Narain Karthikeyan suffered a fuel pick up issue during qualifying

Narain Karthikeyan was struck with a fuel pick up issue during the closing stages of Q1, which prevented the Indian driver from improving upon his time. The HRT duo have endured a disastrous weekend at Austin, and have qualified in 23rd and 24th position for tomorrow’s United States Grand Prix.

At the beginning of the weekend, rumors began circulating the paddock that HRT were running low on spare parts, after the team were put on sale by their current owners Thesan Capital. Throughout the weekend, it has been touch and go as to whether the Spanish outfit would qualify for the race, with both Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan only just managing to qualify 105.647 and 106.402 percent within the 107 percent rule.

As the opening segment of qualifying came to a conclusion, Narain Karthikeyan was seen coasting to a halt at Turn 2. It was later confirmed that the Indian driver was struck with a fuel issue on his F112, which prevented Karthikeyan from completing another lap. The 35-year-old is adamant that he could’ve improved upon his time had he been able to complete another lap.

"Driving was quite challenging in the morning because it was difficult to bring the tyres up to temperature.” Explained Narain Karthikeyan, “But things improved a lot in the afternoon with a much warmer track. The tyres and the car performed much better and we managed to put in a few good laps. I think we could still have improved on the last laps but the car suddenly stopped. We had a problem with the fuel pick up that we are now looking into it but we don’t expect it to be a problem for tomorrow’s race.”

HRT are hoping for a much more successful race tomorrow, despite starting from the back row of the grid. The Spanish outfit will simply be hoping to see both cars finish the race, as they aim to end the season on a positive note as negotiations rumble on with regards to a new potential buyer for the team.

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