As to his countryman's immediate future, as Karthikeyan plies his trade in A1GP having severed his F1 test-driving ties with Williams, Chandhok was equally optimistic, particularly given the 30-year-old's recent triumph – India's first in the nation vs nation championship – in Zhuhai earlier this month.

“He is a very talented driver with loads of experience,” the inaugural Formula Asia V6 by Renault Champion asserted. “A few months ago I had said he would be one of the favourites in A1GP.

“I certainly expected him to win races and so it wasn't a surprise for me when he won in China. The reality is that he is a good driver with a good team around him, so why shouldn't he win?”