India's [ Images ] new Formula One entrant Karun Chandhok [ Images ] has thanked Bernie Ecclestone [ Images ] for helping him to fulfill his lifelong dream.

Chandhok will become only the second Indian to compete in Formula One when he drives in this weekend's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix [ Images ].

The 26-year-old signed a last-minute deal with Hispania Racing last week, but their car has missed all of pre-season testing due to financial problems.

Despite an unremarkable record in GP2 over the last three years, Chandhok now finds himself lining up alongside the likes of Michael Schumacher [ Images ] and Lewis Hamilton [ Images ].

"Bernie has always been a superb pillar of support to me and my family. It's amazing how much that man can do in a single day," The Sun quoted Chandok, as saying.

"This last winter has been very hard and it's taken us a while to get a deal sorted, so there are always times when you have doubts but in the end it all worked out okay.

"Now it's just an unbelievable feeling. I am absolutely thrilled to be able to fulfill a lifelong dream to break into Formula One," he said.

"We've been working for so many years for this opportunity, and now we've finally made it, it feels a bit surreal to be honest. I think it will only fully sink in I am going to be on the same grid as world champions like Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso [ Images ] when I get to Bahrain," Chandok added.