INDIA in F1

Tag: Narain Karthikeyan

  • Narain, Karun triumph in Race of Champions-Asia

    Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok took Team India to glory in the first ever ROC Asia competition in Bangkok tonight

    The Indian driver pairing defeated Toyota Team Gazoo Japan’s Kazuya Ohshima and Takuto Iguchi in the final

    Bangkok, 14 Dec 2012: Team India’s Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok are celebrating tonight after they took glory in the inaugural ROC Asia competition, the first night of action of the 2012 Race Of Champions weekend.

    On a hot evening at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium, Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok joined forces for Team India as both made their ROC debuts. The Indian duo topped the group stage with four wins out of six to go into the final as favourites.

    There they faced Toyota Team Gazoo Japan, who were represented by Kazuya Ohshima and Takuto Iguchi, who were both class winners in this year’s Nürburgring 24-Hour race. In the end the Indian duo prevailed, both winning their heats to take the title.

    Chandhok said: “That was a really good night and it was obviously very nice to end up on top. It wasn’t as straightforward as we would have hoped as we both had our favourite cars and we ended up driving the opposite ones to what we wanted. But it worked out well in the end. It was a lot of fun and we really enjoyed our first experience of competing here. In the end I think we beat everyone fair and square. That’s what the Race Of Champions all about – same cars, same track, same conditions. It’s a bit of history for Team India to win the first ROC Asia. That’s obviously very special. Now we start from scratch again tomorrow.”

    Karthikeyan added: “This is the first time at the Race Of Champions for both myself and Karun and I’ve really enjoyed this event so far. It’s a unique format and it’s pretty tight and narrow out there. So it was a challenge to put a precise lap together in any of the cars. But it’s just about getting the best out of each car. You need to adapt very quickly without any mistakes as you need a clean lap. We’re happy to come out on top, now we can look forward to the rest of the event. We’re up for the challenge and we’ll take on the world tomorrow!”

    The performance earns Team India a place in tomorrow’s ROC Nations Cup along with Team Thailand, who qualify as host nation. The home team were unlucky not to make it through to the final after they took three wins in the group stage, the same as finalists Toyota Team Gazoo Japan. 2010 Supercar Thailand Champ Nattavude Charoensukawattana and touring car ace Tin Sritrai both thrilled their home crowd with victories but they missed out on the countback of the fastest times.

    Team China paired F1 test driver Ho-Pin Tung with rally ace Han Han, better known as the world’s most widely-read blogger. The Chinese pair already had Race Of Champions experience as they competed in the 2009 event at Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic Stadium, getting as far as the semi-finals of the ROC Nations Cup. But there was no repeat this time as they were knocked out despite taking one win apiece.

    Friday’s action began with ROC Thailand, a four-way battle between drivers from the host country. The competition started with a group stage involving Charoensukawattana, Sritrai, Nattapon Horthongkum and drift guru Sak ‘Kiki’ Nana.

    Charoensukawattana and Sritrai progressed to the final, with 49-year-old Bangkok resident Charoensukawattana coming out on top. Those results earned both finalists the honour of representing Team Thailand in ROC Asia along with Saturday’s ROC Nations Cup and Sunday’s individual Race Of Champions.

    Charoensukawattana said: “It was a great race today and I would like to thank all my fans because their support was powerful. My experience helped but what was most important was that I didn’t make any mistakes. This is the first time we’ve had this event in Thailand and I hope it will come back next year too. If I have another opportunity next year I will definitely come here again.”

    ROC 2012 continues in Bangkok for the rest of the weekend with a dazzling line-up of motor sport stars including Formula 1 world champions Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel plus MotoGP world champions Mick Doohan and Jorge Lorenzo.

    Coverage of Saturday’s ROC Nations Cup and Sunday’s Race Of Champions will be available on television all over the world. Stations showing ROC live include SAT1 in Germany, Motors TV throughout Europe, Al Jazeera in the Middle East, Fox in Latin America and Brazil, Speed TV in Australia, the Sony Entertainment Network in India, PPTV and Euro Soccer channel in China, Super Sport in Africa plus many more. Please check local listings for exact details of broadcast times.

    Tickets are still available for this weekend’s action. For a live results feed and access to high-resolution imagery please visit www.raceofchampions.com. Sign up for all the latest updates atwww.raceofchampions.com, @raceofchampions on Twitter or Race Of Champions on Facebook.

    ends

    Karun Chandhok (lef) and Narain Karthikeyan after winning on Friday in the Race of Champions in Bangkok. Photo RoC

  • Narain, Karun ready for Race of Champions

    • Drivers from all over Asia have assembled in Bangkok ahead of Friday’s ROC Asia and ROC Thailand
    • The two most populous nations on Earth are represented by India’s Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok plus China’s Ho-Pin Tung and Han Han
    • The racing begins with a four-way shootout between the host nation’s finest drivers to decide who will represent Team Thailand
      Many of Asia’s finest drivers have gathered at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium for ROC Asia and ROC Thailand, the opening events of this weekend’s ROC 2012 on Friday December 14.The Race Of Champions, which is being staged for the 25th consecutive year in 2012, brings together the world’s greatest drivers from motor sport’s main disciplines – including Formula 1, world rally, touring cars, Le Mans, MotoGP, IndyCar and the X-Games – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery.

      A dazzling line-up of international superstars including multiple F1 world champions Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel plus multiple MotoGP world champions Mick Doohan and Jorge Lorenzo will compete in Saturday’s ROC Nations Cup and Sunday’s individual Race Of Champions. The on-track action begins on Friday with ROC Thailand and ROC Asia.

      The two most populous nations on Earth will be in the hunt for glory as Team India and Team China join Toyota Team Gazoo Japan and hosts Team Thailand in the line-up for ROC Asia. The four-way competition will seek to find Asia’s fastest nation, with the winners going on to race against the best drivers in the world in the ROC Nations Cup on Saturday.

