Chengdu, China, Nov 9 (UNI) A spirited performance from A1 Team India's lead driver Narain Karthikeyan made sure that his team earned a top 10 finish despite starting 16th on the grid in the second round of the A1 GP World Cup of Motor Sport here today.
Karthikeyan came 10th in both the feature and sprint race. A1 Team India finished 10th in the sprint race with 1:17.282 as its best lap time, while the best lap time recorded by it during the feature race was 1:16.315.
The climb up for lead driver Karthikeyan was slow and steady and the car performed very well after the second pit stop when he overtook team South Africa.
Speaking on the outcome of the race A1 Team India lead driver Narain Karthikeyan said, ''I think we have had a satisfactory performance and this weekend has been more of a testing for us with the new car.
''It also feels good to have opened our points tally with this race as well. There are a lot of aspects of the new Ferrari car that I need to get used to like the launch control, braking distance and other driving techniques.
''In the feature race I managed to take over Lebanon on the second turn and after the second pit stop managed to climb up to the ninth and then finally the tenth position,'' he added.
He also asserted that the key was to qualify better and that is what Karthikeyan will work hard towards in the forthcoming races.
In the sprint race, A1 Team Ireland took the chequered flag clocking a best lap time at 1:16.084. The other teams to take the podium finish were A1 Team Netherlands with 1:16.183 and A1 Team Great Britain with 1:16.712.
The feature race that started in the afternoon had a standing start and included one pit stop during laps eight and sixteen, as well as a second mandatory pit stop to be taken within a window revealed 40-minutes before the lights turned green.
A1 Team Portugal took the honours in this race followed by A1 Team Ireland and A1 Team Great Britain.
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