After an eventful weekend at the last round in Durban, South Africa, which saw Narain Karthikeyan start the Feature race in a spare car, the Indian team are aiming to translate the front-running pace they have shown in practice into a podium finish. Narain Karthikeyan commented, “I’m looking forward to getting in the car again and forgetting our problems in South Africa. Having arrived in Mexico on Tuesday, I have a few days to acclimatise myself before getting on track. Set-up will be very important here, the circuit is extremely bumpy and the combination of corners and a long straight will require the car to be carefully balanced.
“This will be my third A1GP event, and I’m starting to really understand the characteristics of the car. With no testing opportunities, all our learning has been confined to race weekends, and we should now be able to capitalise on this in Mexico. This circuit will give us more scope to push the car to its limits and I’m expecting to secure a top three finish for India. ”
A1 Team India Seatholder, Yohann Setna commented, “The Mexican round will provide a challenge for both the drivers and the car, the track surface here is very bumpy, and of course the high altitude will be an issue, especially during the 70 minute Feature race. However, as an F1 driver, Narain has an extremely high level of fitness, which should help him withstand the physical pressures. We were very unlucky in South Africa and deserved better than our ninth place in the Feature race, we will be aiming for a podium finish this weekend. ”
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit held its first F1 race in 1962, and hosted a round of the World Championship until 1970. The F1 circus returned in 1986, with the last event in 1992 won by Williams driver Nigel Mansell. Narain Karthikeyan, also a Williams driver, will hope to replicate such a win for the pride of India.
At 2,250 metres above sea-level, the A1GP Mexico City, Mexico, provides a unique challenge for the team and a dramatic contrast to the last race in Durban, on the shores of the Indian Ocean. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez circuit is at such a high altitude that there is 30 per cent less oxygen here than at sea-level. This will affect the performance of both the A1GP drivers and cars, with only the fittest likely to cope with the difficult conditions.
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