Karthikeyan will not be in F1 in 2008

Narain Karthikeyan confirmed that he is not part of the group of drivers hoping to secure the last available spot in F1, alongside Adrian Sutil for Force India. This is despite Karthikeyan and Vijay Mallya, the current head of the Indian team, sharing the same nationality.

The 30-year-old driver was the first Indian representative at the start of a Formula 1 race. This event dates back to 2005, where he raced for an entire season with Jordan, which is the ‘ancestor’ of Force India.

Karthikeyan then spent two years occasionally with Williams as a test driver.

But while his compatriot Karun Chandhok, who showcases his talent in GP2 and has tested for Red Bull, has been promised an F1 race seat in 2009, Karthikeyan claims he hasn’t heard from Mallya or any spokesperson from Force India since October.

« I sent a message of congratulations to Mr. Mallya after he successfully completed the purchase of the former Spyker team, » said the Indian to AutoMania, the automobile supplement of the Economic Times.

« He told me once, when he was already in charge of the team, that there would be a possibility for me. It was in October. After that, for whatever reasons, the team looked for other drivers, » he added.

« Even if it’s not correct. It’s not the end of the world for me, » concluded Karthikeyan.