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

Scorpion Racing Eying Up HRT Takeover

It has been confirmed that a group of Canadian and American investors are eying up a possible takeover of the HRT Formula 1 Team, after the Madrid-based outfit failed to stay afloat in the expensive world of the sport. The group of investors, known as Scorpion Racing, are allegedly striving to secure the twelfth slot on the grid for the 2013 season.

Although Formula 1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone appears to be backing Scorpion Racing’s bid to purchase the ailing Spanish team, it is widely believed by many within the paddock that the planned resurgence will have to wait until the 2014 season. With the forthcoming season only weeks away, it is highly unlikely that the sports governing body, the FIA, will permit the team to compete in the new season.

When HRT entered liquidation at the end of last season, it is believed the final slot on the 2013 grid was closed. This naturally means that Scorpion Racing will have to wait until 2014 before they can begin competing in the sport. Although Scorpion Racing is only in the early stages of its purchase of the HRT F1 team, German newspaper Bild is already linking former Force India driver Adrian Sutil to the outfit. However, F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes it is too late for Scorpion Racing to be included in the forthcoming season.

“I’ve spoken to them and told them to get in touch with the FIA and ask for an entry,” explained Mr. Ecclestone to the Press Association. “They want to buy all the bits from HRT, then form a company and ask for an entry, but I personally don’t think it will happen. It’s all a bit too late. Maybe they could do it for next year.”

It has been rumored that Scorpion Racing would operate out of a base within Silverstone, instead of utilizing HRT’s still relatively new factory in Madrid. It is expected that the investors will complete the takeover of HRT towards the end of the week, enabling them to begin preparations for their endeavor into the tough world of Formula 1.

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

Fresh Video Evidence Emerges Of Illegal Sebastian Vettel Overtake

Fresh video evidence has recently emerged on the internet of Sebastian Vettel carrying out a blatantly illegal overtake on one of the Toro Rossos during the opening laps of the Brazilian Grand Prix, continuing strong speculation that the German broke the sporting regulations during his Championship-winning drive.

During the broadcast of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Sky Sports F1 broke away from the usual FOM feed of the action to show a replay of Sebastian Vettel overtaking Kamui Kobayashi throughout the final sector of the track. Admittedly the pair had just negotiated a yellow flag zone, however it was quite clear that the Red Bull driver completed his overtake after the yellow flag zone had ended. The suspected yellow light was in fact a yellow and red light warning the drivers of the slippery track conditions as the rain began to fall.

A second overtake by Sebastian Vettel on a HRT was also alleged to be illegal, however close investigation of this second overtake also clearly shows that it was legal and was carried out only moments before the pair entered a yellow flag zone. However, a third overtake by Sebastian Vettel which was not picked up upon during the race broadcast shows the reigning World Champion completing an overtaking maneuver on a Toro Rosso down the back straight, only moments before exiting the yellow flag zone. This is clearly stated by the German’s dashboard upon his RB8, with two yellow lights remaining constant just below the rev-counter.

This new video footage could well have serious implications throughout the world of Formula 1, should any team [such as Ferrari] wish to protest to the FIA. Any team wishing to do so will have until Friday 30th November to officially approach the sport’s governing body on the matter.

Should the FIA find Sebastian Vettel’s maneuver on the Toro Rosso to be illegal, then a twenty-second timed penalty would more than likely be added to his time, demoting him to 8th in the race classification and therefore crowning Fernando Alonso Champion in what would be one of the most controversial twists in the history of the sport. No team has yet to approach the FIA on this matter, and after the above deadline will be unable to do so.

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Petrov Thrilled With Clinching Tenth In The Championship For Caterham

Vitaly Petrov is thrilled with clinching tenth in the Constructors’ Championship with Caterham, after a tough 71-lap Brazilian Grand Prix in utterly treacherous conditions. Heading into the race saw Caterham behind Marussia in the Championship, however a superlative 11th from Vitaly Petrov saw them leapfrog their Anglo-Russian competitors.

