Narain Karthikeyan

Narain Karthikeyan is a former Indian racing driver, best known for being India’s first Formula One driver. He raced in Formula 1 in 2005 for Jordan and then from 2011 to 2012 for HRT. Though he never had the cars to contend for wins or points on merit, Karthikeyan played a pioneering role in putting India on the global motorsport map.

Nationality	Indian
Born	Kumar Ram Narain Karthikeyan 14 January 1977 Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

Born in Coimbatore, Karthikeyan began racing in the British Formula Ford series before progressing through the junior formulas in Europe and Asia. His formative career included multiple wins in British Formula Ford and Formula Opel, podiums in British Formula 3, a race winner in the World Series by Nissan and brief stints in A1 Grand Prix, Le Mans, and Superleague Formula. His rapid progression and consistent backing from Indian companies, notably Tata Group, paved his path to Formula One.

Formula One Career

Jordan: 2005

Karthikeyan made his Formula One debut with Jordan in 2005, partnering Tiago Monteiro. This made him the first Indian driver in F1 History to race in Formula 1.

He made his debut at the 2005 Australian Grand Prix, where he qualified 12th and finished 15th. His best result came at the controversial 2005 United States Grand Prix, a race marred by tyre issues that left only six cars on the grid; he finished 4th, scoring his only points of the season and his F1 career.

Throughout the year, he often outpaced the struggling Minardi team and occasionally matched the performance of his teammate, Tiago Monteiro. He ended the season with a total of 5 points, all from the USGP, placing 18th in the championship standings.

Jordan was taken over and rebranded as Midland F1 for 2006, and Karthikeyan was asked to bring $11.7 million to retain his seat—a demand he could not meet.

Williams Test Role: 2006-2007

Karthikeyan joined Williams as a test and reserve driver from 2006 to 2007. While he never raced, he impressed in private testing and outpaced Nico Rosberg in his first outing. He later described the difference between a top-tier team and a backmarker as “mind-blowing.”

HRT: 2011-2012

After five years away from the grid, Karthikeyan returned to F1 with HRT (Hispania Racing Team) in 2011.

In 2011, he occasionally outqualified his teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi and, due to record grid sizes and high car reliability, twice became the lowest-classified finisher in Formula 1 history, placing 23rd and 24th. Although he was replaced mid-season by Daniel Ricciardo, he returned for the 2011 Indian Grand Prix and notably beat Ricciardo in the race, finishing 17th.

In 2012, he rejoined HRT full-time alongside Pedro de la Rosa. His season was marked by a dramatic collision with Jenson Button and a controversial incident with Sebastian Vettel at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix, which sparked a public exchange between the two drivers. These incidents foreshadowed a difficult year plagued by underperformance, retirements, and multiple Did Not Qualify (DNQ) results. He frequently found himself starting at the very back of the grid and ultimately finished last in the championship standings. His season—and career—ended in dramatic fashion after a collision with Nico Rosberg in Abu Dhabi, where Rosberg’s car launched over his, and he concluded his final Grand Prix in Brazil with an 18th-place finish.