In the city for a promotional shoot, Karthikeyan told DNA he hopes to race with a better team.
Despite a good showing in A1GP, Karthikeyan wants to show his mettle in Formula One
MUMBAI: Narain Karthikeyan might be enjoying a good stint with Team India in the A1 Grand Prix, the world cup of motorsports, but the 31-year-old Indian racer still dreams of challenging the who’s who of the racing world in Formula One.
In the city for a promotional shoot, Karthikeyan told DNA he hopes to race with a better team. Karthikeyan believes that by putting up good performances in the A1GP consistently would be a major factor in reaching his goal. “For any racer, Formula One is a big thing and I am no exception. I have been working hard with the A1 team and thoroughly enjoying it but F1 is my ultimate dream,” he said.
Karthikeyan, who was the first Indian to race in F1, however said the selection of the team would be crucial. “When I was with Jordan, the aim would be to out-do your teammate. You have to be with bigger teams to get podium finishes,” he points out.
After guiding Team India to its first ever A1GP race win last December, Karthikeyan continued his good showing this season, finishing 10th in the China, thus earning a point for the team.
But he was disappointed that the team couldn’t race in the Zandvoort GP, the first of the season, after the delivery of the car was delayed.
“A good performance there would have given us momentum,” he said. “But I feel they should declare it as a non-championship race,” Karthikeyan added.
Nonetheless, he was thrilled with the performance of the car with the new Ferrari-powered engine. Karthikeyan said the association of Ferrari will take A1GP to new heights and has given this concept a huge vote of confidence.
The performance with the new engine has been memorable for the team after Karthikeyan emerged fastest in the first free practice.
“It was quite cool. That was the first time the car was tested and we finished first! The result gave us a huge boost for the rest of the weekend,” he said. “There is a dramatic jump in the downforce level of the car. With this engine, the car feels more like a Formula One car from the 2004-05 season,” he said.
The team now hopes for a top six finish in the Malaysia GP at the Sepang circuit, a track familiar to Karthikeyan. “We have to work on the car set up for the Sepang race. It is a very challenging track but better than Chengdu, so we expect a better finish,” he said.
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