Karthikeyan wants to keep his seat at HRT for 2013
Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan stated that he wanted to stay with HRT for the 2013 season. However, the Spanish team is keeping its options open by running two young drivers during Friday sessions.

Narain Karthikeyan joined the HRT team at the beginning of the year after making his return to the grid with the Spanish team in 2011, before being replaced for the final races of the season.
As the Spanish team is in full expansion, especially after relocating its facilities to Madrid earlier this year, Karthikeyan hinted that he would like to continue the adventure with the Spanish team in 2013: “HRT has made a lot of investments,” he told the news agency Trust Of India. “We have a new headquarters and our own factory for the first time since our creation. We are trying to reap the benefits of these facilities for the next season with some good results. I have a very good relationship with the team’s management. I hope we can achieve something from this. I want to stay with HRT, that’s my plan and it seems to be the right one.”
Despite everything, this season, Karthikeyan is struggling to stand out, especially against his experienced teammate Pedro de la Rosa. The Indian driver has outqualified the Spaniard only once, at the last Grand Prix in Italy.
The first Indian driver in the history of Formula 1, however, adds an important caveat to his underperformance. He had to repeatedly give up his seat to young drivers (Dani Clos and Ma Qing Hua) during Friday practice sessions. This did not allow him enough time behind the wheel of his car to familiarize himself with the circuits and settings: « For example, at Silverstone, I was unlucky. I missed the first Friday session and participated in the second one in the rain. Having only one hour of practice on Saturday and facing a fast guy like him [de la Rosa, editor’s note] is very difficult and demanding. »