Narain Karthikeyan: India's FIRST F1 Driver confirmed!!

haryan · 4th February 2005, 17:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by gkrishn

dont worry. You will get a sneak preview this monday itself. jordan has got lot of testing to do before taking the car to australia.

what the point of following the testing .... Cars will be on some kind of preset setups ... the cars will not be driven in anger ...
I want to see narain burn up the jordan in anger on the race tracks in proper racing conditions

khaadu75 · 4th February 2005, 18:45

Rtech, ooops ..SOrry !! Just the excitement getting to me I guess ... !!!

cheers

X-Machine · 5th February 2005, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhp

atleast u will see some indian flags at all races bcoz indian s are spread all across the world and we could cheer our indian hero now leaving ms aside

Yeah Indian flags with the prancing horse instead of the chakra.

X

ariesmale870 · 5th February 2005, 23:18

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=32021

HORNER QUESTIONS JORDAN LINE-UP
Last Updated: Saturday, 05, February, 2005, 16:06

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has questioned the wisdom of Jordan’s decision to go with an all-rookie driver line-up for 2005.

The Silverstone-based team announced the signing of Narain Karthikeyan and Tiago Monteiro last Thursday – only 10 days after the outfit changed hands from Eddie Jordan to Canadian businessman Alex Shnaider.

Karthikeyan and Monteiro both have some F1 testing mileage under their belt but no race experience.

Horner told Reuters: “I think to go with two such green drivers is a mistake. Formula 1 is a totally different animal to any other formula.”

At various stages last year, Horner looked poised to acquire Jordan himself but negotiations broke down and the 31-year-old was instead appointed team principal of the new Red Bull team (formerly Jaguar Racing) by the energy-drink company’s owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

Horner contrasted Jordan’s wet-behind-the-ears line-up with RBR’s decision to plump for experience in the form of veteran David Coulthard.

“The biggest asset that this team has is David Coulthard,” he said. “He has spent 10 years in the sport and throughout that time with top teams in Williams and McLaren.

“The experience that he brings is invaluable at the end of the day, with regards to development and the way that the team operates, and that is obviously something that rookie drivers simply don’t have.”

Horner added that RBR are in no hurry to decide whether Christian Klien or Vitantonio Liuzzi will occupy the second race seat. Whoever draws the short straw will serve as the team’s third driver, although it is possible that there will be a swap if results are not forthcoming after several races.

“[Manchester United boss] Alex Ferguson wouldn’t release his team sheet six weeks in advance and the drivers are one of the smallest issues we have. We’ve got a very good driver line-up in David leading the team and two good youngsters.”

HMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!

ariesmale870 · 9th February 2005, 09:47

http://www.planetf1.com/features/edi...ry_18593.shtml

The Yellow Peril
Tuesday February 08 2005

With two rookies installed at the team and a whole new set of technical regulations to cope with, it could be a very

One of Paul Stoddart’s great beliefs, in fact something he always held up as one of Minardi’s principle raison d’etres was that his little team was a feeder team for F1. For those drivers showing great talent he was the first rung on the ladder to eventual superstardom.

The weight of expectation would not bear down heavily while drivers competed for him, yet at the same time they could be learning their craft, getting to grips with the circuits and chatting to the right people at grand prix weekends

And for a while it’s been true – Jarno Trulli, Fernando Alonso, Ant Davidson and Mark Webber have all made their F1 debuts with the team from Ledbury/Faenza.

But you get the feeling that not only are those days gone, that Minardi have become a kind of Daytona Karting for F1 ($3m and you can rent the team for five races, $6m and you get ten races plus a hospitality tent), but that Jordan have joined them.

Last year Minardi had two drivers whose driving careers looked likely to last as long as their bank balances. This year you can add Jordan to that mix. And it's a slippery slippery slope.

In 2004 they had a very capable driver in the shape of Nick Heidfeld and a potential star in the shape of ex-F3000 champ Giorgio Pantano. Neither could be described as make-weights, even though Pantano had the privilege of paying a lot of money for his seat.

In 2005 Jordan will be coming to the grid with two drivers of dazzling mediocrity. If an F1 grid was like the plains of Africa, with the survival of the fittest, Tiago Monteiro and Narain Karthikeyan (thank god Murray Walker has retired because pronouncing their names would have been too much for him) would have been picked clean by vultures a long time ago.

Stellar talents tend to rise to the top quickly these days, witness Raikkonen, Alonso, Button, Sato and Massa’s immediate impact. Hang around the lower formulae for a few years and you get labelled as one of the drivers making up the numbers. Karthikeyan and Monteiro are journeyman pros – drivers whose national diversity is great for the image of the sport but very little else.

