in 1998, karthikeyan made his debut in the british formula three championship with the carlin motorsport team. he earned two third place finishes in the final two races of the season, and finished 12th overall. in 1999, he finished on the podium five times, including two wins. his season also included two pole positions, three fastest laps and two lap records. karthikeyan finished sixth in the championship. he also competed in the macau grand prix.