“The Fastest Indian in the World”, Narain Karthikeyan has been rated as the top Indian racing driver in the world, ranking 126^th in the overall world classifications, a massive 1,353 points, and 75 places ahead of his nearest Indian rival. The Castrol Rankings, which are powered by AUTOSPORT.com, were launched at the AUTOSPORT International Exhibition in Birmingham, UK, on 14 January 2010.

David Coulthard, who launched motorsports first ever definitive ranking system believes the new Castrol Rankings system will show who is the best racing driver in the world, across all the major categories of motorsport. He explained that the new system will accurately compare the performances of more than 2,000 drivers.

“As a fan of motorsport, I have always been curious to know who are the best drivers,” Coulthard said. “Growing up back in Scotland I used to read AUTOSPORT cover-to-cover, anything that was in there at the time, irrespective of whether it was single-seaters or another form of racing. You tend to think F1 is the pinnacle, but is it rallying? Is it sportscars? Is it some guy racing in Australian Formula 3? I didn’t know until last night that there is an Australian F3 championship! This initiative gives us the opportunity to look at over 2000 drivers and come up with a definitive ranking. I’m curious to know what the future holds.”

Each driver is given a score depending on his qualifying position and race results from each event that counts towards the Castrol Rankings. Additional points are given for the fastest lap, leading the race or rally, leading the most laps, finishing on the lead lap, most positions gained and starting the event. The driver’s Castrol Index Score is multiplied by a pre-determined weighting. The weighting, calculated by Castrol performance Analysts is based on the type of race or rally being contested. The more important the event, the higher the weighting. Points are then adjusted depending on the number of rounds in the championship – in order to equalise each series to a theoretical 20 rounds. Every week, the drivers’ points are added to their previous points to provide a Castrol Rankings total, covering the last 12 months of competition,

Jenson Button topped the 2009 rankings, ahead of Sebastian Vettel and World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb. Coulthard reckons the Castrol Rankings will show who does the best job in 2010. The important thing with the ranking system is that it rewards finishing and consistency. It’s not just about the glory shot of winning a particular race.

Racing isnt just formula one you know, The A1GP or the worldcup of motorsport is also a world famous racing series with Team India as one of the participants. The cars in A1GP are all the same, so its up to the drivers and the team to tweak the cars and get the best performance. The drivers are forced to push the cars to their limit without actually incurring the wrath of their respective insurance companies for totaling their cars.

The formula one Indian Grand Prix may very well have a rival in the A1GP’s Indian Grand Prix, there were rumours of a track being selected near Rajasthan. Anyway some A1GP Team India statistics with a pretty photo of Team India wonderboy Narain Karthikeyan and his tricolour helmet :

A1 Team India Statistics

A1GP standings
2005/06 24th
2006/07 16th
2007/08 10th
2008/09 15th

Drivers Caps
Karun Chandhok – 3
Armaan Ebrahim  – 22
Narain Karthikeyan – 36
Parthiva Sureshwaren – 4

A1GP statistics
Races started 65
Wins 2
Points 82
Pole positions 1
Podium places 2
Top 10s 22
Raced laps 1537
Raced km 6259
Races led 4
Led laps 36
Led km 142

The A1GP team India has had limited success in the various seasons but with 2 wins and 82 points in total its definitely a team to watch out for in the A1GP format of racing.

A1 Team India secured its second win of the season when Narain Karthikeyan took victory in the Brands Hatch season finale Feature race this afternoon while GBR’s Robbie Kerr notched up another home race podium after a beautiful drive, just losing out to India during the second round of pit stops.

Twenty-eight-year-old Kerr maintained his second place grid spot behind Karthikeyan at the start, pressuring the race leader in the opening stages of the 48-lap race. When India and third-placed Ireland made their first mandatory pit stop on lap eight, GBR opted to stay out in clean air and come in on lap nine. After a fantastic pit stop from the British crew, Kerr rejoined in the lead ahead of India and Ireland. The British racer held P1 until his second compulsory stop on lap 32 when he emerged just behind India to rejoin the action in second. Kerr was unable to pass Karthikeyan during the remaining laps and went on to cross the line second and secure third place overall for GBR in the final championship standings.

Newly crowned A1GP champion A1 Team Switzerland’s Neel Jani joined India and GBR on the podium in third position, the Swiss racer’s 11th podium finish of the season, while China’s Congfu Cheng finished in a superb fourth place after a great weekend at a circuit he knows well from his British F3 days.

Fifth place was taken by Franck Montagny, helping France secure fourth position in the championship. Montagny was followed across the line by the Netherlands’ Jeroen Bleekemolen in a solid sixth, moving the Dutch team into seventh overall in the championship, four points ahead of Germany in eighth.

Defending champion A1 Team Germany endured a disappointing end to season three, finishing eighth in the overall standings. Michael Ammermüller finished 11th in the Sprint race and 19th in the Feature, after a puncture just 10 laps from the end, when he was running in third place, ruined his chances of a podium position this afternoon.

Narain Karthikeyan, who took his maiden A1GP race win in Zhuhai, China in December last year, was delighted to score India’s second race win:

‘I think I made a good start. Robbie tried to go round the outside but I defended that move. When we came out of the first pit stop I had a coming together with Adam Carroll – I didn’t see him because I had a moment and he tried to go up the inside and I hit him. But anyway, a great result for A1 Team India and after the final pit stop my car was mega. I made a mistake at Sheen but at the end it was all good!’

Image Copyright : A1GP.com