Armaan goes the American way

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Traditionally, championships in Europe have been considered the success path to Formula One. But Mario Andretti, Juan Pablo Montoya and Sebastian Bourdais are some of the prominent names who broke the myth to enter the pinnacle of motorsport after excelling in the famous American series — the Indy Racing League.

Indian racer Armaan Ebrahim seems to be following the footsteps of the Andrettis and Montoyas. Armaan could be the first Indian at the IndyCar next season as he prepares for a two-day test with Team Bryan Herta Autosport at Indianapolis Circuit on September 13 and 14.

Armaan’s decision to shift focus on the American series comes after a long struggle to raise sponsorship for his current campaign in Formula Two. “I don’t want to be an F1 driver for the sake of it. It is important that I continue in the right direction and one that is financially viable for me. The intention is to have a successful career which is most important and finally get the opportunity of winning races in the IRL and in Formula 1,” said the youngster, who is currently participating in the FIA Formula Two series.

With a large Indian diaspora, the USA presents big scope for sponsorship. The 14-round Indy Lights, moreover, offers prize-money up to the 20th-placed finisher while the winner of the championship will get to drive at the IRL the following year.

Armaan has an offer to race in IRL straight away, but he prefers to go through the ranks. “I would like to do the Indy Lights first and then move on to the IRL as racing in America is quite different to what we have been used to in Europe,” he added.

Armaan said BH Autosport is a force to be reckoned with in the Indy Lights. “Their drivers have been consistently finishing in top 10. The three-year-old team created a sensation earlier this year when Dan Wheldon won the Centenary edition of the famous Indy 500 race,” he informed.

Team owner of BH Autosport, Bryan Herta, believes Armaan can make a seamless transition to the IRL. “We have been tracking his career for a while and are optimistic that he will fit in well with us. After the two-day test, we will be spending a few days with him to see if we can come to a firm agreement on all aspects for the next two seasons,” said Heta, the 1993 Indy Lights Champion.