By Monojit Mandal
SHILLONG: Motorsport in India is ever-growing and will endure to grow, said Bengaluru-born Akhil Rabindra, who sustained his promising run alongside French teammate Vannelet Giles behind the wheels of the Aston Martin Vantage AMR racer at the Circuit d’Albi in FFSA French Championship this weekend.
Monojit Mandal from The Shillong Times got in a conversation with the 24-year-old GT racer to find out more about his career so far.
Talking about the landscape of Motorsport in India, Akhil Rabindra said, “The most conjoint factor in motorsport is that it is very expensive anywhere in the world. Several large automotive companies are trying to make motorsport a more inclusive sport in India for all ages. Motorsport in India will continue to grow”.
Speaking about his journey from go-karting arenas of Bengaluru to Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy (AMR), the GT racer, who is a big fan of Lewis Hamilton, said, “The expedition has been great so far, looking back over the 10 years of racing around the world it feels like I learnt a lot, but a lot more to learn going forward. I have had the honour to drive formula cars and GT cars which have given me great exposure”.
Akhil Rabindra enlightened that Formula racing is very different from GT racing in terms of speed, aero and format. There is also variance in budget between the two. “All formula races are sprints and most of GT racing are endurance races. The budgets also are very different as formula cars are more expensive since it has only one driver whereas GT racing has two or more.”
Akhil Rabindra, who is among 12 elite drivers from around the world to be retained by the prestigious Aston Martin Racing (AMR) Driver Academy for the 2020 season, has advised budding racers in India to focus on the basics. “Focus on the basics as it will take you a long way in whichever car you drive in whichever part of the world.”
When asked, how COVID-19 impacted his racing season, fitness, and psychological state, Rabindra said that training has been affected because of the obligatory quarantine period and that has wedged the overall preparation.
“COVID has affected almost everything in the world, and it is no different for sportspeople. The championships have shifted; travel has become more difficult if you have to quarantine, then training becomes difficult. “I think it’s hard but it’s the same for everyone in the racing fraternity, also there are far larger issues with people losing their jobs, deaths and businesses closing, so I feel privileged to be doing what I’m doing during these tough times,” explained Rabindra, who was excited about the new season beginning April, 2021.