Interview: “BIC is one of the finest circuits in the world” – National Rally Champion Gaurav Gill

Gaurav Gill is an Indian race car driver who started his motorsport career in 2000 when he became the youngest ever rally winner in India when he won the South India rally at just eighteen years of age.

Gill won the Indian National Rally Championship last year and is currently with the MRF Tyres team. He finished 2nd in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) 2010 season.

We have seen a massive growth of F1 fans in India. Why aren’t other motorsport events as popular?

Rallying until the mid to late 90′s was much more closely followed and popular than F1 but due to its nature of covering vast country sides it becomes hectic and logistically very expensive in these times of economic crunch to keep up with.

This is where F1 became popular as its run in a man-made arena where all sponsors can gain maximum mileage and thus, becomes a show of sorts for spectators as well as sponsors.

It is no surprise that it is the most televised sport after football on the planet.

How different is rallying from F1?

Rallying is completely a different discipline from F1. Both sports require different disciplines to drive. A rally driver has to be a lot more versatile than a racing driver due to change in weather without warring.

In rallying a driver is prepared for the worst as he is unsure of the exact nature of the bend he will attempt on gravel/snow/tarmac surfaces while listening to the co-driver’s pace-notes. With limited grip, the car could be airborne frequently and averaging over 100kmph in mountainous regions.

In F1, since it is a man-made race track with 15-20 corners, one can memorise it and attack it differently each time he comes across the corners.

What infrastructure is required for rallying to become a viable sport in India?

The federation has to provide more visibility, so we can all work together towards bringing in a strong promoter for rallying to be more visible to the car/tyre manufactures.

Who are the other promising rally drivers in India?

My old team-mate Amitrajit Ghosh has great potential and Dean M could be a good bet for the future.

You won on the New Caledonia course last season. It is considered one of the toughest races on the calendar, yet you seemed extremely comfortable given the conditions?

It can get very tricky to drive there as it rains without warning and the soil there gets slippery enough to make you fall while walking even; imagine driving flat out!

It’s a great mix of different terrains and surfaces, so it gets tough to keep the rhythm and concentration. I guess driving in Indian traffic requires more!

You won the race in spite of treacherous conditions where your team-mate crashed. Do you thrive in wet conditions?

I have always loved rain since I was a kid and I guess I get into a good rhythm in those conditions. It’s all about getting the right rhythm; the quicker you do that the faster you are able to go as you need 100% confidence to drive flat out in the wet.

How does it feel to lead the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, especially with fellow countryman Sanjay Takale in second place?

It’s good to lead the championship but we are only two rounds in (of six) so round three and four are the most crucial rounds, as they can be the decider. And yes a great effort from Sanjay, he has driven well up until now.

Do you think an Indian 1-2 in the APRC championship is a real possibility? How important would such a feat be to Indian rally enthusiasts?

Yes maybe! It is good for the country and to win from India, we can show how good we can be despite not having these cars available for practice.

You’ve often tested cars at the BIC, how good is the circuit and what needs to be done to make sure more circuits like it are built in India?

It is one of the finest in the world and without a doubt, I’m proud of it! It is very demanding on the cars though. I guess we need more like minded business tycoons to do the needful and the Govt. should start recognising it as sport and not entertainment (for more circuits to be built).

How important a role has Vicky Chandok and the FMSCI played to improve the state of racing in India over the years? Do you think a lot more can be done?

Vicky Chandhok is the most influential Indian in FIA today and because of him we get more visibility in the world of motorsport.

It been a great having him around and he’s been instrumental in getting F1 to India and now we are all working together to bring APRC/WRC to India.

There is no limit to what can be done for this sport, as long as we all unite towards a dream, anything is possible!

You seem to have always preferred dirt racing to road racing, why so?

I feel more at home when I drift around a bend rather than just drive through it at a fast pace like in racing. More importantly the feel of not knowing the nature of the bend you are going to attack on the limit is a rush no other Motorsport can offer.

I love fast winding gravel roads! Oh yes and in rallying you not only get to drive flat out sideways but you also fly!

You obviously love the use of over-steer, so what’s your favourite move: the opposite lock or the Scandinavian flick?

I love over-steer. It’s all about ‘car control” but with these ultra-modern rally cars one needs controlled aggression today.

But nothing beats the feeling when you get it 100% perfect at each corner through the entire stage while driving on the limit.

The Scandinavian flick was a great invention but is seldom used in cars with four-wheel drive; I mostly use it when I’m in a car which has two-wheel or front wheel drive.