Supersport legend Fabien Foret, in an email interview, tells Amit Chaudhary that his association with Mahi Racing is not only about riding bikes but to share his vast experience and knowledge and work to find good Indian Riders. Excerpts
You were already an established rider when Mahi Racing came into existence. What made you to choose a new team over established oneIJ
I love taking new challenges in life. And associating with Mahi Racing was not only about riding the bikes for them but it is also about bring my experience of racing and knowledge of the sport and educate Indians and work to find good Indian Riders. And of course it is an honour to represent someone like Mahi (Mahendra Singh Dhoni) around the world and be part of his team.
What was your first reaction when you came to know that a new team owned by an Indian was interested in roping youIJ
It’s always nice to get someone new interested in you and your experience. I love to travel and experience new cultures so I was excited to work with an Indian team and visit and know India more.
You must have met Mahendra Singh Dhoni. His enthusiasm for motorbikes is well known. Did he manage to impress you with his knowledge of bikesIJ
It was a pleasure to meet him and find out how passionate he is with his bikes. We had a long talk regarding his favourite bikes and we exchanged a lot of experience and stories as sport men would do. His knowledge about details of bikes was impressive.
Motorsport is not very popular in India. How was your experience when you came to IndiaIJ
So far motorsport is not very popular in India but all the people involved in this project are very passionate and I believe with people like this the sport will slowly get a bigger profile. I was very impressed with the amount of people who ride bikes on the street so there is definitely a big potential. Also the track (Buddh International Circuit) is of world class standard too.
How much do you know about cricketIJ
Enough! To be honest I knew a little bit about the rules as my girlfriend is Australian and Cricket is part of her culture too. But since I have been part of Mahi Racing and my interactions with Dhoni, I have started following them closely. Though I do not get time to catch them live on TV but I do scan the results and scores for Mahi’s team when I am on the internet.
There is a huge age difference between you and Kenan Sofouglu. What kind of relationship you two shareIJ
Well we do have 10 years of age difference but we are similar in our life experiences. Even if our target is similar, win the Championship but we get on well off the circuit. We are able to put the competitions aside and share a laugh together.
Next year you would be completing 20 years in the motorsport. Are you satisfied with your careerIJ
I have no regrets and of course sometimes you feel you could have done better but nonetheless I’m quite satisfied. Do not want to change anything that has come my way.
What do you do other than racingIJ
I love to play golf, training with my push bike, kite surfing with my friends in Australia and discovering the world and different cultures. I love visiting India and the Indian food.
What are you future plansIJ
I would love to stay part of team and be part of bringing the sport in India. I am a professional instructor too, so will be looking at educating and training people about the sports in future.