Chandhok expects to race again in 2010

Karun Chandhok expects to return to the formula one grid with HRT later in 2010.

Ten races into his rookie season, the 26-year-old has been replaced for next weekend’s Hockenheim race by Japanese pay-driver Sakon Yamamoto.

“I expect to be back for races later in the year,” Chandhok told the BBC.

“At the moment we are talking only about Hockenheim but with four drivers and two cars, it is probably inevitable I will miss some more races.”

The fourth HRT driver is Austrian tester Christian Klien.

After Bruno Senna was replaced by Yamamoto at Silverstone, Chandhok admitted that it is “not great” to now be facing his own race weekend on the sidelines.

But he insisted: “I came into this team looking to establish myself as a credible, respectable formula one driver and I’ve done that.”

According to the Telegraph, Chandhok will still travel to Germany for round 11 of the world championship.

“By no means does this mean that I’m not back in the car in Budapest,” he said.

“We will sit down in Hockenheim and the team will decide on a race by race basis.

“Then we have the summer break and we will see what happens.  It is a little bit up in the air.

“There’s no reason to believe that I will be out for too long.  I’m not too worried.”

Chandhok also insists he is not out of HRT’s reckoning for next season.

“I have talked with (owner) Jose Ramon Carabante about their plans for 2011 today so it’s not like there’s been a total breakdown between us or anything.  It’s just something they want to do now,” he explained.

© RIF | GMM