Who was India’s First Formula 1 Driver?

When it comes to Formula 1, India has not had much representation but one name stands out as a trailblazer for the country – Narain Karthikeyan.

Narain has had a remarkable journey, competing in different motorsports.

Born in Tamil Nadu, Narain was surrounded by motorsport from an early age.

He soon became one of India’s biggest racing drivers and made history by becoming the country’s first Formula 1 driver.

Although other Indian stars have since entered the world of Formula 1, it was Narain who laid down the foundations.

We explore Narain Karthikeyan’s career and the legacy he left as an Indian motorsports legend.

Early Life & Rise to Prominence

Born in 1977 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Narain Karthikeyan grew up around motorsport as his father was a former Indian rally champion.

He is also related to the late S Karivardhan, who was India’s most famous racing driver.

Highlighting Coimbatore’s racing pedigree, Narain said:

“There’s a huge culture of racing and rallying in Coimbatore. It’s a city where engineering seems to be one of the hallmarks.

“A lot of people modify their cars and that culture still exists. So, I think it was natural that growing up there I would discover a passion for cars and bikes.

“And my father GR Karthikeyan also used to rally. That’s how I got hooked onto automobiles, I suppose.”

In his teenage years, Narain began karting and quickly demonstrated his talent, winning several karting championships in India.

Following his karting success, Narain moved on to single-seater racing.

In his debut race at Sriperumpudur, Narain achieved a podium finish.

He then pursued further training at the prestigious Elf Winfield Racing School in France.

When he returned to India for the 1993 racing season, he contested in Formula Maruti, laying the groundwork for his international endeavours.

At the same time, Narain competed in the Formula Vauxhall Junior championship in the UK.

In 1994, Narain returned to the UK and immersed himself in the Formula Ford Zetec series.

He also made his mark by clinching victory in the British Formula Ford Winter Series, marking a historic moment as the first Indian to secure a championship title in Europe.

As he built on his success, Narain elevated his career by advancing to the Formula Asia Championship in 1995.

His talent and dedication bore fruit in 1996 when he made history by becoming the first Indian and Asian to triumph in the Formula Asia International series.

As his prominence rose, Narain relocated to Britain in 1997 and competed in the British Formula Opel Championship, representing Nemesis Motorsport.

Formula 3

Narain Karthikeyan continued to ascend within the motorsport world and in 1998, he made his debut in the British Formula Three Championship journey with the Carlin Motorsport team.

In the last two races of the season, he secured 3rd place finishes.

Overall, Narain finished 12th in his debut year.

But 1999 proved to be his standout season as he made the podium five times, clinching two victories.

Noteworthy achievements included two pole positions, three fastest laps, and two lap records, ultimately securing a commendable 6th place in the championship standings.

Narain also showcased his talent on the international stage by participating in the prestigious Macau Grand Prix.

Narain marked his presence in motorsport’s elite ranks in 2001 when he ventured into the Formula Nippon F3000 Championship.

The same year proved to be historic for Narain as he became the first Indian to test drive a Formula 1 car, testing for the Jaguar Racing team at Silverstone.

This milestone paved the way for further opportunities as he later received a test drive offer from the Jordan-Honda team.

A year later, Narain transitioned into the Telefonica World Series.

He continued to pursue his Formula 1 aspirations, competing in the rebranded Superfund World Series.

Despite facing challenges, including sponsorship hurdles, Narain Karthikeyan’s talent remained evident, leading to another Formula One test drive opportunity with the Minardi team.

Narain was offered a race drive for the 2004 season, however, he was unable to raise the sponsorship funds needed to complete the deal.

Undeterred by setbacks, Narain persisted in his pursuit of success, continuing his campaign in the World Series by Nissan in 2004.

At this point, his career was already an illustrious one, winning championships in British Formula 3, Formula Nippon, and Formula Nissan.

Entering Formula 1

In February 2005, Narain Karthikeyan made a groundbreaking announcement, revealing that he had inked a preliminary deal with the Jordan Formula 1 team.

He said he would be the main driver for the 2005 season, becoming India’s first Formula 1 driver.

Narain’s partner was Portugal’s Tiago Monteiro.

His first race was at the Australian Grand Prix.

Narain qualified in 12th and ultimately finished 15th, albeit two laps behind.

