Super Formula Series will be highly challenging, says Narain Karthikeyan
Narain Karthikeyan will drive for Team Impul Hoshino Racing and said with new cars this year, the format should be on par with the glamorous Formula One in terms of speed and times clocked.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: March 27, 2014 09:27 PM IST
India's top racing driver Narain Karthikeyan says performing well at the Super Formula would be highly challenging, considering the competitive field in the series, starting next month. "I was looking at options. One was to go to Indycar in America. I heard there were new cars coming to Japan and decided to go and test them in December. I was fastest in testing in December in Fuji and then the team invited me again in January and it went really well," said the ex-Formula One driver, who is being supported by Tata Group.
"The cars are really fast so I decided on this championship. There are several (former) F1 drivers driving here so it's a very tough competition. It will be quite a challenge," he told reporters here.
"I am comfortable in the car. We would like to have had more testing in dry conditions. But it wasn't to be. On the last day of testing in Fuji, I was fourth fastest which is not so bad. It's going to be very competitive and challenging."
Karthikeyan will drive for Team Impul Hoshino Racing and said with new cars this year, the format should be on par with the glamorous Formula One in terms of speed and times clocked. "(I was) Pleasantly surprised that we have a new car this year, the Dallara SF 14, 2.0 litre engine. Compared to Formula One last year, we were three seconds off in similar tyres.
With F1 slowing down this year, we should be on par in terms of times. "It is going to be really fast with the format being the same as F1 with a pit stop and a luxury of a fuel stop as well. Quite a lot of strategies will come in to place." The 37-year old said no racing event can be compared to F1 but qualified the statement by saying he didn't find it exciting to be in F1 as the cars are not on par with each other.
"F1 is the pinnacle of the motorsport, no doubt about that. But unfortunately the differences between the cars are quite a lot. Like even this year you can see from top to the bottom, the difference is 5-6 seconds. There is no way you can be competitive, no matter how good you are. This is why I don't (find it exciting)," said the Coimbatore-born race driver.
"I felt a lot of happiness and satisfaction last year by winning races and from now onwards I would do something which I can win. And these cars are all pretty equal." Asked if he would return to the F1 circuit if he were to get an offer from a more competitive car, Karthikeyan replied, "never say never."
Turning his attention to German racing legend Michael Schumacher, who is in coma after a skiing accident in France on December 29, Karthikeyan said it was unfortunate the former F1 champion was seriously injured while skiing after having suffered only one major accident during his racing career. "It is very, very unfortunate. He had a lot of luck in his racing career and (has had) only one big accident. And for something like this to happen, I don't know what to say. It is such a bad feeling. We all hope he will recover but (with what the doctors say) it is not very positive news."
On the Indian Grand Prix that was scrapped this year, he said, "We met Sameer (Gaur - CEO of Jaypee Sports International who own the Budh Circuit in Greater Noida) on Sunday. He hopes the race will come in 2015, so lets hope for the best."
Karthikeyan believed Mercedes would be the top team in this year's Formula One series. "I think Mercedes is ahead of everyone else and what they would do is try and maintain that advantage. People would close the gap but I am not sure on beating the Mercedes.
"They are very strong. They have two fantastic drivers (Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg) as well. That is a package that is going to be hard to beat," he added.