Force India has reportedly offered Narain Karthikeyan a role with the
team this season, sweeping aside all previous notions that no current
Indian driver was good enough for the Silverstone-based outfit.
At the first pre-season test at Jerez, Force India fielded Paul di
Resta, along with development driver James Rossiter and tester Jules
Bianchi, with the second seat’s vacancy still a big question mark.
Karthikeyan, however, has been approached by Force India to fill in
the reserve driver slot although the 36-year-old is keen to bag a race
seat instead.
“As soon as Narain’s long-term sponsors Tata increased the budget for
2013, talks with Force India began,” an anonymous source told the
Deccan Chronicle who stated that the negotiation has been a lot more
positive.
“As reserve drivers don’t have much of a role in F1 these days,
Narain is only interested in the second driver seat. If talks fail, he
will probably go to America for IndyCar series where a couple of teams
have already shown interest,” the source added.
A second driver is expected to be announced before the start of the third test at Barcelona.
