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

Ma Qing Hua To Get Third Running With HRT At Abu Dhabi

HRT’s development driver, Ma Qing Hua, will receive further track action during the opening practice session for this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as the Chinese driver replaces Narain Karthikeyan for the opening practice session on Friday. This will be his third outing for HRT, after competing at the Italian and Singapore Grands Prix.

Throughout the course of the 2012 season, HRT have opted to allow both reserve driver Dani Clos and development driver Ma Qing Hua valuable track time behind the wheel of the F112 at the beginning of various race weekends. Each time, both Clos and Ma have replaced Narain Karthikeyan and partnered Pedro de la Rosa for the opening 90 minute session. This weekend will be the same as the rest, with Karthikeyan scheduled to return to his driving duties Friday afternoon for practice two.

“I’m delighted to have another chance to drive again during a Grand Prix weekend with HRT F1 Team” Enthused Ma Qing Hua, “After my two Friday outings in Monza and Singapore, I’ve continued to work hard both physically and mentally to be well prepared for opportunities like this one.

“To be able to continue gaining experience in a Formula 1 car and adding more miles to my tally is essential for me right now and I want to thank the team for making it happen. I’m getting to know the car and the engineers more each time and this makes me more confident every time I step in the car. My target now is to keep on progressing and learning from the team.”

As the HRT F1 Team prepares for this weekend’s race, only one of their drivers has any true knowledge of the Yas Marina circuit. Pedro de la Rosa carried out extensive testing work for Pirelli several years ago, however neither of their current drivers have partaken in a Grand Prix around the tricky circuit. Only Dani Clos has any true racing knowledge, however HRT have decided to give Ma Qing Hua the running on Friday instead of the Spaniard.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Dani Clos Q&A

Dani Clos has been a regular face within the Formula 1 paddock this season, with the Spaniard having so far competed in six Friday practice sessions for HRT. An accomplished GP2 driver, Dani Clos has been widely rumored as a replacement for Narain Karthikeyan next season at HRT.

The Spaniard made his debut in GP2 back in 2009 for Spanish outfit Racing Engineering, and took his first victory in the Series one year later during the sprint race for the Turkish Grand Prix. Since then, his career in the sport has taken a massive leap from one of motor sport’s leading proving grounds to the top tier of the sport. Although the Spaniard has yet to officially start an F1 race, he has received valuable time in HRT’s F112 throughout the majority of the 2012 season.

Before the 2012 season, Dani Clos had partaken in numerous F1 tests for Williams, before being selected for the Abu Dhabi Young Driver Test for HRT last season. During his short time with the team, Clos impressed greatly and was elected as the team’s reserve driver for this season. The perks of this role became apparent at the Spanish Grand Prix in May, when he made F1 history by creating the first all-Spanish line-up in a Spanish F1 team during practice one alongside Pedro de la Rosa.

Since then, Dani Clos has taken to the track at both the British, German, Hungarian, Belgian and Korean Grands Prix during the opening practice session of the weekend. Last month I caught up with Dani Clos, as we discussed about the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the 2012 season so far.

Q: First of all Dani, many thanks for taking the time to talk to me. Unlike Pedro and Narain, you have much more experience around the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. What’s your opinion on the venue?

Dani Clos: The Yas Marina circuit is a really nice track and I’ve raced there three years in GP2 and I also did the Young Drivers Test there with HRT last year. I consider it to be a really nice track with a good first sector where drivers need to be aggressive. There’s a really nice last technical sector that’s completely different to the other two and it represents a challenge for the engineers and the drivers to find the right set-up.

Q: You have raced around the Yas Marina circuit in various categories, what is your most memorable moment whilst racing at the circuit?

Dani Clos raced for Racing Engineering throughout the majority of his GP2 career.

DC: I obviously have great memories from the Young Drivers Test there but my last race in GP2 in 2010 was at the Yas Marina circuit and I was one of the contenders to finish on the podium of the Championship. I had an accident at Spa that year which made me miss various races and Abu Dhabi was one of my last chances to prove myself. I had a really good qualifying, finishing in P2, but the marshals dropped me back to P12. I finished the race in P4 and I have good memories of that race.

Q: You have partaken in several Friday practice sessions for HRT so far this season. How much have these 90 minute sessions helped you and HRT over the season, and will we expect to see you in the car once again this season?

DC: I’m really proud and happy of what we have done up to now. It’s been a great feeling to have been in the car that often and I have to thank the team for that. I definitely expect to have more opportunities where I will try to do the best I can.

Dani Clos made his first appearance at an official F1 event at his home race at Barcelona earlier in the year.

