The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : A1 Team India keen on podium finish

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 13, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport - Racing : Motor

A1 Team India keen on podium finish

Coimbatore: Williams Formula One test driver, Narain Karthikeyan, will return to the venue of his last F-1 race, the Shanghai International Circuit in China, hoping to secure a podium finish for A1 Team India in the penultimate round of the A1GP series this weekend.

Driving in his fourth event in an A1GP car, Narain will look to put an end to all those miserable weekends in the car and change fortunes for the team. Narain, who last raced in Shanghai in the 2005 F-1 season finale, will be the only driver in this weekend event to have taken part in the F-1 Chinese GP. The circuit is one of the longest and technically demanding.

It features a combination of long straights and slow and high-speed corners, which require a specific set-up.

"This will be the first time I will be driving in an A1 GP car at a circuit I am already familiar with. This will help us in finding the perfect set-up straightaway. Obviously, there will be significant differences between the A1 GP and F-1 cars, but my experience here should help the team," Narain said.

Right set-up

He said it is essential for the team to find the right set-up early on in this technically demanding circuit. "We need to work hard as a team here and ensure we are on the pace from the first practice session and achieve the results that we are capable of.

"I think a podium is a realistic ambition considering Narain's experience of the track," A1 Team India seatholder, Yohann Setna, said.

A1 Team India will begin their race preparations on Friday followed by further practice and qualifying on Saturday. The 23 A1 GP cars will then take to the grid for the sprint race on Sunday morning followed by the feature race later in the day. — Sports Reporter

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport