CHENNAI: As Armaan Ebrahim received his Young Achiever Award from the Rotary Club of Madras, there was a sense of pride and happiness about the way he went about business. Hailing from a family with deep connections to both parties that handed him the award and his profession, motorsport, his face showed how much the moment meant to him.
“This award is very special, especially coming from the Rotary Club of Madras,” said the 25-year-old, who is all set to race in the Lamborghini Series this year. “We haven’t signed yet, but I’m really looking forward to participating in the Lamborghini Series. It’s going to help my career, and if things go well, we have the World Series final as well, so that makes it better,” the son of former Indian F3 champion Akbar Ebrahim said.
The former GP2 racer added that given a chance, he would enter the European circuits. “If I get an opportunity, I wouldn’t say no, but right now, I need to make the most of what comes my way, as you know, racing is terribly expensive.”
Armaan also shared his thoughts on the topic of tall, heavier drivers finding it difficult to make it into Formula 1. “I myself am from a family of tall people, so I understand what the feeling is. But yes, normal F1 cars are made with the average racer in mind, which is maybe to seat someone who is five feet eleven.
“There have been racers like Jenson Button (currently with Mclaren-Honda in F1) and Mark Webber (former F1 driver currently in the FIA World Endurance Championship) who have had successful F1 careers, but taller people do have it worse,” said Armaan, whose grandfather Krish Chitale was president of the club. The Chennai lad feels the Indian racing scene can only change if more manufacturers come into the picture. “We need manufacturers to promote Indian drivers and give them a chance to showcase their talents. That’s what other countries are doing. Japan, Germany and China support their drivers, so we need that bit to be solved,” Armaan opined.
The former national racing champion felt if sponsors are found, Indian racers will have it easier. “As I said, racing is an expensive sport, and not everyone has the financial backing to achieve their dreams. But Meco Motorsports (his father’s driving academy) have been doing their best to support talented racers from the country,” he signed off.