Karthikeyan
1999 British F3 – 6th
2000 British F3 – 4th
2001 Formula Nippon
2002 Nissan World Series
2003 Nissan World Series 4th
2004 Nissan World Series 6th

Monteiro
1999 French F3 – 6th
2000 French F3 – 2nd
2002 French F3 – 2nd
2003 ChampCar Series - 10, top ten finishes
2004 Nissan World Series

The only thing that distinguishes these drivers from any others, apart maybe from their singular lack of sustained success, is that they have both driven at some stage for new Jordan sporting director Trevor Carlin.

Don’t get me wrong it’s fantastic to see India’s first F1 driver and Portugal’s best talent since Pedro Lamy on the grid in 2005. But just as most football fans don’t watch Manchester United hoping that they’ll include the first Indian striker in the team; so F1 fans don’t watch races hoping that the grid is a good reflection of the United Nations.

We watch F1 races hoping that the fastest drivers will be in the fastest cars going at it 100% for 71 laps out of 71. That’s the reason a lot of fans get so fed up when the second Ferrari has to be driven in a certain way.

If Jordan were to be challenged about hiring pay-drivers they’d probably stick two fingers up and say we need to hire the drivers we do to stay in business. They can’t afford the luxury of drivers hired for talent alone.

With the current remuneration system for the teams it’s a Catch 22 they can’t get out of. They won’t get success with Monteiro and Karthikeyan, so they’ll lurk down the back of the grid; they won’t attract big sponsors and so they’ll keep having to hire pay-drivers.

At least with their Toyota engine deal they have a chance to improve. And with Honda and Toyota joining the GPWC they have a better negotiating position than they did before the last race in Brazil in 2004. But 2005 won’t be easy. What they’ve gained in engine power they’ve lost in driver ability.

Rival boss Christian Horner at Red Bull also pointed out another serious flaw before the season starts. They have two drivers who’ve never set up an F1 car before. Coming into a season where the aerodynamics of the car have changed significantly from the previous year and the tyre regulations changed out of recognition they have two rookies on board who have to figure it all out. And they can't use accurate data from the previous season.

Not only that, but they have limited testing funds and hence limited mileage before they even get to a grand prix. What Jordan need desperately is an old F1 pro to run as their Friday tester and help work out the balance of the car.

Alex Wurz or Olivier Panis would have done this job superbly for them but are signed up by other teams. Someone who’s not is Allan McNish. Having someone who knows almost all of the circuits and has a huge range of motorsport experience is what Jordan need right now. Otherwise Eddie Jordan’s last and Alex Schnaider’s first season in F1 could seem a lot longer than 19 races.

interesting... to say the least

GTO · 9th February 2005, 10:05

Read in the Times that Narains got his first drive in the toyota powered Jordan this afternoon! Its going to be a 7 hour test.

GTO

tabrez02 · 9th February 2005, 12:55

He would realy have a tough time. He has to get adjusted to the team, car and new fame. Now what so ever india's honour is in NK's hand. I dont mind a race finish to start with.

haryan · 11th February 2005, 11:34

http://img217.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img2...jordan27hw.png

Narain in a Jordan ....

aadix · 11th February 2005, 14:32

saw narain on espn yest around 8pm
looked cool in an yellow race suit with a new hair cut

vance0712 · 14th February 2005, 19:33

:d
Whatever Anyone Has To Say Bout Him
First Indian On F1 Circuit I Think Its A Feat Achieved In Itself

X-Machine · 15th February 2005, 21:08

The Jordan team helmet designed by Narain is really good,with an Indian flag on it and the blue chakra on top of the helmet.Very artistic must say!!

X

gkrishn · 24th February 2005, 21:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by X-Machine

The Jordan team helmet designed by Narain is really good,with an Indian flag on it and the blue chakra on top of the helmet.Very artistic must say!!

X

And looks like indian govt dosnt like this one bit...

kbk_75 · 24th February 2005, 22:24

With all due respect, most of the people that govern this country are a bunch of self-serving, dishonest, too-concerned-with-things-they-shouldn't-be-bothered-by pricks! Where's the disrespect in wearing your nation's flag on your head or any other part of your body? And in any case don't they have MORE important things to do than police sportsmen's gear, for God's sake?! Imbeciles...

sss11 · 5th March 2005, 19:40

Now you have a countryman in F1 - How about one in FIM challenging Rossi?

