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Karthikeyan claims first podium finish of the year
NEW DELHI: Narain Karthikeyan had a lot to be happy about at the Okayama International Circuit in Mimasaka, Japan, on Saturday. The seasoned Indian racer recorded
NEW DELHI: Narain Karthikeyan had a lot to be happy about at the Okayama International Circuit in Mimasaka, Japan, on Saturday. The seasoned Indian racer recorded his first podium of the year at Super Formula Championship, finishing third in Race 1 of the fifth round of the championship.
Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne of Docomo Team Dandelion Racing won the race.
With the result, Karthikeyan has climbed to 12th position in the championship standings, and a strong result in Race 2 on Sunday should see him enter the top-10 of the 19-driver title race.
“I think it is the first weekend of the season where things went our way from start from finish, and with one more race to go tomorrow I am hoping that would continue,” said Karthikeyan. “The baseline was superb right from Practice One, I think we were about four-tenths off the pace but I was quietly confident for the race and we ended up only two-tenths slower in terms of lap time,” he added.
Having optimised the set-up and almost back on pace with the leading pack, Karthikeyan used his experience to gain a few places at the start.
In the season’s standings, Yuji Kunimoto leads with 18.5 points followed by Yuhi Sekiguchi (17) and Hiroaki Ishiura (16) in second and third place. Karthikeyan has five points and with four races to go, including Sunday’s, and it is unlikely that the Indian will be fighting for the year’s top spots.
Instead, he is aiming to be on the podium in the remaining races, trying to “win a couple” in the process.
“We are looking at a small change in set-up for Sunday,” added Karthikeyan. “We have some quality drivers and the difference in the hardware is miniscule. So getting the set-up right is very important. From pit-stop issues to not finding the right balance in the car, we have been plagued by issues so far this season. But things look bright now and the next four races, I am confident I will be right up there fighting for podiums and more.”
