After indifferent form in the 2005 season, Karun Chandhok looks to make a fresh start by opting for the maiden season of the Formula Asia Renault Series.
Indian racing ace to drive in Formula Asia Renault Series.
NEW DELHI: After indifferent form in the 2005 season, Karun Chandhok looks to make a fresh start by opting for the maiden season of the Formula Asia Renault Series. The 3500cc V6 powered cars will do six rounds from May to October and offer a grid of 14 cars. The obvious attraction for Karun is the lower cost of participation — about 1.8 crore — and the chance to get his confidence back by getting some wins under his belt.
The last time the 22-year-old from Chennai won a race at the international scene was at the 2001 Asian Formula championship and a lot of speculation surrounded his outing in the British Formula 3 with there being limited number of cars on the grid.
However, Karun has gained valuable experience and insight into fine-tuning a car to extract optimum performance over the last five years of his racing career. The man, who still holds the record for pole position and fastest lap in all 10 races in his debut at the Indian national racing championship in 2000, will be eager to scuttle all the question marks that have been raised over the last few years.
"Last year was definitely not good for me. But that in no way is a reflection on my driving ability. I did not have enough budget for testing for the World Series while I did not get enough opportunity to drive in A1 GP," he explained. Karun has roped in JK Tyres, Scottish and Newcastle and Amaron to support his fresh initiative. Given that heat and humidity is going to be a major factor in the first few races, the Chennai-based driver feels he will have an edge over the competition. "I have been doing a lot of fitness training especially in the heat. I expect to be among the top three for sure."
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