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Journalism of Courage
When you first see him, at the Bira International racetrack near Pattaya, he looks like any racing fan. Slim, boyish frame draped in casuals, feet shod in typical racing shoes, he could be just another teenager who plasters his walls with pictures of Schumi and Senna.
But Armaan Ebrahim is different. While his friends dream of fast cars and fast driving, he is actually doing that, every week, on the Formula BMW Asia circuit.
He8217;s being hailed as the future of Indian racing yet, with one win already under his belt this season 8212; his debut in this category 8212; and currently ranked fourth in the standings, he8217;s happening now. And he8217;s only 16.
Of course, he8217;s still making the transition from boy to man. As evident in the fact that, while he8217;s burning rubber on racetracks across the continent, he8217;s not licensed to drive in his home country. And his voice, an adolescent hoarse-whisper that he desperately tries to cover up mainly by speaking very little.
Or the giggle that emanates when he8217;s asked what his friends think of high-speed jinks. 8216;8216;They get dumbfounded8217;8217;, he says. 8216;8216;My friends always are. In fact, they look at me in amazement every time the topic crops up.8217;8217;
Indeed, it8217;s an amazing story, his transition almost as speedy as the 200 kmph he hits while on track. Just a year ago, the son of former racing star Akbar Ebrahim made his debut at the Formula Indian National Championship, driving a Formula LGB 1300cc/carburetted engine.
That gave Armaan the confidence to try out Formula BMW and he duly topped BMW8217;s Driver Scholarship Programme 8212; among 40 drivers from all over Asia 8212; in Bahrain. That led to his winning a 50,000 subsidy for the Asia series and a spot on the circuit.
Today, he8217;s racing men five or 10 years older, and comfortably holding his own. In fact, in the rookie championship he8217;s entered in both rookie and full categories, and lies second in the former his Korean teammate is four years older. All the others are older still.
8216;8216;Fourth place was all that we8217;d hoped for this season8217;8217;, says Akbar Ebrahim. 8216;8216;We never expected he8217;d win a race.8217;8217;
Much of the progress, and the preparation, has been away from the track. Over the past year and a half Armaan has had a lifestyle makeover; out went the junk food, the burgers and shakes; in came the twice-daily fitness regimen and a 9-30 p.m. curfew. Teenage flew past.
Life on the road 8212; with his father, 8216;Paddy8217; the engineer who also worked with Akbar and a clutch of Koreans from his team E-Rain 8212; has meant no school for the past two years. He8217;s still enrolled with the National Open School but his education has been on the circuit.
8216;8216;It8217;s OK8217;8217;, he says. 8216;8216;I don8217;t miss it a lot but at times I do think about it. I miss my friends at times.8217;8217;
In a sport where experience is vital 8212; ask Narain Karthikeyan, who for all the dues he8217;s paid on the track can8217;t seem to cut it in Formula 1 8212; how does Armaan cope with his youth? How can a 16-year-old mind deal with the complexities of Formula driving?
First up, his driving is pure instinct. He knows little about aerodynamics, for example, except for the fact that it8217;s 8216;8216;something associated with a race car8217;8217;.
8216;8216;It8217;s not his ignorance but his age showing8217;8217;, says racing veteran Vicky Chandok. 8216;8216;It8217;s like a kid using his instinct to drive a car when he first sets foot in the vehicle.8217;8217;
Secondly, like his father, speed is his most potent weapon. Add to that a certain element of bravado bordering on recklessness, and a fighting spirit that allows him to get back up when he seems down, and you have the elements that comprise his arsenal.
Of course, that still leaves a large gap in a race driver8217;s mental make-up. Akbar agrees. 8216;8216;He has the advantage of quick thinking because he8217;s not burdened by too much knowledge. But as soon as the timings dip he8217;ll find it very tough to figure out what went wrong.8217;8217;
In other words, the powers of analysis are still developing.
In a highly technical sport, Armaan, his father says, is still 8216;8216;far away from understanding the relationship between driver and mechanics8217;8217;. This, he adds, is the most difficult problem any youngster faces.
8216;8216;Speed is fine, but quickly grasping issues 8212; mechanical or aerodynamic 8212; during race-week that could help maintain consistency is something youngsters fail to understand.8217;8217;
Akbar acknowledges, though, that his son knows his own mind and makes his own plans. 8216;8216;The only thing I do is ensure that he follows a system in implementing his plans.8217;8217;
Where does Armaan go from here? 8216;8216;My mission is to get to the top. No compromise, man.8217;8217;
Even for someone with his confidence, that8217;s a long way away. But he8217;s on the right path, if precedence is any indicator: Kimi Raikkonen, Ralf Schumacher and Christien Klein are all BMW alumni.
If the rest of this season goes well, Armaan could opt next season for European F-3 250 bhp, then the Formula 3000 350 bhp, World Series 450 bhp and the newly-introduced GP-2 series 550 bhp. From there, the Holy Grail of Formula 1 is a chicane away.
8216;8216;It8217;s steady progression, which I feel is the right way to go about getting to the top8217;8217;, says Akbar. 8216;8216;He has age on his side and is not the type to get distracted.8217;8217;
The main roadblock is, of course, finance. That8217;s a pressure Team Armaan lives with 24/7; they are still short of their budget for the full season. A seat on his current team, E-Rain, cost 160,000 8212; which doesn8217;t cover accidental damage. A crash in a bid to perform would mean additional expenditure to an individual.
The problem has been sorted out to some extent thanks to his sponsors, JK Tyres. Indeed, Armaan8217;s profile and looks should ease to a great extent the problem of sponsorship. With JK under his belt, he8217;s close to another deal with a clothing company; next in line is Sify, who are currently designing and will handle his personal website.
As the conversation ends, Armaan 8212; so far shy and reserved 8212; suddenly sits up. 8216;8216;I8217;m not here to waste my time8217;8217;, he says forcefully, just in case you take him for another spoilt brat spending daddy8217;s money on fast cars.
He needn8217;t worry, his record speaks for itself. You get the feeling that watching Armaan Ebrahim in the years to come will be anything but a waste of time.
