to have finished the race and scored some points.” Explained Nico Rosberg, “Unfortunately that chance was gone after the first lap incident with Romain [Grosjean], after which I had to come into the pits for a new nose. Then there was the accident which put me out of the race. Narain told me that his steering broke and he needed to brake which I didn’t expect in that high-speed corner. There was no time for me to react, and I’m very thankful that we are both fine. I went to the medical centre for a precautionary check but everything is good.”

Narain Karthikeyan was naturally equally disappointed with the incident, however he is now focusing on the next race in two weeks time at the brand-new Circuit of the Americas in Texas. This was the Indian driver’s seventh retirement of the year, which has been extremely tough for HRT.

“On lap 9 we had a problem with the hydraulic pressure and steering of the car went rock solid, so I had to lift my foot off the accelerator.” Said Narain Karthikeyan, who was lucky to walk away unscathed after the incident. “Unfortunately, Rosberg was coming from behind and couldn’t avoid me. It was tremendously unlucky but we have to leave it in the past and think about the United States Grand Prix in two weeks.”

Although Narain Karthikeyan struggled all weekend around the Yas Marina circuit, HRT remain confident of ending the season on a positive note, with only two races now remaining in the Championship. Throughout the year, HRT have greatly improved at each event, and will be aiming to continue doing so in two weeks at time when F1 ventures into the unknown at Texas.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Karthikeyan “Not Entirely Comfortable” Around The Yas Marina Circuit

Narain Karthikeyan has expressed dissatisfaction with his qualifying performance for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after once again qualifying 24th and last alongside team-mate Pedro de la Rosa. The Indian driver has never before raced around the Yas Marina circuit, and is still not entirely comfortable around the track.

After being replaced during the opening practice session yesterday by the team’s development driver, Ma Qing Hua, Narain Karthikeyan was unable to begin learning the circuit until the afternoon practice session on Friday. Due to the technical nature of the Yas Marina circuit, Karthikeyan is still struggling greatly with the handling of his F112 in comparison to team-mate Pedro de la Rosa.

“It was a tough qualifying session for me.” Admitted Narain Karthikeyan, after qualifying 24th. “It’s my first time racing in Abu Dhabi and, being such a technical circuit, I’m finding it tougher than expected. I didn’t manage to string together a good lap; I was running well on the first set of tyres but with the second set I found traffic and the rear tyres wore out before I could improve my time. Although I’m not entirely comfortable at this circuit, tomorrow I will give everything like always to try and put in a good performance and finish the race.”

After suffering greatly from brake issues throughout the last two events at Korea and India, HRT are confident they have thwarted their brake issues this weekend at Abu Dhabi. Just like the previous two venues, the Yas Marina circuit is very hard on brakes, and neither drivers have yet to suffer from any brake-related issues all weekend.

“We completed a good practice and qualifying session.” Explained Pedro de la Rosa, “The car was running well and we had no problems with the temperature of the brakes or the engine at a circuit like this one which is so hot, so I’m happy. I think we’ve got good pace for tomorrow’s race and the first objective is to get off to a good start and keep close to the Marussias. We should try to go for one stop, hope for the rear tyres to hold out and try and put some pressure on our rivals.”

Despite Narain Karthikeyan’s tough qualifying hour, the team are confident of another productive race tomorrow. After two races plagued by brake issues, the Spanish outfit are hopeful they can retain their reliability this weekend, as they strive to see both drivers eventually cross the finish line after tomorrow’s 55-lap Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Narain Karthikeyan Q&A

Narain Karthikeyan made his first appearance in Formula 1 way back in 2001 with a test at Silverstone with Jaguar and Jordan, after much success in the lower Formulae by becoming Champion in the Formula Ford UK Winter Series in 1994 and the Formula Asia Series in 1996.

The Indian driver then made an appearance with Minardi in 2003 at Vallelunga, before being signed by Jordan alongside Tiago Monteiro for the 2005 season. Throughout this season, which turned out to be Jordan’s last in the sport, Karthikeyan managed to score five points, largely thanks to the farcical outcome of the United States Grand Prix where only six cars started the race.