      Formula 1’s Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok will join forces for Team India as they make their ROC debuts. Team China will partner F1 test driver Ho-Pin Tung with rally ace Han Han, better known as the world’s most widely-read blogger. The Chinese pair already have Race Of Champions experience as they both competed in the 2009 event at Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic Stadium, getting as far as the semi-finals of the ROC Nations Cup. Toyota Team Gazoo Japan will be represented by Kazuya Ohshima and Takuto Iguchi, rising stars from the Land of the Rising Sun.

      ROC Asia will be preceded on Friday by a four-way battle between drivers from the host country for the ROC Thailand crown. Sak ‘Kiki’ Nana, Tin Sritrai, Nattavude Charoensukawattana and Nattapon Horthongkum will compete in a round-robin group stage, with the two most successful drivers going on to face each other in the final. The two finalists will have the honour of representing Team Thailand in ROC Asia and Saturday’s ROC Nations Cup.

      Ahead of Friday’s events the drivers faced the media at the Rajamangala Stadium. Here is a selection of their quotes:

      Karun Chandhok (Team India) 

      “It’s amazing to have this much excitement about a motor sport event so close to home. So I’m very happy to be here and thank you to Fredrik Johnsson and his team for the invitation. It’s going to be a fun weekend and it’s nice to catch up with some familiar faces from the past. Narain and I just had a look at the stadium and the first thing that strikes us is how small it is. It’s quite different from driving at a grand prix circuit. It’s fantastic that motor sport is moving towards Asia and being here this weekend is another illustration of that. Motor sport has grown very quickly in India in the last few years too and hopefully one day we can have the Race Of Champions in India as well.”

      Narain Karthikeyan (Team India) 

      “It’s really nice to be in Thailand for the Race Of Champions. This is the first time that Karun and I have competed at a ROC event and it looks very interesting. To represent your country is always very good and Thailand is not too far away for us. I’m glad we got the invitation and we’ll try to do the best we can. Seeing the videos, it’s going to be the people who make the least mistakes who succeed, so you have to drive very precisely. There’s no margin for error.”

      Ho-Pin Tung (Team China) 

      “I’m very excited to be back at the Race Of Champions. People in China still ask us about our experiences at ROC 2009 in Beijing and I’ve heard there are Chinese fans travelling across to Thailand. So I’m very proud and I hope to give them a good show. I have a great team-mate in Han Han who is not only a great racing driver but a big celebrity in China. So it will put extra pressure on me to raise my game. Of course we’re all racing drivers and we all want to win. So even if we’re going to race against the greatest names in motor sport we’ll try hard to beat all of them…

      Kazuya Ohshima (Toyota Team Gazoo Japan) 

      “This is the first time that Japan has had a team at the Race Of Champions and we’re very happy to be here. There are a lot of very nice cars and I’m really looking forward to driving them. Team China, Team India and Team Thailand all look very strong, but we will try our hardest and we are confident we can do well. Japan has a lot of good racing drivers so I will try to make no mistakes otherwise I cannot go back to Japan!”

      Sak ‘Kiki’ Nana (ROC Thailand)

      “I’m really proud to have the Race Of Champions in Thailand and all four of us in ROC Thailand are very proud to be representing our country. We don’t have much experience in the Race Of Champions way of driving, especially with all the different cars. So that will be brand new for us and I don’t want to say too much yet as I’m still a bit nervous. But we’ll push hard, do our best and see what happens.”

      Tickets are still available for this weekend’s action. For a live results feed and access to high-resolution imagery please visit www.raceofchampions.com. Sign up for all the latest updates at www.raceofchampions.com, @raceofchampions on Twitter or Race Of Champions on Facebook.

    Courtesy www.racer.com

    Some of the champions for the 25th annual Race Of Champions:

    • Michael Schumacher, seven-time Formula 1 World Champion
    • Sebastian Vettel, three-time Formula 1 World Champion
    • Jorge Lorenzo, two-time MotoGP World Champion
    • Mick Doohan, five-time 500cc MotoGP World Champion
    • Jamie Whincup, four-time V8 Supercar Champion
    • David Coulthard, 13-time Formula 1 grand prix winner
    • Tom Kristensen, eight-time Le Mans 24-Hour race winner
    • Andy Priaulx, three-time World Touring Car Champion
    • Benito Guerra Jr., FIA’s Production World Rally Champion
    • Romain Grosjean, GP2 Series champion
    • Sebastien Ogier, World Rally Championship driver and 2011 ROC “Champion of Champions”
    ends

    Indian Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan (left) and Karun Chandhok hold the Indian Tricolour as they team up as Team India for the Race of Champiions in Bangkok on Thursday. Photo RoC.

  • Vettel tops Free Practice 1

    Austin, 16 Nov 2012: The inaugural United States Grand Prix kicked off  at the brand new Circuit of Americas with the first free practice sessions. On Friday morning, HRT’s test driver Ma Qing Hua stepped into the F112 once again and accompanied Pedro de la Rosa for the fourth time this season in FP1 and Narain Karthikeyan once again missed a chance to test the new circuit. Caution was advised, as conditions were quite tricky on the early stages due to a dusty and cold track, and both drivers conducted an impeccable session improving considerably throughout the session.
    However, Narain Karthikeyan returned for the afternoon session and had a hard task ahead to both learn the track and evaluate both tyres’ options over the 20 laps the Indian did around the 5.516 km circuit.
    Narain Karthikeyan: “The circuit is quite nice. It has a lot of fast corners, like the first S’s, and it is very technical and demanding. It is not easy to learn but I did my best with the limited number of laps we had. Grip level was quite low over the first laps and I couldn’t manage to keep the tyres’ temperature high enough, which made driving quite challenging. But, as laps went by, it got better and going out with options also helped. We still have a lot to improve but I’m confident for tomorrow”.
    Overall, after McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton led for most of FP1, Sebastian Vettel arrived late with a time that blew everything else away.