Q: At the Spanish Grand Prix in May, you made history alongside Pedro de la Rosa by becoming the first all-Spanish line-up in a Spanish team. How special was this moment for you, as this was also your first ever appearance at an official race weekend?

DC: It was really special, not only because it was my first appearance at an official race weekend but because I was doing it alongside Pedro. Seeing all the people in the grandstands made me feel really proud of being Spanish. Everything went really well and we did a good job for the team.

Q: Rumors have been circulating within the paddock that you could receive a promotion within the team and team-mate Pedro de la Rosa next season. How true are these rumors, and could we expect to see you in a full-time drive next season?

DC: I would like these rumors to be true! But, at the moment, it is not. There are many things that need to happen for me to sit in an official seat. I’m working as hard as I can to achieve it.

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

Picture(s) Copyright © HRT F1 Team & Andrew Ferraro/GP2 Series Media Service

HRT Plagued With Returning Brake Issues At India

HRT once again suffered overheating brakes at the Indian Grand Prix, which ultimately stunted their progress and saw Pedro de la Rosa spin into retirement on lap 44. This recurring issue for the Spanish outfit is most worrying, as the next race at the Yas Marina circuit features equally high braking points around the track.

After slowly improving during each practice session at the beginning of the race weekend, HRT entered the Indian Grand Prix with high expectations. However, after only the third lap the duo of Narain Karthikeyan and Pedro de la Rosa began to endure the first signs of overheating brakes. This issue forced de la Rosa into retirement last time out at the Korean Grand Prix, and began to once again impede the teams progress as the race wore on.

With both Karthikeyan and de la Rosa giving way to reduce the brake temperatures throughout the race, the duo began to loose ground greatly to their nearest competitors at Marussia. Eventually, the overheating became too intense for de la Rosa’s machine as he spun off the track at turn four and lightly tapped the barriers. Luckily the car wasn’t too damaged, however the worrying issues remain a major talking point within the paddock.

“It’s a shame that I had to retire because the car was running well on the hard tyres but, with no warning, the brakes failed.” Explained Pedro de la Rosa, “We have to understand why this failure occurred and fix it because Abu Dhabi is another challenging circuit for the brakes.”

Although Pedro de la Rosa was forced into retirement due to the issues with the brakes, local hero Narain Karthikeyan was able to control the overheating and finish his home race for a second year in succession. Karthikeyan was at a further disadvantage in comparison to team-mate de la Rosa, after the 35-year-old lost a small piece of his front-wing during the opening lap.

“I got off to a good start but had an incident on the first corner and lost a chunk of my front wing.” Said Narain Karthikeyan, “The damage wasn’t too severe but we had problems with the balance of the car from then on. But the greatest problem was the overheating of the brakes. They warned me on the radio that I had to look after them because we had to make it to the end. And we did that.”

With next weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix set feature further high braking zones, HRT will be frantically searching the cause of this continuing issue on their cars. Luckily for de la Rosa, there was enough run off space to avoid a big collision. However, due to the semi-street circuit nature of Yas Marina, the same issue could have bigger repercussions it returns next weekend.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

HRT Hindered By Traffic During Indian Grand Prix Qualifying

HRT were unable to extract the most out of their cars during qualifying for the Indian Grand Prix, after both Pedro de la Rosa and local hero Narain Karthikeyan were hindered by traffic throughout the closing stages of Q1. However, both drivers are extremely satisfied and will start tomorrow’s race from 22nd and 23rd respectively.

After improving greatly during the third and final practice session prior to qualifying, HRT were confident of a competitive performance with improvements in the balance and handling of their F112 machine. Although Pedro de la Rosa was able to set a decent first timed lap during qualifying, Narain Karthikeyan made a slight error on his opening lap and was hindered thereafter by traffic. Pedro de la Rosa was also at a disadvantage due to traffic, but was able to out-qualify his team-mate.

“Although we didn’t find the lap we were hoping for, we did complete a very good qualifying session.” Enthused Pedro de la Rosa, “With the first set of tyres the car performed very well and I was able to complete three clean laps. However, with the second set and with more rubber on the track when times could be improved significantly, I encountered a lot of traffic and I was unable to complete a clean lap. The car was better today than yesterday and we could’ve been even quicker but with the traffic it was impossible.”

Tomorrow’s 60-lap Indian Grand Prix will be Narain Karthikeyan’s second in front of his home fans, and despite being out-qualified by team-mate de la Rosa will not be starting the race plum last. Due to Charles Pic’s lack of knowledge around the Buddh International Circuit, Karthikeyan will start 23rd alongside the Frenchman on the back row of the grid.

