Former HRT driver Karun Chandhok has said that he will do his best to prove his worth to the Team Lotus squad, as he prepares for a cameo pair of tasting appearances in an effort to secure a reserve drive with the team for 2011.
Chandhok raced for the Hispania Racing team throughout the first half of 2010, but was replaced by Sakon Yamamoto after the British Grand Prix.
The Indian driver has failed to secure a race seat for 2011, but is in the frame for a full-time reserve role with the Malaysian-owned squad.
And Chandhok is being given a run in the new T128 car at this week's Jerez test, as well as the test at the Circuit de Catalunya next week, in order to prove his worth to the team.
Speaking on Wednesday in Jerez, Chandhok said that he was looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of a Formula One car.
"It has been months since I last drove an F1 car and I am very excited to be back in the elite club," he grinned at the Times of India newspaper.
"I just reached Jerez today and will be meeting the team of engineers. It is a different team from last year and so the whole work atmosphere will be different.
"So I want to get familiar with it all as soon as possible."
He added that he was confident that he could prove himself to the team during his brief on-track cameos, and said that his chances of securing a full-time reserve role were "looking bright".
"I shall do my best during the tests in Jerez and Barcelona, giving inputs to the team's engineers about the new car, which is basically the test driver's job. I am sure I can add value to the team and its development programme," he rambled.
"Team boss Tony and technical chief Mike Gascoyne understand the value I can bring to the team as a test driver. The final deal is yet to be finalized but things look bright at this point."
He added that he was hopeful that the new Lotus car would prove to be competitive, saying: "I never drove the car last year so I don't know what the difference would be.
"But there are grounds to be excited about because the car will have the same gear-box and hydraulics which Red Bull, champions of last year, had. Besides the Renault engines will also add to the punch."
Preliminary schedules for the Jerez test have Chandhok down to drive the T128 on the opening morning of the test, before the team's race drivers Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen take over for the rest of the four day event.
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