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For Narain, things could have been different
Narain Karthikeyan is best kown Indian on the Formula One circuit. He termed the Indian GP on October 30th last year as a dream come true. But life could have been different for the fastest Indian in the world.
During the Indian GP, former champion Jenson Button had said that Narain was a tough competitor back in their GP3 days and he was disappointed that the Indian’s career did not take a leap that it should have. While responding to Button, Narain called it better career management on the part of the Brit Button.
“I think Jenson must be talking about the British F3 days where we both were on the grid in 1999. Those days F3 acted as a feeder for F1 - since there was no official feeder like GP2 (and now) GP3 these days. Through the course of the season, Jenson won three races while I won two. And though he made it to F1 with Williams next year, I barely managed to scrape through a test in 2001 and race in the World Series and so on until 2005 when I made my debut. UK is the heart of Formula 1 and being British, Jenson had the right management who knew what to do to get there,” the Indian told Sunday Pioneer via email.
Narain called it unchartered territory and he did not get the required support. “In contrast, it was uncharted territory for me as no one could divulge (if they knew) what was needed to make it there. Everyone knows that Jenson's early performances were a little underwhelming, but knowing that you are consistently on the grid, one can try new things and constantly improve which is what he did and ultimately got a break with a team that made him world champion. No one even thought that he had the ability to be a champion when he was driving in back of the grid cars but today he is regarded as a top driver in an extremely competitive grid,” he added.
The Hispania Racing Team (HRT) driver said it was destiny. “In short, success doesn't come overnight and you need enough opportunities which enable to show that you have got what it takes in the first place. If you're in a situation like me where driving the next race or season is always in murky waters - that thought-process is a luxury that I just don't have so it is all down to what I can deliver on an extremely short notice. If I had managed to consistently feature on the grid even 2005 onwards, I am sure I could have achieved a whole lot more,” he added.
He termed 2011 as an eventful year where he learnt a lot highlighting the Indian extravaganza of the GP as special. “The year was quite eventful - and there is something to be learnt from any situation that comes your way. The highlight of the season was of course the our home race - the Indian GP with the odds being stacked high against me, as I had been out of the race seat for quite a bit and was being measured against Daniel Ricciardo as my teammate. Things turned out well in the end, we achieved the best result we could hope for and it was an incredibly special feeling to drive in Formula 1 on my home soil - can't think of anything that comes close,” he said.
“In contrast there were a few trying moments as well - after a difficult start to the season in Australia where we simply ran out of time to prep the car, I was quickly getting on terms with the new demands of F1 - with a quick teammate like Liuzzi I had a good benchmark as well. But just when I was getting comfortable, especially on race pace front - I had to relinquish my seat to Ricciardo. Something like that isn't good for motivation, especially knowing that I had done a good job but it wasn't in my control. However, the prospects of competing in the Indian GP kept me motivated to train, and do everything else like I would if I was driving the whole season,” he signed off.
Narain Karthikeyan is best kown Indian on the Formula One circuit. He termed the Indian GP on October 30th last year as a dream come true. But life could have been different for the fastest Indian in the world.
During the Indian GP, former champion Jenson Button had said that Narain was a tough competitor back in their GP3 days and he was disappointed that the Indian’s career did not take a leap that it should have. While responding to Button, Narain called it better career management on the part of the Brit Button.
“I think Jenson must be talking about the British F3 days where we both were on the grid in 1999. Those days F3 acted as a feeder for F1 - since there was no official feeder like GP2 (and now) GP3 these days. Through the course of the season, Jenson won three races while I won two. And though he made it to F1 with Williams next year, I barely managed to scrape through a test in 2001 and race in the World Series and so on until 2005 when I made my debut. UK is the heart of Formula 1 and being British, Jenson had the right management who knew what to do to get there,” the Indian told Sunday Pioneer via email.
Narain called it unchartered territory and he did not get the required support. “In contrast, it was uncharted territory for me as no one could divulge (if they knew) what was needed to make it there. Everyone knows that Jenson's early performances were a little underwhelming, but knowing that you are consistently on the grid, one can try new things and constantly improve which is what he did and ultimately got a break with a team that made him world champion. No one even thought that he had the ability to be a champion when he was driving in back of the grid cars but today he is regarded as a top driver in an extremely competitive grid,” he added.
The Hispania Racing Team (HRT) driver said it was destiny. “In short, success doesn't come overnight and you need enough opportunities which enable to show that you have got what it takes in the first place. If you're in a situation like me where driving the next race or season is always in murky waters - that thought-process is a luxury that I just don't have so it is all down to what I can deliver on an extremely short notice. If I had managed to consistently feature on the grid even 2005 onwards, I am sure I could have achieved a whole lot more,” he added.
He termed 2011 as an eventful year where he learnt a lot highlighting the Indian extravaganza of the GP as special. “The year was quite eventful - and there is something to be learnt from any situation that comes your way. The highlight of the season was of course the our home race - the Indian GP with the odds being stacked high against me, as I had been out of the race seat for quite a bit and was being measured against Daniel Ricciardo as my teammate. Things turned out well in the end, we achieved the best result we could hope for and it was an incredibly special feeling to drive in Formula 1 on my home soil - can't think of anything that comes close,” he said.
“In contrast there were a few trying moments as well - after a difficult start to the season in Australia where we simply ran out of time to prep the car, I was quickly getting on terms with the new demands of F1 - with a quick teammate like Liuzzi I had a good benchmark as well. But just when I was getting comfortable, especially on race pace front - I had to relinquish my seat to Ricciardo. Something like that isn't good for motivation, especially knowing that I had done a good job but it wasn't in my control. However, the prospects of competing in the Indian GP kept me motivated to train, and do everything else like I would if I was driving the whole season,” he signed off.
