Aspiring F1 drivers hope Singapore GP fever revs up local motorsport scene

SINGAPORE: Teenager Kabir Anurag does not attend regular school like other youths his age. Instead, he spends his days racing in karting arenas at hair-raising speeds, chasing his dream of becoming a professional driver in Formula One.

The 15-year-old full-time go-kart driver, who has been captivated by motorsports since he was four, recently dropped out of school to focus on his goal, and put racing as his top priority.  

"I put racing in front of everything in my life. I have to work hard in the gym. I have to work hard at the track. I've put in thousands of hours on the track to become better,” said Kabir, whose supportive parents have engaged private tutors to help him keep up with his studies.

His sacrifices have yielded results – Kabir is currently in Italy for a world championship race, representing international karting team Ricky Flynn Motorsport.

Both Kabir and his coach Pavan Ravishankar – a former race car driver who wants to groom the next generation of pro-drivers the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton – hope that the return of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix this weekend will give a much-needed boost to the local scene, which has churned out a number of drivers but with little attention or support.

Time and money are the toughest roadblocks for aspiring F1 drivers in Singapore, as they have to go overseas to train and compete, said Mr Ravishankar. This means young drivers would have to make a choice between the sport and school.

Singaporean professional Formula 4 driver Christian Ho, 16, made that choice four years ago when he left Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) right before his Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) to pursue a career in karting in Italy.

Christian said it was a tough choice to make as he