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H Ramakrishnan: I am happy to meet the fastest Indian.Can you trace your early life? You were born in Chennai, of course.....

Narain Karthikeyan: Yes, I was been in Chennai. Thereafter we moved back to Coimbatore.Coimbatore has been synonymous with producing racing car and rally drivers. I think it was natural that I took to this sport because there has been a lot of family influence. That is why I chose this sport. In which I have been having a deep interest from an early age.

Rama: I think you have a degree in Business Administration...

Kar: Yes, I had to get a degree because in India, your family would like you to take a degree. So, after I finished my twelfth, I went to London and took a degree in Business Administration.

Rama: You had your training in racing from the Elf Winfield Racing School in France.....

Kar: Yes, It was long time ago, in 1992. When I wanted to get into motor racing, my father encouraged me to go to the racing school and get the basics right before I went into it full time. It worked out well in the end, because the School had produced several good drivers like Alain Prost and John leslie. It was a reputed School

Rama: Was it after you did your graduation?

Kar: No, It was actually before. It was after my training at France that I went to London.

Rama: In 1994, when you were just 17, you were the first Indian to win the British Formula Ford Winter Series. It was one of your many firsts.....

Kar: At that time my winning those races in England broke several barriers. It was one big moment in my racing career. From then on, it just took off.

Rama: In 1996, you won the Formula Asia Championship with a host of records.....

Kar: It was a new championship to Asia. There was a structure in place at that time. Yes, I won the championship and I went to Europe again, because that was the place you had to be in. I took to the podium five times in the Autosport British Formula 3 Championship. That was the time I realised that I had the talent to go all the way to Formula One. Then onwards the dream became stronger and I pursued it all the way.

Rama: 2001 was a watershed year in your life. You got behind the wheels of a Jaguar R Car on June 14. You were the first Indian to test a Formula One Car...,..

Kar: Yes, that was the first time it happened. It is ironic that an Indian Company has bought the Jauguar now. ....It was part of my dream coming true. I had the support of all big corporates in India

The Amron Batteries, the Tata group etc. They helped me to go to Formula One and they continued supporting that dream.

Rama: You were the first Indian at that time to test a Formula One car.

Kar: Yes. But now very many youngsters are coming into this sport, like Aditya Patel and Aswin Sunder. It is just a matter of time before we see a host of Indians who will make it to the top. You know there is a F one team owned by an Indian , an A one team, again owned by an Indian Company. So it is a boom time for motor sport in India and more and more corporates are getting involved. I think this is the way this sport is going to become much bigger.

Rama: It was in the same year that yopu were asked to test drive the Benson and Hedges Jordan Honda FJ 11. ......

Kar: Yes, and eventually, you know, it took me to the F1 debut for Jordan F1 at Melbourne in 2005...

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