17/01/2007
NEWS STORY
Williams F1 Team test driver, "The Fastest Indian in the World", Narain Karthikeyan, will race for A1 Team India at Taupo, New Zealand, in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport this weekend.
Karthikeyan brings to the Indian team a wealth of racing experience. He became the first Indian to test a Formula One car in 2001, testing a Jaguar at Silverstone, while he also competed in the World Series by Nissan. Jordan recognised the young Indian's talents and signed him to drive one of their F1 entrants in 2005. In 2006 Narain moved to Williams F1 Team as Test Driver and he continues in this role for 2007.
A national sporting hero in India, he says of joining A1 Team India, "I'm very proud to drive for my country in A1GP. I've been following the team's fortunes since the start of the Series. Frank Williams has kindly agreed for me to race, but my Formula 1 testing duties for Williams will always be my number 1 priority. I am very thankful for Sir Frank's support and feel very privileged to be in Formula One, but like all racing drivers I want to race fast cars. In recent months, I have had several offers to drive in America and Japan, but I chose A1GP because the race schedule does not clash with my Formula 1 commitments.
"I hope that I can help A1 Team India improve its performance in the Series, as well as heighten its profile back home. I know that I'm joining the Series part way through the second season and many teams have been working with experienced drivers since the start. If I can accelerate the learning curve for the team and we can make progress, possibly scoring some points, I'll be very pleased."
Yohann J Setna, A1 Team India Seatholder, adds, "We're extremely delighted that Narain is joining A1 Team India in New Zealand. Narain will bring invaluable experience to the team and we are confident we can provide him with a competitive package, which we hope will help him secure a Formula One race drive in the future.
I know that he will be an excellent asset to us and I'm sure he's going to enjoy the unique environment of A1GP. The nation will take great pride in watching Narain driving for his country in New Zealand and I hope it will be the first of many outings for him this season and in the future."
India has yet to score a point in the 2006/2007 A1 GP season.