Karun Chandhok: Fast,not furious

He has the looks, the celebrity following - Shah Rukh Khan is a fan - and the motoring pedigree to fast track him straight to the top of Formula One. But Karun Chandhok is unlike many other drivers who are known more for their off-track activities than their on-track ones. The 27-year-old maintains a pretty low profile, preferring to spend as much time as he can behind the wheel on the racetrack taking corners at more than 250kmph. The champion Indian driver, who made his Formula One debut for Hispania Racing in Bahrain in 2010, was at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi last month for the official launch of the inaugural i1 Supercar Series, the city-based motorsport racing league that kicks off in Sepang Malaysia on January 21. The series winds up at Yas Marina on March 9 and 10 after the Bahrain, Qatar and India legs. Speed, danger, excitement and glorious uncertainty are what Karun's life is all about, and even though he admits his career is "as dangerous as a freak road accident", he prefers nothing more racy than cycling about 60km a day when he's not behind the wheel. It's little wonder that he's called Mr Modest with some critics even going so far as to say that he lacks the killer instinct. "Mr Modest, mmmm," he ponders. "I am still the same, I don't think I've changed! But I don't think it denotes a lack of the killer instinct. It's having your feet on the ground. The killer instinct has nothing to do with it. "If a person feels the need to go out there and keep telling the world how wonderful he is that shows a certain insecurity in him. If you're good at what you do, whatever it may be, then you don't need to keep reminding others about it. That belief will be enough. Do the job and get on with your life." Letting his driving do the talking And that's exactly what Karun has been doing quietly on the circuits ever since he became the youngest Indian National Racing Champion in the Formula Maruti series in 2000 at 16. He not only took pole position in all ten races but set the fastest lap in every race as well - a national record that is yet to be broken. He followed it up the next year by winning the opening five races of the season and a record eight races to become the youngest Asian Formula Champion. In 2005, he was chosen to represent India in the inaugural A1 GP, a series where competitors represent their nation, rather than a private team, which is normally the case in racing. He also has the distinction of being the only Indian driver to win three Championships, over 35 races, and start from the front row of the starting grid on over 25 occasions. "Everything I've done has been motivated by my dream to race cars," he says. "I used to weigh 96kg when I was 16, before I went into racing. My dad said he'd support me if I lost weight. So, I lost 26kg in ten months after going through an intensive diet and exercise regimen." It obviously paid off because today he is one of the most popular F1 drivers in India and is often spotted rubbing shoulders with A-list celebs such as Shah Rukh Khan and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, both car fanatics. "He is indeed a perfectionist," the Badshah of Bollywood Shah Rukh told reporters showering praise on Karun after he qualified for Formula One. "I like to congratulate him for making India proud." Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra is another fan, and had this to say on Karun's endeavour: "An outstanding achievement! I have no doubt that Karun, with his immense talent will accelerate his way to F1 glory!" While Karun is happy with it all, one sentence he fondly cherishes came from Michael Schumacher who said, "Welcome to the gang," after Karun's F1 debut in Bahrain.