CHENNAI: One of the first things that strike you when you meet Narain Karthikeyan is how the man seemingly cannot age. He looks almost exactly as he did when he was first tearing it up in Formula One circuits more than a decade ago. “I have the same body weight — 62.5kg — as I had in 1999,” he laughs. “And I am still in the 10 per cent body-fat bracket.”
And he needs to be fit! The Super Formula series in Japan, that Narain has been in for the past four years, features races in some extreme conditions. “Summers can be very hot, while winters are cold,” says Narain, who was in the city on Saturday to inaugurate the Express Auto Expo at Chennai Trade Centre. “A race in May was cancelled because of a typhoon. Earthquakes, typhoons; the country is battered with everything. But racing still goes on.”
Narain’s racing career has taken him all over the world. His initial years were spent racing in various Britain-based series, including the British Formula 3 Championships. In 2001, came a first foray into Japan with Formula Nippon. Four years later, he got his first chance at the highest level of motor racing: a Formula One drive with Jordan in 2005.
The next couple of years were spent testing for an even more prestigious name in Williams F1, but Narain had to wait till 2011 to get another chance to drive regularly in Formula One, this time with HRT Racing. When that stint ended in 2012, it did not take long for Narain to make his way back to Japan. At that time, it was a no-brainer. Super Formula cars were thought to be as fast — if not faster — as Formula One cars.
While Narain had his moments in Super Formula, it has not always been smooth sailing for him in Japan. “It is a very tough place. I have only two podiums so far in the last four years. Competition is tough.
There are multiple engine manufacturers who compete. This year has been a bit better. In the race before my last one, I qualified fourth; not far from pole. My team has been getting better, as have our Honda engines.”
This year is his fifth straight season in Japan, and Narain is far from done. “Japanese racing culture has been there for so many years. Once you’re accepted as a quality driver, you feel like continuing. As I’ve said before, there are not too many cars faster than these, outside Formula One. It’s the next best thing. You drive at some great circuits like Suzuka. As a professional racer, it is a very good place to be.”
vishnu.prasad@newindianexpress.com