By Meinam Amit Singh
Motor sports in India did not have the greatest starts; mainly because cars were viewed as luxury items, which only the elite could afford. The first motor sporting event of the nation was organised by the Motor Union of Western India and it was to be a race from Delhi to Mumbai, and the car that reached the finish line in the best condition, would be deemed the winner.
Well the country has come a long way from that historic race. Motor sport has now become quite popular. Formula One in particular has taken off in the country since the 2000s, with two Indian drivers – Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok – competing in the prestigious Formula 1 circuit and the country also hosting its first ever Formula One Indian Grand Prix in 2011.
The Shillong Times had an opportunity to catch up with Akhil Rabindra – an emerging race driver competing in the Grand Touring circuit.
Akhil made it to the coveted Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy for the third time in a row for the 2021 class. Akhil who is currently competing for AGS Events Racing team at the European GT4 Championships, is the only Asian to have made it to the prestigious AMR driving academy
Aston Martin through their driver academy aim to search for the next generation of GT4 endurance superstars and the 2021 class has only 15 elite drivers (all between 17-26 years) from around the world competing with the hope to land up with an Aston Martin Junior drivers contract a year later.
ST: How did it (racing) start?
AR: I started racing around 2010 in rental go-karts, my dad used to go every weekend and I used to compete with the other recreational karters and often beat them.
ST: What was/were your experiences/struggles in your initial racing days?
AR: I started professional karting in 9th grade. I had two sets of board exams ahead of me and I was not the brightest student. There was a lot of travelling involved, missing school, coming back and catching up on notes and I had to squeeze my school, fitness training and tuitions on my week days. College was a bit different but I had to balance my four years of undergrade with racing. Also, since I was travelling, racing, working out on fitness, I had very less time to socialize and live the normal teenager life. Looking back, I have no complaints.
ST: What was the kind of support you received from family, friends and peers when you decided to take up racing as a profession?
AR: There was a lot of support from my family, my mother spent long hours teaching me and educating me for all my exams. My brother was always a strong pillar of support for all that parents can’t help you with. My teachers through school and university were very supportive, initially they weren’t as much, as they did not understand the sport and that I’ll be away for training and racing but later they understood.
ST: How difficult is it to take up racing as a sport, especially in India?
AR: It is incredibly difficult to take up racing in India. This is not a sport everyone understands nor is it a sport which is on television a lot or is widely spread. The basic education, rules and how motors port is in India, and how it was slowly growing in when I started out. Yes, there were some racing drivers in India who were racing abroad but only the racing ecosystem knew about them. Today it is very different, there is a lot of awareness and it is a sport people want to reckon with
ST: Why the jump from Formula series to the GT?
AR: This was a tough decision as the formula ladder needed a lot of time, financial resource and the chances of making it was also doubtful. We wanted to have a sustainable journey in motors port and also be able to make it to the top. In the GT category it has a larger ecosystem than 20 drivers in F1 and there are several more car manufactures, which opens up opportunities.
ST: How is driving a GT car different from driving a formula car?
AR: It is very different as the GT cars are heavier and have less aerodynamics, it is a different driving style, also compared to formula cars.
ST: Do we expect a comeback from Akhil Rabindra in the Formula circuit any time soon?
AR: Nothing is a ‘no’ and I am open to any opportunity which comes my way, for the near future GT is where I’ll be at.
ST: Any advice for budding race car drivers? Could you share realistic goals or paths for the young aspirants to follow in order to make a footing in the sport?
AR: It is important to learn, fail and make all the mistakes in the initial years. Go-karting is a crucial part of becoming a fast, consistent racing driver as those foundations stay with you in any format you progress on to. Don’t only be a fast-racing driver, have more than one attribute that you bring to the table.
So, when you are up against an equally good driver you will be able to differentiate.