Narain’s biggest moment came at the United States Grand Prix, where a tumultuous turn of events saw most teams withdraw due to tyre safety concerns.

Amidst the chaos, only six cars remained in the race, with Narain seizing the opportunity to clinch a remarkable 4th place finish, earning his maiden points in Formula 1.

Other than the US GP, his highest finish was 11th place.

The Jordan team was soon taken over and rebranded as Midland for the 2006 season.

Narain opted to part ways with the rebranded team but in January 2006, Williams confirmed the Indian national as their fourth driver.

Assuming the role of a reserve test driver for Williams throughout the 2006 season, Narain continued to play a pivotal role within the Formula 1 landscape.

Detailing his Formula 1 ambitions, Narain said:

“The ambition was always there. When I was around maybe 10 or 11 years old, I caught the bug.”

“I started following Formula 1 at that time.

“It was quite difficult to even view the races on TV because we had to get recorded tapes from my relatives who lived in the United Kingdom. These tapes would be sent in a courier package.”

Other Motorsports

Although no longer in Formula 1, Narain Karthikeyan continued building his motorsports legacy.

A1 GP

In 2007, Narain drove for A1 Team India, making his debut in New Zealand.

He secured 10th place in the sprint race and followed up with a solid 7th place finish in the Feature Race.

Narain triumphed in the A1 GP of Zhuhai, China in December 2007, securing Team India’s inaugural A1 GP victory.

This historic win marked a watershed moment for Indian motorsport on the international stage.

Additionally, Narain Karthikeyan showcased his prowess by clinching India’s first pole position for the feature race at Brands Hatch in 2008.

The 2007-2008 season further underscored Karthikeyan’s dominance as he clinched victory in two feature races.

Le Mans

In March 2009, Narain underwent testing for the Kolles Le Mans Team, marking his foray into endurance racing.

He joined the team and was paired with Christijan Albers, both driving Audi R10 turbo diesel cars.

Narain achieved a respectable 6th place finish in his first Le Mans series race on May 11, 2009.

NASCAR

Narain’s ventures took him to NASCAR where he made his debut at Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway in the Kroger 250 Camping World Truck Series.

Representing Wyler Racing behind the wheel of the #60 Safe Auto Insurance Company Chevrolet Silverado, he entered the race under unique circumstances as qualifying was cancelled due to rain, setting the field based on owner points.

Starting from the 11th position, Narain Karthikeyan made history as the first Indian-born driver to compete in NASCAR.

He showcased his talent by finishing on the lead lap in 13th place.

Narain went on to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Most Popular Driver Award for the 2010 season, a testament to his growing influence and support within the NASCAR community.

Return to Formula 1

Narain made a return to Formula 1 in 2011 when he announced he would drive for HRT, then named Hispania for the season.

Confirming the deal, Narain said it would “be a dream come true to race in front of the home crowd in the Indian GP in October”.

He added that the support of financial backers Tata Group had been “instrumental”.

Narain represented the team for one season, with his last Formula 1 race coming at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Entrepreneurial Success

Although Narain has never officially announced his retirement, his attention has turned to his business DriveX, which he co-founded alongside Christopher Sargunam in April 2020.

DriveX provides “top quality refurbished two-wheelers to customers and allows them to buy two-wheelers at reasonable prices”.

DriveX sources pre-owned two-wheeled vehicles and are taken to the business’ refurbishing factories in Hosur and Coimbatore.

On the decision to launch a business dedicated to two-wheelers, Narain said:

“As a business, the opportunity for two-wheelers, especially in the pre-owned space, is very large in India.”

“It’s about one and a half times the size of the new two-wheeler market.

“But this pre-owned vehicle two-wheeler space has largely been transacted through an unorganised broker network.

“For customers, we add a lot of value to these pre-owned two-wheeler bikes. These bikes became more sustainable and efficient.

“We give customers wanting to purchase a pre-owned vehicle an experience of a new two-wheeler.”

Narain enjoyed a long motorsports career that was topped with two stints in Formula 1.

Combined with his triumphs, his legacy paved the way for Karun Chandhok, who became India’s second Formula 1 driver.

Meanwhile, Jehan Daruvala is currently competing in Formula E.

Narain’s legacy and Formula 1’s popularity could hopefully inspire more Indians to enter the exhilarating motorsport.