Licensed to thrill, Karthikeyan hopes to extend success formula in F-1

Racing legend Jackie Stewart believes Karthikeyan has the potential to make his mark in the billion-dollar industry of Formula One racing. “Well, that’s what he (Stewart) told the media,” says Karthikeyan, with an impish sense of humour. A quality he displayed in copious quantity while facing the fourth estate at the swank Hakone Entertainment Centre in suburban Powai onWednesday.

Karthikeyan’s prowess has drawn comparisons with former World champion Damon Hill. Some even believe that he is better than Hill. Quizzed on the point, Narain replies: “Well, I am certainly better than Hill was at my age.” But he shifted gears to underline the important fact that Hill came into Formula racing at 25.

Karthikeyan showed early promise in a sport which became a passion with him. An obsession which his own family saw no point in stifling beyond a point after initially opposing it because of the perils involved. Sparks had to fly and it was better, they thought, if it was on the tracks!

Winning a race a year before he was legally entitled to a driving license underlined both the passion and the potential. The young racer was well and truly on course.

Karthikeyan, who finished 1999 sixth in the world F-3 rankings, zipped in typical racing-driver style to open three racing Go-Kart tracks, before zipping out to take a flight to Bangalore.

The first steps towards Formula Oneracing lies in the Go-Karting tracks and he said the sport offers a huge future for the next generation of Indians to rake in mega-bucks.

“The sport in India has come a long way,” says Karthikeyan, who laments the absence of Go-Karting in the country in his formative years, unlike his overseas rivals who had all the early opportunities to hone their driving skills.

But Karthikeyan accepts the reality that it is he who has to sow the seeds if the coming generation of Indians have to reap a bumper harvest from the sport where the likes of Michael Schumacher rake in a cool $ 30 million annually.

Karthikeyan, a mobile billboard, is sponsored by a consortium — among whom are JK Tyres, Ford, KingFisher, Mobil and Tatas which forks out around 300,000 pounds. And these corporates pump in money as an investment with the conviction that Karthikeyan will make it big in F-1 racing.

The Indian, who is on the Stewart Racing team, has become eligible for a super licence to race in Formula One racing. “Thefastest Indian on four wheels” says he hopes to test drive in the highest category of the sport in the dawn of the new millennium. To put things in perspective, he beat Brazilian Luciano Burti in the British Championship this year. And Burti is already testing F-1 cars for Stewart Racing.

He is convinced that the sport has a big future in India. “I do not believe I am just one in a population of 950 million. The future for Formula racing in India is bright with the increased media interest, especially with television bringing in live telecasts to Indian homes,” he says.

Formula One racing has seen marvels like Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen. In the years to come, one may well add one name to that list: Narain Karthikeyan.

‘I AM AS GOOD AS FOREIGNERS, IF NOT BETTER’
On conquering the fear of racing: There is no escape from it. You have to be scared. Recently I lost one of my friends in an accident. But my worst accident was on theroad. In fact, Indian roads pose greater danger than the racing tracks!
On how foreigners reacted to his presence on the tracks: Initially they found it unusual to find an Indian winning races. But now they accept that I am as good if not better.
The person he idolises: Ayrton Senna is the man I look up to. He was a legend. It’s truly unfortunate that he died so young. To emulate Senna is my dreams.
On his fitness schedule: I jog 5-6 kms a day and do some weight training, not so much to build muscles but to keep myself strong.
On his social life: Well, I have lots of time. Racing occupies only 10% of my time. Spare time is taken up by pursuits like chasing sponsors!
On the difficulties of getting sponsorship: It’s just cricket and nothing else in India. It’s very, very hard convincing sponsors…I will have to achieve something in the sport to make it big for the others that follow.
On the cost factor: Racing is expensive business. Costs spiralsbecause of the high-technology involved. The chassis, for instance, is made of a carbon that is similar to the one used in the making of the space shuttle Columbia. Each car testing session costs nearly Rs 3 lakh.