What does Formula One mean to you?

It means everything to me. It’s difficult to explain how it feels when you’ve worked practically your whole life to get something and you are finally living that dream. It’s adrenaline filled, exciting, dramatic, all of those things and so much more.

The first time you stepped inside a Formula One car…

It was on February 16, 2006 when I first drove the Midland F1 car at the Valencia permanent circuit. I can remember it being more powerful and impressive than I thought, but I knew I just had to get on with the job and go for it. I couldn’t let myself get carried away. I still had work to do. I learned a lot that day.

Your first race was at…

My first F1 race was Australia 2007 with Spyker. It was a crazy weekend with so much going on and I was very pleased that I got to the finish. That year we didn’t have such a competitive car so it was all about learning the tracks, having the reliability and getting to the end.

Who was the first to know of your decision to quit music and take up racing?

I said to my father that I was going to concentrate more on the racing. It wasn’t like I said I was going to stop the piano completely, but clearly I only had time to do one seriously. He was surprised of course and didn’t really understand as he didn’t know anything about racing, but for me it was just natural. I knew I had to do it.

ADRIAN SUTIL Favourite musician: I don’t really have a favourite, I change a lot depending on my mood. I do like a lot of Michael Jackson stuff though, he was really a mega star Favourite actor: Sean Connery is awesome Favourite actress: Pamela Anderson or Angelina Jolie Most stylish racer: Everyone has their own sense of style — definitely not Tonio (teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi) though! Your style: I love clothes that are a little different, but I also like classic sharp suits

Who supported your dream?

At first my parents were just like, ‘yeah, you’ll grow out of it’, but when they realised I was serious and was actually good at it they tried to really help me. They’ve been very supportive off the track, but my manager Manfred (Zimmerman) has always been there at the circuits. He’s got me some great opportunities and is like a second father to me really, he’s given me advice and help along the way.

Which is more difficult, racing or playing the piano?

If you’re going to do something well, everything is difficult as you need to push beyond your comfortable limits to get the most out of yourself and your machinery, whether it’s a car or a piano. When you are racing though there is so much other stuff going on — looking after the car, listening to your engineer, racing the cars around you — that it seems harder. When you play the piano you can really lose yourself in just what you are doing at that time.

Sutil with Force India owner Vijay Mallya: “He is an excellent boss... he listens to what we have to say”

Your experience with Force India and Vijay Mallya…

Very positive so far. I have to say Vijay is an excellent boss and everything he said he would do and what would happen is now going through. He made some changes in the team when he arrived, he got us the Mercedes engine, which has been very strong, and he listens to what we have to say. I’m so pleased that we are now achieving the success together. It was my first team, it feels like family and we are all very close, so when you achieve something it gives that little bit more satisfaction for everyone.

Sutil with Lewis Hamilton: “We have a lot of respect for each other”

Circuit moments you will never forget…

In F1 there have been a few. Starting from the front row in Italy and then scoring my first real points on track was a real milestone. Until then we’d been very close but hadn’t quite got there but Italy showed what I could really do when the car was performing well. Of course then there was Monaco 2008 when I was in fourth and then Kimi Raikkonen ran into the back of me. Not such a happy feeling, but very memorable — it was an incredible race for me.

Who are your racing role models?

Growing up it was always Michael Schumacher. In Germany there was always so much racing on TV and around you and when I was younger, he was the one who was winning everything, he was really on the top of his game. It’s very interesting to be racing him now, and not something I thought I would ever get to do.

Your toughest competitor?

The toughest competitor is always yourself as you need to push yourself all the time. But on track in the past it has been Lewis Hamilton. We were team-mates in F3 and we were always pretty close to each other. Now in F1 we are getting the chance to race each other as well, finally! We have a lot of respect for each other on track and whenever I have to race him I know we’ll have a good battle.

What are the qualities for success in Formula One?

Determination, commitment, focus and courage.

Besides Formula One cars, what are your other favourite wheels?

I like to drive cars where you can feel the road and really drive it. Some cars have a lot of control systems that do the driving for you. I change my cars from time to time but I have a Porsche at the moment.

What are the other sports you follow?

I don’t really have time to follow many other sports as we travel so much, but occasionally I watch tennis and of course the Olympics when it’s on — it’s a unique event.

You also love racing games. What are your favourites?

Any type of racing game, maybe. Also some fighting games.

One has read that you are a fan of Alfred Hitchcock…

I’m more into James Bond movies actually — the character is so cool. What a lifestyle!

Finally, who is Adrian Sutil’s kind of girl?

Someone who is fun, relaxed and caring.

Saionee Chakraborty

KARUN CHANDHOK Favourite circuits: Monaco, Spa Favourite actor: Charlie Sheen Favourite actress: Sandra Bullock Favourite film: Top Gun Favourite city: Kodaikanal, although it’s more a town! Most comfortable in: T-shirt and shorts or jeans. I am not at all fashion conscious — in fact, shopping is my most hated activity! The most stylish sportsperson: Maria Sharapova If not a racer, you would be: Commentator... oh wait — I did that also!

How were you drawn to racing?

Racing has been my whole life since I was a kid. I’ve been obsessed with the sport and have grown up in a motorsport environment. My grandfather (Indu Chandhok) raced in the 50s and founded the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India and my dad (Vicky Chandhok) has been racing since 1972. It was a natural progression for me to get involved in the sport. Ever since I can remember I’ve wanted to be a racing driver. When my friends were reading comics, I was reading Autosport!

How supportive were your parents?

