iSport Special: We bring to you Neel Jani, a highly successful A1 GP racer who has been knocking on the doors of F1 since he was 19. In conversation with our iSport Motorsport Expert Kunal Shah – get to hear about his half Indian origins and a possibility of an F1 seat in 2010!
Neel Jani’s burst in the Indian media can very much be compared to the KERS burst of Ferrari’s F60. While the world was going ga-ga about Narain Karthikeyan’s progress and him being the ‘Fastest Indian in the World’, we had yet another Indian [well almost] who was blazing away on the race tracks in Europe. Thankfully the contest to a not-so-worthy title was short-lived and the result was that we had two potential Indians eyeing a worthy seat in Formula1.
Neel has been in the news off late – even after topping the Force India Formula1 simulator tests he couldn’t secure a drive with the Vijay Mallya owned team. While many teams have opted for drivers from their native, Mallya has chosen yet again to stick to his 2009 line up – which does not feature any Indians. While the choice can be debated, is does leave a much deserved Neel yet in the hunt for his Formula1 debut.
In this interview, we catch up with Neel’s half Indian origins, his progress up the international motorsport ladder and of course his attempts to secure his debut F1 drive in 2010.
1. Neel, we’ve heard a lot about your Indian origins – an Indian father and Swiss mother, can you tell us more about your upbringing? Was it typically Swiss or Indian?
A. My upbringing was a mixture of Swiss and Indian. We always had a mixture of Indian and Swiss food at home – including chappatis, dal and rice. With my mom we spoke German and with my dad English, as Hindi would not serve us a lot within Europe. He did try though to ensure through Bollywood and other serials that we were exposed to Hindi/Gujarati.
2. Do you visit India often? When was the last time you visited?
A. We went there several times as children and as I still have a family there. The last time I was there was in 2006 – which was business and pleasure (when I came to do a Credit Suisse auction of my racing suit) and ever since then I have always been on the road for racing and have barely had a chance to holiday!
3. Would you like to share any fond memories of India? Family / Friends?
A. Compared to the very well organised traffic in Switzerland the “Riksha” drives were the biggest adventure for my sister and me – we always enjoyed it! My uncle and his family still live in India and we used to stay with him on our visits – we’re all still in touch but I guess I haven’t had the chance to come back often enough.
4. Coming to your racing – you started off with karting at the age of 12 and worked your way up. I always believe that kart races have the most interesting duels – any memorable moments that you’d like to share with us?
A. At the age of 12 I had a race in France and there was Christian Klien (F1 BMW test driver), some French driver and me fighting for the win. We changed the lead nearly every corner and I finally won the race with the smallest possible margin. It was hardcore adrenalin rushing!
5. Any famous karting personalities you raced against? [And won?]
A. Christian Klien, Heikki Kovolainen,
6. Your junior racing days were pretty much in Renault make championships – first in the Formula Renault 2000 and then the Formula Renault V6 – was there a Renault junior driver program that you were a part of? Did you have considerable backing from Renault?
A. Never had backing from Renault but I was in those championships as they were the most competitive European championships at that time and as I was coming up the ladder, I always wanted to be competing at the highest level.
7. You drove in the inaugural GP2 series in 2005, but never went on to compete a full season. Was it due to lack of funds or you chose to follow a different route into F1?
A. I drove GP2 in 2005, the first year of the championship. I had a pole and several top 3 qualifying results. I won a feature race and also the reversed grid one. That seemed to be enough to earn a test driver role at Toro Rosso for 2006 at the time.
8. Talking about Formula1 – you have been much in the limelight to follow Narain’s footsteps as the next Indian in Formula1. What are your thoughts?
A. To get into Formula 1 is not that easy, especially since there are only very limited seats available now. F1 is also very expensive and so money is a crucial factor for a driver. That makes it very political to get in there. I am sure I am capable of being very competitive in F1 as I have beaten several guys who are currently competing in F1; but whether I get my chance to show my true potential - only time will tell. My team & I are exploring every possible route to bring in a good deal and we are in talks with different teams and corporates. Coming in as India’s next F1 driver however would be a matter of great pride for me – because after all I am half Indian! I just hope that between the teams and the corporates, they give me that chance to prove I can be right at the top and excel.
9. You’ve tested for 3 teams till date – Sauber-Petronas, Red Bull and of course Scuderia Toro Rosso. However, you have not yet landed up a racing seat with either – again is the lack of funds affecting your progress on-track?
A. Lets put it that way- my speed wasn’t the problem.
10. Your first F1 test was way back in 2003 with Sauber – a surprisingly long time ago. Are you surprised too that 6 seasons and you’re still hunting for a seat? How close are you to getting one for next season?
A. At the time I just turned 19 and I got to my first F1 test very quickly. I thought it would go ahead as usual and all I needed was to show my performance but I started to figure out that this was not the only factor needed to get into F1. A professional manager at the time would have made things easier I guess – it’s a learning as we go through life – but there’s no point looking back with regrets. Each chance I get, I keep my head up and stay positive.
11. The Force India simulator tests were concluded recently – can you share your performance details with us?
A. I was quickest on high fuel and 2nd quickest on low fuel so lap time wise I showed that I know what I am doing in a car. For the rest you might need to contact Force India directly – they can explain better their final choice of drivers.
12. We at iSport attempt to bring sports closer to our fans, can you describe the entire simulator testing experience? How real is it? Can it really be a good judge of a driver’s talent?
A. I am not allowed to talk too much about the simulator. All I can say it is good to learn new tracks. Obviously you never need a lot of bravery in a simulator unlike a real car. I would say it tells you if someone has some understanding about driving but it will never replace a real car.
13. A1 Grand Prix – you seem to have made A1 a hunting ground of your own. Easily one of the most successful drivers in A1, can you share your A1 experience with us? Three years of domination by Team Switzerland, what was your most memorable race?
A. One of my best races was Malaysia 2007 when I one both races on Sunday. I fell back due to the pitstops and had to fight my way back and win. It was a great championship – the atmosphere was great between teams, drivers and fans. The concept of A1GP was very strong but I guess we’ll just have to wait and watch to see what happens.
14. A1 Grand Prix of course seems to have hit financial trouble – if they’re back, will we see you back in action with Team Switzerland
A. I really like the concept of A1 as it makes every driver equal to the other and nobody has any advantage of material or money. It also is a very spectator friendly series. So if it is back I definitely would like to go back to that championship.
15. Force India of course seem to have chosen the non-Indian driver route yet again – any thoughts on missing out on a possible drive?
A. I think I showed that I am quick with my laptimes. It would have been good to get into the real car as I think I would have performed even better. They will have their reasons why they choose 2 other drivers and we need to respect that.
To read Part II of this iSport Exclusive - click here
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FIF1 needs Neel - I don't think Luizzi is better than him! 
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