Finally, India makes the A1 podium

Having celebrated his 22nd birthday just three days ago, Neel’s Indian connection is his father Mukesh, who went on to marry a Swiss lady Elizabeth from Berne. Incidentally, the Janis were originally from Gujarat, before migrating to Kenya and then settling down in Berne. While, Neel is into something totally at a tangent to the chain of fast food restaurants his father owns back home: love for speed and cars — like Michael Schumacher — began at the age of five in go-karts.

Finishing fifth in the mini category of the 1996 championship was Neel’s first indication of his seriousness in the sport. A similar finish in the junior group in 1998 saw Neel finish a brief karting stint in Switzerland.

Subsequently, a year in the tough European Championship Formula A, Neel’s desire to pursue a professional car racing career blossomed when he got to drive in the Swiss ArcoBaleno Championship in 2000 where he dominated the series. In the 12-race championship he started winning from the third itself and ended the season with an impressive tally of eight wins, 4 seconds, six pole positions as many fastest laps.

All this at just 16! Like every driver who dreams of making the Formula One grid, Neel lived his dream in 2003 after he was called upon to test for Sauber-Petronas and ended up as ‘test driver’ to regulars Giancarlo Fisichella and Felipe Massa in 2003 and 2004.

While Neel is an ardent tennis, skiing and soccer fan his role models are not drawn from the sport he has his passion drawn to. Instead it’s from skiing. He admires his compatriot Silvano Beltrametti and Austrian Hermann Maier, both of whom suffered serious accidents and came to terms with them in impressive — if very different — ways.

Neel this year will enjoy his second stint in F1 when he was named Scuderia Toro Rosso — the ex-Minardi team bought out by Red Bull — as their third/reserve driver.

Born and brought up in Switzerland, Neel could only dream visions of the paternal half his family back in India. So in 2003, when the opportunity came, thanks to his association with Sauber-Petronas, Neel ensured he came. Not a “known figure,” Neel not got a feel of India but also had the opportunity of sharing the day with Indian cricket idol Sachin Tendulkar at the Formula Karting track at Andheri.