Narain Karthikeyan was the Williams F1 test driver between 2006 and 2007.

After loosing his seat once the 2005 season drew to a conclusion, Karthikeyan became the Williams test driver. This enabled the Indian driver to receive valuable track time in Formula 1 machinery, despite being unable to find a full time drive. Throughout the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Karthikeyan carried out numerous test events for the Grove-based outfit, before leaving F1 completely at the end of the 2007 season to pursue a career in A1GP and the Le Mans Series amongst others.

However, in 2011 Narain Karthikeyan made a return to Formula 1 with HRT alongside Vitantonio Liuzzi. However, after the German Grand Prix halfway through the season, he was forced to make way for rising star Daniel Ricciardo as Karthikeyan became the team’s Friday driver, returning only for his inaugural home race at the Indian Grand Prix.

Despite being replaced halfway through the 2011 season, Narain Karthikeyan returned to a full time drive for this season alongside F1 veteran Pedro de la Rosa. So far Narain Karthikeyan has not been replaced during a race, except for numerous practice sessions at the beginning of a weekend by Dani Clos and Ma Qing Hua. Last month I caught up with Narain, as we discussed the Yas Marina circuit and the season so far.

Q: First of all Narain, many thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to me. It’s been a difficult season for HRT, however the whole team seems to have remained positive. How has the season so far been for you?

Narain Karthikeyan: At the beginning of the year things weren’t great but we have improved a lot. Now we are operating in a very good way and at a very high level and the effects of this will be seen in 2013.

Q: You out-qualified your vastly experienced team-mate, Pedro de la Rosa, at the Italian Grand Prix for the first time this season. How has the relationship been between you and Pedro this season?

NK: Pedro is a very good guy with a lot of experience and I have a lot of respect for what he has done. We get along very well but it is competition at the end of the day and we like to beat each other.

Q: You have yet to race around the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. What’s your opinion on the 21-turn circuit, and how much are you looking forward to competing around the track?

NK: It looks quite exciting and the facilities are great. I’ve never driven there so we’ll have to see how it goes. I’ll just have to do a lot of laps and try to learn my way around as soon as possible.

Narain Karthikeyan finished an impressive 15th at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Q: Throughout this season, you have finished as high as 15th at the Monaco Grand Prix. What’s been the highlight of your season so far?

NK: There have been many highlights but Monaco obviously has been the best result I’ve achieved all season. Now we have the pace and I’m improving every time and we hope to keep that momentum. We have nice races coming up in Asia which I’m looking forward to but, overall, I’m enjoying the season.

Q: Looking ahead to next season, and Pedro de la Rosa has already stated he hopes to remain a HRT driver for 2013. Do you hope to remain his team-mate for next season?

NK: Yes, that’s the plan. I would like to stay here as everything is set for a much better season in 2013 and I would like to stay here to reap those benefits.

Many thanks to the HRT F1 Team and Narain Karthikeyan for the communication and time taken to complete this interview.

 Picture(s) Copyright © HRT F1 Team & Williams F1 Team

Narain Karthikeyan Plagued With Hydraulic Issue During Practice

Narain Karthikeyan’s progress during the second practice session was hampered slightly due to a hydraulic issue on his HRT F112, as the local driver set to preparing for this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix. Just after the Indian driver switched to the soft tyres during FP2, his mechanics noticed an issue on his car and called an end to his session.

Despite this minor setback, both HRT drivers remain confident that the weekend is going to plan, although both admit there is still room for improvement with the balance of the car. Whilst Narain Karthikeyan prepared for what will be his second home race, team-mate Pedro de la Rosa set to learning the Buddh International Circuit as the Spaniard had never before raced around the still relatively new track.

“I loved the circuit. It’s really nice and also very challenging.” Enthused Pedro de la Rosa, who was not on the grid this time last year for the inaugural event. “You have to use the kerbs a lot and the car really suffers, so we have to drive carefully. Overall I had good sensations with the balance of the car, especially in the afternoon when I was able to do more laps. But we’ve still got a lot of room for improvement and if we’re able to improve the balance of the car we’ll be able to run better. Especially in changes of direction because we lose too much time on quick corners and we can correct that.”

