Karthikeyan still in running for Spyker seat

(GMM) The fact that Christian Klien is testing for Spyker at this very moment does not mean that Narain Karthikeyan's hopes for the race seat are dashed.

Indian Karthikeyan's manager Mark Perkins insists that reports assuming that Klien will definitely fill the void left by Christijan Albers' for the rest of 2007 are "premature" because Spyker chiefs will only make a decision later this week.

Karthikeyan, 30, has compiled an impressive array of backers from his native country, but he does not share a particularly cordial relationship with boss Colin Kolles following their cooperation under the Jordan guise in 2005.

"We are quite optimistic about the chances (for Karthikeyan)," manager Perkins said, after it was confirmed that Austrian Klien, 24, would test the orange-colored car on Thursday.

Indeed, Honda tester Klien – wearing plain white overalls – emerged from the Spyker garage at Spa Francorchamps on the final morning of testing on Thursday at the wheel of the F8-VII single seater.

But Perkins continued to The Asian Age: "It will be finalized in a day or two. We are also in talks with a GP2 team."