Karun Chandhok @ Coventry University

[AndreaModa]

Coventry University has a little thing going on called 'Coventry Conversations' where prominent, well known people are periodically booked for talks which anyone can attend. Previous well known people who've done this include John Snow, and of interest here, Murray Walker.

I missed the Murray Walker one, but I went to the talk today with Karun Chandhok. He's a lovely bloke, really down to earth, and very knowledgeable in many aspects, not just F1. He had some interesting things to say, particularly on the use of KERS and DRS in F1, and he closed by saying he's confident that he'll have a role in F1 for the 2012 season which will be announced in the next couple of weeks. He had quite a few good words for Bernie too.

Normally the University posts them as podcasts on this page but it'll probably be a few days before it's uploaded to listen to.

He also hung around for a good while afterwards to have photos taken and sign autographs, me and my mate Tom helped ourselves in both respects, so we now have a signed photo each of Karun in the HRT at Melbourne, 2010, and cheesy photos with him too! (even though I was wearing my MVR shirt!)



Don't know who the guy ruining my photo in the back is!

[Londoner]

Looks a bit like Sebastian Buemi, wanting a bit of attention

Anyway, congratulations on meeting a Reject!

[Valrys]

Darn! I attend Coventry Uni and had no idea this was on. That'll teach me to not pay attention to things.

[ADx_Wales]

Don't know who the guy ruining my photo in the back is

But his eyes do say "Soon!"

[fjackdaw]

He has a bit of the Mark Chapman about him.

[ibsey]

I though he looked a little like Pastor Maldonado.

[AdrianSutil]

I see actor Jake Gyllenhall

Glad you saw Chandhok though. Always comes across as a polite and funny bloke when talking to the BBC

[CoopsII]

Anyway, congratulations on meeting a Reject!

Also, congratulations on being taller than the Reject!

[Klon]

Anyway, congratulations on meeting a Reject!

Also, congratulations on being taller than the Reject!

With all due respect, being taller than a racing driver is really not an art.

[AndreaModa]

Anyway, congratulations on meeting a Reject!

Also, congratulations on being taller than the Reject!

With all due respect, being taller than a racing driver is really not an art.

No he's not the tallest of blokes, but then I'm pretty tall anyway, I must be pushing around 6'-2" I think.

But yeah, chances are that'll be the first and last F1 driver I meet!

[CoopsII]

With all due respect, being taller than a racing driver is really not an art.

Yeah, but if you met one and you were then when you walked away you'd feel a little bit smug about that if nothing else

[TomWazzleshaw]

With all due respect, being taller than a racing driver is really not an art.

Yeah, but if you met one and you were then when you walked away you'd feel a little bit smug about that if nothing else

Unless said racing driver is Alexander Wurz or Justin Wilson

EDIT: Interesting fact - I'm exactly 1cm taller than one M. Schumacher

[DanielPT]

With all due respect, being taller than a racing driver is really not an art.

Yeah, but if you met one and you were then when you walked away you'd feel a little bit smug about that if nothing else

Unless said racing driver is Alexander Wurz or Justin Wilson

You will just have to avoid them.

Unfortunately the scorching heat of the Mediterranean plains made Portuguese rather small (at least for the European average) and that would not work for me. It could be said that for me to leave such encounter feeling a little bit smug would be a tall order...

[Klon]

Yeah, but if you met one and you were then when you walked away you'd feel a little bit smug about that if nothing else

Unless said racing driver is Alexander Wurz or Justin Wilson

At least for me that wouldn't be a problem either since I am around 15 cm taller than Alexander Wurz. Well, that sure sucks - not even the remote chance of a racing career for me.

[CoopsII]

It could be said that for me to leave such encounter feeling a little bit smug would be a tall order...

[dinizintheoven]

At least for me that wouldn't be a problem either since I am around 15 cm taller than Alexander Wurz. Well, that sure sucks - not even the remote chance of a single seater racing career for me.

Fixed; Matt Neal is 6'7" and though that completely ruled him out of single seaters, he's been there or there abouts in the British Touring Car Championship since 1993, with a few titles on the way.

There'll still be plenty of racing seats available if you fancy coming this side of the North Sea for a crack at racing with proper bashing and barging all the time...