He's gaffing there. The fastest Indian in the world is steadily approaching Formula One zone. We catch up with him and get the unassuming star talking.
Narain Karthikeyan snaps on the velcro-lined neck collar of his racing suit. On his face is that look-folks-l-mean-business look. Helmet in hand, he turns around ... and he's been doing the same thing for the past half-an-hour.
We're in downtown Mumbai where our speedmeister is having a tough time giving that one 'great' take for an ad-film shoot. Finally, the ordeal ends and a relieved Narain saunters towards us. So, is an ad-film shoot even more gruelling than Formula racing, we query the Sultan of Speed. Narain, coping with a cramped schedule, nods in jest.
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It's been a month since that euphoric win in Round 5 of the Autosport British Formula 3 championship. The rumbles of those V12s and Vios at the very zenith of automotive racing are getting more and more audible to Narain. Formula One is now within striking distance.
Of course, funding for the rest of the Formula 3 races, wins in which could assure him a place in an F1 team's test driver line-up, still remains a major worry. But as Business Standard Motoring found out during our hour-long chat with this supremely confident 23-year old, it is the only hassle. How have the past few months been for the young man? "Well, I
had a road accident a few weeks before Brands Hatch. It sort of upset my rhythm and the car was not as well-set as I would have liked it to be. I finished 22nd in one race just due to a silly braking glitch. There were technical problems but I managed to overcome all these in the wet qualifiers."
And then came Brands Hatch. According to Narain, the victory not only reinforced his belief in himself but also provided many sceptics a lot of fuel for thought.
What about his machine? The Dallara Mugen Honda has a carbon fibre monocoque frame and its engine churns out around 260 blip which, combined to the light weight nature of the chassis, makes the combination handle more or less similar to a proper Formula One car.
Tell us more about. it. Narainadds that the powerplant is a 16 valve. 4 cylinder DOHC and the car has a top speed of 275 kph. Now folks, an average Formula One car belts out an absolutely mean 700 bhp with max speed of around 320 kph, but these cars are much more heavier than a Formula 3 chariot.
Narain's mean machine can scream its way from 0 to 100 kph in 2.8 seconds and the timing for a 0-160-kph-and-back-to-idJe run is 6 seconds. Yes, that's how quick it is. To put that in perspective, the Honda City does 0-100 kph in 5.7 seconds, And in case you didn't know, the City is the quickest road-going car in India.
And what would happen, we ask him, if we were to plonk ourselves in one of those magnificently fast machines and drive hell for leather? "Not everybody can drive at winning speeds in a Formula 3 car. You've got to be very, very fit for that. A normal person might damage his backbone or suffer from dizzy spells in a Formula 3 car." Thanks for the warning, Narain. Motorsports is an expensive vocation and Formula 3 is second only to Formula One as far as the money needed goes.