Chandhok ready for test seat

Karun Chandhok

(GMM) Indian GP2 driver Karun Chandhok is ready for a formula one test seat in 2009, but not a grand prix debut, Force India team co-owner Vijay Mallya said at Spa-Francorchamps.

Despite previously saying he wanted a countryman at the wheel of one of his cars by next year, the Indian billionaire explained in Belgium that he does not believe 24-year-old Chandhok should join the grid in 2009.

Before Sunday's Belgian grand prix, he suggested strongly that Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil will be retained beyond the end of this season.

Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi is Force India's current test driver.

"I would love to give Karun a go as a test driver," Mallya said.

"He is a year away from a race seat. I need to see him consistently winning in GP2, not an odd race here and there," he added.

"At the end of the day, on one hand I cannot be encouraging the team's performance, and then doing something that might compromise the result."

Mallya suggested that retaining Fisichella and Sutil would be straightforward, as both their current contracts contain options for 2009.