Mar.30 (GMM) Narain Karthikeyan insists he supports F1's 107 per cent rule and is confident he will be quick enough to qualify for the second event of his return to the sport.

Struggling Spanish team HRT had a horror opening weekend of its second season, hardly running at all in practice and then not lapping quick enough to qualify for the Australian race.

When the F111 finally did get up and running in Melbourne, it featured the 2010 front wing cobbled onto the new chassis, after the 2011 nose failed a mandatory crash test.

"If we get the new front wing ... not if, we are going to get it," Indian Karthikeyan told Reuters ahead of next weekend's Malaysian grand prix.

"We are reasonably confident that we will qualify and if all these things happen then we don't have any excuse not to qualify for Malaysia," he said.

Many insiders will be surprised if the car does qualify at Sepang, but Karthikeyan insists the 107 per cent rule - having returned for 2011 after a long absence - is right for formula one.

"Basically, they don't want jokers to come in," he said. "We respect the 107 per cent rule. We are a serious team.

"When it all gets kicking off, I think we are going to surprise a few people," he added.

Latest F1 News - Mobile version

26 Feb: New Ferrari not quickest in field - Domenicali 26 Feb: Red Bull still best in 2013 - Tost 26 Feb: 2014 French grand prix 'possible' - Prost 26 Feb: Danica Patrick 'not interested' in F1 switch 26 Feb: Report - Gilles Simon working on F1 engine for Honda 26 Feb: Gutierrez plays down link to Carlos Slim 26 Feb: Caterham exhaust 'legal' insists van der Garde 26 Feb: McLaren replaces Mercedes-bound Lowe 25 Feb: 'Engine maps' trouble for Red Bull, Lotus - report 25 Feb: Mercedes-bound Lowe to miss 2013 opener - report 25 Feb: Mercedes 'in group of teams' behind Red Bull - Lauda 25 Feb: Gutierrez expects Hulkenberg to beat him early in 2013 25 Feb: New Ferrari 'much better' than 2012 - Massa 25 Feb: Teams 'will adapt' to new tyre situation - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Tight rules make today's F1 cars 'the same' - Forghieri 25 Feb: Williams removes controversial exhaust trick 25 Feb: Contract 'conflicts' cause of Marussia test snub - Razia 25 Feb: Lotus to fight Red Bull for title - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Marussia 'ahead of Caterham' - Chilton 25 Feb: Sutil will not stay in F1 as test driver The latest F1 News - Mobile Version