Dubai [UAE], February 11 (ANI): Padma Shri Awardee and India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan wants to get the job done when Racing Team India takes its first step on the road to the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend at the season-opening round of the Asian Le Mans Series in Dubai.
The all-Indian squad, spearheaded by a star-studded driver line-up of Karthikeyan, Arjun Maini, and Naveen Rao, will compete in the LMP2 category over two, four-hour-long races at the Dubai Autodrome. The endeavour is partnered by JK Tyre, India’s largest supporter of Motorsport for over three decades.
The two runnings of the 4 Hours of Dubai will take place on February 13 and 14, respectively. The series will then move to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit for another round of two, four-hour races on February 19th and 20th.
“Le Mans is one the greatest races in the world and I want to go back and get the job the done. Not only drive there but be really competitive,” said Karthikeyan in the virtual press conference on Thursday.
“It is an incredibly proud moment for me to be representing our nation’s first all-Indian endurance racing team. I have flown the flag for our country across various motorsport disciplines from Formula One to NASCAR and SuperGT racing,” he further said.
“I’ve raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans once before, and it was an incredible experience, one which I always wanted to repeat. However, I couldn’t have imagined anything better than to compete there for an Indian team. I’m extremely grateful to the ACO for giving us the platform to compete,” Karthikeyan added.
Racing Team India’s Dubai debut will make it the first outfit with an all-Indian driver line-up to compete in international endurance racing.
If it secures an invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which takes place in June 2021, it will become the first squad flying the Indian tri-colour to take part in the iconic twice-around-the-clock endurance classic at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France.
Karthikeyan ended the first day of testing, also held in Dubai, at the top of the timesheets. The success of the project lies in the combined efforts of the team which are now being synchronized
“As for the weekend ahead, I’m looking forward to it. Arjun, Naveen, and I have considerable racing experience between the three of us. Our package has also been quick through testing,” said Karthikeyan
“We did have some issues on the second day with traffic and difficulty in switching on the new tyres. But there’s a lot of speed in the car and I’m confident we can deliver a strong result on our debut,” he added.
The race is considered to be one of the trifectas of legendary motor races alongside the Monaco GP and the Indianapolis 500. It is the world’s oldest sports car race, which has been held every year since 1923. The distance covered in this one single race is equivalent to 18 Formula 1 races, thus making it the most extreme test of man and machine in the world of motorsport.
Former F2 and European Le Mans Series racer Arjun Maini said, “Firstly, it’s great to be back behind the wheel again, and to be flying the colours for an all-Indian team makes the experience even more special. Endurance racing is a format I’ve come to enjoy during my time racing in the European Le Mans series. I believe it plays to my strengths as a driver.”
“It feels strange to think that of the three of us I have the most endurance racing experience. I’ve competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and I can tell you it’s an incredible feeling. I’m really looking forward to going back there. We have a strong package, a proven driver line-up and with support from Algarve Pro Racing, who I know well, I believe we have all the ingredients in place to make it happen,” he added.
Fielding the Le Mans-winning ORECA 07 with technical support from reigning Asian Le Mans Series champion team Algarve Pro Racing, Racing Team India has already displayed a promising turn of speed. The car has a 4-litre V-8 engine which produces 600 bhp and has a top speed in excess of 320 kmph.
2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge Champion Naveen Rao said, “My entire career has been spent racing sports cars and for me, Le Mans is the absolute pinnacle of competition. I have spent a long time dreaming about one day driving in this iconic event and I am grateful for the opportunity to do it for a team representing the country in which I have my roots.” (ANI)
