Korean Grand Prix Circuit - First laps in Red Bull Racing F1 Car

Source: speedmerchantsmedia

[Photos] Red Bull exhibition in Korea with Karun Chandhok

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Chandhok to get first F1 run on Korean circuit

Karun Chandhok will complete the first lap of the Korean International Circuit in an F1 car, driving a Red Bull on September 4.

He will take to the track in the team's running showcar at the Circuit Run 2010 event, set to be held in front of 3,000 spectators. It will be the first time an F1 car has run on the new circuit ahead of the inaugural race on October 24.

"Red Bull Racing and I know each other from my days on the junior programme," said Chandhok. "The team's regular drivers weren't available due to other commitments, so I was happy to fill in.

"It'll be a real honour to be one of the first people to drive around the new Korean circuit. The layout looks quite good fun on paper and I look forward to driving a winning team's car there next weekend."

Source: ESPNF1

Yamamoto to race for HRT in Hungary

Sakon Yamamoto will be in action for HRT at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Yamamoto replaced Karun Chandhok at the last round in Germany and he will once again occupy the Indian driver’s seat to race alongside Bruno Senna in Budapest.

“I can’t wait to go back to the Hungaroring as I know the circuit already very well from my Formula One races with Super Aguri, Spyker F1 and with ART in GP2 series,” said the Japanese driver, who is a veteran of 16 Grands Prix starts.

“The races there are always very tough because there is no big gap between the corners. You need a good braking stability and good traction on the car. I keep on pushing for another challenge and I hope that we are luckier than in Hockenheim.”

Yamamoto qualified in 23rd at the German event but was forced to retire on Lap 20 following mechanical problems. He had previously replaced Senna at the British Grand Prix, where he qualified in 24th and finished in 20th.

Source: Formula1.com

FIA press conference schedule - Turkey

Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher and Red Bull’s Mark Webber are among the five drivers answering questions on Thursday, while Ferrari’s Stefano Domenicali will face the media alongside other senior team personnel on Friday. The line-up in full…

Thursday, May 27, 1500 hours local time (1200 GMT):
Rubens Barrichello (Williams), Karun Chandhok (HRT), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes GP), Jarno Trulli (Lotus) and Mark Webber (Red Bull).

Friday, May 28, 1600 hours local time (1300 GMT):
Ross Brawn (Mercedes GP), Stefano Domenicali (Ferrari), Adam Parr (Williams) and Franz Tost (Toro Rosso).

The qualifying and post-race conferences with the top three drivers will take place immediately after the respective sessions.

Source: Formula1.com

Chandhok 'not worried' about HRT rumours

Karun Chandhok has tersely insisted he is "not worried" about the future of the struggling HRT team.

Recent reports quoted Bernie Ecclestone as suggesting the new Spanish outfit was in financial trouble, amid reports it will run out of spare parts by next month's Canadian grand prix.

In fact, team officials insist the F1 chief executive is simply helping Hispania with its technical plans for 2011, including the use of a wind tunnel and facilities to design its own car.

Asked about the negative rumours by the Times of India, Chandhok said this week: "That's a matter between Bernie, Colin (Kolles) and (Jose Ramon) Carabantes.

"It has nothing to do with me," added the 26-year-old Indian rookie. "I know what the truth is and I am not worried."

Although friends with his teammate Bruno Senna, Chandhok insists he has been the quickest HRT driver in 2010 but is keen for a car upgrade in order to ensure he has a seat next year.

"I've generally been faster than Bruno," he said, adding that the Cosworth powered F110 "really needs" a new aerodynamic package.

"But as of now, my objective is to keep pushing as much as I can and secure a good position for 2011. The rest isn't up to me," added Chandhok.

Source: F1 Complete

Chandhok: It looked worse than it was

Karun Chandhok insists his Monaco GP accident with Jarno Trulli was not as bad as it looked - and it did look really bad.

