Chandhok and Karthikeyan respond to Mallya
Unaccustomed to flashy statements, Vijay Mallya nonetheless provoked a sharp response from his compatriots, who replied through the media to the comments of the Force India team owner.
The recent statements by the director of the Indian team, Vijay Mallya, have clearly elicited reactions from the two Indian drivers who are currently part of the Formula One Circus. Both Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan have expressed their feelings and are not mincing their words.
Mallya, at the head of a team that launched a program titled “One in a Billion” aimed at traveling across India in search of the most talented drivers and supporting them throughout their training to reach the pinnacle of motorsport, had very harsh words regarding the current Indian drivers. « I can only feel sorry for them. They have seats in teams that clearly cannot compete. If what they want is to drive a Formula One car just for the sake of driving a Formula One and lay low, I can’t do much about it ».
Karun Chandhok, who made his debut in the premier category in 2010 with Hispania Racing Team, for his part, wanted to respond to the director of the orange and green team. « I think it’s a bit sad that the president of the national sporting association talks about all he has done for Indian drivers and, at the same time, criticizes the only two drivers in Formula 1 ». And the reserve driver for the Malaysian team Team Lotus added: « I understand the need to find the next Indian star, and I do use the word “next,” not “first,” and the necessity to train more Indian F1 drivers. But you will never find the next Indian star by organizing rental kart races with four-stroke engines on 400-meter concrete tracks ».
For Narain Karthikeyan, who made his debut with the Jordan team in 2005 and returned to racing this season with HRT before recently being replaced by Red Bull’s Australian hopeful, Daniel Ricciardo, the presence of Karun Chandhok and himself is a factor of optimism as the first Indian Grand Prix will take place at the end of the season. « Against all odds, we both made it to F1! Who I will drive for at the Indian GP doesn’t matter. It will be a symbolic and historic moment to show any aspiring driver what can be achieved through hard work. »
Finally, Karun Chandhok still wants to remind that when you criticize people, you must do so with the help of facts. Having tested neither Narain nor me in one of his cars, he does not have the facts. Take note.
