Hate to say I told you so....

[grandprixdiary]

Hello again all !

At the start of this season I was roundly attacked by certain members of this forum for suggesting that Narain Karthikeyan was in F1 for his money and not his skills as a driver, at the risk of being lambasted again, I stand by that view.

Its reported today (Autosport and others) what we've known for a while, that Karthikeyan has virtually given up hopes of holding his place in the Midland team for 2006 and is trying to secure a test driver's slot. Narain had to pay Jordanski millions of dollars in sponsorship to secure the 2005 drive but even that wasn't enough to hold his place. While Albers was able to come up with a very decent amount of money, it looks like when its a choice between Monteiro and Narain, that they will take the better driver - in this case possibly Tiago (and he's not exactly the fastest driver out there, although his finishing tally and drive at Spa were impressive)

For calling Narain a pay-driver, I was accused by one person of being a racist, which was a bit bizarre, and to avoid that again - let me say these words 'Albers is also a pay driver'. I know we've had some good pay-drivers in the past, but lets face it, NK had his shot and wasn't up to it.
He's not the only one out there not of F1 calibre - I won't even get started on Takuma Sato....

Perhaps I'll be proved wrong and Karthikeyan will be able to buy a race seat, but as even a third / test role will involve him paying - it doesn't look too good for 'The Worlds Fastest Indian'.

Rob
(sits back and waits for rage from India....)

[<T-K>]

I understand that what you have just said here may cause a catastrophic riot, but unbelievably it actually makes sense....

Now i dont have anything against NK, in fact i actually quite like the bloke, but i dont think he has put in any performances so far that actually make you turn your head and say "Blimey".....it has in essence been pretty darn ordinary.....now i am not attacking the poor guy as i think that a lot of drivers were the same (namely JV, Sato and Friesacher) but he just didnt live up to expectations (almost the same as poor old Fisi).

I think that maybe if he climbs into the cockpit of a decent car, maybe he will be able to show us a thing or two, but until he gets a drive in a Red Bull or a soon to slip down the order Mclaren i dont think much will come from him...

I do hope he gets a drive next year though....

Dont hate me kapel...

[grandprixdiary]

It is perhaps emotive to say you hope he gets a drive next year, which is fair enough. But his rookie year showed he was not up to scratch, sad but true - and if you look at his pre-F1 career - its all a bit inevitable:

From GPD - about seven months ago.....

"Following a rash of rather unhappy people who seem to think this site is being cruel to Narain Karthikeyan, Grand Prix Diary has agreed to highlight his motorsport achievements. In 1996, a mere decade ago, Narain won the Formula Asia Championship, which was also the stepping stone of another F1 great, Malaysia?s Alex Yoong. Narain?s next major high was only four years later with a fourth in the final standings in UK Formula 3 in 2000. This was followed, er?four years later by a remarkable sixth place in the 2004 World Series by Nissan, finishing behind greats such as Jean Christophe Ravier and Tristan Gommendy. (according to NK?s rather out of date website, this series is second only to F1 ? we?ll ignore GP2 and Champcars then..). Now, after failing to provide Minardi with the funds to race in 2003, our hero is with Jordan, his best result so far being a superb 11th in Malaysia with just his team-mate and the two mighty Minardi?s behind him. Narain Karthikeyan, the self proclaimed 'Fastest Indian in the World' has arrived."

I wrote this 'tongue in cheek' as it was plain back then he was not F1 material - its a shame because he is without doubt a determined man, just not an F1 driver....

Rob

[<T-K>]

Determined he may be, but capable....well thats another story..

And i do actually hope he gets a drive next year as he has worked....relatively hard to get there, and maybe with time he can develope into a better racing driver, but i dunno....seems like he was given his chance and he let it slip away, and as we all know, there are not too many second chances in F1....

[JayVee]

grandprixdiary,

Narain did very well early in the season, much better than Monteiro. His decline started at Monaco and if you care to pay attention, at that time several key people at Jordan left and Narian's relations with the team boss was already bad. Sadly he never recovered.

