Formula One Fantasy - Lotus’s Karun Chandhok
He may have just missed out on fulfilling what must have been his ultimate F1 fantasy - to race in front of his home crowd at the inaugural Indian event - but Lotus tester Karun still has plenty of other ideas when it comes to his ultimate Formula One wish list. Chandhok reveals why teaming up with Alain Prost in a Hesketh, complete with active suspension and a ’90s-style steering wheel, around the streets of London would be the next best thing to racing in Delhi…
Q: You must choose a city for a new Formula One street circuit - which city, anywhere in the world, do you choose, and why?
Karun Chandhok: London. I think the British Grand Prix in the heart of the city around all the historical parks and monuments would be fantastic.
Q: If you could choose one former world champion as your team mate, who would you choose and why?
KC: Alain Prost - I feel there would be a lot I could learn from him. He’s not called ‘Professor’ for nothing!Q: Formula One innovations of the past - ground effect, active suspension, turbocharging, six wheels, the list goes on. If you could bring back one past innovation, what would it be and why?
KC: I love the idea of active suspension - I think that it was such a brilliant concept in an era when the study of aerodynamics was nowhere close to the level it is today
Q: What innovations would you like to see in the future?
KC: I think F1's in pretty good shape actually now. We have a good balance of circuits and rules for overtaking, but also keeping the essence of F1.
Q: You can only drive at one circuit for the rest of your life - which circuit, past or present from anywhere in the world, do you choose?
KC: Monaco - forever!
Q: Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Tyrrell, March are just some of the teams that have departed the sport. Which former team would you most liked to have raced with and why?
KC: I would've loved to work with Hesketh - they sounded like great fun.
Q: You have to design a new F1 circuit, combining all your favourite corners from other tracks around the world. Which three corners are top of your list and why?
KC:The left-right around the Hotel de Paris and Casino Square in Monaco - a fantastic challenge to commit as you go over the blind crest; Ascari in Monza - so difficult to get the line right and get a good exit with low downforce; and Maggots/Becketts at Silverstone - such a challenge to get the line right and change direction in the right way.Q: You can travel back in time and compete in any decade of Formula One racing, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Which decade would you choose and why?
KC: Hmm... probably the 1990s. I loved the look of the early 1990s cars and the way they were sophisticated yet simple, without millions of buttons on the steering wheel.
Q: What current Formula One regulation would you most like to change and why?
KC: I'm not a big fan of KERS - it seems very expensive and doesn't really add to the show if everyone has the same amount of power boost.
Q: If you could pick two Formula One greats of the past (from different eras) to watch race against each other, who would you pick?
KC: Senna and Schumacher at their peaks!
Q: If you were a team boss, which current driver would you pick first for your team (excluding yourself and your current team mate)?
KC: Fernando Alonso.
Q: Just 19 of the world’s motor racing circuits feature on the current F1 calendar. You can add one more. Which circuit do you pick and why?
KC: Laguna Seca - it looks like a fantastic circuit and I like the idea of F1 going back to America.
Q: You are having a dinner party and can invite four people from the world of motorsport, past or present. Who do you invite?
KC: Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Ken Tyrrell and Colin Chapman - think of the stories they could tell…
Q: You are given the chance to drive any legendary Formula One car of the past (excluding those made by your own team). Which car would you choose?KC: The 1993 Williams FW15C or the 1990 Ferrari 641
Q: Rooftop swimming pool, bowling alley, revolving sushi bar – just some of the features most F1 motorhomes don’t possess. If you could add one thing to your team’s motorhome, what would it be?
KC: An elevator - the staircase is really steep!
Q: Imagine you have just won the world title. Where would you go for your celebratory meal and what would choose from the menu?
KC: Ah, that's an easy one - The Khushboo in Brackley and I would have a ‘Karun's special’!
Credit: Formula One Administration Ltd (www.formula1.com)
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