Karun Chandhok's sophomore GP2 Series campaign this year ultimately turned out to be something of a rollercoaster ride for the likeable Indian, with victory at Hockenheim and hugely popular podium finishes both in Monaco and on 'home' turf at Silverstone interspersed by some appalling ill-fortune.
With his focus set firmly on becoming his country's second representative in Formula 1 by following in the wheeltracks of compatriot Narain Karthikeyan, the 24-year-old looks back over his second season in the top flight's feeder formula, and ahead to what 2009 may hold in-store for him…
In qualifying for the first round of the 'summer series' in Barcelona, it was a shame Romain Grosjean blew his engine and dumped some oil at the first corner in the final three minutes. I lost two tenths of a second on my best lap, which cost me a top three slot on the grid and left me seventh.
In the feature race I got up into fourth on the first lap behind my team-mate Bruno Senna, but then the safety car came out for an accident as the pit-stops were approaching. It's so frustrating when that happens, because there's just nothing you can do.
You have to stop under the safety car; if I'd stayed out I would have lost even more time. The mechanics did a great job to do both the pit-stops, but after the delay of waiting for Senna to finish his pit-stop, my good work from the opening lap was ruined. After that, because it's so hard to pass at the Barcelona circuit, Sébastien Buemi, Kamui Kobayashi and I just drove around in a procession!
We tried something different on the car in the second race and it worked really well, but on the first lap I was alongside Pastor Maldonado and then Luca Filippi hit me, so I fell to last place. Luca apologised for it afterwards, but unfortunately it was another first lap incident that ruined the race. What was so annoying was that I could have scored points in both races there.
I was looking forward to the second round in Istanbul, because I had led the race there last year until Kazuki Nakajima took me out, and I really love the circuit. It wasn't a bad qualifying for me lining up seventh again, but a couple more tenths and I would have moved up the grid quite a few places.
In the feature race I got a good start and was up to fourth, and without the gearshift problem we had I would have been able to stay with the three leaders, no problem. Even after dropping two seconds in the space of two laps, the gap stayed the same.
After my pit-stop I then set three consecutive fastest laps, but I lost out again when the safety car appeared, which allowed the three guys ahead of me to pit without losing time. It was all going so well, but then Ben Hanley – a lap behind – was in my way for nearly two laps, slowing me down, even though our team boss Paul Jackson spoke to Campos on the pit wall.