4th February 2005, 18:45	#92
khaadu75 BANNED Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: same as the proposed venue for F1 ;-) Posts: 1,156 Thanked: 16 Times View My Garage	Rtech, ooops ..SOrry !! Just the excitement getting to me I guess ... !!! cheers
	() Thanks

5th February 2005, 23:18	#94
ariesmale870 Newbie Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 17 Thanked: 0 Times	http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=32021 HORNER QUESTIONS JORDAN LINE-UP Last Updated: Saturday, 05, February, 2005, 16:06 Red Bull boss Christian Horner has questioned the wisdom of Jordan’s decision to go with an all-rookie driver line-up for 2005. The Silverstone-based team announced the signing of Narain Karthikeyan and Tiago Monteiro last Thursday – only 10 days after the outfit changed hands from Eddie Jordan to Canadian businessman Alex Shnaider. Karthikeyan and Monteiro both have some F1 testing mileage under their belt but no race experience. Horner told Reuters: “I think to go with two such green drivers is a mistake. Formula 1 is a totally different animal to any other formula.” At various stages last year, Horner looked poised to acquire Jordan himself but negotiations broke down and the 31-year-old was instead appointed team principal of the new Red Bull team (formerly Jaguar Racing) by the energy-drink company’s owner Dietrich Mateschitz. Horner contrasted Jordan’s wet-behind-the-ears line-up with RBR’s decision to plump for experience in the form of veteran David Coulthard. “The biggest asset that this team has is David Coulthard,” he said. “He has spent 10 years in the sport and throughout that time with top teams in Williams and McLaren. “The experience that he brings is invaluable at the end of the day, with regards to development and the way that the team operates, and that is obviously something that rookie drivers simply don’t have.” Horner added that RBR are in no hurry to decide whether Christian Klien or Vitantonio Liuzzi will occupy the second race seat. Whoever draws the short straw will serve as the team’s third driver, although it is possible that there will be a swap if results are not forthcoming after several races. “[Manchester United boss] Alex Ferguson wouldn’t release his team sheet six weeks in advance and the drivers are one of the smallest issues we have. We’ve got a very good driver line-up in David leading the team and two good youngsters.” HMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!
	() Thanks

