F1: Narain Karthikeyan lost his ride because of sponsor problems

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From GMM

Sponsor issues reportedly led to Narain Karthikeyan losing his seat at HRT.

Karthikeyan is officially still on the books as an official driver, amid rumours he might return for the inaugural Indian grand prix in October.

His sponsors Speed, Tata and Base are still showing on his official website, although the Italian magazine Italiaracing claims "economic difficulties" meant Karthikeyan lost his seat.

"When he learned of the economic difficulties of Narain Karthikeyan, Helmut Marko did not think for a second and reached the agreement with Hispania for the debut of his young protege (Ricciardo)," read the report.

At Silverstone, HRT regular Vitantonio Liuzzi will for the first time share the garage with Australian rookie Daniel Ricciardo, as part of a new driver deal with Red Bull Racing.