Lot of eyebrows were raised when Mahindra ventured in Moto GP 125cc category, but within a year they have reaped considerable success and shut the critics with their performance. And the mind behind the success of the Team is Mufaddal Choonia, the Team Principal. His upbeat nature and commitment with the team is what that has made Mahindra Racing a global force to reckon to. They had a great start to their season at Italian championship and won back to back races to sit atop the table.
In an interview with Samikshan Dutta Choudhury of Indian Sports News, Mufaddal speaks about team, riders and their goals in the Italian Championship and more. Excerpts:
ISN: You had a dream start to the season at the Italian Championship. So how is the environment within the team?
Choonia: It is a fantastic feeling that the team has won in the championship. I mean this is the first time any Indian Team has finished on the podium of a major competition like this. Two in a row is just fantastic and we are now seriously looking forward to the subsequent races.
ISN: What does Mahindra Racing have it in them that have shot them into the scene so well and they are now becoming a force to reckon to in motorsports?
Choonia: Well there are few things but the foremost thing is the commitment and focus of the team towards this venture. We have a lot of passion behind the team and we mean serious business here. We are here not just to race but also to perform better and win. And also the team which has a backing of such a large company also helps us in the cause.
ISN: So did you people have any predetermined set of goals that you wanted to achieve in this season?
Choonia: No, to be honest we never started with any predetermined goals. We just wanted to go out there and perform to the best of our capabilities. We knew that if we perform to our capabilities, points would come.
ISN: So now that you are leading the charts at the Italian Championship, do you still have the same goal?
Choonia: No now we would press a little hard and try and win the Italian Championship. And about the Moto 3, it is a different ball game and we will try and perform to the best of our capacity.
ISN: How well did the team adapt to new set of guidelines and norms after 125 cc category of Moto GP was changed into Moto 3?
Choonia: Well it was not something that did not happen to us all of a sudden. We knew about it and were preparing for it.
ISN: So talking about the Italian Championship, do you think Mahindra can win the Championship?
Choonia: We are very optimistic about that and we want to finish more and more on the podium. We are confident but are not over ambitious. We just hope to give it our best shot.
ISN: What do you feel about the Indian rider Sharath Kamal?
Choonia: Well he is a very good racer. We see a lot of potential for him and that is the why we have brought him on board. I am sure that he could go ahead and be successful at higher events worldwide.
By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
Indian Sports News
