HYDERABAD: Seeing the popularity and craze for motorsports among the youth of India, one can’t stop wondering why the sport hasn’t reached the heights it deserves to go.
There are a flock of drivers who do well at whatever limited number of national championships there are in India, and then fizzle out soon.
But Anindith Konda Reddy is from a different breed. He wants to change the face of motorsports in the country.
Having taken up racing just three years ago, the man from Hyderabad has already graduated to the Formula cars and is eyeing to get into the GT category by next year.
The 26-year-old won the first three rounds of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National racing championship last year and is looking to go one better this time.
“It was some three to four years back in the US, while studying mechanical engineering that I developed my interest in motorsports. Having seen the racing scene over there closely, and at the same working on similar cars, my interest kept on growing. So maybe that’s the reason for my fast transition from Touring cars to the Formula cars. By next year, I am eyeing to get into the GT category too.”
“Last year I won three rounds and this time I want to go one step better and win all the four rounds,” Anindith told Express.
With two foreign drivers participating in the championship this time around, Anindith is hopeful of not only gaining some valuable experience but also getting the better of them.
“With the presence of two foreign drivers, it will be a good opportunity for us to see where we stand at the international level. This will be very important for me as I am going to go abroad to race, from next year. I am pretty confident of putting up a good show in the event.”
So what really sets Anindith apart from his contemporaries? Is it better adaptability to different situations, or the zeal to continue racing and make a career out of motorsports?
“A combination of both”, says the talented driver. “Racing is all that I wanted to do in my life. So I am going to continue doing that. A lot of racers in India, for various reasons, don’t have very long careers. But I am not going to let that happen to me.”
“Also, what I’ve learnt from my seniors is that I can adapt easily to different situations, be it in the car, track or conditions. So that works in my favour,” Anindith concluded.
madhav@newindianexpress.com