Monaco: Satisfied with his performance on the Formula One circuit so far, rookie Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan is determined to prove his mettle on the ‘challenging’ track during the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday.

“I’m happy with my performance so far this season, having shown the potential of the car,” Karthikeyan, who arrived here on Tuesday in preparation for his sixth race of the season, said.

“I can’t wait to race in Monaco,” said an excited Karthikeyan.

The Jordan Grand Prix driver said it may be physically demanding for newcomers here, but he was confident of coping with it.

“I like racing on street circuits and have experience of these unique tracks from earlier in my career, such as at Macao or the Korean F3 Grand Prix.

“Monaco is a real challenge for a driver who has never raced on that street circuit. A driver dashing uphill and downhill through a town at 300kmh on such a short track is a really breathtaking idea,” he said.

“I expect it to be a challenge, as we’ll have to negotiate over one thousand corners in around 90 minutes on Sunday afternoon. It’s also a real challenge for the gearbox, which will change gear, more than 2000 times during the race,” Karthikeyan said.

“It will be very tough for the car, the tyres and the brakes,” the 28-year-old said.

“As overtaking is virtually impossible at Monaco, strategy will be vital,” Karthikeyan continued.