Gearing up for Formula One action on their home track for the first time, Indian drivers Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok on Saturday said the challenging Budh International Circuit will provide fans with quite a spectacle when F1 comes to the country this October.
“I can relate some of the corners to corners of some other circuits in the world. There are a lot of overtaking opportunities and long straights. Spectators can see the speed of an F1 car, which would go up to 320kms per hour. It will be a huge spectacle,” Karthikeyan said.
Adding to that, Chandhok said, “It (circuit) is challenging for drivers. The elevations change...then there are 2-3 corners with double the width for overtaking...great for spectators. It’s a tremendous facility.”
Chandhok is optimistic but still not quite sure about his chances of racing in the event but Karthikeyan will be there on the grid.
Karthikeyan, the first Indian to be in the driver’s seat of an F1 car long before Force India came into being, confirmed that he will race on October 30 for his Spanish outfit Hispania Racing but Chandhok said does not yet know whether he would be joining his compatriot on the grid.
Karthikeyan had competed in the first-half of the 2011 season for Hispania before being replaced by Daniel Ricciardo for the rest of the season.
“My seat was never under question for the Indian race. Yes, I would like to have a race or two to warm-up for the Indian GP,” Karthikeyan said as the tickets were launched online for the first-ever F1 race in India.
