Ajith Kumar: « I would like to put India on the Endurance racing map »

Newcomer this season to the GT4 European Series with AV Racing (Porsche), Ajith Kumar is far from being a stranger to motor sport. The Tamil film star who appeared in Varalaru and Mankatha is a real celebrity in his country and outside.

Kept busy by his film commitments, Ajith Kumar has put his racing career on hold. The 53-year-old native of Hyderabad drove against Ho-Pin Tung in Formula BMW Asia in 2003. The following year, he took part in a British F3 programme with Mango Racing, where he competed against Alvaro Parente, Lucas di Grassi, James Rossiter and Nelson Piquet Jr. Six years later, he moved on to Formula 2, the year of Dean Stoneman, Joylon Palmer and Benjamin Lariche, who raced in the GT4 European Series.

Close to Fabian Duffieux, a Belgian driver who lives in Dubai, Ajith Kumar made a remarkable return to competition last January at the Dubai 24 Hours, where his team Ajith Kumar Racing by BKR took the podium in the Cup class, while he was himself driving a Porsche Cayman. In addition to the Creventic championship, Ajith Kumar made his debut in the GT4 European Series last weekend at Paul Ricard (France) racing solo for AV Racing in the amateur class (7th and 6th in the two races).

Has this passion for motorsport been for a long time? 

I started racing at the age of 18, on motorbikes in India, in a national championship. I did that until 1993, before concentrating on my professional career. In 2002, I started on four wheels. I was 32 years old, I found sponsors and I started racing. I raced in single-seaters in India. At the end of 2002, I did a Formula BMW test and ended up competing in the Asian championship in 2003. It was an incredible experience for me. The following year, I raced in Europe in British F3 in the Scholarship class, which had slightly older cars. I made it onto the podium twice, once at Donington and once at Knockhill. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to compete for the entire season due to my acting career. I returned to single-seaters in 2010 in Formula 2. That was also quite an incredible experience. I had the chance to race on circuits such as Marrakech and Monza. There too, I was quickly caught up by my job.

Why did you decide to switch to endurance racing? 

I'm too old now to drive a single-seater. Several of my friends then recommended that I take up endurance racing. It's a new format for me and a new experience. Driving a Porsche Cup is like starting from scratch. I did some tests in Dubai because I live in both Chennai and Dubai. Being in the United Arab Emirates makes it easier for me to drive on tracks such as Dubai, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. I must say that I was quite satisfied with my pace. That's when I decided to launch a team with the help of Fabian (Duffieux), who introduced me to Mathieu (Detry) and then to Cameron (Macleod) to compete in the Dubai 24 Hours last January.

Your 24 Hours of Dubai had its ups and downs...

This race was a real learning curve for me. Unfortunately, during the private tests, I had an accident. Initially, there were four of us drivers and the decision was made to remove me from the car. We had a chance of getting on the podium and I think I made the right decision. However, I managed to find another seat in another Porsche, this time a Cayman GT4 entered by Razoon Racing. In a single day, the team was able to find me a GT4 and a place in a lineup. It was perfect for me because it allowed me to gain experience. On Fabian's advice, I then extended the adventure in a Porsche in shorter races in Europe last winter so that I could drive as much as possible.

This GT4 European Championship was planned?

Fabian and Mathieu were entered in the GT4 European Series in an AV Racing Porsche. Before joining them, I wanted to discover the Circuit Paul Ricard in a Porsche Cup, which was possible and full credit to AV Racing. However, I wasn't really planning to drive a GT4 as it wasn't something I had in mind. It was just to prepare for the Creventic championship. The meeting with AV Racing was very positive. I then spoke with Romain Vozniak, the team principal with David Abramczyk, who told me about the possibility of driving a GT4 in the SRO European Series.

Do you want to be a racing driver for several years?

I don't have any film shoots during the racing season, which allows me to concentrate on my role as a driver from March to October. This gives me the opportunity to finish my other projects in the following months. I will be 54 years old in May and I want to race until I am at least 60. I plan to take part in the Dubai 24 Hours again next January in preparation for the 2026 season. The aim is to see the Ajith Kumar Racing team in Creventic and Dubai 24 Hours. Maybe the next step will be to race in GT3. For the moment, I'm gaining experience in Cup and GT4. I don't know what the future holds for me in motor racing and I don't want to rush things.

Does this also allow you to raise the profile of motorsport in your country?

I also want to develop motorsport in India in the best possible way, so that everyone understands that I am serious about it and that it is not just a hobby for spending money. If I follow the process correctly by getting better and better behind the wheel, I am sure that India will be able to take the benefits. It is not easy for drivers in my country to find partners. Motorsport in India can become increasingly popular. I hope that one day we will see a championship like Creventic come to India. Why not hold another 24-hour race in India before or just after Dubai? I would like to put India on the Endurance racing map. I think it would be a win-win situation for all parties. India is a beautiful country with many beautiful places.

India has a lot of racing tracks?

We have the Buddh International Circuit but also the Madras International Circuit near Chennai. Last year, the government of my region organised a city race for single-seaters and saloon cars. The event was very popular. It would be great to organise a 24-hour race in the city. Chennai has the advantage of being a port, which makes logistics much easier. Cricket is very popular in India and I hope that motorsport will develop in the coming years, that we will see more and more young people coming to drive in Europe. This is the place to come and drive. We had Karun Chandhok, and now there's Kush Maini, who is a reserve driver for Alpine F1. Here, you see Arjun Maini and Sai Sanjai. It's great to see them shine in Europe, but to do that, they need to find sponsors. We must do everything we can to make sure people understand this sport. There are so many series around the world. The more people watch, the more interested sponsors will be.

What can you say about the team AV Racing?

I was made to feel very welcome by the whole AV Racing team. Everyone encourages me and gives me the best advice on how to improve. They are there to push me. The team takes my programme very seriously and I can only thank them. Believe me, it's not easy to get back into competition after all these years. It's a challenge I'm keen to take up.

The plan is to take part in the Le Mans 24 Hours?

The Le Mans 24 Hours is still a dream for me. I hope to take part in it one day. I also have the Spa 24 Hours in the back of my mind. I want to drive at the peak of my abilities. Le Mans is very well known in the motor racing community in India. The fact that I am racing should help to raise the profile of motor racing in my country. The more the media talk about Indian drivers, the more the public will take an interest.