Armaan Ebrahim

Why did you take up motor racing?
Passion for speed and a passion to race to the best of my ability all the time and to continue to redefine the limit.

As a child what was it like growing up with an F3 champ dad? 
It was fun and also annoying at times. He was having his fun and I had to watch. But without knowing, I was automatically observing things and learning all the time.

How close is the GP2 Asia series to F1?
Very close indeed. It’s only about 6 secs a lap slower than an F1 car. It’s also very competitive with 26 of the best drivers in the world after F1 competing with each other.

Why is your sport difficult? It looks so easy on TV!
It sure does look easy. But it’s probably the toughest sport, mentally and physically. Firstly, you’re driving at speeds in excess of 300 kmph and these speeds are reached within a distance of 600 mts. Then you’re cornering through the fast corners at speeds close to 280 to 300 km. The G Force on your neck and abdomen is about 4 to 4.5Gs. You’re braking from 300 kmph to 60 kmph for a slow corner within 70 mts. The vertical G Force is again around 4Gs. This goes on for 50-odd laps with each lap being approx 5 km. And you have to be absolutely precise in where you turn into a corner, how you turn into the corner, where you brake, how you brake, where you accelerate and how you accelerate. If you’re just half a second off the pace per lap, you’ll land up mid-field on the grid. And to brake effectively and as late as possible, you need to exert a pressure of 125 kg from your left foot. This has to be done at least 4 to 5 times a lap and for 50 laps. So you need to constantly be able to exert 125 kg of force for 250 times within 90 minutes. Try it!

At such high speeds, what's usually the difference between winning and losing?
Getting the right balance in the car. Without the correct balance, you cannot maximise, however good you are. This requires a very good engineering team and very good feedback from the driver to the engineer to get the correct balance. More than the engine speed, it’s the braking balance and the cornering balance of the car that makes the difference. Once you have the correct set up, its up to the driver to use it effectively and also look after his tyres through the race, so he maintains a reasonable balance in the car over a full race distance. And finally, the fitness levels are very important.

Why do you think motor racing as a sport has not caught on in this country? 
Simply because India is still not a motoring country. In most European countries, a car is a must. Also, we have justtwo circuits in the South. Logistically, it’s very difficult for people from the West, North and East to keep coming to the circuit everytwo weeks to race or practice and train. But having said that, Karting is definitely catching up in India and the JK Tyre National Racing championship is providing a sound platform for drivers.

What is the one common myth about motor racing?
Redefining the limit all the time.

How do you compare Ayrton Senna with Michael Schumacher?
You cannot. They are drivers of two different eras. Both are really great and I admire them both in very different ways.

What are the three names we should watch out for in the F1 circuit? 
It’s not fair to comment on that as it really boils down to the overall package. So in terms of teams, I would say, Ferrari, Mc'laren, BMW, Red Bull, Renault and Williams.

What goes through your mind when you see unrealistic ads for ordinary cars? 
The people who made these ads think we’re a joke.