Throughout the final part of the 2012 season, Caterham have remained adamant they would eventually catch Marussia in the Championship. Seeing as the three bottom teams in the Championship failed to score any points throughout the season, their Championship positions were determined by their highest finishing position outside the points. This meant Caterham needed to somehow finish the race 12th or higher to thwart their opposition, something which Vitaly Petrov managed to achieve after a tense season finale.

Although neither Caterham, Marussia or HRT scored any points this season, finishing tenth in the Constructors’ Championship is worth in excess of $10 million for the lucky team. For the majority of the second half of the season, it has looked as though Marussia would once again finish tenth, however the unrelenting Caterham outfit failed to loose sight of their nearest competitors, and finally finished high enough to clinch that all important position in the Championship.

“What an incredible race.” Enthused a thrilled Vitaly Petrov after the race, “I’m so pleased for the whole team and I want to thank every single one of them for doing such a fantastic job in the conditions today. Seeing what regaining tenth place in the Championship meant to everyone when I got back to the garage was really special and I think we deserve it after all the hard work we’ve put in throughout the whole year. On track it was one of the hardest races I’ve ever been in, but also one of the best.”

The extra income which the team will receive for clinching tenth in the Championship could well see either Vitaly Petrov or Heikki Kovalainen be retained by the outfit for next season, despite neither drivers apparently set to bring a huge amount of sponsorship money to the team in 2013. The lucky candidate will team-mate Charles Pic next season, regarding the team decide against lucrative offers from other candidates up and down the grid.

Picture Copyright © Caterham F1 Team

Pedro de la Rosa Incurs Five-Place Grid Penalty

Pedro de la Rosa has incurred the 100th penalty of the season, after the Spaniard’s mechanics were forced to change his gearbox ahead of this afternoon’s final race of the season around Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit. Despite this penalty officially issuing de la Rosa with a five-place grid penalty, he has already qualified 24th and last for the race.

With HRT currently up for sale and searching for potential buyers, the general consensus within the paddock is that the team are preparing for what will be their last race in Formula 1. Rumors circulating the paddock indicate that HRT have already issued redundancy to several members of the team, as they will close down after the Brazilian Grand Prix. Whether these rumors are true or not remains to be seen, however it’s unquestionable that the team have a rather sombre approach to today’s season finale around Sao Paulo.

Pedro de la Rosa will start 24th and last on the grid, with team-mate Narain Karthikeyan set to start alongside the Spaniard in 23rd position. The HRT duo only just scraped through qualifying, with Karthikeyan and de la Rosa setting times 105.995 and 106.159 percent within the 107% qualifying rule.

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Pedro de la Rosa Unimpressed With Romain Grosjean Incident

Pedro de la Rosa has explained how he was unimpressed with Romain Grosjean’s “dangerous maneuver” during qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix, as the Frenchman tried to overtake de la Rosa on the inside through the final sweeping corner, which ended in a minor collision between the two.

Luckily for both drivers the incident was not as big one, however both cars did receive minor damage which subsequently hindered their progress in the opening qualifying segment. Romain Grosjean lost his front wing and coasted back to the pits, whereas Pedro de la Rosa suffered and puncture and damage to his rear suspension. The Spaniard was greatly unsatisfied once the session drew to a conclusion, with de la Rosa set to start tomorrow’s 71-lap race from 24th and last on the grid.

“I’m not happy with how qualifying ended.” Admitted Pedro de la Rosa, “Our car was competitive and we certainly could have done better but I was on a flying lap when I was hit by another car. It was a dangerous maneuver because I couldn’t move aside given the track conditions. As a consequence of the impact, the rear suspension bent and also punctured the rear tyre.

“I went back in for a new set of mediums and fortunately managed to put in one more lap improving my time. I really hope the car is not badly damaged because the race is tomorrow and I want to be able to do my best here in order to finish the season on a good note.”

Romain Grosjean understandably had a different view on the matter, believing Pedro de la Rosa’s move on track was pointless, as the two collided at the final curve. This incident also ruined Grosjean’s afternoon, as the Frenchman was unable to progress to Q2 and subsequently qualified 18th for tomorrow’s race. This was the first time Grosjean had been eliminated after Q1, and was therefore upset with his poor luck.