    Hamilton held top spot until Vettel emerged for his final run of the session. The reigning World Champion was the first man under 1m39s and eventually set a time of 1:38.215 for Red Bull Racing, an enormous 1.4s ahead of the Englishman, crossing the line as the chequered flag flew. Behind them Fernando Alonso was third for Ferrari and Jenson Button fourth in the second McLaren. Mark Webber took fifth in the second Red Bull ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. Nico Hülkenberg was seventh for Force India, Saubers Kamui Kobayashi was eighth, Nico Rosberg finished ninth for Mercedes and Sergio Pérez was tenth in the second Sauber.

    The first practice session began with cars sliding and slithering on their out-laps – it was a theme that would continue throughout the session, cold temperatures and a green track contributing to a number of spins and off-track excursions. The unknowns of the new circuit prompted most teams to put both race drivers into the car straight away, rather than running FP1 with a reserve. The exception was HRT, where Ma Qing Hua stood in for Narain Karthikeyan.

    Kobayashi and Williams’ Bruno Senna were the first men to venture out for proper running. They set cautious times while reconnoitring. Of the front-runners, Webber set the early benchmark with 1:45.918. From that chunks of time were hewn as drivers grew more confident. Alonso reset the standard at 1:42.538 and the Hamilton with 1:40.175.

    Into the final 15 minutes Hamilton was the first man under the 1m40s barrier with 1:39.687. He took another tenth off that and looked like holding P1 until Vettel swept around, first taking a full second off the McLaren man and then underlining his pace by finding another half-second on his final lap.

    Outside of the top ten, Paul di Resta’s Force India was 11th followed by the Toro Rossos of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne. Abu Dhabi winner Kimi Räikkönen was 14th, ahead of team-mate Romain Grosjean as Lotus struggled for grip. Pastor Maldonado was 16th for Williams, Michael Schumacher seventeenth for Mercedes and Charles Pic the best of the backmarkers in 18th for Marussia.

    Behind Pic came Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov, 19th and 20th respectively for Caterham. Timo Glock was 21st for Caterham. Bruno Senna could do no better than 22nd in the second Williams, and HRT brought up the rear with Pedro de la Rosa ahead of Ma.

    ends

    Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing in Free Practice 1 on Friday at Austin. Red Bull Racing photo

  • Narain, Karun to form Team India for Race of Champions

    Bangalore, 6 Nov 2012: India’s only two Formula One drivers Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok,  confirmed on Tuesday their participation in the 2012 Race of Champions (ROC) and will represent Team India, a Press Release received here today said.

    The event

    NK and KC at the Press Mt 6nov2012. Adrenna Comm. photo

    will include seven-time F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher, two-time reigning F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel, MotoGP Champion Jorge Lorenzo and Indycar Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay. This marks the progress made by Indian motorsport over the years as this is the first time any team from India has been invited for the prestigious event.

    The end-of-season contest, which is being staged for the 25th consecutive year in 2012, brings together the world’s greatest drivers from motorsport’s main disciplines – including Formula 1, world rally, touring cars, Le Mans, MotoGP, Indycar and the X-Games – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery. Driver’s pair up for the ROC Nations Cup, this year scheduled for Saturday, December 15, before the individual Race Of Champions on Sunday, December 16.

    This will be the first time since 2004 that India’s two leading drivers will be part of the same team, since the World Series Renault Championship. After successfully hosting the 2nd F1 Indian Grand Prix, Indian motorsport is clearly on the upward trend. Narain and Karun will further etch their names into Indian motorsport history by becoming the first two drivers to represent India in such an international event.

    F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan, who drives for HRT this year, was excited to be part of this event and even happier to represent India at the ROC. He commented, “It’s really cool to receive an invitation to participate in the Race of Champions. What a fantastic honour it is as well. The competition is the strongest in the world, with only the best of the best from many different forms of motor sport all competing against each other. The added benefit of representing your country is a real privilege, and one which I have done before in my career, so I know how special that feels. Karun and I are definitely going to enjoy ourselves, racing against our peers in some pretty cool machinery, but we will also be gunning for victory, and with a bit of luck, we will bring glory to our nation.”

    World Endurance Championship driver Karun Chandhok, who drove for HRT in 2010 , Lotus in 2011 and JRM Racing this year, is glad to see Indian motorsport getting more recognized on a global level. He said, “I’m very excited about going to the Race of Champions this year! It’s fantastic that the organisers have decided to have an Indian team and Narain and I had the dates free to do it. The event looks like a lot of fun while obviously being very competitive. The concept of ROC Asia is very interesting – we have seen in the last 10 years how motor sport has been shifting to this end of the world more and more and it’s great that Fredrik and his team at ROC have embraced this. Narain and I haven’t been in the same team since 2004 when neither of us was an F1 driver. A lot has changed in life since then and it should be a lot of fun to work together again. ROC has always attracted some of the biggest names in world motor sport including Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Mick Doohan and it will be nice to spend time with all these guys as well.”

    Fredrik Johnsson, Race Organiser, ROC, is convinced Team India will be a force to reckon with and added, “We have been looking forward to ROC Asia ever since we knew we were coming to Bangkok this year – and the line-up has lived up to our expectations. With the might of China and India in the mix, we hope to see plenty of new motor sport fans cheering on their heroes at the Race of Champions. Narain and Karun are a formidable pairing for Team India and will certainly be a threat.”

    About ROC

    The Race of Champions is a knockout tournament where the world’s greatest drivers battle to prove they’re the fastest on Earth. Through a series of head-to-head races in identical cars on a parallel track, the stars fight it out to prove they have what it takes to be crowned ‘Champion of Champions’.

    The event starts with a group stage to ensure fans get to see plenty of action from every driver. The racers face up to each of the other drivers in their group, with cars swapped round between heats so they all have to prove themselves in a variety of machinery. The most successful drivers move on to the quarter-finals.

