Narain back in focus with Jaguar’s return
MUMBAI: For Indian motorsports fans June 2001 will be etched in the memory. It was the day when Narain Karthikeyan tested for Jaguar Racing at Silverstone thus becoming the first Indian to drive a Formula One car.
While he didn’t get a chance to race that time, he may have an opportunity to do so now that the British luxury brand, under the Tata stable since 2008, has decided to return to Formula E – the electric car racing series — in 2016.
Karthikeyan though is not thinking too far ahead at the moment. “Tatas have been my sponsors for a long time but it’s too early. It’s just a team announcement and nothing beyond it. I knew what was happening. The motorsports division is based out of UK. I’m more close to people over here, so let’s see,” Karthikeyan told HT when quizzed whether his sponsors had offered him the drive.
“No one has approached me, nor have I. Currently, my intention is to focus on the third season of Super Formulaseries Butif anopportu
Karthikeyan added that a lot depends on the Super Formula calendar, which will be out after the New Year, before he decides his next course of action.
How about participating in both the series? “It will be too much. The Formula E season is extensive, goes around the world. We will see,” said the Coimbatore-based driver, who will turn 39 in January.
Jaguar have tied up with Williams Advanced Engineering and much of the team’s work will be done at their Grove factory.
The decision to enter Formula E, facilitated by the Italian Trulli team giving up one of the 10 slots, will be Jaguar’s biggest motorsport involvement since the then Fordowned brand departed Formula