Chandhok all set to emulate Karthikeyan in FI

New Delhi, Nov 6: Emulating the footsteps of Narain Karthikeyan, Karun Chandhok became the second Indian driver to get a test drive call with a Formula One team as he prepares himself for a two-day test with the Red Bull in Barcelona next week.

Chandok, who scored his first victory at Formula One's GP2 support series at Spa in Belgium earlier this year, will be displaying his racing skills in Barcelona's Circuito de Catalunya circuit on Novenmber 13 and 14.

Kartikeyan, who is currently a test driver with Williams, became the first Indian to drive in the F1 circuit in 2005 when he raced for Jordan.

''It really is a dream come true for me. Ever since I was about four years old I've dreamed of being behind the wheel of a Formula One car,'' an excited Chandok said today.

''This year has been very good for me in GP2. I was able to re-establish myself in Europe and to be called up by a strong mid-field team for my first F1 test is an icing on the cake,'' the Madras-born driver added.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner, describes Chandok's association with his team as a desired reward for his steady improvement this season.

''Karun's (Chandok) progress in GP2 this year has been clearly evident, culminating in a win at Spa.

''Barcelona presents a good opportunity to put Karun in one of the cars, as our regular test driver Sebastien Buemi will be competing in the Macau F3 race,'' Horner said in a statement.

Red Bull Racing is a rising F1 team with Mark Webber and David Coulthard as their main drivers.

The interest of Indians in Motor sport is on a surge after business tycoon Vijay Mallya took over Spyker F1 team and renamed it to Force India Formula One team.

Add to that, India is also slated to host a Formula One Grand Prix at New Delhi in 2010.

UNI