Handicapped by limited resources, India's newest Formula One driver Karun Chandhok has set
himself a modest target of just finishing the race when he makes his F1 debut here on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Chennai lad landed a driver's seat with Hispania Racing barely a week ago and the outfit, bailed out of a financial morass by Spanish businessman Jose Ramon Carabante, arrived here without any pre-season tests which has already triggered safety fears.
Away from all these, Karun is focusing hard on the race alone and has no illusions about his Formula One debut.
“I am really looking forward to my F1 debut this weekend. Finishing the race will be a fantastic achievement for a team put together so late and the objective here will be to get as many miles under my belt as possible,” said the Chennai lad.
Lack of test miles under his belt handicaps the youngster but Karun is relieved that at least the Sakhir layout is not alien to him.
“Fortunately I have driven here before in GP2 so that will help the learning process a bit. I was on the front row in 2008 and was very competitive when I was back here in 2009, so I’ve got pretty good knowledge of the circuit,” he said.
“However, F1 is a completely different ballgame and we will have a tough challenge in front of us. I have spent time back in Europe with the guys in the factory and it is great to see that the whole team is very motivated about our first race together,” added Karun.
