Karun Chandhok Quick Info
Height5 ft 9 in
Weight69 kg
Date of BirthJanuary 19, 1984
Zodiac SignCapricorn
SpouseAkshara Kothari

Karun Chandhok is an Indian professional racing driver and TV presenter who has competed in the Formula One World Championship, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the all-electric Formula E, the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, and the GP2 Series. Before plying his trade in the GP2 Series (2007-2009) which paved his way to an F1 seat in 2010, he had competed successfully in several intermediate tiers and feeder series, winning the 2000 Formula Maruti championship, the 2001 Formula 2000 Asia championship, and the inaugural Formula V6 Asia Series in 2006. He had also stood 3rd at the 2003 British Formula 3 Championship – National Class. After his stint in active motorsports racing drew to an end in the mid-2010s, he worked as a commentator and technical analyst for BBC Radio 5 Live, Sky Sports F1, and Channel 4.

Born Name

Karun Chandhok

Nick Name

Karunpedia

Sun Sign

Capricorn

Born Place

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Residence

Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom

Nationality

Indian

Occupation

Professional Racing Driver, TV Presenter

Family

  • Father – Vicky Chandhok (Former Racing Driver, President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India)
  • Mother – Chitra Chandhok
  • Siblings – Suhail Chandhok (Younger Brother) (TV Presenter, Former Cricketer, Sports Commentator, Actor)
  • Others – Trishya Screwvala (Sister-in-Law)

Car Number

5 – Formula E

Formula One Teams

Karun has raced for –

  • Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Team (2007-2008) (Test Driver)
  • Hispania Racing F1 Team (2010)
  • Team Lotus (2011)

Build

Athletic

Height

5 ft 9 in or 175 cm

Weight

69 kg or 152 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Karun has dated –

  • Akshara Kothari (2010-Present) – Karun first met Indian business executive Akshara Kothari on the sidelines of the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix. She was there to watch the race with her family, who were well-known to the Chandhoks; but Karun had not known much about Akshara before this. They soon began dating each other and eventually got married in December 2014 in a private ceremony in Chennai. They have a son together named Kushant Chandhok (b. December 2018).
  • Race / Ethnicity

    Asian (Indian)

    Hair Color

    Black

    Eye Color

    Dark Brown

    Sexual Orientation

    Straight

    Distinctive Features

    • Toned physique
    • Short-cropped hair
    • Clean-shaven look

    Karun Chandhok Facts

  • When he won the 2000 Formula Maruti championship, on debut, Karun’s domination was such that he had won 7 out of the 10 races and had secured pole position and recorded the fastest lap in each of those races.
  • He was the youngest driver to win the Formula 2000 Asia championship when he achieved the feat in 2001. He was also the first driver to race for A1 Team India in the A1 Grand Prix when he competed in the tournament at the beginning of the 2005–06 season.
  • In November 2008, he became the first Indian driver to be invited to join the BRDC (British Racing Drivers’ Club).
  • In 2010, he became just the 2nd Indian driver, after Narain Karthikeyan in 2005, to start an F1 race. He was driving for Hispania Racing F1 Team and his teammate there was Bruno Senna who had also been his teammate 2 years earlier, at the 2008 GP2 Series.
  • In 2012, he became the first Indian driver to compete in the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.
  • He has conducted an annual charity event in the UK known as Karun’s Karting Carnival, which helps to raise funds for the education of underprivileged children in India.
  • In September 2023, Karun was involved in an accident at the Goodwood Revival Festival after the car that he was driving burst into flames. Fortunately, he didn’t suffer any major injury due to the incident.
  • Featured Image by Karun Chandhok / Instagram

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