Karun Chandhok to test for Team Lotus at Jerez and Barcelona.

With Narain Karthikeyan taking over the race seat occupied by Karun Chandhok in 2010 at HRT for the 2011 season, we’ve all been wondering what Chandhok would be doing this year. Rumours were on about Karun taking up a testing role over at the Team Lotus camp and though nothing was concrete,Chandhok had openly revealed  that he was looking at a testing or third driver role for 2011 to gain more experience when yours truly had a chat with the F1 driver at the Chennai track earlier in December. As planned, Karun will be a part of the Team Lotus pre-season tests in Jerez this week and later in Barcelona the week after – Tony Fernandes has confirmed. Whether or not Karun will make it to the test driver role for Team Lotus on a full-time basis for 2011 will be decided after the tests are concluded though. Speaking to Reuters, Tony Fernandes said, “We would like him to be reserve driver but we've got to see whether it all works out, that's the plan. He is going to get a couple of slots in the testing now in Jerez and Barcelona. And then we'll decide after that. We feel he's the right guy to add value to the team.”

With the first ever Indian Grand Prix scheduled to be held later in the season, the inclusion of an Indian driver will certainly boost publicity and support for Team Lotus – something they really need with the ongoing row over the naming rights issue for the team.