12/09/2011
NEWS STORY
Team Lotus owner Tony Fernandes has dropped a broad hint that Karun Chandhok could drive one of the green and yellow cars in his country's inaugural Grand Prix next month.
Weeks away from its first Grand Prix, India is without an actual F1 race driver, Narain Karthikeyan dropped by HRT in favour of Daniel Ricciardo while Chandhok is merely reserve driver at Lotus.
However, talking to Reuters, Fernandes has signalled that 27-year-old Chandhok might yet get the chance to race in front of his countrymen - a move that would surely increase local interest even further.
"I'd like him to. It's up to the team to see whether he will," said Fernandes, though in all honesty it is he who calls the shots.
Other than a couple of Friday outings, Chandhok was given Jarno Trulli's car for the German Grand Prix weekend, the Indian finishing twentieth, 4 laps down on race winner Lewis Hamilton.
With Trulli having been handed a contract for 2012 it is likely the Italian will forgo his seat again when the F1 circus pitches tent in New Delhi at the end of next month.