‘It’s awesome’

His achievements on the race track are often more talked about than his role as one of India’s top industrialists. But Gautam Singhania seems to have mastered the art of working hard and playing harder. Back from Malta where he won the Drift Allstars European series in the amateur category (also known as the street category), Gautam says it feels like a great honour to be the champion in one of the most premier professional drifting competitions in Europe.

“I was racing with 30 European drivers. The competition was intense but I managed to win,” he adds. Held over the weekend, the event is popular with drifting enthusiasts and participants from all over the world. “I had to take part in a qualifying round after which I raced to win the finals,” reveals Gautam who feels that “a win in a foreign country is always awesome.”

Sharing his experiences from the high-adrenaline race, he says it was a very dramatic and fulfilling experience on the tracks. “After I finished, I earned huge respect from fellow drivers and spectators. Even the three judges of the competition gave me a standing ovation.” Gautam adds it was not just the others who were impressed with his driving but he himself was amazed at his energy and prowess on the tracks. “I have just done four days of drifting in my life. But I was driving faster than a lot of the professional guys,” he says with a hint of pride.