CHENNAI: India’s first Formula One driver celebrated his birthday on January 14. Having turned 41, Narain Karthikeyan has no plans on stopping anytime soon and has decided to race in the Japanese Super Formula for a fifth straight year.
There were rumours that he might switch to Super GT 500 for the coming season, but he quashed those rumours, signing up with Nakajima Racing again.
“Super Formula is undoubtedly the fastest single-seater outside of F1 and I really cherish the opportunity to compete at this level. The grid is pretty strong and the old-school Japanese tracks are extremely demanding. I really like the entire racing culture. The fans are great, so everything put together I’m really happy to continue,” Karthikeyan told Express. The field includes WEC World Champion and 24-hrs of Le Mans winner Andre Lotterer, former F1 drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Kazuki Nakajima.
Last season, the Coimbatore-born racer could not muster a single point, something that happened for the first time in four years. But he is hopeful of turning things around this time around. “The team has been extremely strong in terms of car performance and race pace, albeit last year we struggled to convert it into results. We have overhauled a lot of processes and re-visited strategies to ensure that we are able to seal results befitting our performance levels.”
The Padma Shri awardee spends a lot of time at the gym and off it with a mix of functional and strength training, working in tandem with Ramji Srinivasan. He admits that his fitness levels are at the highest since he started. Also, his love for Japan has ensured he has no qualms about continuing in the country.
“Japan is like a second home now. I love the culture and the people. Over time I’ve picked up on the language as well. The series is as popular as ever and enjoys a strong fan following. There are fans following us to all the races, it’s nuts! They’re as passionate about motor racing as India is about cricket,” he added.
Karthikeyan has been racing for over 25 years now and he has seen a lot of ups and downs in his career. But the former Jordan and HRT driver holds no regrets. “Being in this field for so long, you tend to witness quite a few things and you mature over time. For me, being on the F1 Grid in Melbourne in 2005 was the most memorable followed closely by the Indian GP in 2011. I would have liked it continue in India but sadly, it didn’t happen.”
When asked how he wants people to remember him, he shoots back instantly, “The fastest Indian. Always.”