Just the other day, Karun Chandhok had emerged as the first understudy to India’s then top racer, Narain Karthikeyan. As Karthikeyan went on to become the first Indian and the first non-Japanese Asian to test a Formula One car (Jaguar, which is now Red Bull after a sell-off to the Australian energy drinks company) and then to become the first and only Indian to be a Formula One racer.

Now it is the turn of Chandhok to test for Formula One—interestingly, Red Bull, too—at the Circuito de Catalunya in Barcelona on November 13 and 14. This is the next big news for Indian motorsport. Six years after Narain’s breakthrough into the men’s league Karun has scripted this new chapter in his racing career.

This “one-off” test does not mean that success will automatically promote the driver to the F1 lanes, but with almost all top shots of international motorsport—as also Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya, who now owns the Spyker team—watching, this could be the best opportunity for Chandhok to break in.

The Red Bull team was placed fifth in this year’s Constructors’ Championship table and its drivers are Mark Webber and David Coulthard.

Speaking to The Indian Express from London, on his way to the Red Bull test facility, Karun said: “The test has more to do with reliability with emphasis on the electronics owing to new rule changes next year.”

And he also made it clear that he was definitely not looking at a place as a driver for the next season. “I would like to consolidate my position further with GP2 (which runs as a support series for the Formula One World Championship, and where he has excelled) next year, but what I am looking at is a test driver’s assignment with Red Bull for the next season. The two duties will not interfere because there is little clash in dates between the two. I will be able to manage both if allowed.”

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