COIMBATORE: Tijil Rao doesn’t initially come across as a racer. As you watch his small frame run up and down the pit lane at Kari Motor Speedway, you imagine he is here to watch his father or elder brother race. But, then you see him putting on his racing overalls and climbing into a car.
At 15, Tijil is one of the youngest racers at JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship, where he is taking part in the Novice Cup. He moved to single-seaters with just one year of karting experience; he finished seventh in the national karting championships last year. But what is even more impressive than his age or experience is what he has to battle for getting into a car every time.
Tijil was born with club foot, a condition in which both feet are bent inwards. “I underwent a couple of surgeries when I was very young,” says the Bengaluru boy. “My legs were basically in casts till I was 3-4 years old.”
Tijil’s size — he is a lot smaller than your average 15-year-old — is a result of his condition and the lengthy treatment he has had to undergo. The very process of racing is an exhausting effort for him. “Because I’m smaller, I’m exhausted after each race. Today, I finished my race, got out and I was like, ‘Just get me some water.’. And my feet don’t make it easier. After every race-day, I go home in a lot of pain as they’re all swollen up.”
Despite all this, he not only soldiers on, but excels. After an engine blow-out prevented him from taking to the grid in the first race of the weekend, he took his rather-unprepared car to sixth position in the second on Saturday. Then, in the third race on Sunday, he had finished second, but a disqualification put him in the top spot.
What he lacks physically, he seems to make up for mentally. The boy seems to be blessed with a keen analytical mind. You can tell that from the fact that his favourite racer is neither Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel, but the little-known Charles Leclerc, who drives for Sauber and lies a lowly 15th in the F1 Championship. “You can tell that he has one of the worst cars on the grid,” Tijil reasons. “Still, the number of times he manages to finish in the top ten is amazing. Only a very good driver can do that. It is much harder than winning a race with a Mercedes or a Ferrari.”
As is the case with all young drivers, Tijil ultimately wants to end up in Formula One. But first, he has another test to clear: his Class X board exams, which is only a few months away.
vishnu.prasad@newindianexpress.com
Results
Euro JK 18: Race 3: 1. Ashwin Datta, 2. Nayan Chatterjee, 3. Karthik Tharani; Race 4: 1. Brayan Perera, 2. Ashwin Datta, 3. Nayan Chatterjee. LGB 4: Race 2: 1. Vishnu Prasad, 2. Raghul Rangasamy, 3. Rohit Khanna; Race 3: 1. Raghul Rangasamy, 2. Vishnu Prasad, 3. Rohit Khanna. Suzuki Gixxer Cup: 1. Joseph Matthew, 2. Syed Muzammil Ali, 3. Malasawmdawnglama. JK Tyre Novice Cup: 1. Tijil Rao, 2. Huzaifa Tinwala, 3. Yokeshwaran Krishnavelu. Red Bull Road To Rookies: 1. PC Andy Lalhmangaihsanga, 2. Jerome Vanlalrengpuia, 3. Eshaan Shankar.