My parent’s support has been instrumental in my success and I would have to say that without that I wouldn’t be here today. They have sacrificed a lot for me to get to where I have today and they continue to work tirelessly.

Who have been your racing idols?

Alain Prost is my all-time hero but today I really admire Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.

Chandhok with Shah Rukh at the Malaysian Grand Prix: “His off-screen personality is even more endearing than his on-screen one”

What have been the positives and negatives of taking up racing as a career?

For me, this is the greatest sport on earth. There is absolutely nothing else that combines competition, technology, finance, marketing, geography and glamour like Formula One. It is a real-dog-eat-dog world however — very much a case of every man for himself and you really have to be on your toes. It’s a very capital-intensive sport so the sponsorship issues are always a problem.

What does Formula One mean to you?

Everything! All I’ve ever really been interested in is Formula One. All I ever really wanted to be was a Formula One driver. I am a real workaholic because working doesn’t feel like work for me — even on my days off I go to the racetrack to watch Formula 3 or something else!

What does it take to be a Formula One driver?

Bottomline is first of all you have to be fast. But beyond that I think it’s important to stay grounded, focused and shut out distractions. I live in a small town called Brackley in the UK, away from the big cities and the party life that comes with it. Motivation is a huge part of it. It’s very important to motivate yourself to work to the best of your ability, both in the car and outside of it. You also have to be marketable for the sponsors and technically strong for the engineers.

Can you recount your first race?

My first race was in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship in 2000. I started in pole position, dropped to second at the start but then overtook Kamlesh Patel on the final lap to take the win on debut.

Your Hispania racing partner is Bruno Senna, the nephew of the legendary Ayrton Senna. How has it been partnering Bruno?

It’s rare for teammates to be friends but Bruno and I get along very well. I don’t see him as Bruno Senna, nephew of Ayrton — I see and respect him as Bruno, a driver in his own right. He and his family are great people and we’re both mature enough to deal with the pressures. At iSport in 2008 we had a great working relationship with the engineers so I think we can carry that on this year. We always had a similar style and similar requirements from the car, which is good for the engineers to carry out parallel programmes.

Chandhok with Hispania partner Bruno Senna: “We get along very well”

You finished 15th at the recent Malaysian Grand Prix...

It was nice to get another finish under my belt and this time to get both cars to the end was good for the team. I was competitive all weekend compared with Bruno, who is the only real yardstick at the moment, and finished ahead in qualifying and the race. It’s just one weekend and it could easily go the other way soon, but thus far it’s going well for me personally.

You met Shah Rukh Khan at the Malaysian Grand Prix. What was that like?

Shah Rukh and I have done events together in the past through our common association with Tag Heuer. I didn’t expect to see him in Malaysia but it was nice to have him in our garage for a couple of hours. I have told him that it will be our privilege to host him at other races as well so he has said he will bring his son with him next time. His off-screen personality is even more endearing than his on-screen one and he definitely had the whole paddock buzzing over there.

The circuit moments in your career that you will never forget?

There are three that come to mind. My first win in Formula Asia in the Philippines in 2001. It was my first foray into international racing and I came away with two pole positions, two wins and two fastest laps and that got me on my way.

My first GP2 in Spa in 2007 was a huge moment for me. It had been a very long, hard slog that year to get the sponsorship money to race in Europe and I was the last driver to do a deal that year to be on the GP2 grid, so to win a race with a totally unfancied team was a huge boost to my career.

The first F1 test I did with Red Bull Racing. It had always been a huge dream of mine to drive a Formula One car and that was a big moment.

The turning point of your career?

For sure the winter of 2006-07. I had just won the Asian Renault V6 Championship in 2006 and knew that for my career to carry on progressing I needed to be back in Europe in GP2. We had no real sponsorship to compete in GP2 but then Bernie Ecclestone (CEO of Formula One Management) managed to do a very last-minute, low-budget deal with Durango and Red Bull came on board along with JK Tyre and Amaron to fund the 2007 season. That was the only time I really thought my career would end.

What is the average Indian’s awareness of Formula One racing? What would you like to change about the way the sport is promoted here?

The reaction to my promotion to F1 has been fantastic — I have had so many messages on my Twitter page and my website that it’s been quite overwhelming. There has been so much support from within India and also the Indian communities around the world who have said that they will come to the races with Indian flags in hand to support me, which is great to hear. The media have been very good in the past few weeks despite the IPL obviously taking up so much of their time. With the Grand Prix scheduled for next year, I do hope that I can be in a position where we are more competitive for the rest of this season and I’m in a competitive position next year — there’s no doubt being the only Indian driver lining up for the first Indian GP will be a special feeling.

What other sport and sportsmen do you follow?

Cycling, cricket and tennis. My heroes are Lance Armstrong, Sachin Tendulkar and Roger Federer. Their ability to consistently perform at such a high level for so long is amazing.

Your thoughts on Vijay Mallya’s Force India team?

Force India made it clear to me that they had existing contracts with their race drivers, which they were going to keep, and so there was no possibility for me to race with them. The test drivers do very little mileage under the new regulations so we chose to explore options with other teams as much as possible to look for a race seat. The team is doing a very good job and who knows, maybe one day we can work together as I think it’ll be good for the country.

What is your ultimate goal as a Formula One racer?

I want to win races and have a long career in Formula One.

Who have been your toughest competitors?

There are no easy competitors at the top levels of motorsport in Europe. Once you start doing F3 in Europe or GP2 or F1, everyone is strong.

What is the way forward for Karun Chandhok?

Use this year to learn and establish myself to be a credible F1 driver in the long term.