CHENNAI: Tamil film actor Ajith Kumar is set to don the role of a race driver, but for a change it won't be on the silver screen.
The 39-year-old is set to race at the best tracks in the world starting at Silverstone in England. Ajith will be driving wheel-to-wheel with some of the best upcoming racers of the world at the FIA Formula Two championship this year.
The 39-year-old is set to race at the best tracks in the world starting at Silverstone in England. Ajith will be driving wheel-to-wheel with some of the best upcoming racers of the world at the FIA Formula Two championship this year.
Ajith, whose entry into the feeder series was confirmed on Wednesday, will be the third Indian driver on the F2 grid.
He will join the talented 21-year-old Armaan Ebrahim, who is in his second season in F2, and Parthiva Sureshwaren, who is making a comeback to international racing after a brief period away from competition.
"I am very excited about getting into competitive racing again and am looking forward to the first race next month," said Ajith.
"I am confident of achieving some success in the championship." Ajith, a motorsport enthusiast, is not new to racing.
He made his international debut in 2003 at the Formula BMW Asia Championship, where he had limited success. His best result was in the Korea round where he qualified 4th and finished 6th.
In 2004, he competed in the British Formula 3 Scholarship Class, where he managed two podium finishes.
This year, the actor competed in the final round of the MRF racing series in Chennai in February but failed to finish the race due to mechanical problems.
Though the MRF cars had decent pace, it is obvious Ajith will have to do a lot of homework just to make sure he safely reaches the checquered flag, let alone podiums.
The actor himself is aware he won't get retakes and to get himself race-ready he has gone through test rounds in Malaysia. "I did some testing in Malaysia recently and am looking forward to more practice runs in Snetterton (circuit in UK) & Silverstone before the event kicks off on April 16 (at Silverstone)."
He will need all the preparations as F2 is as competitive as any other international series and is filled with dangers too. Last July, British driver Henry Surtees died on the track after being hit by a wheel which came off another car during the F2 round at Brands Hatch.
Sureshwaren, who will share the grid with Ajith, is confident the actor will adapt fast. "He (Ajith) has seen race action before," said Sureshwaren. "I spoke to Ajith about it and he is pretty confident of doing well. He has been showing a lot of interest to work on his driving and Armaan and I will of course be with him, helping him to adapt fast."
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