Karun Chandhok, whose family has literally lived life in the fast lane, intends to live out his dream, come what may, writes Sukhwant Basra.
He has been ridiculed, termed a wannabe and brushed aside as a pretender by those who were once his closest confidants.
It would be easiest to cut and run; go back to daddy’s business and live the babes and booze life of the hip young in Chennai. Except that Karun Chandhok has a mountain of his own to climb.
All of but 22, he does have the cushion of years to try and live out a dream that first invaded his consciousness as a mere toddler. But more importantly, Karun has now found the boost of anger.
“Frankly speaking, last year I just got screwed in A1 GP. Despite whatever they have to say, I was not given a fair deal because one man, Akbar Ebrahim, wanted to push his own agenda,” Karun says in a matter of fact tone that catches one by surprise.
The anger is very much there, but the man has it on simmer mode, it is no longer the blaze that Karun could hardly control when he was passed over to field rookie Armaan Ebrahim as India’s challenge in A1 GP.
Earlier, Karun had differences with Narain Karthikeyan too and now Armaan and him can hardly be called friends. Apart from the endless debates over ability, could it be just the limited sponsorship pie that brings out the acrimony? “Possibly.
There are few sponsors and we all tap the same ones but the major problem comes about when people are not willing to coexist. I had a long chat with Narain and we figured that vested interests were driving a wedge between us.”
Karun is the son of Vicky, the erstwhile president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) and one of the pioneers of racing in the country. His grandfather, Bharat Indu Chandhok, was a founding member of the FMSCI. Does the legacy force him to continue along a path which may have been thrust upon him?
“Never. If that was the case I would have been content just rallying in India. International racing is my dream. The family tradition helps as it opens doors in the initial years. It’s the way the world works.”
Over the last five years that he has been competing internationally, Karun has not had — to put it in plain-speak — even the semblance of a good run after his 2001 Formula Asia win.
“There is a lot of regret. I was naive enough to think that I could compete even on a limited budget. That does not work. The other drivers can just swamp you by chucking money. Testing time, new engines and components all determine the end result. I was foolish to think otherwise.”
This year, he feels, will be altogether different. “I am paying Anthony Hieatt (who happens to run Kimi Raikkonen’s team in F3) Rs 21,000 per day for preparing my car and that goes out of my own pocket. For the first time I am going in with a full budget. My results will silence the skeptics for good.”
And A1? “From what the grapevine is buzzing, A1 may not run at all this year. That would be sad, the concept was very exciting.”
Now, when he appeared to have figured it all out, put up a good package and worked on his fitness to combat the sapping humidity of Malaysia, his car went dead on him. Luck and Karun Chandhok have been divorced for some time now. However, even that particular deity heeds the homage of persistence. Meanwhile, Karun’s testing pilgrimage goes on...
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