Karun Chandhok gets HRT seat
Karun Chandhok took the last seat in the 2010 Formula1 grid, and becomes the second Indian to compete in Formula1. He partners Bruno Senna, at HRT(Hispania Racing Team), formerly known as Campos Meta. Chandhok had competed in GP2 in 2009, and finished the season in 18th, having collected 10 points. Though that record isn’t highly impressive, Chandhok will have the entire contingent of Indian F1 fans cheering him on, once the five red lights go off at Bahrain. The prospect of having an Indian driver, behind the wheel of a team owned by an Indian, for the prospective Indian Grand Prix in 2011 is exciting indeed. As per Bruno Senna, Karun’s team mate and nephew of F1 legend Ayrton Senna, HRT are atleast a second faster that Lotus and Virgin. If his words are to be believed, Chandhok might not be there just to make up the numbers.
Karun had good results in Asian national championships against weaker opposition but has only won a few races since
moving into higher racing formulae.The popular Indian driver, only the second native of his country to get into F1, drove alongside Senna at iSport in 2008 and was out-scored by his team mate. That may well be the case at HRT this year but the performance of the untried car is a greater concern in the immediate future. However, the two rookies get along really well, as was evident during their time with iSport. However, if he gets outperformed by Senna, his career would go along the lines of his predecessor Narain Karthikeyan, who faded away after just a year in Formula 1 in which he was in the shadow of his team mate Tiago Monteiro at Jordan. Come what may, Indian F1 fans have got something extra to cheer about in 2010. However, it would take much, much longer to hear the ‘Jana Gana Mana’ at the end of a race weekend. Let’s hope somebody amongst the subscribers to this blog will do our country proud in the years to come.
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