Red Bull test-break for Karun Chandhok

This “one-off” test does not mean that success will automatically promote the driver to the F1 lanes, but with almost all top shots of international motorsport—as also Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya, who now owns the Spyker team—watching, this could be the best opportunity for Chandhok to break in.

The Red Bull team was placed fifth in this year’s Constructors’ Championship table and its drivers are Mark Webber and David Coulthard.

Speaking to The Indian Express from London, on his way to the Red Bull test facility, Karun said: “The test has more to do with reliability with emphasis on the electronics owing to new rule changes next year.”

And he also made it clear that he was definitely not looking at a place as a driver for the next season. “I would like to consolidate my position further with GP2 (which runs as a support series for the Formula One World Championship, and where he has excelled) next year, but what I am looking at is a test driver’s assignment with Red Bull for the next season. The two duties will not interfere because there is little clash in dates between the two. I will be able to manage both if allowed.”

The “dream opportunity,” according to Karun was in the pipeline since last week and “lucky” since regular tester Sebastian Buemi is off to Macau for an F3 race.

Having had a bumpy ride since two years, Karun this year took a U-turn by becoming the first Indian to win a GP2 series race at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium. The win, in fact, was the only victory by a Red Bull-backed driver in the series.

“The victory was surely appreciated…particularly by Dietrich Mateschitz , Dr Helmut Marko and Christian Horner…and I guess it seems I’ve been merited for that,” added Karun.

While handling an F1 car is a totally different ball game, Karun all eager to get to the factory, added: “More than the excitement is hard work ahead…team simulator, getting to know the personal is all time consuming…the bottomline is I don’t want to get silly when testing.”

Just two days of testing may sound mediocre to many, but the fact that India have not one but two drivers testing in the big league is surely a fact that has taken a long while to happen.

So what about a Spyker option, especially with Mallya at the forefront of racing now? “Vijay Mallya has always been very supportive of me,” he said. “Also he has been a family friend, and he follows what I do closely. Of course, I will have to prove myself and only then can I expect to be on contention for any race post.”

He said he will be testing basically the same car that ran the 2007 season, “but with minor upgrades, looking ahead to the next season.”

Having done a season with Durango Racing this year, Karun this year tested with iSport International for the forthcoming GP2 season.

Indians in F1

Narain Karthikeyan 2001, at Silverstone, London: Jaguar Racing (as part of his contract with Stewart Racing)

2003, at Vallelunga, Rome: Minardi Cosworth (three-day test, lost out on drive for 2004 for want of funds)

2005 – Gets Jordan F1 drive for full season (18th, 5 points) 2006 – Wiliams F1 ‘tester’

2007 – Williams F1 ‘tester’

Karun Chandhok

2007 – Red Bull Racing (two-day test)

KARUN’S CARD: 2000 National champion; 2001 Formula Asia champion; 2002 British F3 Scholarship class; 2003 British F3 scholarship class; 2004 British F3 championship class; 2005 V6 World Series Championship 2006 V6 World Series Championship 2007 GP2 series