Indian racing sensation Karun Chandhok is off to England again to participate in the British Formula 3 championship.
The 19-year-old had finished sixth last year with six podium finishes to his name.
While talking to rediff.com last year, Karun had expressed a desire to move from the Formula 3 Scholarship class to championship 'A' this season. But he decided against making the switch and re-signed with his 2002 team, T-Sport.
The second driver has not been confirmed as T-Sport is currently evaluating a driver who would potentially be a strong team-mate for Karun.
Till a couple weeks ago Chandhok was unsure about which class he would be racing in, as he had performed very well in three days of testing in the class 'A' car with Carlin Motorsport at the end of 2002.
"The main reason to compete in the Scholarship class was financial. The graduation to 'A' class would have meant an increase in budget of Rs. 80 lakhs [eight million] which is not a small sum of money! So we decided to do the scholarship once again," Karun, who leaves for the United Kingdom on February 15, said.
Indeed, if it took some time for him to get accustomed to the English climate and the cars last year -- his first season in England -- it would have taken even more time for him to get used to the new cars had he moved to the championship 'A' class.
Karun feels if he can win the Scholarship class this season, his profile as a driver would get a boost.
"And that is one good reason to stick to the Scholarship class," he said.
He further added: "The people at T-Sport and Carlin Motorsport felt strongly that since I'm only 19, I have time on my side and so another year would be very beneficial to me. They felt there is no rush to move up the ranks. But the first and foremost reason to stick to the scholarship class is I want to win the championship and maintain my record of winning every championship I've competed in.
"I'd like to be a championship contender again, and, for sure, winning any Formula 3 championship in the world raises a driver's profile significantly. Undoubtedly, the financial aspect also played a role in our decision."
Karun had offers from various teams: two from European Formula 3 and three from the Championship class of Formula 3. So taking a decision had not been easy for the teenager.
"We have to see what Formula 1 teams look at. They look at only certain championships, and the British Championship is the most recognised championship in the world. More drivers have gone to Formula 1 from the British Championship than any other in the world."
Needless to say, Karun is raring to go. "Now that everything has been settled, I want to be behind the wheel and driving again. I think this year is going to be a great one. I have the experience of racing there before, I know the tracks, I know the team and I am also familiar with the weather."
After an 'educational' season last year and after being a regular in the top 3 in both qualifying rounds and races throughout the second half, Karun is quite confident his team can be a championship contenders this year.
"There is a very realistic chance of us winning the championship this year. With the experience that we have gained, our team feels we can win the championship."
Team manager Russell Eacott is also optimistic that Karun can perform strongly this season. He said: "Karun's goal this year will be to win the Scholarship title. With a year's experience behind him, he must now rise to this challenge."
Though the season that starts only on April 6, Karun and his team mates will be on the track from February 21, test driving around 2000-3000 kms.