    From there it’s back to a head-to-head, no second chances, knockout competition to get to the semi-finals and then the Grand Final. Just as with all the world’s great cup competitions, the tension builds all the way through to this best-of-three shootout where there can be only one ‘Champion of Champions’.

    After recent visits to London’s Wembley Stadium (2007-2008), Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic Stadium (2009) and Dusseldorf’s ESPRIT arena (2010-2011), ROC 2012 will take place on a specially constructed tarmac track with two parallel lanes winding their way round Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium. Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel have won the team event for the last 5 years and will return to defend their crown this year.

    For more info on ROC please visit www.raceofchampions.com

    For more info on Narain Karthikeyan please visit www.narainracing.com

    For more info on Karun Chandhok please visit www.karunchandhok.com

  • Ice man wins; Vettel stuns from pits to third

    Abu Dhabi, 4 Nov 2012: Kimi Räikkönen took his first Formula One victory of the season with a controlled drive for Lotus in a thrilling Abu Dhabi Grand Prix here on Sunday.

    Behind him Fernando Alonso pushed all the way in his Ferrari to finish second but perhaps the happier – or most relieved – driver on the podium was Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel who emerged from a torrid 24 hours with his title aspirations not seriously diminished.

    Vettel’s race had been badly compromised before it began: demoted to the rear of the grid on Saturday evening for a breach of the technical regulations during qualifying. The championship leader opted to start the race from pitlane, thus allowing Red Bull mechanics to set up his car specifically for a hard-charging attack from the rear of the field and start him on the medium compound tyre.

    He wasted no time: up to 18th by the end of lap two, and to 12th by the close of lap nine. His advancement did not come without a price: He clashed with Bruno Senna at the start, resulting in damage to his front wing. The damage would get worse when the safety car made it’s first appearance, following an incident involved Nico Rosberg and Narain Karthikeyan. Karthikeyan slowed dramatically after a mechanical failure and Rosberg ran into the back of him at high speed. Both drivers walked away unscathed from the crash.

    Following Daniel Ricciardo in the safety car train, Vettel had to swerve to the right to avoid the Toro Rosso as Ricciardo aggressively maintained the temperature in his brakes. Vettel collided with a polystyrene barrier, damaging his nose further. Red Bull opted to pit the German for a new nose and a set of soft Pirellis.

    Dropped down the field again, Vettel faced another battle through the order but by lap 38 he had risen to fourth, despite another stop for a second set of soft tyres. The gap to the top three of Jenson Button, Alonso and Räikkönen was great, however, and it looked as if Vettel would have to settle for fourth.

    Then came a second safety car period, which again closed up the field. Trying to take advantage of a tussle between Romain Grosjean and Paul Di Resta for fifth place, Sergio Pérez attempted to around both. He went off track but carried on a hyperbolic path, rejoining at racing speed, straight into the path of Grosjean. The Lotus driver had few options and strayed inadvertently into the path of Mark Webber’s Red Bull. The clash dumped out both Grosjean and Webber. Pérez received a stop-go penalty.

    When racing resumed, Vettel began to pressure Button for third. Initially, the tactic failed as Button defended stoutly, but on lap 52 Vettel shouldered his way past around the outside of Turn 11 and claimed the final podium spot.

    “Usually it’s hard enough to fight your way once through the field but we did it twice today,” said Vettel speaking later in the FIA post-race press conference. “I think it was a fantastic race. I had a great fight with Jenson at the end. It was very close with him but I enjoyed the fight a lot, tried a couple of times and finally made it. He was very fair. You can’t do that kind of move with all the drivers on the grid.

    “After that there were not enough laps left to catch up with Kimi and Fernando but it was still a great result in the end. It was a big chance to lose out a lot today, but we didn’t lose anything, so I’m very happy.”

    It was the last real action of the race. With only a few laps remaining, Vettel was unable to set about Alonso or Räikkönen who were having their own duel several seconds ahead. Alonso refused to concede defeat but the Finn had enough pace in his Lotus to maintain a gap of over a second, crucially keeping outside the DRS envelope.

    Räikkönen’s race had been made at the start, when a superb getaway saw him jump from fourth to second, passing Pastor Maldonado and Webber. He slotted in behind pole position man Lewis Hamilton, briefly challenged for the lead on lap two and then consolidated his position in second when Hamilton proved too strong.

    Hamilton was the fastest man on track throughout the first stint. He set his latest in a string of fastest laps on lap 20 – but then coasted to a halt on lap 21 as his McLaren lost all power. Räikkönen swept through to take the lead and thereafter began to forge his own gap to the chasing pack. His advantage was erased by the safety car period in the aftermath of the Pérez-Grosjean clash but Räikkönen held on for his 19th F1 victory and his first since the Belgian Grand Prix of 2009.

    “I’m very happy for the team,” said Räikkönen. “At least we’ve got one win now, so we’ll keep trying to push still and see what we can do in the next race.”

    Alonso was also a climber at the start, moving up from sixth to fifth off the line, passing Webber for fourth with straight line pace and then making a brave move on Maldonado to take third. He advanced into second following Hamilton’s retirement. “I’m very happy, I think we were not super competitive this weekend,” said the Ferrari driver. “We started seventh, sixth with Sebastian’s penalty, so we had to fight all the way through the race.

    “A very good strategy gave us the ability to fight at the end for the victory,” he added. “In the last couple of laps Kimi was a little bit slower, so we attacked. But second, I think, was the maximum today, so a perfect Sunday again for us and we kept fighting until the end.”

    The result means that Vettel keeps control in the championship battle but now with a slimmer advantage over Alonso. He leads 255-245 going to the penultimate round.