Although the team is confident the hydraulic issues which plagued Karthikeyan will not return throughout the remainder of the weekend, Narain Karthikeyan was understandably disappointed with the loss of valuable track time. Nevertheless, the local driver is confident of a competitive qualifying session tomorrow afternoon.

“The first session went pretty well and in the afternoon we decided to change the balance of the car to improve certain aspects.” Explained Narain Karthikeyan, “We’d just set the soft tyres when, unfortunately, we suffered a hydraulic failure which impeded us from improving our times. But the problem should be fixed for tomorrow so I hope to have a good qualifying session.”

Regardless of HRT’s minor setback throughout the opening two practice sessions, Pedro de la Rosa managed to finish ahead of the Marussia duo of Timo Glock and Charles Pic, therefore providing the team which improved confidence ahead of the all-important qualifying hour. Such is the case with many teams towards the rear of the pack, their 2013 plans have yet to be confirmed and could well be influenced by the next few races.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Broken Brake Disc Hampered Narain Karthikeyan In Qualifying

Narain Karthikeyan’s qualifying session was brought to a premature end halfway through Q1, after the HRT driver suffered a broken brake disc and spun out heading into turn three. The Indian driver was lucky not to collect one of the Force India’s during his spin, which saw him eventually limp back to the pits unable to set a timed lap.

Although the marshals have decided to let Karthikeyan race in tomorrow’s Korean Grand Prix, after being unable to set a time within the 107% rule, the Indian driver was still lamenting a tough day at the office at the Korea International Circuit. The team immediately set to fixing the issue, with the hope that it will not return during the race and throw Karthikeyan into yet another perilous spin during the race.

“We were in quite a good position after the third free practice session as I’d adapted very well to the circuit and the car was performing great.” Explained Narain Karthikeyan, who was unable to set a timed lap. “But once again I was unlucky this season and we had a mechanical issue on the first lap of qualifying. Now we must analyze the problem to fix it and avoid it from springing up again. Tomorrow we will try to recover those positive vibes.”

HRT’s miserable qualifying session failed to improve after Karthikeyan’s high-speed spin, with Pedro de la Rosa only able to qualify 23rd +4.673 seconds off the pace to the leaders in the opening qualifying segment. With Charles Pic incurring a ten-place grid penalty, the HRT duo will instead start tomorrow’s race from 22nd and 23rd, albeit with a large speed disadvantage to their nearest rivals.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Narain Karthikeyan: “I Completed An Almost Perfect Lap”

Narain Karthikeyan enjoyed yet another competitive qualifying session today around the Marina Bay street circuit, in preparation for tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix. Although the Indian driver will start the race from a lowly 23rd on the grid, it was the second race weekend in succession where he out-qualified his team-mate.

This weekend has seen HRT introduce several new upgrades to their car, including a new floor. With Pedro de la Rosa set to incur a 5-place grid penalty due to a gearbox change, it was a forgone conclusion that the Spaniard would start tomorrow’s race from 24th and last. However, Narain Karthikeyan completed what he regarded as an almost perfect lap around the tricky confines of the Marina Bay street circuit to beat his vastly experienced team-mate.

“I’m happy because in qualifying I completed an almost perfect lap.” Explained Narain Karthikeyan, “I’m pushing very hard and I think that right now I’m driving very well. I’m very comfortable within the team, they help me a lot and make me feel at home, and when the atmosphere is that good it’s easy to perform well. I’ve done two good consecutive qualifying sessions and I hope to keep that momentum. Tomorrow’s race will be tough physically and mentally but we will fight to achieve the best possible result.”

With speculation ripe within the F1 paddock this weekend that HRT’s reserve driver Dani Clos could receive a promotion within the team and replace Karthikeyan next season, the Indian driver is certainly proving his worth to the team behind the wheel of the F112. Although tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix will be exceedingly tough on the teams and drivers, Karthikeyan will be striving for a competitive result at the back of the pack.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team