A sensational start from third place on the grid set the foundation for Narain Karthikeyan’s brilliant start to finish victory at the season finale of the 2013 Auto GP World Series at the Brno.
Having endured a difficult qualifying session on Saturday after an untimely red flag forced him to abandon a flying lap that would have otherwise been good for pole, Narain was determined to bounce back and a slingshot start saw him take race lead before the leading pack reached the first corner.
From there on, the Indian drove a flawless race – controlling the pace and driving to the limits of his tyres, as he had started the race on used tyres in a bid to save a fresh set for the reverse grid race two.
“We knew we had the pace all weekend and if hadn’t been for the red flag we would have started on pole”, said a delighted Narain.
“So we were keen to make amends today and ensure that we take the title fight down to the last race”, he confirmed.
Narain’s title rival SuperNova teammate Vittorio Ghirelli finished second.
The result means that Narain has 195 points, 15 behind Ghirelli in the title standings. With his win today, he is also the driver with maximum number of wins (5) and pole positions (4) in the 2013 season.
He will start eighth in the reverse grid race on Sunday, which means clinching the title will be an uphill task as Narain not only needs to win the race but title rival Ghirelli has to finish 6th or lower in order for Narain to secure the crown.
“Honestly there a very little chance but all I can do is get the best result tomorrow and see what happens. We have a set of new soft tyres saved and we intend to make the best of it”, he concluded.
Unnatee Gidithuri
Stephen Raj Antony
Saptarshi Mondal
