Williams test driver, Karthikeyan, is back at school, this time as teacher, reports Sukhwant Basra from Coimbatore.
Williams test driver is back at school, this time as teacher
COIMBATORE: It was early morning at the Kari Speedway and monsoon clouds were doing what they are supposed to. As the drizzle worsened so did the nervous twitching of Narain Karthikeyan. Wednesday was the actual launch of his racing team that promises to revolutionise the sport in India. The Williams driver had fourteen comparative rookies to put through the paces and he did not like the prospect of the wet complicating matters.
The many invocations and curses seemed to have worked as the sun smiled its benevolence on the crusade. The skies cleared out soon enough and it became clear that this man is not going to just lend his name to the latest venture. No. He seems to have given his heart to it.
Time and again there have been Indian sportsmen getting associated with academies looking for their name to lend glitz to coaching centres which actually serve to just add to the weight of their wallets. The likes of PT Usha, Pullela Gopichand and now Narain Karthikeyan are quite a rarity.
From nine in the morning to five in the evening, Narain exposed 14 dreamers to the glare of his scrutiny with a single mindedness and a hands-on approach that promises well for the future of his school. This was no celebrity endorsement with cursory interest, this was a man possessed with his mission.
“The criteria is simple. I am the sole judge. No arguments brooked, no questions asked. I am looking for raw speed, the rest can be learnt. Inherent talent is most important,” he said. The results are to be announced after he analyses all the data he collected over the day. Amaron NK Racing and Speed NK racing will both feature two drivers each in the inaugural Formula Rolon that kicks off this August.
The drive costs four and a half lakh per car and Narain is getting engineers from abroad to give his wards a team and a platform never before available in this country.
With a ban on mid-season testing in F1, Narain has the time on his hands to shape up future contenders from India. The team will be housed in his own garage, will use his personal lorry and what’s more he will not earn anything from the venture. “I have enough money; it’s time to give back to the sport. I know that sounds clichéd but then that’s the truth.”
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