“Unfortunately there’s not much to say.” Explained a despondent Romain Grosjean, “I stayed behind Pedro [de la Rosa] during his flying lap to not disturb his time, but then when we got to the straight I tried to get past and he just didn’t see me. I braked as much as I could but it was too late; he moved across, there was contact which broke my front wing and that was my afternoon ruined. To be honest I’m pretty upset about it; of course, every driver is out there fighting for position but pulling that kind of move when the car behind is clearly faster is just pointless.”

The race stewards have decided that no further action is to be taken again either of the drivers, however with Romain Grosjean still yet to be confirmed at Lotus for next season alongside Kimi Raikkonen, the Frenchman will be striving for a competitive drive during tomorrow’s 71-lap Brazilian Grand Prix. With inclement weather on the horizon, Grosjean will be looking to rise steadily through the order with an aim of at least scoring further points to add to his Championship tally.

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Pastor Maldonado Issued Ten-Place Grid Penalty For Third Reprimand

Pastor Maldonado has been issued with a ten-place grid penalty for tomorrow’s Brazilian Grand Prix, after the Venezuelan driver picked up his third reprimand of the season after missing the FIA weighbridge during qualifying at Interlagos. This grid drop will see Maldonado line-up 16th for tomorrow’s 71-lap race.

During the all-important qualifying session for the race, Maldonado entered the pit lane and did not notice the red light and FIA official indicating that the Venezuelan star should enter the weighbridge for a weight check. This resulted in Maldonado being called to the race stewards after the session, and subsequently issued a reprimand for his misdemeanor. However, with the Spanish Grand Prix winner already picking up two further reprimands throughout the year, Maldonado was therefore issued a further ten-place grid drop which will see him plummet from 6th to 16th on the grid.

This change of events will greatly benefit the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, who will therefore start tomorrow’s 71-lap Brazilian Grand Prix from 7th on the grid, one place up from where the Championship contender managed to qualify for the race. The same incident occurred during qualifying last time out at Austin with the Red Bull of Mark Webber, however the Australian driver was able to avoid any serious penalties as the team immediately returned Webber to the weighbridge after initially missing their command.

The race stewards have also decided that no further action is to be taken against either Pedro de la Rosa or Romain Grosjean, after the two drivers made minor contact with each other during qualifying earlier today. This minor altercation resulted in Grosjean loosing his front wing, and subsequently saw him fail to progress to Q2. The duo will start tomorrow’s race from 18th and 24th respectively.

Picture Copyright © Williams F1 Team

Pedro de la Rosa Proud Of HRT’s 2012 Achievements

Pedro de la Rosa has explained how he is very proud of HRT’s achievements so far this season, after the Spaniard outfit suffered a tough start to the season. The team initially failed to partake in pre-season testing, and then failed to qualify for the opening race of the season at the Australian Grand Prix.

However, since the team’s rocky start to the season, they have undeniably steadily improved at each race weekend, at one stage even battling with Marussia on a weekly basis. However, finance has always been the achilles-heel of the outfit, and they have recently been put up for sale by current owners Thesan Capital. Despite these change of events, the team have remain focused on their efforts out on track.

Last time out at the United States Grand Prix around the Circuit of the Americas, the team initially struggled to qualify for the race. However, after successfully qualifying within the 107% rule, the team managed to bring both Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan to the finish of the race. This was unquestionably an enormous achievement for the team, after rumors throughout the media suggested the team could be running low on spare parts.

“It is incredible how time flies and for us to get to Brazil for the last race of the season, after everything we’ve achieved, makes me very proud.” Explained Pedro de la Rosa, “The race in Brazil is always a very special Grand Prix, not only because of the track’s layout but also for the Formula 1 history and the fans. It is a short but challenging track where it is possible to overtake. But the weather and the possible showers can also play an important role in the race’s outcome. If that would be the case, we will be ready to take our chances. It is the last race of the season and we will do our best to achieve a good result.”

Rumors circulating throughout the paddock indicate the team is poised to be purchased by Chinese buyers, a move which would undoubtedly benefit the team’s development driver Ma Qing Hua. Pedro de la Rosa has been confirmed with the outfit for next season, however the second seat alongside the Spaniard remains vacant as the 2012 season draws to a conclusion.

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