By Phil Giles
May 2 2005

The Sunday Times reported yesterday that Indian national hero Narain Karthikeyan is looking towards India hosting a Formula One Grand Prix within the next three years.

Narain told the paper "China has one, so the feeling is that India, which is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, must get one quickly.  People (in India) who knew nothing about it watch every race, and the viewing figures are between 60m and 100m, second only to cricket. And the understanding is good; they know Nick Heidfeld couldn't do much in the Jordan last year, so they don't expect me to be at the front. They'd love me to pick up the odd point, which, with a little luck, I'm sure we can. The sponsors are pretty happy with the exposure they're getting."

Narain's first year in F1 was always going to be a tough one, even more so when the team he was joining has suffered with a rather reduced budget for the last few years, however as his head appears firmly screwed on, he is content to help the team progress through the rest of the season. 

"I knew funds were tight, so there's no point moaning." he said.  "Better to concentrate on making the most of what we've got. It's not easy for a rookie to make a big impression from the start, because it's a huge learning curve with the car and the circuits, and minimal testing doesn't help. But I haven't made many mistakes, some of my qualifying laps have been pretty good, and in Imola my race pace was strong.''

The British media have accepted Narain as an impressive talent for the future.  Martin Brundle, ITV's knowlegeable commentator has consistently been impressed with Narain's driving ability.  His first few races were nothing to write home about, however as the months progress, he is getting used to the EJ15 and is clearly finding the limits of the car, pushing them forward every time.

Long time supporter and Jordans Sporting Director Trevor Carlin said:  "He's fast and committed, fearless around high-speed corners, and he's worked very, very hard on improving his fitness, which was an area where some people reckoned he might struggle."

"Before the season began I thought he'd be so committed that he was bound to have one or two 'offs', but he's been superb at finding the limit without going over it." he added.   "He's surprised a lot of people, but he's worked very hard and he's quick. He'll be here next year, hopefully with us."

Next season, Jordan will be rebranded as Midland F1 and will run with a chassis designed by Dallara.  However as is a perenial problem, thoughts are already turning to who is going to supply the team with an engine.  Ferrari and Toyota are recent names on the desk, however Ferrari have already committed to providing a supply to Red Bull Racing.  It's not clear if Toyota are prepared to continue on from the one year deal brokered last season by the teams founder Eddie Jordan.