A1 Team India returns to the spiritual home of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport this weekend, for the final round in the 2006/07 season. After 10 events in countries across the globe, the team return to the Brands Hatch track where it all started in 2005. The event also marks a return for India racer Narain Karthikeyan, who raced at Brands in the early stages of his career.
F1 test driver and A1 Team India driver Karthikeyan has a great record at the British track, having won two races there in 1999. With its fierce undulating terrain and fast sweeping corners, Brands Hatch is one of the most challenging Grand Prix circuits in the world. The A1GP cars will run on the 2.3 mile long Grand Prix track, which takes in infamous corners such as Paddock Hill Bend, Druids and Hawthorn Bend – one of the three fastest corners on the A1GP calendar.
After running consistently in the top four at the last round in Shanghai, the team suffered another dose of bad luck when the Indian car was damaged on the opening lap of the Feature race, which would eventually prove terminal. With a severely damaged left side pod, the team called Karthikeyan into the pits where they replaced the broken bodywork. Hoping to salvage a point by securing the fastest lap, the Indian car returned to the track and was on a quick lap when something on the car broke, pitching the India driver into a spin and into the tyre barrier. With extensive damage to the car, A1 Team India will have to complete a substantial amount of work on the car before the first practice session at Brands Hatch
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