    Button finished fourth and fifth went to Maldonado. Kamui Kobayashi took sixth, ahead of Felipe Massa and Bruno Senna. The final points positions went to Paul Di Resta and Daniel Ricciardo. Massa’s six points were crucial to deny Red Bull the Constructors’ Championship: they now lead Ferrari 422-340, and need a maximum of four points in Austin to secure a third consecutive constructors’ title.

    ends

    Kimi Raikkonen on podium in Abu Dhabi on Sunday 4 Nov 2012. A Lotus F1 team photo.

  • Narain believes BIC offers more grip this year

    Greater Noida (New Delhi), 25 Oct 2012: The lone Indian driver in Formula One, Narain Karthikeyan believes the Buddh International Circuit will offer more grip in 2012 than it did during its debut grand prix. He was talking to the reporters at the FIA Thursday Press Conference at the BIC ahead of the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday.

    Karthikeyan is one of very few drivers with experience of Buddh this year, and argues the circuit has improved with age. “I think the track is already in a lot better condition than last year,” said the Indian driver in Thursday’s FIA press conference. “It was very dusty, and because of the landscaping that they have done, the dust has settled. There’s no more constructio

    n around the circuit so we already have a higher level of grip and the circuit looks quite nice. As you know, I drove the MR Formula 2000 car a month ago; it was already very good. Temperatures won’t matter, they are going to drop a few degrees from today [30°C], I think, but it’s OK. The tyres are fine; compared to last year we have the same allocations but [the compounds are] a little bit softer so it should be fine here.

    The Indian driver also revealed HRT have an upgrade for this race. While suggesting it might be worth several tenths, Karthikeyan voiced the hope that a bumper crowd would be in attendance to see a more competitive performance from the Spanish team.

    “We’re coming off a hugely successful race last year, so expectations are high and I hope on Sunday we see a big crowd, a strong one. In India there is a lot of passion for Formula One and comparative to our neighbouring countries, like China, the understanding of Formula One is a lot better. It’s going to be a good grand prix, I hope. And for us, we have a small update, which is a rarity for our team. Hopefully it’ll work and we’ll have a few more tenths. I know we need seconds but it is what it is and I’m not complaining, I’m happy to be driving here and will give it my best.”

    Press Conference was attended by: DRIVERS – Heikki KOVALAINEN (Caterham), Bruno SENNA (Williams), Jean-Eric VERGNE (Toro Rosso), Narain KARTHIKEYAN (HRT), Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN (LOTUS), Nico HÜLKENBERG (Sahara

    File photo of Narain Karthikeyan by HRT F1 team

    Force India).

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Gentlemen, your thoughts on India? some of you have been here before, some of you haven’t, so your thoughts on what you’ve experienced so far and what you’ve seen so far and what you think of the country and what you think of the circuit.

    First of all Heikki, you’ve been here before, you’ve been training in Abu Dhabi so you’re used to the heat, what do you think of the weekend coming up and the country itself?

    Heikki KOVALAINEN: Well, I think, like you said, last year was the first year that we raced here. I think the event itself was really successful. Especially the circuit; I think they’ve done a great job here with the circuit. I think the layout is one of the best in the calendar, there are really some nice corners, the surface is nice and smooth, so it’s always enjoyable to drive here and we can set up the car nice and low and get them gripping quite well. So, I’m looking forward to another good event this year. It seems like the locals are picking up the Formula One more and more, so it’s working quite well here. Hopefully we get a lot of people coming to see us on Sunday.

    Bruno…

    Bruno SENNA: Of course I agree with Heikki regarding the track; it’s one of my favourites in the calendar as well and coming from last year to this year, the improvement on the facilities and everything is quite impressive. I think everything was a bit rushed last year, so everybody was a bit ‘oh this isn’t ready for the race,’ but at the end of the day it’s always the case when it’s the first year of the circuit. All the rough edges have been sorted out for this year so it’s a much nicer place. Of course the experience of the track is a whole different thing and I think for everyone who’s not used to India it’s a big cultural shock but it’s a culture full of history, full of richness and I think if you learn how to appreciate that sort of stuff, you can learn to appreciate the country.

    Jean-Eric, your first time here I think?

    Jean-Eric VERGNE: Yes, indeed. To be honest I don’t have much to say about this track except that it looks like a nice one, really smooth. The race from last year looked quite nice and I’m really looking forward to drive on it and it should be a good experience. As Bruno said, off track it’s quite a different country and to be honest I haven’t experienced much: I stayed in the hotel, I was quite far from everything, so didn’t see much, just on the roads, which look quite messy but beside it, yeah, we’ll see how the weekend goes.

    Narain, obviously a very busy week so far for you so far, a very busy weekend coming up as the native from the host country.

    Narain KARTHIKEYAN: Yeah, we’re coming off a hugely successful race last year, so expectations are high and I hope on Sunday we see a big crowd, a strong one. What I always say, in India there is a lot of passion for Formula One and comparative to our neighbouring countries, like China, the understanding of Formula One is a lot better. It’s going to be a good grand prix, I hope and for us, we have a small update, which is a rarity here for our team. Hopefully it’ll work and we’ll have a few more tenths. I know we need seconds but it is what it is and I’m not complaining, I’m happy to be driving here and will give it my best.

    Kimi, your first time in India. What are your thoughts, your impressions?

    Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: Well, I came last night at one o’clock, so I’ve only seen the motorway and the hotel. The hotel, outside it, looks nice. I have no complaints so far. The circuit – I haven’t gone around it. That is tomorrow. I’ll tell you about it.

    Are you a fan of Indian food?

    KR: Yeah, actually I am, if it’s the same as it is in Europe. I like it, but you know I have no experience yet of the local food.

    Nico, I expect you’ve have a busy week?

