Karthikeyan expects HRT return in India

F1 Fanatic round-up

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In today’s round-up: Narain Karthikeyan expects to replace Daniel Ricciardo for his home Grand Prix, saying: "It was always a dream for me to race in Formula 1 and race in front of my home crowd. And now thanks to the Jaypee Group that dream is going to be a reality."

Links

Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

Narain Karthikeyan confident of Indian GP seat (ESPN)

"Narain Karthikeyan faced the Indian media on Saturday for the official unveiling of tickets for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix in October and said that his dream of racing in front of his home fans was about to become a reality."

No Indian Grand Prix deal, no paid seat: Karun (Hindustan Times)

"He’s not sure if he will be driving in the Indian F1 race come October, but Karun Chandhok is far easier in the head than he has been for the last few years. His F1 future, he believes, is secure. The reserve driver place in Team Lotus, he says, has not cost him anything."

A Ferrari on the streets of Rotterdam (Ferrari)

"For the first time Scuderia Ferrari has today taken part in ‘Rotterdam City Racing’ at the sixth time that the event has been held."

Heidfeld Pressure ‘Bullying’ – Jordan (Speed)

"Eddie Jordan suspects Renault team management are guilty of “bullying”. The former F1 team owner and boss, now a pundit for British television, is referring to Eric Boullier and Gerard Lopez’s outspoken criticism of Nick Heidfeld’s results and leadership qualities.

"Irishman Jordan told Sport Bild he has a theory about the pressure being put on Heidfeld. ‘It could even be described as bullying,’ he said. ‘They probably want to wear him down so he throws in the towel voluntarily.’"

Defiant Michael Schumacher must find sparkle in Spa (The Express)

"Michael Schumacher has invited the Formula One paddock for a drink next weekend when he celebrates the 20th anniversary of his spectacular debut."

Virgin on Twitter

"Last day of the summer shutdown, and the trucks are already off to Belgium today!"

Red Bull on Twitter

"Anyone would think they’d never seen an F1 car in Austin before: yfrog.com/h77nkwhj and yfrog.com/ked4ufzj."

Follow F1 news as it breaks using the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app.

Comment of the day

In yesterday’s round-up, we heard that McLaren is working with Heathrow to reduce congestion. TimG says:

It’s easy to mock but this is actually a pretty good example of how technology developed in F1 has much wider benefits. In an era where environmental impact is becoming more and more important, this sort of technology transfer bolsters the case for F1???s survival. Racing improves the breed and road relevance is important, but it’s not everything. The heat of competition means new technology becomes better more quickly.

F1 may be caricatured as an unsustainable, fuel-guzzling dinosaur of a sport but the McLaren/Heathrow example demonstrates how it can be harnessed to reduce carbon emissions with no impact on the racing. And looking beyond F1???s immediate impact helps make the case for its long term survival.

It’s possible to draw a parallel with NASA and the space programme – massively expensive and what did it achieve? The space shuttle programme generated more than 120 technology spin-offs, from heart pumps that have saved hundreds of lives to better lubricants now widely used in other industries.
TimG

From the forum

Electrolite asks: who have been the friendliest team mates throughout the history of F1?

Happy birthday!

No F1 Fanatic birthdays today. If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is by emailing me, using Twitter or adding to the list here.

On this day in F1

John Surtees won the Oulton Park Gold Cup 40 years ago today at the wheel of his own car.

He won the two-heat event on aggregate from Howden Ganley and Frank Gardner.

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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39 comments on “Karthikeyan expects HRT return in India”

  1. Good COTD from TimG. Great to seeing F1 using its fantastic technology for benefit outside F1. The world is a better place for it.

    It would be great to see Narain out in India. I don’t rate him and I’m not alone in that but its fantastic news for him and his country.

    1. +1 F1 does to a similar extent what war does for technology. It creates a demand for research and provides the resources, otherwise this probably wouldn’t happen. Spin off technologies can have massive impacts especially if F1 is guided in the correct direction, coincidentally i think it is.

    2. Fully agree, and its another thing the teams or FOTA could do more to show the world.

  2. “Anyone would think they’d never seen an F1 car in Austin before”

    When I saw that first picture, this is what I thought of:

    “Can you name the truck with four wheel drive,
    smells like a steak and seats thirty-five?
    Canyonero! Canyonero!