Three laps from the end of the grand prix, Trulli tried to overtake the Hispania Racing driver through the Rascasse corner. But instead of pushing ahead of him, he landed on top of him in a rather frightening accident.

Chandhok escaped unharmed as Trulli's wheels luckily did not hit his helmet.

"Jarno just tried something silly really," the Indian driver told Reuters.

"I don't think he would have even had enough steering lock to get around the corner from the angle he was coming at. He would have done the old Schumacher 2006 parking move.

"He has apologised... I quite like Jarno, he's a nice guy and I think when he apologises he knows he's screwed up.

"Fortunately I was a bit lucky as I ducked and he went over my head.

"It didn't actually touch me but it looked worse than it actually was.

"But it was very frustrating because that was probably my best race of the year in terms of pace and we were racing the other two new teams."

Source: Planet F1

5-place grid drop for Chandhok

Hispania's Karun Chandhok has been handed a 5-place grid drop ahead of qualifying in Barcelona this afternoon.

Drivers are required to run the same gearbox for four full race weekends - in order to keep costs to a minimum - although Indian Chandhok receives the penalty following a change at the Circuit de Catalunya after Friday practice.

However, as Hispania are almost certain to be eliminated from Q1 in normal circumstances, the Murcia-based team effectively receives no disadvantage in comparison to its current expected pace.

Source: GP Update

Chandhok 'amazed' as Klien faster than Senna

Karun Chandhok will have to admit to being "amazed" after sitting out the morning practice session in Barcelona.

To both his and teammate Bruno Senna's chagrin in Spain, the Indian rookie's HRT car was occupied instead by new test and reserve driver Christian Klien.

Austrian Klien's 26 laps were the first at a grand prix weekend since he practiced in a Honda in 2007, but he has been brought in by team boss Colin Kolles for his experience of 48 grands prix and three subsequent years of testing.

Before the morning session, Chandhok was quoted as saying by the BBC: "I'll be amazed if he goes half a second quicker than Bruno; I highly doubt it."

However, Klien was in fact exactly half a second quicker than Brazilian rookie Senna, cutting the deficit to F1's other new teams to just five tenths.

Chandhok said: "Christian has got good experience of some good teams so he could bring something.

"The team is a little bit behind the game, so any information we can get from other people is useful. It's frustrating for me, I want to drive the car as much as possible."

Source: F1 Complete

Klien replacing Chandhok in Practice 1

The Hispania team has confirmed that it will be Karun Chandhok who is replaced by Christian Klien in Barcelona's first free practice session on Friday. The Austrian joined the Murcia-based squad this week as official test and reserve driver alongside Sakon Yamamoto.

With Japan's Yamamoto having been signed in the middle of last month, Hispania announced Klien as the second reserve driver on Wednesday, confirming the Austrian's first Formula 1 contract since BMW pulled out of the sport at the end of last month.

Following in the footsteps of Force India's Paul di Resta and Lotus' Fairuz Fauzy, Klien will become the third test driver this season to take part in a weekend session as he takes to the wheel for the 90-minute period on Friday morning.

Source: GP Update

Chandhok joins Senna at HRT

Karun Chandhok was officially announced on Thursday as Bruno Senna's team-mate at the HRT Formula 1 team, formerly known as Campos Meta. In Murcia, Spain, the new Formula 1 team will reveal its livery later today.

Speaking in the team's official statement HRT team principal Colin Kolles said: "I am very pleased to use the Murcia site to officially unveil our car livery today. We also complete the driver's team line-up with the Indian Karun Chandhok at the wheel of the car for our first ever season.

"We have been very impressed with Karun's performance in GP2. India is a great country. It will be great for the sport to have an Indian driver on the grid for the first Indian Grand Prix. Murcia is part of the roots of the team. Everything is now in place after an impossible race against time to register the team's name and I truly believe that we have an excellent platform to build on and move forward for a strong 2010 performance. Now, we need to work together. We need to learn together and keep developing as a team."

Karun Chandhok will be the second driver from India to race in Formula 1.

Source: GP Update