Will Narain Karthikeyan ever make it to a Competitive Team as Driver in F1 ?

Question

I for one have been amazed by Narain Karthikeyan's Car Control in his rookie season where he outdrove Tiego Monteiro consistently.
He is a Test driver for Williams. But Given a Competitive car, I feel he can probably be a mid runner atleast ?
Your Comments Please ?

Answer 1

He's a good journeyman driver, but there is nothing really special about him and, without major sponsorship, he wouldn't have made it to Formula One with Jordan in 2005. That's not unusual, but one of the top teams would have taken him at the end of that season (as a driver) if they saw something special in him.
As for outdriving Tiago Monteiro consistently in his rookie season, 2005, the statistics tell a different story. The raced against each other 19 times and Tiago had one podium finish at the U.S. GP, but we all know that was a bit of an anomaly. Still, in a six-car race, Narain finished behind his team mate.
Tiago collected seven points and Narain five.
Tiago retired once and Narain five times.
Tiago has the edge in higher finishes between the two, 12 to 7,
and when both finished a race, Tiago again prevailed 7 to 6.
He's been around the lower formulae since 1998 and he hasn't won a championship.
1998: British Formula 3, 12th with Trevor Carlin's Carlin Motorsports.
1999: British Formula 3, 6th with Trevor Carlin's Carlin Motorsports.
2000: British Formula 3, 4th with Stewart.
2001: Formula Nippon, 14th with Impul.
2002: Formula Nissan World Series, 9th with RC.
2003: Formula Nissan World Series 4th with Trevor Carlin's Carlin Motorsports.
2004: Formula Nissan World Series 6th with RC.
It's not the answer you wanted, but it's an honest opinion, one I've backed up with some indisputable facts..

Answer 2

Well, for one, I don't know that I would say he conistently outdrove Monteiro: He placed better than Monteiro in only 6 of 19 races (and 3 of these came in the first 4 races that year). Hewas not invited back for 2006 where Midland did see some upside to keeping Monteiro around. My overall recollection of his driving is that during 2005 he often seemed to badly insert himself into contests of cars lapping him where Monteiro and the Minardi drivers were generally able to stay clear of such problems. And even given the very darty nature of the Jordan chasis that year, I seem to recall seeing him in the grass more often than many others during Friday practices. All of which adds up to me as not indicating a level of car control that could be called "excellent" in terms of Formula 1 standards.

The fact that he is at the level to drive in Formula 1 marks him as an exceptionally skilled driver, and it seems he has settled nicely into a testing role at this time. But I've not seen anything to indicate that he's anything other than a middle of the road driver at his level. As the only driver from India, he could stand to attract some good sponsorships, which could make him attractive to a team at some point - though not a team such as Ferrari or Mclaren or other front runners (where he would not likely rise to the status of a number 1 driver if he had the chance).

Answer 3

I saw him driving a car some time in Japan.
But he is not faster and stronger than Motoyama.
(Motoyama is the same team driver.He won several times champion in Formula Nippon.)
I feel the driver who can drive faster than Motoyama get a formula 1 regular seat such as Takagi.And Narain Karthikeyan doesn't have some big sponsors.I think he doesn't get a formula 1 regular seat without them.