Hispania Racing driver Karun Chandhok has said that his new fledgling Spanish team should be aiming to show that they are a "credible" option on the grid in their forthcoming test-less, and potentially hapless, 2010 season.
The HRT team will head to Bahrain without completing a single lap of testing, and have been roundly expected to be rather pathetic in the 2010 season.
But Chandhok believes that even though the team are far behind on development, they are still capable of putting in a credible performance in 2010, and refused to even rule out the team scoring points in it's debut season.
"Our goal early on in the season is to show the world that we are a credible company," Chandhok explained to the Deccan Herald this weekend, "The focus is to gain some mileage, reliability and experience in the first season.
"We'll probably be off the mark in the first four races but from Catalunya, Spain, we will prove a challenge. You never know, we could also bag some points late in the season."
The Indian driver added that he was relieved to have finally got into Formula One, even in such a minor way, after struggling in GP2 last season.
"I had a very disappointing 2009 season in GP2 but everyone had already made a note of my potential," Chandhok grinned, "After chasing a [Formula 1] seat for a long time, I finally found a great team to drive with. Colin Kolles has shown a lot of faith in me and it helps to have the backing of someone who has known me for long in a sport like Formula 1."
Meanwhile, Bernie Ecclestone has insisted that he is happy to see Chandhok in the sport, and told the expectant Indian media to give their new hope time to adjust to life on the F1 grid.
"I am very happy today to see that Karun has finally secured his place on the Formula 1 grid," Ecclestone said in a statement he released yesterday.
"It's been a bit last minute but the main thing is that he is there and with a team that should provide him stability and a chance to learn."
He added that: "Formula 1 is a very tough business with the best drivers in the world competing in the best cars and on the most challenging race circuits in the world.
"That is why it is the pinnacle of sport and while I believe it's going to take Karun until mid-season to show his potential, I wish him all the very best for this season and look forward to seeing the Indian media and public get behind him this year."
Ecclestone also greedily admitted that he hoped that Chandhok's place in the sport will help the sport to flourish in India, with the country set to join the F1 calendar in 2011.
"India is rapidly growing to be one of the most important and powerful players in the world of business, culture and sport and at FOM, we look at India very seriously," Berlie slobbered greedily.
"We have an Indian F1 team on the grid, we will have an Indian Grand Prix thanks to the Jaypee Group in 2011 and so it seems only right that there should be an Indian driver in Formula 1."
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