Karun Chandhok set to secure Campos seat

[Vas]

It looks like the NEWS floating around is becoming true.  

Karun Chandhok is strongly linked to join Campos F1. I was keeping my fingers crossed for a long time but the NEWS in many leading F1 sites means that Karun is closer to a F1 drive because most of the time the rumors become real in weeks time if not months. One example is the unbelievable story that Michael Schumacher reentry.

Campos boss Colin Kolles says his team is close to finalising a deal to bring Karun Chandhok into Formula 1.

Karun Chandhok started to be strongly linked with Campos since Kolles took the helm last week.

Kolles has confirmed that a contract with Chandhok could be agreed imminently. Sources suggest that the 26-year-old had a seat fitting with Campos's car builder Dallara yesterday.

Kolles said "We have been very impressed with Karun's performance in GP2 and are close to finalising a deal with him,". "India is a great country and it would be great for the sport to have an Indian driver on the grid".

"However we will be in a better position to comment on this over the next few days. My aim now is to make sure that we are there on the grid in Bahrain which will be a huge achievement in itself".

"We are moving in the right direction and will do everything in our power to make sure we are running in Bahrain, with Karun in the car."

Chandhok's father and manager Vicky shared Kolles' optimism that an F1 deal was close.

"We are in talks with Colin and hope to confirm a deal very soon," said Chandhok. "We have known Colin for a number of years and we are absolutely amazed by his determination and passion to get the car on the grid in Bahrain. We have utmost faith in him and are hopeful to confirm things in the next few days."

Karun Chandhok has some F1 testing experience from runs with Red Bull two years ago, and has spent the last three seasons in GP2, winning his first race with Durango in 2007 and then taking another victory on the way to 10th in the championship with iSport the following year. But he only managed one podium in a difficult 2009 campaign with the Ocean team.

If his deal with Campos goes ahead, he will become India's second ever F1 driver, following on from Narain Karthikeyan's season with Jordan in 2005.

Karun Chandhok did not have a great GP2 career and that is the reason Force India was reluctant to give him even a test run of their car. An unspectacular F1 debut will make him non-attractive in F1 in the later years. Hence Karun Chandhok runs the risk by entering F1 arena at a time when he is not at his peak. Hope the F1 entry provides adequate motivation to make him perform. Michael Schumacher who did not have a great career in other race events did well on entering F1. Similar luck should prevail Karun Chandhok.

In case he enters F1, his immediate task will be to be above his co-driver who over hauled him when he was in GP2. This time he should beat the Senna!