‘Ayrton Senna was not only a master of his craft, but also an inspiring person outside the race car.’ Narain Karthikeyan
TEXT BY MERAJ SHAH / PHOTOGRAPHED BY HRT FORMULA 1 TEAM
Back in the 80's when the country didn’t even get live telecasts of F1 races, a teenager in Coimbatore nursed dreams of competing in them. After realising that near impossible fantasy, things have come full circle for Narain Karthikeyan, as he got behind the wheel with the home crowd spurring him on at the 2012 Airtel Indian Grand Prix.
This has to be a fantastic opportunity for you – to be racing in front of a home crowd. How do you feel going into this race?
It was quite an experience last year, driving in my home GP. When I made my F1 debut back in 2005 I never thought we’d have F1 in India so soon. It was overwhelming to see the amount of support there was in the grandstands – something which I had an opportunity to relish during the drivers’ parade.
It is something a driver can only expect in his home country and I had an opportunity to reflect and realise that we as a country were on the brink of something truly remarkable. Needless to say, once again it is the race I am most looking forward to.
What is your week in Delhi going to be like?
For me, it will be the busiest race week on the calendar – with a lot of media and corporate appearances and so on. But that won’t deter me from being focused on my training regime and race preparation. Doing a good job in the car is what matters the most and I am looking forward to achieving the best possible result for the team come raceday.
What is your strategy for the Buddh circuit, and what do you think of the track?
You’ve got a good boy image…don’t you
getting fans interested in F1 is concerned – now we have to sustain that interest and engage with them directly.
Do you know Delhi well? What’re you
planning to do in the city when you get
some time out?
I enjoy spending time in Delhi – there are some great restaurants I know of but since I’ll be completely focused on race prep through the week leading up to the GP, I think everything else will have to wait until after the race. One of my sponsors Tricon Media is planning a party at Amber lounge for the drivers and guests.
Growing up in India, what
did your parents think when
you said that you wanted to
become a race driver?
subscribe to the playboy lifestyle associated
with F1 drivers?
I think these presumptions can’t be generalised and applied to everyone. Drivers are disciplined, hard-working athletes doing their jobs. For some, taking a break may mean partying; for me it is spending time with my family.
How do you see F1 growing in the years to
come in the country?
The inaugural Indian GP last year was a raging success and brought F1 to the forefront in India. During the week leading up to the race, it was everywhere – from primetime television to the front pages of newspapers. With that kind of exposure, everyone is well aware of the sport – I meet amazingly knowledgeable young fans on a daily basis. So I think we’re on the right track as far as
They were incredibly supportive. My father was a rally champion so coming from a motorsport background definitely helped. But considering that we had very little by the way of motorsport in our country, aiming for F1 was unthinkable!
Even though I was single-mindedly determined, I failed to realise what an uphill task it was at the time and a more concrete picture emerged only when I started racing in Europe. A lot of hard work and perseverance, coupled with absolute self-belief, and the unwavering support of the Tata Group has been instrumental in taking me this far.
Who is your sporting hero?
There are many heroes, but one who undoubtedly stands out is the late great Ayrton Senna. Not only was he a master of his craft behind the wheel, but also an inspiring human being outside the race car – doing as much as he did for Brazil during the most turbulent times. In my view, his untimely death was a tragic loss, not only for motorsport, but for the world at large.
NOV — DEC 2012
I can’t help being a little biased, but I think
BIC has loads more character compared to
other new-age circuits on the calendar. A lot of
work went into designing the artificial elevation changes, the blind crests and so on, and it has paid off. The surface is incredibly smooth – actually the smoothest of any track that I’ve driven on.
Tyres, as we’ve seen throughout the season, are going to play a key role in deciding the strategy, along with the weather. During that time of year we can rule out rain, but if it is unusually hot things can change quickly.