Jani targets F1
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Swiss racing ace Neel Jani is back to his roots. The 26-year-old Jani, whose father was born in Gujarat before setting up a restaurant chain in Switzerland, is on a three-day tour to India to talk to potential sponsors for his Formula One dream. Jani, who rose to prominence after winning the 2009 A1GP World Cup, has been bidding to make it to the pinnacle of motorsport.
Earlier this year, Jani almost made it to the Force India line-up. Team owner Vijay Mallya tested him in an F1 simulator along with Karun Chandhok and British driver Paul di Resta. “I was quickest on high-fuel and the second fastest on low-fuel. I thought, the lap times were reasonable, but they chose otherwise. Now I am really committed to reaching the pinnacle of motorsport and when I do so, it would make me even more proud to know I have the support of India. My management team has been talking to various teams in F1. My target is securing a contract with a mid-field team,” informed Jani.
The former A1GP champion is currently competing in the Le Mans Series with Rebellion Racing alongside Nicolas Prost, son of former four-time F1 champion Alain Prost, while continuing to participate in testing for Red Bull F1.
Jani is planning to visit Greater Noida, where the Formula One circuit is being constructed by the Jaypee Group. “It has been some time since my last trip and I am happy to be in India. Unfortunately this trip has turned out much shorter than originally planned because of my recently signed contract at Grand Touring car series. I will be racing Spa at this weekend. My father has always insisted we stay connected to our Indian roots which included trips to Ahmedabad to visit family while growing up, learning a little Gujarati, and of course, the Bollywood movies!,” said Jani.
Jani, who has done a bunch of aero testing for Red Bull, tips the Austrian energy drink-backed team to win the 2010 Formula One championship. “Without any doubt, Red Bull is the fastest car. It’s a complete package with superior aerodynamics,” said Jani, who thinks the drivers’ title is still wide open.
“It’s too close to predict. Any of the four drivers (Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button and Mark Webber) could win it. It has been an exciting year and I am hoping that it goes down to the wire,” he added.
Jani says it’s disappointing to see Indian Karun Chandhok being sidelined by the Hispania Racing team. “It’s really unfortunate if money is reason for Karun missing the races. In the first half of the season, Karun did a respectable job behind the wheel of HRT which is five seconds slower than the top car. In racing, teammate is your biggest enemy and Karun beat Bruno Senna in most of the races,” signed off Jani.
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