Formula 1 (F1) has once again taken Singapore by storm as the Grand Prix (GP) arrives at Marina Bay Street Circuit this weekend.
Some see it as a rare opportunity to watch the race live in a charged atmosphere alongside thousands of fans, while others look forward to being blown away by the ultimate showdown of speed.
For 17-year-old Singaporean Kabir Anurag, this year’s Singapore GP is going to be an invaluable learning experience.
Making headlines earlier this year as the first Singaporean on an F1 development team, Kabir has been recognised by Alpine, a professional motorsports team, as having enough potential to race in F1 within a few years.
The fledgling driver, who is presently based in Europe, has returned to Singapore where he will watch this weekend’s race live from the Alpine team’s garage.
To fans’ delight, the Alpine team held a meet and greet at Velocity on Wednesday (18 Sep) where Kabir shared more about his motorsport journey thus far.
Kabir is currently racing in Formula 4 (F4), which is the first level of formula car racing leading up to F1.
Drivers will then have to go through Formula 3 and Formula 2, before finally entering the F1 grid — if they are fast enough.
With only 20 spots available at the highest competitive level, the competition is stiff.
Kabir, who has trained under the Alpine Academy for a few months now, noted that he has improved by leaps and bounds.
Cognitively, his reaction time and under-pressure decision-making have improved. He is also much fitter physically than he was before.
According to Kabir, there are two reasons why physical training is required for motor racing.
Firstly, steering a formula car is more difficult than we would imagine. The steering wheel is heavy, and the driver has to withstand tight g-forces in the race.
Being able to handle these physical challenges with ease is thus necessary so that the driver can mentally focus on the race.
Source: @kabir_anurag_ on Instagram
“You want to put 100% of your mental effort into driving. That’s what we train for. [The physical challenges] should be easy, so that driving is just a mental sport,” he explained.
These improvements have allowed him to make better decisions during races and come out on top.
Tentatively, Kabir is hoping to debut as a driver in F1 when he is around 21 to 22 years old.
“It’s very hard to say, but that is my current career projection. And I think that is very possible for me,” he said.
Should he succeed in his goal, Kabir will be the first Singaporean driver in F1 history.
Before he relocated to Europe in 2022, Kabir had experienced karting in Singapore where the motorsports scene is relatively smaller.
However, Kabir believes motorsports is an up-and-coming industry here, and it is a good place to start practising fundamentals such as braking, throttles, and knowledge about racing lines.
There are currently two karting tracks in Singapore, one in Kranji and another in Jurong.
For the aspiring racers in Singapore, Kabir mapped out a path they can take in chasing their dreams.
Karting is the first step to becoming a formula racer. After that, once junior racers are at least 15 years old, Kabir said F4 is a good place to start.
Kabir also brought up simulators as a possible training tool, which has gotten very accurate and realistic in recent years.
“The important thing is to keep progressing. Stay at the front of the races in Singapore, then race around Asia. Once you feel like you’re ready, you can race in Europe,” he explained.
That said, Kabir did note the difference in the racing culture.
“The change from Singapore to Europe is exponentially large. In Singapore, people are simply racing. But in Europe, people are living it. Racing happens every day, and it is their life,” he said.
For Kabir, the hardest thing about racing is the consistency required by the sport.
Off-seasons are very short in motorsports, especially for F4. To stay on top of the game, racers cannot afford to step out.
In motorsports, everyone is consistently getting faster.
“We call it a moving target. If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward,” he said.
Nonetheless, the rigorous requirements of the sport have not taken away Kabir’s passion for racing.
His favourite thing about racing is the maximum attack push lap — a lap where drivers push the cars to their maximum and go as fast as physics would allow.
“You are just out there to do the fastest lap you can, and that feeling is incomparable. You’re almost not in the car anymore; you’re going through time and space. It’s an amazing feeling when you get it right,” he enthused.
When asked about his plans for National Service (NS), Kabir assured that arrangements are being sorted out.
However, he declined to go into the details.
He also mentioned meeting up with several ministers, all of whom were fully supportive of his journey and career goals.
Kabir sees this as a positive step, where the country acknowledges the passions of young Singaporeans like himself.
“I think the important thing is for young Singaporeans to be willing to take the risks, and for Singaporean families to be supportive when they do take the risk,” he said.
Also read: F1 S’pore Grand Prix: What you must know & what to expect at this year’s race
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Featured image adapted from @kabir_anurag on Instagram and MS News.
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