Narain Karthikeyan
Kumar Ram Narain Karthikeyan ( born January 14, 1977 in Chennai) is an Indian racing driver. He made his debut in Formula 1 in 2005 and launched there by 2012 with disruptions to 46 races. In 2013 he appears in the Auto GP.
- 2.1 Career stations
- 2.2 Statistics in Formula 1 2.2.1 Individual Results
Career
Beginnings in motorsport
Karthikeyan came early on by his father to motorsports in touch. In 1992 he enlisted in the French Elf Winfield Racing School and managed in a final tournament to the semifinals. After his return to India he played in 1993, some local races in the Formula Maruti, but soon he moved to England and took the rest of the year participated in the British Formula Vauxhall Junior. In 1994 he moved to the British Formula Ford and celebrated his greatest success to date with a podium finish at Estoril. In the overall classification, he finished 13th Place Following the season, he was the overall winner of the British Formula Ford Winter Series, winning the first Indian to a European formula racing championship. In 1995 he took part in four races of the Formula Asia. The following year he won the championship with 10 wins from 14 races.
In 1997 he returned to Europe and finished with a win eighth overall in the British Formula Vauxhall. In 1998 he moved to the British Formula 3 championship and took part in the half- season. At the last two races at Spa- Francorchamps and Silverstone, he won two third places. He finished the season in twelfth place from the championship. In 1999, he played the entire season for Carlin Motorsport, reaching a total of four podium finishes, including two wins at Brands Hatch. With two pole positions and three fastest laps and he finished the championship as a sixth overall. In 2000 he moved to Stewart Racing team and was with four podium finishes fourth in the Drivers' Championship British Formula 3, while his teammate Tomas Scheckter scored the runner-up. He also appeared as a guest in two races at the French Formula 3 Championship and chose a race of it for themselves. In the traditional Macau Grand Prix, he scored for Carlin Motorsport pole position and the fastest lap of the race, but came only 13th place. In the Korean Formula 3 Super Prix he won the race from pole position starting for themselves.
2001 Karthikeyan occurred in the Japanese Formula Nippon at the team impulses. With two sixth places for the best results he finished the season in 14th place overall. He also completed his first Formula 1 test for Jaguar. A little later he received two more test possibilities of Jordan. 2002 Karthikeyan returned again to Europe and went for TATA RC Motorsport in the World Series by Nissan at the start. With a third place as best result, he finished the season in ninth place overall and thus also decided the team-internal duel with Peter Sundberg for themselves. In 2003 he moved to Carlin Motorsport. With a second place as best result he closed the season of World Series by Nissan from in fourth place overall. His teammate Bruce Jouanny he distanced significantly by 121 to 62 points. He also completed this year for more Minardi Formula 1 test drives. In 2004, he played his third season in the World Series by Nissan and returned to TATA RC Motorsport. Karthikeyan had a total of three teammates in this season, and together with Karun Chandhok for the last two race weekends, an Indian driver duo. With wins in Valencia and Magny-Cours, he finished the season in sixth place in the championship.
Formula 1
Jordan ( 2005)
As the first Indian Karthikeyan ever was in 2005 made his debut in Formula 1 he was At Jordan team-mate Tiago Monteiro of. At the Grand Prix of the United States, he came up behind Monteiro in fourth place finish. Due to tire problems, however, started only six vehicles to this race. In contrast to Monteiro, he scored no more points. Two eleventh places were otherwise his best rankings this season. In the drivers' standings Karthikeyan finally came in 18th place.
Williams (2006-2007)
Having already completed 2005 test runs for the Williams team in December, he was taken by the team as a test driver contract. In winter 2006/2007 Karthikeyan stepped up to the Indian team in the A1 Grand Prix. He competed in ten races and scored the only points Placements his team. A fourth place was his best result. He then took over in the 2007 Formula 1 season again the tasks of the test driver of Williams. At the end of the season his contract was not renewed.
A1GP, Le Mans and Superleague Formula
In the 2007/2008 season of A1 Grand Prix, Karthikeyan was nine out of ten race weekends, the pilot of the Indian team. He chose each one race in Zhuhai and Brands Hatch for themselves and trugt instrumental in his team finished the season in tenth place in the championship. In the 2008/2009 A1GP season Karthikeyan finally was the only use pilot of the Indian A1GP team. With a second place as best result his team finished the season in twelfth place in the championship.
He then joined in 2009 in the Le Mans Series for Team Kolles to. With his team boss Colin Kolles, he had worked in 2005 for Jordan in Formula 1. He started in four out of five races and finished 19th in the LMP1 category. It should also be used in the 24- hour race at Le Mans. However, due to a shoulder injury he had suffered shortly before the start, he could not compete. 2010 Karthikeyan returned to Formula racing and started for assisted by several racing stables team of PSV Eindhoven in the Superleague Formula. At Brands Hatch, he succeeded once again a race to decide for themselves. After the seventh race weekend he was replaced by Hywel Lloyd. He also began 2010 in the Camping World Truck Series NASCAR and the U.S. participated in nine of 25 races. The season he finished in 30th place in the drivers' standings.
Return to Formula 1
HRT (2011-2012)
Karthikeyan returned in 2011 with the Spanish team HRT back to Formula 1. In the team, he worked again with Colin Kolles, who had become in the meantime to the HRT team principal, together. Karthikeyan received financial support from the Indian group Tata, who supported him, among other things because of the first Grand Prix of India at his comeback. The first race weekend in Australia, he failed at the 107- percent rule. At the next seven races he took part though, was, however, predominantly distanced himself from his teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi. After the Grand Prix of Europe it was replaced by Daniel Ricciardo. After being used for some Friday practice, Karthikeyan graduated at his home Grand Prix, the Grand Prix of India, another race. At the end of the season, he finished 26th place in the World Cup.
Beginning of February 2012 confirmed HRT Karthikeyan as regular drivers for the 2012 Formula 1 season. As in the previous failed Karthikeyan and his team mate this season Pedro de la Rosa, in the season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, to the qualifications and were also not subsequently admitted to race. A race later in Malaysia Karthikeyan managed to qualify and fell by two collisions. First, he collided with Jenson Button, who had fallen by his pit stop behind him, then he touched Sebastian Vettel, who overtook him. While Karthikeyan drove respectively, had the other two pilots to stops for repairs to the box. For the collision with Vettel he was subsequently punished with a drive-through penalty. At the Grand Prix of Monaco, he scored with a 15th place his best finish so far for HRT. However, it was the last pilot of those who crossed the finish line in the race. At the end of the season Karthikeyan finished in 24th place in the driver standings. HRT set after the end of the season racing.
Auto GP
2013 received Karthikeyan at Zele Racing cockpit for the season opener of the Auto GP.
Statistics
Career stations
- 2000: British Formula 3 Championship (4th place )
- 2001: Formula Nippon ( 14th)
- 2002: World Series by Nissan ( 9th place)
- 2003: World Series by Nissan (4th place )
- 2004: World Series by Nissan ( 6th place)
- 2005: Formula 1 ( 18th place)
- 2006: Formula 1 ( test driver )
- 2007: A1 Grand Prix
- 2007: Formula 1 ( test driver )
- 2008: A1 Grand Prix
- 2009: A1 Grand Prix
- 2009: Le Mans Series, LMP1 ( 19th place )
- 2010: Superleague Formula
- 2010: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (No. 30)
- 2011: Formula 1 ( # 26 )
- 2012: Formula 1 ( 24th place )
- 2013: Auto GP