FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[scotty]

Six years after his debut season in Formula One, Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan will make a comeback as a race driver after securing a one-year contract with HRT for the 2011 season.
The 33-year-old last raced in F1 for Jordan in 2005 before becoming a test driver for Williams in 2006 and 2007. He is returning to the sport with money from Indian car giant Tata, which will provide a significant boost for the cash-strapped HRT outfit.
"It's been a while in the making, but I am delighted to be racing again in Formula One in 2011," said Karthikeyan. "I am confident that I have the pace, the fitness and the will to succeed in Formula One. I'm looking forward to racing for HRT, and to working again with [team principal] Colin Kolles. We have a long standing and excellent working relationship together."
Narain was also excited at the prospect of participating at the inaugural Indian GP that takes place near Delhi on October 30.
"I have worked really hard to come back to F1 and it will be a dream come true to race in the first ever Indian Grand Prix in front of my fellow Indians. I hope that they will spur me on with their blessings and good wishes."
Kolles said he is confident Karthikeyan still has the pace to compete at the top level, after spending the 2009 season racing for his team in the Le Mans Series.
"It is a great pleasure for us to have signed Narain Karthikeyan as our race driver for 2011," he said. "I have known Narain for a long time and he can revert to the experiences he gained when he was competing for Jordan Grand Prix and being test and reserve driver for Williams F1. Narain has also been driving in other racing series and running in one of the legendary Audi sports cars in the Le Mans Series. We are welcoming Narain to our team and we look forward to working closely with him this year."

During his break from F1, Karthikeyan has raced in A1GP, Le Mans Series, Superleague Formula and recently in NASCAR's Camping World Truck Series.

Did NOT see this one coming. Wow. What a complete joke... to such a degree i thought it was worthy of a whole new thread.

If i tried to list all the drivers more worthy of an F1 seat than him, i think i'd just lose count.

[vaptin]

India's well on its way ,

Anyway, bout Trulli said something recently about it being too expensive to get into f1 nowdays, and poorer (in terms of wealth) drivers not being able to get in, you know the FIA really need to act, isn't this why we have a governing body?

[texasmr2]

Seem's HRT is taking in any financial input they can get at the expense of having a driver worth his salt, as the world turns so too speak.

[JackMaster]

India's well on its way ,

Anyway, bout Trulli said something recently about it being too expensive to get into f1 nowdays, and poorer (in terms of wealth) drivers not being able to get in, you know the FIA really need to act, isn't this why we have a governing body?

How could they intervene? Some kind of a drivers ranking? It should be difficult, in tennis it works very well, but here it’s different.

[nish2280]

Oh god. This is embarrassing.

Hopefully it means that Karun Chandhok has gotten a better deal

[Robert12010]

this is just one and utter and complete joke!

[vaptin]

India's well on its way ,

Anyway, bout Trulli said something recently about it being too expensive to get into f1 nowdays, and poorer (in terms of wealth) drivers not being able to get in, you know the FIA really need to act, isn't this why we have a governing body?

How could they intervene? Some kind of a drivers ranking? It should be difficult, in tennis it works very well, but here it’s different.

A more direct measure would be tightening up the requirements for a super license, might be effectively the same as your driver ranking (don't watch tennis so not sure what that is).

Although a more indirect method would be to readdress the balance in favour of teams earning their money through championship positions and points, rather than sponsorship (which just leads to more marketable or pay drivers). That would require locking horns with Bernie though.

[texasmr2]

I hope Narain does not text me because of my comment, oh that's right I don't have texting on my phone, yet I must block my PM's !

[myownalias]

So Karthikeyan is going to drive upto the British Grand Prix and then be dropped in favour of a rich Japanese? Does that leave Bruno Senna out in the cold, after all he does cost HRT $100,000 per year, will we see Sakon Yamamoto alongside Karthikeyan?

[Stealthgate007]

India's well on its way ,

Anyway, bout Trulli said something recently about it being too expensive to get into f1 nowdays, and poorer (in terms of wealth) drivers not being able to get in, you know the FIA really need to act, isn't this why we have a governing body?

How could they intervene? Some kind of a drivers ranking? It should be difficult, in tennis it works very well, but here it’s different.

No good deed goes unpunished....

The FIA caused this disaster by doing something it thought was helping, smoothing the way for new team introductions, and trying to introduce budget caps.

Get rid of the FIA. Have a series sanctioning body, that would be instrumental in helping new teams if it came to that, not just making rules and then stepping back. A sanctioning body that had financial resources that were generated from the series to put back into the series.

[robisf1]

i was shocked at first, but thinking a little bit it comes clear its normal thing. he has $$$, and thats all HRT carry about. Is he better than Sakon? Lets see

[MattMK45]

i was shocked at first, but thinking a little bit it comes clear its normal thing. he has $$$, and thats all HRT carry about. Is he better than Sakon? Lets see

Well seeing as he was pretty awful at Jordan, he's 33 and he's had a 5 year period of not racing in F1, you're right it can only be for financial reasons. Just have Senna and Chandok!!!

[robisf1]

i was shocked at first, but thinking a little bit it comes clear its normal thing. he has $$$, and thats all HRT carry about. Is he better than Sakon? Lets see

Well seeing as he was pretty awful at Jordan, he's 33 and he's had a 5 year period of not racing in F1, you're right it can only be for financial reasons. Just have Senna and Chandok!!!

no discussions Karun is way better. But youre right even Monteiro who was disaterous was way better...

[Jabberwocky]

HRT has just gone from 10% respectability to 0%.... what a joke, it makes a mockery of the sport that I love.

[Jabberwocky]

http://www.driverdb.com/drivers/93/

Racing career highlights
Korea F3 Super Prix winner 2000.
Third in Formula 3 Madras Grand Prix 1999.
Formula Asia champion 1996.
British Fomula Ford Winter Series champion 1994.