Racing Team India is all set to kick start its journey to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team will first make its debut at the season-opening round of the Asian Le Mans Series in Dubai. The team consists of former Indian Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan, former F2 and European Le Mans Series racer Arjun Maini and 2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge Champion Naveen Rao. This endeavour will be supported by JK Tyres which has been a firm supporter of motorsports since the past 3 decades.
This is the first time that an all-Indian team will be participating in an international endurance racing competition. The Asian Le Mans is scheduled to be conducted on 13th and 14th February in Dubai, which will feature two runnings of 4 hours races. Then the competition will move to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit for another round of two, four-hour races which are scheduled on February 19th and 20th. If the team secures the ticket to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans which is scheduled in June 2021, it will be the first-ever time that an Indian team will participate in the historic race at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France. There is already some good news for Indian Race Team supporters as Narain Karthikeyan ended the first day of the testing at the top of the timesheets.
This race along with Indianapolis 500 and Monaco GP forms the Triple Crown of Motorsport. 24 Hrs of Le Mans is the world’s oldest active sports car race which has been held annually since 1923. It is often called the world’s most prestigious automobile races and has been referred to as the ‘Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency’. Unlike all races, in which the winner is determined by the minimum time, in the 24 Hrs of Le Mans, the car which covers the greatest distance in 24 hrs is crowned to be the winner. In fact, the distance covered in one single race of 24 Hrs of Le Mans is equivalent to 18 Formula 1 races making it one of the most difficult motorsport races in the world.