Karun Chandhok wants to keep himself busy in upcoming 2012 season – Formula 1 news
Karun Chandhok realising that his chances of a race seat in 2012 are bleak, will be participating in the new World Endurance Championship.
“There are some opportunities to continue as a Friday driver and obviously I still want to be in F1,” Chandhok told Autosport. “To get a race seat in F1 is almost impossible for 2012, so I don't think that's going to happen.”
The Indian driver is in talks with Caterham to secure a third driver role, as he did in 2011. He appeared nine times as a Friday driver for Team Lotus with a solitary race in Germany without scoring any points for his team from the 2011 season.
Chandhok understands that a race seat in the upcoming 2012 season is next to impossible and he wants to keep himself in shape and ready to race. That is why Chandhok plans to enter the World Endurance Championship.
He also plans to enter the newly developing i1 series the first-ever Indian series based on the popular IPL cricket tournament held in the country. Big names have been named to be involved with the event like Jacques Villeneuve, Jean Alesi, Heinz-Harald
Frentzen, Mika Salo, Sakon Yamamoto, Alex Yoong and Neel Jani. The event will feature nine teams named as different Indian cities much like in the IPL.
Chandhok wants to utilise the 2012 keeping himself busy racing in different formats instead of waiting on the sidelines. The driver himself felt that it is not going to give a good impact on his career if he just waits for his chance as a third driver and
will feature in these events to prove that he is ready for Formula 1 as well.
“My target is still F1, but the new World Endurance Championship is very interesting. There's only one clash with the F1 calendar, so I can keep my hand in there doing a bunch of Fridays and then hopefully combine it with an LMP1 programme,” he said.
“Between the i1 series, sports cars and a third driver role, there should be enough to keep me busy,” he further added.
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