Karthikeyan calls for home support

Karthikeyan says is hoping to receive a similar level of support towards the cricket at inaugural Indian Grand Prix.

NEW DEHLI: Indian Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan says he is hoping to receive a similar level of support towards the cricket team at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix in October.

Karthikeyan, India’s first Formula One driver who last competed in 2005, announced his comeback after signing a deal with the struggling HRT team for a season and expects his home race to be the highlight of the campaign.

“I’ve been through a lot in my career but to be a part of the first-ever Indian Grand Prix will a special moment for me,” said Karthikeyan. “I’ve always seen cricketers playing in front of home fans and how pumped up the support gets them. To experience over 100,000 fans cheering for me will be a surreal experience.”

Karthikeyan also revealed that he did not make is comeback with HRT last year as he did not want to take a risk with an ‘unproven’ team.

“Originally we had discussed the possibility of me driving for them in 2010,” Karthikeyan told ESPN F1. “But I felt that it was not the opportunity I was looking for at that time, as the team was new in Formula One, and still an unproven one.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2011.