Karun Chandhok facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Karun Chandhok
கருண் சந்தோக்
Chandhok in 2019
Born	(1984-01-19) 19 January 1984 (age 41) Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Spouse(s)	Akshara Kothari ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	2
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Indian
Active years	2010–2011
Teams	HRT, Team Lotus
Entries	11 (11 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
Last entry	2011 German Grand Prix
Formula E career
Racing licence	FIA Gold
Years active	2014–15
Teams	Mahindra
Car no.	5
Starts	11
Championships	0
Wins	0
Poles	0
Fastest laps	0
Best finish	17th in 2014–15
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	2012–2015, 2017
Teams	JRM, Murphy, Ligier
Best finish	6th (2012)
Class wins	0

Karun Chandhok (born 19 January 1984) is an Indian former racing driver. He also works as a sports commentator and reporter. He raced in Formula One, which is the highest class of international racing, for 11 races between 2010 and 2011.

Chandhok also competed in Formula E, a racing series for electric cars, with the Mahindra Racing team. Before Formula One, he raced in the GP2 Series for three years and won two races. In 2013, he competed in the FIA GT Series.

Before GP2, Chandhok won the Formula Asia championship in 2001. He was also the first champion of the Formula Asia V6 by Renault series in 2006. After leaving F1, Chandhok became a well-known analyst, co-commentator, and pit-lane reporter for different TV channels in Britain. Since 2019, he has been part of the Sky Sports F1 live coverage team.

Chandhok also helps with motorsport rules and organizations. Since 2021, he has been on the Board of Directors for Motorsport UK. He is also a member of the FIA Driver's Commission.

Early Racing Days

Karun Chandhok was born in Madras (now called Chennai) in Tamil Nadu, India. His father, Vicky Chandhok, was a famous Indian rallying champion. He has been the president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India since 2003. Karun's younger brother, Suhail Chandhok, is also a sports commentator.

In 2000, Chandhok became the Indian National Racing Champion. He won seven out of ten races in the Formula Maruti series. He also got the fastest lap and pole position in all ten races. In 2001, Chandhok won the Formula 2000 Asia championship. This made him the youngest ever Asian Formula Champion.

Chandhok then tested with Carlin Motorsport, a top team in British Formula 3. He raced in the National class in 2002 and 2003. In 2003, he finished third in the standings. In 2004, he moved up to the main British Formula 3 class.

He quickly showed his talent in the World Series by Nissan in 2004. He partnered with fellow Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan. In 2005, Chandhok raced part-time in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. He was also the first driver to represent A1 Team India in A1 Grand Prix in the 2005–06 season.

In 2006, he became the champion of the first-ever Formula Asia V6 by Renault Championship. He won seven races and got nine pole positions out of 12 races.

Racing in GP2 Series

Chandhok driving for iSport International at the Silverstone race in 2008.

Chandhok joined the GP2 Series in 2007, racing for the Durango team. GP2 was a major stepping stone for drivers hoping to reach Formula One. Chandhok got his first GP2 win in a sprint race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. He also led a race in Turkey from pole position, but another driver crashed into him.

In November 2007, Chandhok got a big chance. He was invited by the Red Bull Racing Formula One team to test their car for two days in Barcelona.

Chandhok racing for Ocean Racing Technology at the Monaco race in 2009.

Chandhok continued in GP2 in 2008 with the iSport International team. His teammate was Bruno Senna, who is the nephew of the legendary Ayrton Senna. Chandhok won one race and finished tenth in the championship. He also received the series' "Best Driving Style" award.

In November 2008, Chandhok became the first Indian driver to join the British Racing Drivers' Club. This is a very special club for top British and Commonwealth racing drivers.

In 2009, Chandhok raced for the Ocean Racing Technology team in GP2. He scored ten points in the championship, with his best result being third place at Silverstone.

Formula One Journey

Formula One is the highest level of single-seater auto racing. It features the fastest cars and the best drivers in the world.

Force India Connections

Chandhok was often linked to the Force India team, which started in 2008. This was an Indian-registered team. After one of their drivers left in 2009, Chandhok was considered for the spot. However, the team's test driver got the race seat instead.

Chandhok later said in 2010 that he hoped to join Force India for the 2011 season. He believed that having an Indian driver would be good for the team, especially in terms of business and fan support.

Racing for HRT (2010)

Chandhok achieved Hispania Racing's first finish in Australia in 2010.

Chandhok started the 2010 Formula One season driving for Hispania Racing, also known as HRT. His teammate was his former GP2 partner, Bruno Senna. This made Chandhok the second Indian driver to compete in Formula One.

At his first race in Bahrain, Chandhok faced challenges because his car was not fully ready. He managed to qualify and race, but crashed out on the first lap. However, he achieved the team's first official finish by coming fourteenth in Australia. He finished fifteenth in Malaysia and seventeenth in China. Chandhok had to retire from the next three races due to technical problems or accidents. He finished eighteenth in Canada and Valencia, and nineteenth at Silverstone. After the British Grand Prix, he was replaced by another driver for the rest of the season. During this time, he became a co-commentator for BBC Radio 5 Live.

Joining Lotus (2011)

Chandhok as Team Lotus's third driver at the 2011 Italian Grand Prix.

On 22 March 2011, Chandhok was announced as a reserve driver for Team Lotus for the 2011 season. He drove the car in practice sessions for several races. He got to race in the German Grand Prix, replacing Jarno Trulli. He finished twentieth and last in that race.

Team Lotus let Chandhok go after the Japanese Grand Prix. This meant he could not race in his home Grand Prix in India, which was a big disappointment.

Endurance Racing: 2012

In 2012, Chandhok started racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He drove for JRM Racing in a special sports car called the HPD ARX-03a. His teammates were David Brabham and Peter Dumbreck. At the famous Le Mans 24 Hours race, Chandhok's team finished sixth overall.

FIA GT Series: 2013

Chandhok also competed in the FIA GT Series in 2013. He drove a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG for Seyffarth Racing. He later drove a BMW Z4 GT3 for Vita4one Racing Team.

Formula E: 2014–2015

Chandhok racing in the 2014 Punta del Este ePrix.

From 2014 to 2015, Chandhok raced in the first season of Formula E. He drove for the Mahindra Racing team. Formula E is a unique racing series where all the cars are powered by electricity.

Media Career

After his full-time racing career, Karun Chandhok became a well-known face in motorsport media. He has worked for major British TV channels like the BBC and Channel 4, covering Formula One. Since 2021, he has been an analyst for Sky Sports F1. He also sometimes works as a co-commentator and pit-lane reporter. He has also appeared on the Channel 5 show Fifth Gear as a presenter.

Racing Highlights

Career summary

Images for kids

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  Chandhok driving for iSport International at the Silverstone race in 2008.

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  Chandhok racing for Ocean Racing Technology at the Monaco race in 2009.

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  Chandhok achieved Hispania Racing's first finish in Australia in 2010.

• 

  Chandhok as Team Lotus's third driver at the 2011 Italian Grand Prix.

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  Chandhok racing in the 2014 Punta del Este ePrix.

See also

In Spanish: Karun Chandhok para niños