    Nico HULKENBERG: yes, we obviously we’ve had quite a few visits to India over the last two years. We’ve been here since Monday doing work with the local media and being in Delhi. I’ve been a few times here but I enjoy it every time I come. It’s a very different culture and a special experience to come here. It’s very different to all the other Asian places we go to. They’re always very welcoming, very friendly. I enjoy being here. Obviously, the track is new to me, so I’ll have to learn that one tomorrow. I’m generally looking forward to the weekend really. It’s a special weekend for us and hopefully we can entertain the crowds.

    Now, a question to all of you about your future. I don’t know if you’ve got things signed or not. Just give us some sort of update as to what’s happening next year? Heikki, would you like to start?

    HK: I wouldn’t actually like to start, but now that you’re pushing me… Nothing’s been signed for next for myself yet. Personally, my target and my focus is at each race weekend for our team it’s quite important that we try to regain that 10th position back from Marussia. It’s not going to be easy but I think we have to do whatever it takes to be in a position to do that if a freak race happens again. So, the main focus is on that and regarding the future with the team and with Tony, we haven’t decided yet. I think Tony knows what he gets with me but then he’s evaluating other options I think to see what he wants to do. And I’m waiting. In the meantime, of course, my management is also working. There’s nothing really to report but the main thing I think for myself and really for our team has to be to keep pushing to get that 10th position back, it’s quite crucial.

    Bruno – for next year?

    BS: Nothing has changed from the last time I was here and you asked me the same question but the focus is still the same: keep pushing and trying to get points for the team and then hopefully be on the grid next year.

    Jean-Eric?

    JEV: I haven’t thought about it really. So far I have a contract with Red Bull. I think I just have to keep doing the job I’m doing and improve myself every race weekend and I’ll think about this race weekend and Abu Dhabi and then think about next season, but I’m quite confident about staying with Toro Rosso and that’s what I would love.

    Narain?

    NK: Again, I have a good relationship with HRT; it’s my second year with them. They’ve built a good factory and everything else. On paper next year they’ll look the best so realistically I’d like to stay here and that’s the plan right now.

    Kimi, we’re told we can expect an announcement next week or so, is that the case?

    KR: I don’t know. I mean, we have options but nothing is decided but I guess it will be decided at some point.

    Nico. There are rumours about concerning your future. Where you’re going to go, when do you think you will know?

    NH: I know there is lots of talk about my future but at this point I don’t want to make a comment on the speculation. I’ll just focus on this weekend, which is the most important thing.

    Are things settled? Can you say that?

    NH: Just no comment.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Shridhar Poddar – Sakal Media House ) Kimi, how has the break from Formula One to rallying helped you, because your second stint has been turning out to be as good as the first one?

    KR: It hasn’t really done anything. I was pretty happy to go and do something else for a while, did some racing and I’m enjoying it again. It’s the same places – OK, there are some new circuits and places to come to this year and a new team, but apart from that, Formula One hasn’t changed and it’s exactly the same. For me, nothing’s really changed. People always talk about where I was last time, that I didn’t have the motivation but I thought I drove better than I ever drove in the last year; it was just that we had a pretty bad car at that time. Nothing has really changed for me.

    Q: (Vinayak Pandey – Hindustan Times) Narain, you have probably driven on this circuit a lot more than other drivers. The conditions in Delhi were unexpectedly cool and there was a rain shower on Wednesday. Should the temperatures become cooler than they are right now in qualifying and on Sunday, do you see any particular changes in the way the cars will handle or the outcome?

    NK: I think the track is already in a lot better condition than last year; it was very dusty, and because of the landscaping that they have done, the dust has settled, there’s no more construction around the circuit so we already have a higher level of grip and the circuit looks quite nice. As you know, I drove the MR Formula 2000 car a month ago; it was already very good. Temperatures won’t matter, they are going to drop a few degrees from today, I think, but it’s OK. The tyres are fine; compared to last year, the hard compound – we have the same allocations but it’s a little bit softer so it should be fine here.

    Q: (Chetan Narula – PlanetF1) Kimi, how big a challenge were Pirelli’s tyres for you, because the last time (you were in F1) you had different tyres, and now you have totally different compounds and everything?

    KR: I admit that I had some thoughts about the tyres before I did one private test – OK, it wasn’t the race tyres, it was some other even more worse tyres but I thought that they were fine. When you come from rallying, they have much more grip and the tyres were OK for me so after that, I already knew that I would not have any issues, because there was a lot of talk that maybe it was not good, but when I came back, I didn’t really remember how it was two years earlier, so I thought that the tyres were completely fine and I still do so. OK, they wore off a bit faster than in the past in some races but it’s the same for everybody and they’ve been doing a very good job for Formula One so I’m happy with that.

    Q: (Chetan Narula – PlanetF1) And you haven’t won this year but despite that, how good a comeback has this been for you?

    KR: Yes, I’m happy. If you had told me before the season that I will be in this position with this many points  and stuff like that I would have taken it but of course when you do some good races you always want more and more and then you’re disappointed if you’re not. If you do well you want more and more. It could have been better but it could have been much more worse also.

    Q: (C. Raghunath – The Hindu) Kimi, do you fancy your chances this year? You’re third in the championship…

    KR: Yeah, of course. We’ve had a chance. It’s the difference like in 2007. We had a car that you knew that could win all the races and right now we are not the fastest car so we need more help to really win it but we will keep trying and hopefully we can achieve it. We will try until there’s no chance but it’s a bit different situation. But if we can improve the car in the next three races, you never know, so…

    Q: (Vinayak Pandey – Hindustan Times)  Kimi, after which race did you feel that the Lotus team didn’t have the same competitiveness as it had at the start of the season?

    KR: I think in Spa we had some signs but then we have seen this year that one race you can be very strong and the next not so good, it’s been up and down between the teams. For some reason, after the summer break, some of the teams have been much more consistent. I think we still have a good car. We improved it in the last race again but we are not at the level that we maybe were compared to others at the beginning of the season.

    Q: (Gary Meenaghan – The National) Nico, you said that you mentioned that you got here on Monday. Could you just give us an idea of some of the things you’ve been doing since you got here?