“Overall I’m happy with the performance we showed in the qualifying session.” Explained Narain Karthikeyan, “On my second run I made a mistake on lap 10 which cost me a couple of tenths but the large amount of cars on the track was the main problem as we didn’t find a gap to go as quick as we would have liked. Despite this I’m happy because we finished ahead of one of the Marussias, my time was almost identical to Pedro’s and we’ve got good pace so we can be satisfied.”

HRT have enjoyed a recent improvement in form, despite still remaining towards the back of the pack. With Narain Karthikeyan’s future as a HRT driver under speculation for next season, the Indian driver will be aiming for a positive race as he strives to retain his seat alongside Pedro de la Rosa. The Spaniard, on the other hand, is expected to remain at HRT next season and has unquestionably been the number one driver at the team this season.

Picture Copyright © HRT 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

HRT Looking Forward To “Special” Indian Grand Prix Weekend

HRT are greatly looking forward to next weekend’s Indian Grand Prix around the Buddh International Circuit, which promises to be a particularly special occasion for the Spanish outfit with Narain Karthikeyan once again set to be the only local driver on the grid. Pedro de la Rosa has never raced at the circuit, and is eager to get racing,

This year’s Indian Grand Prix is only the second running of the event, with the still relatively new Buddh International Circuit awaiting the 24 drivers. Pedro de la Rosa is expected to spend as much time as possible learning the Indian circuit during the three practice sessions at the beginning of the weekend, with the Spaniard having only ever raced the circuit on the simulator.

“Just like Korea this will be a new circuit for me and all I know of it is from the work I did on the simulator last year.” Explained Pedro de la Rosa, “From what I know it’s an interesting circuit with a lot of medium and fast corners where we will have two DRS zones. It will be interesting to see how the asphalt has evolved from one year to another because last year it was brand new and quite dirty. I must admit that, overall, it’s a circuit that I like the look of. We hope to have solved the reliability issues which we suffered in Korea and complete another good race here.”

Pedro de la Rosa was unfortunate to retire from the Korean Grand Prix last time out, suffering from an issue with the throttle pedal throughout the early stages of the race. This forced the team to retire the F1 veteran due to safety fears, with Narain Karthikeyan eventually finishing 20th after the 55-lap race.

Karthikeyan was the only local driver on the grid during last season’s Indian Grand Prix.

Narain Karthikeyan is preparing to contest in his second home race, after finishing last season’s inaugural Indian Grand Prix 17th for HRT. Once again, Karthikeyan will be the only local driver on the grid next weekend, and is understandably eager to get behind the wheel once track action begins with the opening practice session of the weekend next Friday.

“Obviously this is the most anticipated race on the calendar for me and there is already a great buzz around the event.” Said Narain Karthikeyan, “The layout of the Buddh International Circuit is a great mix which makes it challenging for the tyres as there are very few conventional straight-forward corners but since the surface isn’t abrasive at all, wear shouldn’t be an issue. I’ve got great memories from last year’s Grand Prix as I had a great weekend; the car was good and we were quick. I hope this year things go even better and I can dedicate it to the fans who are showing me so much support. I can’t wait to get out on track!”

After enduring a tough start to the season, HRT have gradually improved at the back of the pack as the season has progressed. As the season enters its final four races, the Madrid-based outfit will be striving to continue reeling in the likes of Marussia and Caterham as the battle at the back of pack rages on.

Picture(s) Copyright © HRT F1 Team & Getty Images

Pedro de la Rosa Retired With Throttle Pedal Issues

Pedro de la Rosa’s Korean Grand Prix lasted only 17 laps, before the Spanish outfit decided to retire the 41-year-old largely due to safety worries with regards to a throttle pedal issue on his HRT. The team were prepared for a tough 55-lap race, and are already looking ahead to the Indian Grand Prix in several weeks time.

Only several laps into the race, Pedro de la Rosa began to immediately feel the effects of the throttle pedal issue, despite enjoying a positive start. Initially the pedal began to jam, eventually worsening throughout the opening laps. Due to safety issues, the team made the decision to retire Pedro de la Rosa, in an attempt to avoid any chance of an incident as the F112’s handling began to deteriorate.

“We were anticipating a tough race but the start was good.” Explained Pedro de la Rosa, “Unfortunately, we had a problem with the throttle pedal since the fifth lap. At the start it would get slightly jammed but as the laps went by it got worse so the team decided to pull me out. I think they made the right decision because, not only was the car very difficult to handle and we were going slower and slower, but it was also dangerous.”

Although Pedro de la Rosa retired in the early stages of the race, Narain Karthikeyan was able to make it to the end of the race albeit in 20th and last place, two laps off the pace of race winner Sebastian Vettel. Despite this difficult race weekend, the Madrid-based outfit are confident further improvements can be made next time out at the Indian Grand Prix.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team