9th February 2005, 09:47	#95
ariesmale870 Newbie Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 17 Thanked: 0 Times	http://www.planetf1.com/features/edi...ry_18593.shtml The Yellow Peril Tuesday February 08 2005 With two rookies installed at the team and a whole new set of technical regulations to cope with, it could be a very One of Paul Stoddart’s great beliefs, in fact something he always held up as one of Minardi’s principle raison d’etres was that his little team was a feeder team for F1. For those drivers showing great talent he was the first rung on the ladder to eventual superstardom. The weight of expectation would not bear down heavily while drivers competed for him, yet at the same time they could be learning their craft, getting to grips with the circuits and chatting to the right people at grand prix weekends And for a while it’s been true – Jarno Trulli, Fernando Alonso, Ant Davidson and Mark Webber have all made their F1 debuts with the team from Ledbury/Faenza. But you get the feeling that not only are those days gone, that Minardi have become a kind of Daytona Karting for F1 ($3m and you can rent the team for five races, $6m and you get ten races plus a hospitality tent), but that Jordan have joined them. Last year Minardi had two drivers whose driving careers looked likely to last as long as their bank balances. This year you can add Jordan to that mix. And it's a slippery slippery slope. In 2004 they had a very capable driver in the shape of Nick Heidfeld and a potential star in the shape of ex-F3000 champ Giorgio Pantano. Neither could be described as make-weights, even though Pantano had the privilege of paying a lot of money for his seat. In 2005 Jordan will be coming to the grid with two drivers of dazzling mediocrity. If an F1 grid was like the plains of Africa, with the survival of the fittest, Tiago Monteiro and Narain Karthikeyan (thank god Murray Walker has retired because pronouncing their names would have been too much for him) would have been picked clean by vultures a long time ago. Stellar talents tend to rise to the top quickly these days, witness Raikkonen, Alonso, Button, Sato and Massa’s immediate impact. Hang around the lower formulae for a few years and you get labelled as one of the drivers making up the numbers. Karthikeyan and Monteiro are journeyman pros – drivers whose national diversity is great for the image of the sport but very little else. Karthikeyan 1999 British F3 – 6th 2000 British F3 – 4th 2001 Formula Nippon 2002 Nissan World Series 2003 Nissan World Series 4th 2004 Nissan World Series 6th Monteiro 1999 French F3 – 6th 2000 French F3 – 2nd 2002 French F3 – 2nd 2003 ChampCar Series - 10, top ten finishes 2004 Nissan World Series The only thing that distinguishes these drivers from any others, apart maybe from their singular lack of sustained success, is that they have both driven at some stage for new Jordan sporting director Trevor Carlin. Don’t get me wrong it’s fantastic to see India’s first F1 driver and Portugal’s best talent since Pedro Lamy on the grid in 2005. But just as most football fans don’t watch Manchester United hoping that they’ll include the first Indian striker in the team; so F1 fans don’t watch races hoping that the grid is a good reflection of the United Nations. We watch F1 races hoping that the fastest drivers will be in the fastest cars going at it 100% for 71 laps out of 71. That’s the reason a lot of fans get so fed up when the second Ferrari has to be driven in a certain way. If Jordan were to be challenged about hiring pay-drivers they’d probably stick two fingers up and say we need to hire the drivers we do to stay in business. They can’t afford the luxury of drivers hired for talent alone. With the current remuneration system for the teams it’s a Catch 22 they can’t get out of. They won’t get success with Monteiro and Karthikeyan, so they’ll lurk down the back of the grid; they won’t attract big sponsors and so they’ll keep having to hire pay-drivers. At least with their Toyota engine deal they have a chance to improve. And with Honda and Toyota joining the GPWC they have a better negotiating position than they did before the last race in Brazil in 2004. But 2005 won’t be easy. What they’ve gained in engine power they’ve lost in driver ability. Rival boss Christian Horner at Red Bull also pointed out another serious flaw before the season starts. They have two drivers who’ve never set up an F1 car before. Coming into a season where the aerodynamics of the car have changed significantly from the previous year and the tyre regulations changed out of recognition they have two rookies on board who have to figure it all out. And they can't use accurate data from the previous season. Not only that, but they have limited testing funds and hence limited mileage before they even get to a grand prix. What Jordan need desperately is an old F1 pro to run as their Friday tester and help work out the balance of the car. Alex Wurz or Olivier Panis would have done this job superbly for them but are signed up by other teams. Someone who’s not is Allan McNish. Having someone who knows almost all of the circuits and has a huge range of motorsport experience is what Jordan need right now. Otherwise Eddie Jordan’s last and Alex Schnaider’s first season in F1 could seem a lot longer than 19 races. interesting... to say the least
	() Thanks

9th February 2005, 10:05	#96
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,546 Thanked: 300,788 Times View My Garage	Read in the Times that Narains got his first drive in the toyota powered Jordan this afternoon! Its going to be a 7 hour test. GTO
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9th February 2005, 12:55	#97
tabrez02 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 286 Thanked: 6 Times View My Garage	He would realy have a tough time. He has to get adjusted to the team, car and new fame. Now what so ever india's honour is in NK's hand. I dont mind a race finish to start with. Last edited by tabrez02 : 9th February 2005 at 12:56.
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11th February 2005, 11:34	#98
haryan BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: HYDERABAD INDIA Posts: 345 Thanked: 5 Times	http://img217.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img2...jordan27hw.png Narain in a Jordan ....
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11th February 2005, 14:32	#99
aadix Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: hyderabad Posts: 1,597 Thanked: 14 Times	saw narain on espn yest around 8pm looked cool in an yellow race suit with a new hair cut
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14th February 2005, 19:33	#100
vance0712 BANNED Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: mumbai Posts: 142 Thanked: Once	Kudos :d Whatever Anyone Has To Say Bout Him First Indian On F1 Circuit I Think Its A Feat Achieved In Itself
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15th February 2005, 21:08	#101
X-Machine Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Mumbai/Tokyo Posts: 1,475 Thanked: 29 Times	The Jordan team helmet designed by Narain is really good,with an Indian flag on it and the blue chakra on top of the helmet.Very artistic must say!! X
	() Thanks

24th February 2005, 22:24	#103
kbk_75 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,233 Thanked: 388 Times	With all due respect, most of the people that govern this country are a bunch of self-serving, dishonest, too-concerned-with-things-they-shouldn't-be-bothered-by pricks! Where's the disrespect in wearing your nation's flag on your head or any other part of your body? And in any case don't they have MORE important things to do than police sportsmen's gear, for God's sake?! Imbeciles...
	() Thanks

5th March 2005, 19:40	#104
sss11 Newbie Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Singapore Posts: 18 Thanked: 0 Times	Congratulations Narain! Now you have a countryman in F1 - How about one in FIM challenging Rossi?
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