    NH: Well, mainly a lot of media interaction. We are an Indian team so there is quite a bit of interest, so we’ve been around, talking to a lot of TV stations, went to some studios, did a sponsorship event with Hackett which is a team partner in clothing. It’s only two days and two days pass pretty quickly.

    Q: (Gary Meenaghan – The National) Did you meet Vijay?

    NH: No, we haven’t met Vijay.

    Q: (Shreyas Sharma – Mail Today) Narain, since you are closely associated with this track, some changes have been made, although the changes are minor. Do you think it will make the race more interesting, faster?

    NK: No, the layout remains the same, just that the kerbs are extended a little bit in turns five and six and then they put some astroturf to keep the dust down because a lot of cars were going off in that particular corner last year. Apart from that, as everyone has said, the layout is fantastic and I’m glad they haven’t changed anything, it’s nice to drive on, it’s pretty flowing and it’s fast.

    Q: (Shridhar Poddar – Sakal Media House) To all the drivers, whoever wants to answer: the long straight is something that the DRS was really tailor-made for although we didn’t see too much overtaking last year. How much overtaking do you think there is a scope for over here?

    NK: We won’t be doing much overtaking so I think…

    HK: We have the same problem as Narain so…

    BS: Normally, the overtaking is more due to the tyre difference between the cars than to long straights or DRS. Long straights always help a little bit but if you’re coming from a corner like turn two, which is a long corner where you put a lot of heat into the tyres, into a hairpin, where traction is a bit more compromised so overtaking really is more due to the tyres than anything else in current Formula One. But if you’re in a Toro Rosso  then you have about 20kph more top speed than everyone else then you can overtake as well!

    Ends

  • Send queries to Narain Karthikeyan on twitter

    20 years ago it was unthinkable to consider having an Indian driver in Formula 1 and even less so to have an Indian Grand Prix. But Narain Karthikeyan has made it and accomplished a dream: to drive a Formula 1 car in front of his countrymen. This year he will be doing it for the second time. This week we’re giving you the chance to ask Narain anything you want and he’ll respond in the hotline.

    To send in your question simply mention us on Twitter (@HRTF1Team) and type #HRTonline followed by your question. You have from today up until next Wednesday the 24th of October at 23:59 CET. The answers will be posted on Thursday the 25th. Don’t miss out!

    A HRT file image of F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan.

  • Tata Tea to sponsor Narain, HRT for Singapore, Indian GPs

    Singapore, 20 Sept 2012: HRT Formula 1 Team and Tata Global Beverages (TGB) announce today its brand Tata Tea’s association with Indian Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan and the HRT Formula 1 team for the 2012 Singapore and Indian Grands Prix scheduled from September 21-23 and October 26-28 respectively.
    Tata Global Beverages will be extensively promoting the ‘Tata Tea’ brand via this association, with prominent Tata Tea logos appearing on the F112 and Narain Karthikeyan’s helmet and drinking bottle. TGB’s association with Narain Karthikeyan and consequently, Formula 1, will also give it a platform to connect with a large global viewership worldwide, which is second only to the football World Cup.
    Vikram Grover, Vice-President, Marketing, Tata Global Beverages: “We are pleased to partner with Narain Karthikeyan, the first Indian to compete in the coveted Formula 1. Narain reflects the Indian youth’s latent talent awakening to global sports which Tata Tea has been supporting since the launch of its Jaago-Re campaign e.g. The Tata Tea Jaago Re Inter Milan Soccer Stars program which is in its fifth season currently.
    Narain also cherishes much the same values as the Tata Tea brand which is evidenced by his support to an institution which provides school education and free boarding for female children belonging to the backward and the underprivileged sections of the society. Also, Formula 1’s inherent teamwork, technology, innovation and fitness-centric nature synergises well with Tata Global Beverages’ focus of being a global, health-enhancing, ‘good for you’ beverages Company”.
    Narain Karthikeyan: “The Tata Group has supported me since my early days of competition so it is great to be associated with yet another world-class Tata brand. Tata Tea’s endeavour in awakening India’s latent talent in global sports is known and has given fruitful results to the country. TGB’s support will go a long way to help us develop the car and achieve the best possible results during this part of the season. Both Singapore and Indian Grands Prix are unique events on the calenda

    HRT F1 team photo

    r and I am really looking forward to them”.

    Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: “For two seasons now Tata and Tata Motors have offered important and loyal support for HRT Formula 1 Team and it is great news that Tata Beverages has joined not only Narain’s image but also that of the team for two very important Grands Prix such as Singapore and India. This incorporation is further proof of the good relationship we have with the Tata Group, which not only establishes itself but continues to grow at the same time as the team in such a competitive world as is Formula 1”.
    About Tata Tea and Tata Global Beverages
    Tata Tea is a leading brand in India and is owned by Tata Global Beverages, a company whose products have significant presence in over 40 countries. Tata Global Beverages is a global beverage business and the world’s second largest tea company. The group’s annual turnover is US$1.5bn and it employs around 3,000 people worldwide. The company focuses on ‘good for you’ beverages and has a stable of innovative regional and global beverage brands, including: Tata Tea, Tetley, Himalayan natural mineral water, Good Earth and Eight O’clock coffee. For more information please visit our website www.tataglobalbeverages.com
    ends

