The HRT outfit has announced that Narain Karthikeyan will be back in the cockpit during Friday’s first practice session at the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix.
The Indian driver will make his return to competitive racing with the HRT team at the upcoming Indian GP later in the year, therefore the opportunity to get back behind the wheel for a Friday session makes sense for the 34-year-old.
Team principal, Colin Kolles, believes it is vital for the Indian driver to get some practice before his home event.
“It is great to have Narain back in the car as it will give him critical seat time before he drives at the Indian GP. He is the best driver to come out of the region and is undoubtedly extremely talented as he has proved through his progress this season.”
Karthikeyan added: “Of course it’s a great feeling to be driving on a Grand Prix weekend once again, and on the subject of my home Grand Prix of India, the team had assured me that I’d be driving when I stepped out of my seat after the European GP.
“The Singapore circuit will definitely be a challenge as it is new to me so I’ll have to get to grips with it fairly quickly. From what I know, it is a very demanding race physically, not only because of the temperatures and humidity but also being a high-speed street circuit it is extremely bumpy. Like any other street circuit, grip builds up through the weekend and car-setup will have to be constantly evolved to get the best out of it. Overall, it is a great place to return to race proceedings, and will go a long way to get me back in the rhythm for the Indian GP.”
The team haven’t confirmed whether he will replace Daniel Ricciardo or Vitantonio Liuzzi during FP1, or the Indian GP.
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