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Wednesday 26, October 2011Tee time: Narain Karthikeyan


 





An Indian Grand Prix was once a distant dream, but Narain Karthikeyanis now seeing it all come true. In an interview with Shaili Chopra on Tee Time, he says that F1's debut in India is an emotional moment.



Is the F1 event a big achievement for India?



F1 Grand Prix: India's date with Hotwheels



It's huge. We have done a good job building the infrastructure , the track looks fabulous. Fans are going get to feel the noise and smell the rubber and that means a lot. We have done it in two years and that's big. I do hope this becomes a hook for more support for drivers like me. With the exposure F1 will generate in India, we hope companies will also take to the sport. Cricket, for example , is a crowded place so if one wants excitement and exclusivity, F1 is ideal.



Your first experience in F1 was in 2005 with Team Jordan was the turning point?





It was my debut in 2005 in Australia and it was huge for me. It was fantastic. Michael Schumacher was with us at the press conference. Someone asked Schumi for his views on the rookie from India and he was generous enough to say I was doing a great job. He is still my hero. I went on to qualify 12th on the grid, three places ahead of Schumacher. Now I am living my dream, I guess.


 


This is a big emotional moment for you, how are you expecting to perform ?



For us the realistic expectations are to be able to finish the race. To compete with McLaren and Ferrari is just beyond us. We should be happy if we see the Hispania team do well. Hopefully I will be with bigger teams in the future. For me, this event really is a historic one. The first few laps of this circuit will be quite emotional since for the longest time, I didn't even think this track would happen.



When your mind is not racing, what are you spending your time on?



I breathe and eat motorsport . But to relax a bit, I love wildlife and nature. Whenever I get a chance, I take off to the hills in the South and relax. I don't get too many days off otherwise in general


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