Karun Chandhok F1

Retired

Karun Chandhok

Indian

  • Madras, Tamil Nadu, India Place of Birth
  • 19 January 1984 Date of Birth
  • 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix F1 Debut
  • Lotus Racing Current/Last Team

Karun Chandhok is an Indian former Formula One driver and motorsport broadcaster whose journey from national champion to Sky Sports F1 commentator has made him one of India’s most recognisable faces in racing. Known for his articulate insights and pioneering role in Indian motorsport, Chandhok’s career has spanned driving, analysis, and governance, underscoring both his talent on track and his impact off it.

NationalityIndian
BornKarun Chandhok
19 January 1984
Madras, Tamil Nadu, India

Chandhok’s motorsport journey began with early success. In 2001, he won the Formula Asia Championship, followed by the inaugural Formula Asia V6 by Renault title in 2006, quickly establishing himself as one of India’s most promising young drivers.

He moved up to the GP2 Series, Formula One’s top feeder category, where he competed for three seasons and won two races.

Formula One

HRT: 2010

Chandhok became the second Indian driver to race in Formula One, following Narain Karthikeyan, when he joined Hispania Racing Team (HRT) in 2010 alongside Bruno Senna. The team, hampered by severe financial and technical limitations, was underprepared from the start. Chandhok didn’t complete a single lap before qualifying at his debut in Bahrain and crashed out after one lap due to a bump in the track surface.

Despite the team’s struggles, Chandhok managed to deliver its first classified race finish, coming home 14th in Australia. He followed up with respectable finishes in Malaysia (15th), China (17th), and a string of further finishes before technical retirements and team politics began to curtail his momentum. After the 2010 British Grand Prix, he was replaced by Sakon Yamamoto and would not race again in 2010, though he continued to contribute to coverage as a commentator for BBC Radio 5 Live.

Team Lotus: 2011

In 2011, Chandhok was named reserve driver for Team Lotus (not to be confused with the historic Team Lotus F1 team), and took part in several free practice sessions. At the 2011 German Grand Prix, he was given a one-off race opportunity, replacing Jarno Trulli. Despite a clean race, he finished 20th and last—two laps down on his teammate Heikki Kovalainen and four laps behind race winner Lewis Hamilton.

His hopes of racing at his home Grand Prix in India were dashed when he was dropped by the team before the event. A later financial settlement with Team Lotus was not finalised until 2013.

Beyond Formula One

After F1, Chandhok remained active in motorsport. He raced in Formula E for Mahindra Racing during the 2014–15 season, in the FIA GT Series in 2013 and the Le Mans 24 Hours, becoming one of the few Indian drivers to compete in the prestigious endurance race.

Chandhok moved seamlessly into broadcasting, earning a reputation as an insightful and knowledgeable commentator. Since 2019, he has been a core part of Sky Sports F1’s live coverage team, providing technical analysis and race insight with clarity and humour. Previously, he contributed to Channel 4 and BBC coverage.

In addition to media work, Chandhok has also taken on leadership roles within the sport from becoming a board member of Motorsport UK, contributing to policy and development. A founding member of its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and a member of the FIA Drivers’ Commission, advocating for the global driver community.

Karun Chandhok Formula One World Championship career

Active years2010–2011
TeamsHRT, Lotus Racing (Team Lotus)
Entries11 (11 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
Last entry2011 German Grand Prix

Karun Chandhok Teammates

5 driversInvolvementFirst YearLast Year
Bruno Senna92010
Christian Klien22010
Sakon Yamamoto22010
Jarno Trulli92011
Heikki Kovalainen102011

Karun Chandhok Complete Formula One Results

YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678910111213141516171819WDC Points
2010Hispania Racing F1 TeamHispania F110Cosworth CA2010 2.4 V8BHR RetAUS 14MAL 15CHN 17ESP RetMON 14†TUR 20†CAN 18EUR 18GBR 19GERHUNBELITASINJPNKORBRAABU22nd0
2011Team LotusLotus T128Renault RS27 2.4 V8AUS TDMALCHNTUR TDESPMONCANEUR TDGBR TDGER 20HUNBEL TDITA TDSINJPN TDKOR TDIND TDABUBRA28th0
TD – Test Driver
† Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.

Teammates

Driver Nationality Current/Last Team F1 Debut Status
Brazilian Caterham F1 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix Retired
Finnish Lotus F1 2007 Australian Grand Prix Retired

Teams

Team Nationality Debut Season Status
HRT Formula 1 Team Spanish 2010 Historic
Lotus Racing Malaysian 2010 Historic