Armaan Ebrahim, a car racer, talks about his passion for speed and the state of motorsport in India. Ankita Jain reports
“I think there is a decent percentage of people in India who follow motorsports, primarily Formula 1. It’s definitely growing but I do feel that we need to have a lot more international racing series in India for people to start following the sport and actually relate to it. Karting is quite popular because of the number of recreational facilities that have opened across the country. We run The National Rotax Max Karting Championship and the aim is to take that to as many cities as possible in order to increase the awareness,” said Armaan Ebrahim, son of Indian Formula 3 champion Akbar Ebrahim, on the state of motorsport in India. Armaan is an accomplished driver in his own right. When asked what drove him towards racing, he said, “like any kid, I was in love with toy cars since my childhood and was lucky enough to carry this passion as my profession.” He is also the first Asian driver to sign up for the rebirth of FIA Formula Two in 2009. In a candid interaction with us at the launch of sportswear collection, he talked about racing, Indian motorsport, Formula One and why racing has not been able to pick well in India.
“I grew up around motorsport and loved being on the track as a kid. But it was never my plan. I got my first taste of actual racing at the first JK Tyre karting training programme back in January 2003, which I ended up winning and got the chance to race and train in Malaysia. I spent my whole summer break there working on karts as well as racing in their National and Asian Zone Championships. The whole process of learning and actually working on all sorts of karts really gave me an insight on the machine that I was racing as well as a much better understanding on dynamics of a kart. With more seat time I got better and started winning by mid-way through that year,” said Armaan when asked about how he got into racing.
He has raced in all the racing formats be it F2, the Sprint Series or Indy lights, “I have enjoyed, learned and gathered so much knowledge and experience through the various racing series that I have had the opportunity to compete and succeed in. Yes, Formula Two was the highest point of my single seater career so far and it was great to do well there. Then I moved to sports cars in which I currently compete in, I’ve had the opportunity to race for various manufacturers and finish on the podium. last year, I took up a new challenge in the form of the lamborghini Trofeo Asia Pacific Series, driving the all-new Huracan.” He shared his views on how India can promote the sport better and consolidate itself in the world of motorsport. “India has already come a long way in terms of the standard of motorsport. We have a solid foundation for kids who want to get into the sport and make a name for themselves domestically. We can most certainly gain from having more manufacturers getting involved. Just like VW has done with its Polo Cup and Toyota with its Etios. I think we do need promoters to bring international championships to India as this will help Indian drivers immensely by giving them an opportunity to showcase their ability on an international platform racing at home. More importantly, it makes it a lot more appealing for a sponsor.”
Contrary to a fast paced life as a racer, Armaan prefers a slow and calm way to relax. “Whenever I am not working on projects, I prefer lying on a beach in a tee, shorts and a signature cap,” he concluded.