By Rahul Banerji
Racing Team India impressed on debut over the opening two rounds of the Asian Le Mans Series in Dubai this weekend.
The unit, led by former Formula One racer Narain Karthikeyan, are bidding to become the first all-Indian squad to compete at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The JK Tyres-backed team’s Oreca 07 LMP2 car, piloted by Karthikeyan, Arjun Maini and Naveen Rao, finished fifth and fourth in the two four-hour races held at Dubai Autodrome on Saturday and Sunday.
Racing Team India were backed by technical support from reigning ALMS champions Algarve Pro Racing,
The team’s #64 car showed promising pace throughout the weekend, as it had in the pre-race test sessions. But the challenge was hampered by racing incidents and a penalty.
RTI had to make an extra precautionary pit-stop in Saturday’s opening race which dropped the car down the order.
A five second time penalty for exceeding the speed limit further set them back, forcing the drivers to claw their way back up to fifth, where they had qualified.
Promising start
The race on Sunday got off to a good start with Maini, who has plenty of endurance racing experience from his European Le Mans outings, setting competitive times and even leading the race at one stage.
But any hopes of a maiden podium were badly affected after a collision with a slower GT car forced the team to pit the car and carry out a nose change that cost valuable time.
Still, the two races in Dubai offered an important learning experience for the team, which on debut became the first outfit with an all-Indian driver line-up to compete on the international endurance stage.
It also confirmed the pace of the overall package.
With the drivers also more comfortable in the car, the squad are looking to maximise its potential at the final two races of the ALMS in Abu Dhabi on February 19 and 20.
Racing Team India have entered the Asian Le Mans series as part of its bid to become the first Indian team to race at the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The team winning the overall Asian Le Mans championship will gain an automatic entry to this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Also read: Pondicherry Diary: It’s all the unbending Pujara effect
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