« India students fear attacks could be racially motivated. [updated] :+: Comparing turbans to diapers earns the wrath of American Sikhs »

A1 GP

Narain Karthikeyan and Team India set a new circuit record.

By: Karthik :+: Under: A1 GP, Motor Racing, Narain Karthikeyan, Sports
On: ⋅ September 20, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment
Discuss in our off-topic forums

Looks like you are new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Narain Karthikeyan, Driving for Team India set the fastest time, breaking the circuit record at Silverstone.
Image from A1GP.

On Sunday, Karun Chandok stood atop the podium in Spa, with India’s national anthem being played and this time around, Narain Karthikeyan broke the circuit record for A1GP cars are Silverstone, the first time India has topped an official test, practice or race session in the World Cup of motor sports. It looks like a good week for India.

A1 Team India smashed the A1GP lap record to set the quickest time of pre-season testing at Silverstone’s National circuit this week.

Driver Narain Karthikeyan said after the team’s second place yesterday there was more time to be found in the car, and he was proved right with a sensational 47.809s lap this in this morning’s session.

Narain Karthikeyan came down with a viral fever the first time around and this stopped Team India’s from exploiting the car last time around. But this time he was on form, setting the second fastest time the first day and topping the time sheets on the second day.

Talking after the session, Narain suggested that India could fight for the title this year.

‘Well, it’s a brave statement to say that we are going to win the championship, but let me say that we will be fighting for it at least,’ Karthikeyan said after setting the time. ‘Going by the last two days we won’t be bad and it looks like we will be up there.

‘I certainly hope everything works out well. For an emerging nation like India to be top of A1GP it’s going to be a huge thing back home. Now we will have to see how it all ends up.’

‘The car wasn’t perfect yesterday and we went back to the set-up we normally run this morning,’ he added. ‘It was a good lap, but the car is working well, which is the most important thing. It really doesn’t matter what the lap times show today.

After the upbeat suggestion, he said he would reserve his final judgment to the first race later this year.

‘It was just testing and it will be qualifying at Zandvoort when we really know where we are. But it is a great confidence boost.’

I know for a fact that Yohann Setna (who visits UD regularly), the seat holder (or as I like to call him the Manager) of Team India will be very thrilled. We can’t wait to hear from him.

« India students fear attacks could be racially motivated. [updated] :+: Comparing turbans to diapers earns the wrath of American Sikhs »
Discuss in our off-topic forums