  • Ma Qing to replace Narain for 1st practice

    Marina Bay Street Circuit – 61 laps – 5.073 km

    HRT file photo
    Madrid, 13 Sept 2012: With the European part of the season completed the Formula 1 World Championship heads east for a swing of five Asian races that begins with the Singapore Grand Prix on the weekend of the 21st to the 23rd of September. This event stands out because of its singularity as it is the only nocturnal Grand Prix on the calendar and the European time zone is respected meaning that teams work at night and rest throughout the day.
    After a special weekend in Italy, the objective of HRT Formula 1 Team is to maintain the reliability that led both cars to cross the finish line in Monza and progress with the upgrades which will be introduced to the car in Singapore. After a positive debut at the Italian Grand Prix, Ma Qing Hua will step into the F112 once again for the first free practice session, replacing Narain Karthikeyan and joining Pedro de la Rosa.
    The Marina Bay Street Circuit has hosted the Singapore Grand Prix since 2008. It’s a slow, bumpy and narrow anti-clockwise track and is also a very physically demanding test for the drivers given the high temperatures and humidity. Pirelli has elected its supersoft and soft tyres for this Grand Prix.
    Pedro de la Rosa: “I’ve never raced at Singapore but I know the circuit because of my simulator work as a test driver for McLaren. It’s a spectacular track and probably the toughest circuit on the brakes in the entire Championship besides being a very physically demanding race because of the heat and humidity. We should have a good performance as there are many slow corners and it is quite similar to Monaco. Besides, we’ve got an aero upgrade which should help us to cut down the gap to our rivals. I have to make the most of the practice session to adapt to the circuit but I’m up for the challenge”.
    Narain Karthikeyan: “Singapore has a spectacular atmosphere as the race takes place under artificial lighting. The Marina Bay Street Circuit is bumpy and very complicated. You can’t make any mistakes as it is a street circuit. Besides, it’s also very demanding physically because of the high temperatures and humidity. I arrive here extremely motivated and in good form after a good weekend in Italy and we’ve also brought upgrades which we hope will help us improve our race pace a little bit more”.
    Ma Qing Hua: “”I’m very happy to drive the F112 for a second time in a row and I really appreciate the opportunity HRT is giving me. It will be very exciting to drive a F1 around the streets of Singapore. It’s a very demanding track for all of us, but it will be even more of a challenge for me as this is only the second time I will be driving the car at a race weekend. But I am looking forward to it and the laps that I added to my tally at the last Grand Prix in Monza have given me plenty of confidence. I have prepared myself in the simulator as well as doing some specific exercises to be used to driving at night. This is yet again another step in my career and I look forward to getting more experience at the wheel of a Formula 1 car as well as doing my best to help the team to prepare for the race”.
    Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: “I don’t personally know the Marina Bay Street Circuit but I’m really looking forward to getting to know it since everyone says it’s one of the most beautiful races in the Championship. But also because in Singapore we’re incorporating the second major upgrade to the car of the season which we hope will help us take another step forward. Ma will step into the car once more for the first free practice session and the objective is for him to continue learning and improving as he did in Monza, where we were very happy with his work and performance. Pedro and Narain come on the back of a good race in Italy and we hope that with the upgrades they can get even closer to our rivals”.

    ends

  • Narain misses Friday practice

    Spa Francorchamps, 31 August 2012: After four weeks without competing, the Formula 1 World Championship returned to action today with the first free practice sessions at the Belgian Grand Prix.
    However it wasn’t the car nor the drivers but the rain that played the star role. In the morning session, Narain Karthikeyan missed the action with Dani Clos and Pedro de la Rosa at the wheel, and the F112’s covered a dozen laps each under the heavy rain which continued through into the second session. Given the adverse conditions and that the forecast doesn’t predict rain for the rest of the weekend, De la Rosa and Karthikeyan decided not to risk it in the afternoon and neither one left the garage.
    We will have to wait and see but, with a qualifying session and race predicted in dry conditions, Saturday’s 60 minute free practice will be vital for everyone at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps.
    Narain Karthikeyan: “Today I was unable to do any laps as the conditions were terrible, but you can’t fight against these things so the best thing is to focus on tomorrow. No rain is anticipated so we will work on making up for lost time from the very start and to get some feel for the car. It will be an intense session but I’m really looking forward to going out on track”.
    Dani Clos: “Once again I got the opportunity to get into the F112 and it was fantastic. However the session wasn’t easy because of the conditions we faced. The track was very wet and the objective was to make sure that there were no problems with the car’s systems and assess the balance. In that sense everything went well and I felt very comfortable so I’m very happy with the job we did”.
    Pedro de la Rosa: “I was surprised by the large amount of rain that poured down during both sessions. We anticipated the morning session to be less wet and that’s why we made the most of it to complete our only run. We only did a few laps mainly to confirm that the car and the systems worked well, so in the afternoon, with the track in even worse conditions, we decided not to go out as it didn’t contribute anything to us. It’s been almost a month since we drove the car and the positive side was that I was able to get rid of the rust and get a feel for the car. For tomorrow we have an extra set of dry tyres and as today we were unable to test with a full deposit, that will be a priority”.
    Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: “Coming from summer today was a bit of a shock. We expected rain but perhaps not like today, but Spa is quite unique. We weren’t able to take much away from the day, but at least we were able to check that everything worked well. Dani had another chance to run and that’s always positive. In the afternoon we considered that it wasn’t worth going out, especially as the forecast for tomorrow and Sunday is dry. Tomorrow we can’t lose any time but we’re all in the same situation”.
    Sahara Force India
    Meanwhile, amidst fears of a Sahara pull out from funding Formula One activities expressed by some fans in their personal tweets, the team went ahead with the Free Practice with Paul di Resta doing 11 and 3 laps in the two sessions while Niko Hulkenberg put in 10 laps in the morning and five in the evening. The team also requested the journalists to use the title in full where ever it is used and implied “not to leave the name Sahara.”
    Paul: “Not much to say after a day when we spent most of our time in the garage waiting for the rain to stop. There were a few moments when the rain eased up this morning, so I managed to do some laps on the wet tyres, but it was very tricky and there were some very wet parts of the track. We did a few runs to check over the car, but there was a limited amount we could learn today. You have to feel for the fans who didn’t see much action. I hope they didn’t get too wet.”
    ends

    A Sahara Force India car during the Friday practice at Spa on 31 August 2012. Photo Sahara Force India F1 team.