Now I don't rate Narain highly, actually none of the rookies this year impressed but none of them where anywhere near as bad as Yoong was. I am not sure though why you give Narain all this attention yet there were a few other rookies who weren't impressive.
Perhaps you have something against Indians or any driver from Asia

I also can't help but wonder why your supposedly comical/satirical remarks haven't been aimed at one British driver named Jenson Button who acts like a spoilt child with his contracts. Maybe you have but you just didn't mention it here. What Button did deserves something from you I would have thought unless of course your treat the British differently?????

But back to Jordan/Midlland, it appears that you are recalling here just the bits that you like and you seem to have developed a soft spot for the Portuguese driver Tiago. Well before you go too far let me just remind you of what you said at the time

This is a rebuilding year for Jordan/Midland and I absolutely guarantee you that Monteiro and NK will not be with the team next year

Sorry, hate to remind you

[Kapel]

Rob
(sits back and waits for rage from India....)

Thank you Rob.
All i can tell you is that,Narain Karthikeyan would have to cough up double or triple the amount he paid last year for a race seat.I read somewhere between 9.5-14 million dollars,which mayb, in ur country is a small amount but in India is phenomenally huge. If u know Maths - 1USD=45 Rupees.The figures wont fit in your normal calculator.No driver has paid tht kinda sum for a race seat.Plus for your very kind information Narain was Midlands first choice if he could bring that money,which he cant & Tiago can!!! NK's government doesnt back him with finances for a race seat .

As for his performance in 2005,in the first part he was much superior to Tiago & 2nd part of the season went to Monteiro only in race finishes.If i'm not wrong, NK qualified better than TM most of the time. Yes TM finished all races but one...great well done.

N well done Rob,you could be a fortune teller...Can u predict will Jenson Button win his first race before he competes in 200 GP's????

[grandprixdiary]

grandprixdiary,

Narain did very well early in the season, much better than Monteiro. His decline started at Monaco and if you care to pay attention, at that time several key people at Jordan left and Narian's relations with the team boss was already bad. Sadly he never recovered.

Now I don't rate Narain highly, actually none of the rookies this year impressed but none of them where anywhere near as bad as Yoong was. I am not sure though why you give Narain all this attention yet there were a few other rookies who weren't impressive.
Perhaps you have something against Indians or any driver from Asia

I also can't help but wonder why your supposedly comical/satirical remarks haven't been aimed at one British driver named Jenson Button who acts like a spoilt child with his contracts. Maybe you have but you just didn't mention it here. What Button did deserves something from you I would have thought unless of course your treat the British differently?????

But back to Jordan/Midlland, it appears that you are recalling here just the bits that you like and you seem to have developed a soft spot for the Portuguese driver Tiago. Well before you go too far let me just remind you of what you said at the time

This is a rebuilding year for Jordan/Midland and I absolutely guarantee you that Monteiro and NK will not be with the team next year

Sorry, hate to remind you

I hold my hands up about Monteiro - who could have imagined he'd finish so many races, I was at Spa and was happy to see him do well, but still, he really is not that great...

Rob

[<T-K>]

will Jenson Button win his first race before he competes in 200 GP's????

that i highly doubt.....

[grandprixdiary]

Rob
(sits back and waits for rage from India....)

Thank you Rob.
All i can tell you is that,Narain Karthikeyan would have to cough up double or triple the amount he paid last year for a race seat.I read somewhere between 9.5-14 million dollars,which mayb, in ur country is a small amount but in India is phenomenally huge. If u know Maths - 1USD=45 Rupees.The figures wont fit in your normal calculator.No driver has paid tht kinda sum for a race seat.Plus for your very kind information Narain was Midlands first choice if he could bring that money,which he cant & Tiago can!!! NK's government doesnt back him with finances for a race seat .

As for his performance in 2005,in the first part he was much superior to Tiago & 2nd part of the season went to Monteiro only in race finishes.If i'm not wrong, NK qualified better than TM most of the time. Yes TM finished all races but one...great well done.

N well done Rob,you could be a fortune teller...Can u predict will Jenson Button win his first race before he competes in 200 GP's????