    Well, it goes real slow with the hammer down,
    It’s the country-fried truck endorsed by a clown!
    Canyonero! Canyonero!

    (The Federal Highway comission has ruled the
    Canyonero unsafe for highway or city driving).

    Twelve yards long and two lanes wide,
    Sixty-five tons of American Pride!
    Canyonero! Canyonero!

    Top of the line in utility sports,
    Unexplained fires are a matter for the courts!
    Canyonero! Canyonero!

    She blinds everybody with her super high beams,
    She’s a squirrel crushing, deer smacking, driving machine!
    Canyonero! Canyonero!”

    It’s just the way my mind works.

    1. haha, your mind works brilliantly!

      1. Prisoner Monkeys
        22nd August 2011, 1:45

        I’m pretty sure that if I had a brain scan tomorrow, the doctors would find my mind is divided up into sections dubbed “Formula 1”, “Simpsons Quotes”, “Joss Whedon” and “Miscellaneous”.

        1. Not far from mines: “Motorsport”, “Simpsons Quotes”, “Music”, “Girls”.

    2. Win, win, and MORE win! :D

    3. A nice one PM

  3. Anyone else just watch Grand Prix the killer years? Truly amazing film/documentary…

    1. It was. The last scene especially got to me. Illustrates just how safe it is to drive today as well.

  4. Prisoner Monkeys
    22nd August 2011, 1:51

    I thought Karthikeyan racing for HRT in India was guaranteed …

    “Narain Karthikeyan faced the Indian media on Saturday for the official unveiling of tickets for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix in October and said that his dream of racing in front of his home fans was about to become a reality.”

    But is the slowest man on the grid really an appropriate ambassador for Formula 1 in India? True, they don’t have much in the way of choice – Karun Chandhok wasn’t much better in Germany – but I just don’t think Narain Karthikeyan is synonymous with the sport.

    “He’s not sure if he will be driving in the Indian F1 race come October, but Karun Chandhok is far easier in the head than he has been for the last few years. His F1 future, he believes, is secure. The reserve driver place in Team Lotus, he says, has not cost him anything.”

    After my comments yesterday, I’m happy to read this. I know Chandhok is a popular figure both in an out of the paddock, but I still stand by yesterday’s comments that choosing a driver on the basis of his nationality sets a poor precedent.

    It’s worse for Team Fernandes than for anyone else, too. Heikki Kovalainen has been performing some absolute miracles in the T128 this season, but the team is really being let down by abysmal reliability – when both cars retire, it’s usually with the same fault. If Chandhok were to replace someone for the Indian Grand Prix, it could prove disasterous for the team; both Hispania and Virgin have developed much more reliable cars, so if there is a race of attrition, they’ll be waiting ready to strike. Putting Chandhok in the car for New Delhi could cost them not one, but two World Constructors’ Championship positions.

    1. What Team Fernandes? all I know there only Team lotus on the grid.

      1. Calling a dog a horse doesn’t make it so. They’re not Lotus.

        1. They’re Team Lotus, that’s their name. Yes the car is slow, but the old Team Lotus didn’t exactly have an illustrious end to their career, infact people only remember the good days of Chapman anyway. Forgetting all the other years of failure. I don’t see how Lotus got a reputation of a team that dominated F1 and won every race, but you ask around here and that’s what they think.

          So what if the new Lotus suck, the last one did too.

    2. I think the way Team Lotus approaches this is great. Sure give Karun his chance, but let him earn it by driving well on fridays.

      This way its far more of an achievement and a positive thing for him and for the team.

  5. Well, we all expected Narain to be driving at India, didn’t we?. HRT put Yamamoto on one of their cars so they did it again now (not putting Yamamoto, but returning a very slow driver replacing a rather good one).

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      22nd August 2011, 3:02

      When they put Yamamoto in, it was because he paid for the drive (except in Singapore, when he officially had food poisoning but apart from lacking in talent, he was a picture of health). But this year, HRT has had investment from Thesan Capital (they no longer run the embarrasing THIS COULD BE YOU livery; instead, they have a silver HRT), so they don’t really need to rely on pay drivers.

