Karthikeyan may not complete the season at HRT

Narain Karthikeyan is unsure of his seat at HRT and may not finish the 2012 season.

This was stated after a private conversation with the Indian by the Times of India newspaper, which stated that Karthikeyan is missing one million euros to have the chance to race until the end of the season. For the 35-year-old former Jordan and Williams driver it is a déjà-vu, because last season he also raced for the Spanish team only to be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo halfway through the championship. The Times of India said these extra millions in sponsorship are proving difficult to come by: “The sponsors are happy to give him money, but not the team as they obviously don't want to be associated with a poor team.”, the article explains.

The possible dismissal of Karthikeyan could open up new scenarios for HRT and bring an Italian back to Formula One: Vitantonio Liuzzi is in fact still tied to a one-year contract with the Spanish team and could also take the Indian's place, even if it is probable that Hispania adopts a paid rider solution. However, Liuzzi has demonstrated consistency in placings and that last year he was not inferior to Daniel Ricciardo, who today is considered one of the brightest talents in F1. However, there are still many cards to play for Karthikeyan: according to journalist Samtani Harish, the Indian is linked to the Tata motor group, which owns Jaguar and has consolidated relationships with Williams. The Grove team will provide HRT with its replacement: we will see if the agreement, which is worth 5 million euros, will be a sufficiently large dowry to renew the marriage.

Lorena Bianchi