New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) Indian racer Jeet Jhabakh called Formula One legend Michael Schumacher the one he looked up to during his early days in racing as he gears up for more success after his FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship success.
Jeet made history earlier this month when he won the FIA APRC overall title with co-driver Musa Sherif, becoming the first all-Indian driver-and-co-driver pair to win the continental title. He is also the first driver to win the title in a two-wheel-drive car, rather than the traditional four-wheel-drive, in the 38-year history of the event.
Jeet won a circuit title in his early racing days in 2016 when he won a junior championship. He also has a couple of National Racing Championship titles, along with what is now a cherry on the cake at the APRC level.
Speaking of his early days and whom he idolised in racing, Jeet stated that it was the F1 legend and seven-time world champion Schumacher whom he looked up to. “In racing specifically, I grew up in that era where Michael Schumacher was absolutely dominating, right, so for me, the fact that, also, whoever knows Schumacher knew that he was not always the fastest on the track, but he was a great tactician,” Jeet told IANS.
“So he used both his speed as well as his tactics to make sure he won multiple titles, so for me, he was always (my idol), though it’s Formula One, he was always the guy I was like, okay, you know what, this guy has done it on such a large scale, there is no reason why we cannot attempt it,” he added.
Jeet moved to rally from circuit racing only a couple of years earlier and got a continental title in his first international season. He hopes that he can achieve success at the world level now, as he takes inspiration from Schumacher.
“So the goal is always obviously to get on the world stage; we have gotten a continental title now, so we’re hoping that this translates to one step higher and going to WRC. So for me, or for racing for that matter, Michael Schumacher would have been the one that I would look up to,” he added.
Jeet also reflected on his historic APRC achievement, stating that he feels that his win has raised the ceiling in Indian motorsport. “Honestly, I don’t know whether it’s still sunk in fully; it is something that I honestly didn’t expect to get in such a short duration of my rallying career,” Jeet said.
“I’ve been in motorsport for a while, but rallying has hardly been two years for me; this is my third full year. We went international, and it kind of clicked for us, so I’m very grateful for this overall experience, and for Indian motorsport, I think the ceiling moved, which is very interesting,” he added.
–IANS
vm/vi