      1. PM, I think that Thesan Capital would not have even been interested in HRT without TATA sponsoring them for the next years. They do not need Narain to cough up cash now, for he has already brought that in abundance at the start of the year and possibly for next year as well.

        From the looks of it, it was meant to be Narain in the car until they find someone better/paying extra and then in for the Indian GP to secure it continues.

    2. I’m glad he’ll replace Ricciardo and not Liuzzi.

  6. I completely agree with prisoner monkeys. Although I am Indian, I would certainly would’nt want to watch a talentless guy come last or worse. Drivers should be recruited based on merit, which is why I adore Mallya and force india. It would take just a simple nod from Mallya to get either one of these drivers in one of his cars but he has refrained saying “they lack sheer talent”.
    Restepc.

    1. +1.

      I’m not particularly proud of Narain representing us on the grid either. Drivers should get their drive on merit, and not solely because of their nationality.

      I would definitely support Force India though. They are a team that takes this sport very seriously, and that is why they haven’t hired Narain or Karun.

  7. Mark Webber was on TMS yesterday talking about F1 and cricket http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/tms

  8. Anyone from the Netherlands visiting the Rotterdam event (Bavaria City racing)? I hope you had a great time again, shame its the only F1 the country gets, but better this than nothing at all, right?

    1. I haven’t visited it. However, I would like to add to Ferrari’s official film, this amateur footage

      1. That’s embarrassing…

  9. look at this phone made video of the red bull F1 car in Austin (via @F1enigma on twitter)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKhmyGKrJr8&feature=share

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      22nd August 2011, 8:27

      What’s the point of a demo run if there’s no-one there to see it?

      1. I guess it was turned into a filming run when a demo run was not deemed possible.

  10. It wasn’t a demo and the prob was no one knew about bc it was said to be canc. But at the last min they used it as just a filming run so no one knew till they heard the car. There were a ton of people very upset about not knowing if you are from the area.

  11. Did you guys take a look at the Indian GP race tickets? It is a whopping US $775 for the main grand stand. The Indian GP organizer claimed it is cheaper than most venues. What is he talking about? I paid CAD $475 for my Canadian GP grand stand tickets 2011.

    This year could be a sell out event..I’m not sure if he is going to fill the seats next year. We may see a repeat of the Turkey event. Most of the F1 fans in India could be working in the IT industry.. but Rs 35,000 for three days is still expensive.

    1. Most of the F1 fans in India could be working in the IT industry

      Are you joking dude? I really doubt there will be any IT personnel in the main grandstand.

      India has a lot of wealthy & pretentious people, who aren’t always keen fans of F1, but love being associated with anything glamorous or extravagant. The main grandstand could have been priced at over a $1000 and there still wouldn’t be a single seat empty.

      The rest of the stands are much cheaper though…$60,$150, $190 and $260

  12. Lucas "Mr. Veloce"
    22nd August 2011, 22:12

    I thought Karthikeyan returning for India in place of Ricciardo was confirmed anyway. I really hope Karthikeyan’s compatriot Chandhok will race for Lotus. Having F1’s only two Indians at the first Indian GP will be big, I’m sure Chandhok’s father and Bernie will get Karun in the seat.

  13. I’ve just checked the bbc and their reporting that Heidfeld has been dropped for Bruno Senna. Seems like Eric Boullier had enough of Nick for one season

    1. That was just announced by Eddie Jordan, I think we should wait for an official team statement first. However I can’t see why Jordan would say such a thing if it wasn’t true.

    2. jsw11984 (@jarred-walmsley)
      22nd August 2011, 23:49

      I’m hoping it is true, Bruno deserves a chance to show what he can do in a decent F1 car, after all you can’t really judge him on a season in a HRT now can you?

    3. I guess the bullying is part of the team, just that we thought it would stop with Briatore, but maybe he ensured the team would be in good hands he knew would do a job the way he would go about it?

      1. By the way, not to say replacing Heidfeld isn’t the right move. For whatever reason the team is struggling, and he isn’t clearly helping them find direction; they might as well try and see how Senna does to give them a better view of relative performance of the car and Petrov. I wonder if Kubica will be sorry for Nick, I sort of doubt it.

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