Need to educate people to drive safe on the roads- Karun Chandhok

Chennai

Chennai: Karun Chandhok is India's pride in car racing. He was a test driver for the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team in 2007 and 2008, and raced in Formula 1 for Hispania Racing and Team Lotus in 2010 and 2011 respectively. In sports car racing in 2012, Karun became the first and only Indian to compete in the iconic Le Mans 24 hour race. He has now joined Mahindra Racing for all the new Formula E series for electric race cars.

"Chennai has been an integral part of my life as a racing driver. When I started out, the only race track in the country was in Sriperumbudur, and therefore, living in Chennai was very convenient. I was able to go to the track before school early in the morning or after school to practice. Having the races close to home also meant I was able to compete and practice, without much disruption to my life unlike kids in other cities. Growing up in Chennai was also good in terms of meeting and spending time with people from the engineering, automotive and sporting worlds. Going forward, I would love to set up a centre for driving in Chennai, where we can educate people on how to drive safely on the roads while also coaching future talent for the track. I understand people like to drive fast, but if we can give them a safe environment to do so, perhaps it will stop them racing on the roads of Chennai or ECR."- Karun Chandhok


As told to Swati Amar