With Honda clout Button surely must win a race this year - if he doesn't then all those people who fought for his services are going to look pretty stupid. I expect he'll get one in the first half of the year. I'll have a stab at Malaysia....

Rob

[Kapel]

With Honda clout Button surely must win a race this year - if he doesn't then all those people who fought for his services are going to look pretty stupid. I expect he'll get one in the first half of the year. I'll have a stab at Malaysia....
Rob

I hope u use it against the self proclaimed multiple formula1 championship..without winning a single race...especially with the teams he's been with.. N then all ur criticism should be on the Brit (which should have been done long time back,mayb after 19 races)or u'll prove that ur a racist or dont like Asia/Indian drivers....

[grandprixdiary]

With Honda clout Button surely must win a race this year - if he doesn't then all those people who fought for his services are going to look pretty stupid. I expect he'll get one in the first half of the year. I'll have a stab at Malaysia....
Rob

I hope u use it against the self proclaimed multiple formula1 championship..without winning a single race...especially with the teams he's been with.. N then all ur criticism should be on the Brit (which should have been done long time back,mayb after 19 races)or u'll prove that ur a racist or dont like Asia/Indian drivers....

I'm not sure I understand what you are on about, perhaps you are having a dig at Button, which is fair enough, but you are forgetting how impressive he was during his rookie year, that when he went to Benetton they were in a messy transition period and even Fischella was struggling. Lets not forget that last year he was on the podium every five minutes and that while he had a dog of a car this year he still did a pretty fine job. It seems to me that in trying to defend NK you choose to attack Button - a driver in a different league totally. You also seem to think that because I am English I am a Button fan. Unlike you I am not so nationalistic, I prefer my drivers from the Scandinavian area.....

May I politely and respectfully ask that you desist with the racist angle ? I am talking about NK's skill (or lack of it) not his skin colour.

Rob

[grandprixdiary]

Now Kolles speaks on NK....

Colin Kolles is busy telling everybody (from Autosport to The Times of India newspaper) about how NK's poor management and lack of professionalism is to blame for the fact he will not be with Midland next year. Kolles is far from my favourite person but his comments are interesting. He says that "Narain has lost out because of his management, a pro driver has professional management but we didn't see that in Narain's case. He went on "Narain is a very pleasant, nice person but that's not enough for Formula One. He has to be professional too."

Lets wait and see what NK has to say, but you have to wonder who on earth would want to pay 10 million euros (or whatever) and then work with folk like Kolles...

Rob

[Julian Mayo]

Seems to me a hell of a lot of fossil fuel has been expended debating the pros an cons of a bloke who is but one of a handful of fairly ordinary drivers in F1. However the fact that he, or any of them, raced F1 for a season makes their achievements pretty special on the worldwide scale of motor racing.

[JayVee]

Julian, you are not talking about Button here

grandprixdiary, so you think Button's childish behaviour with his contract isn't worth a satirical article from you yet poor Narian (who has certainly done a lot better than many other rookies) gets a few ?

Before you think I am a Button basher, I defended him numerous times but what I certainly can't stand is those in the British media who glorify him and make him as one of the best out there cause so far he certainly isn't.

Good luck in Malaysia

[Kapel]

Now Kolles speaks on NK....

Colin Kolles is busy telling everybody (from Autosport to The Times of India newspaper) about how NK's poor management and lack of professionalism is to blame for the fact he will not be with Midland next year. Kolles is far from my favourite person but his comments are interesting. He says that "Narain has lost out because of his management, a pro driver has professional management but we didn't see that in Narain's case. He went on "Narain is a very pleasant, nice person but that's not enough for Formula One. He has to be professional too."

Lets wait and see what NK has to say, but you have to wonder who on earth would want to pay 10 million euros (or whatever) and then work with folk like Kolles...

Rob

Rob the info u have mentioned is half of the story u read,the article didnt finish there.Yes the relationship the now Midland boss went sour for NK.
N his reply to "Narain management not being professional" by Kolles NK's reply was"''I stand by what I've said. If he doesn't like the way we work, then we don't like the way he works.''

This should explain things better.