Narain Karthikeyan: So far, I’ve done 2 test sessions and 1 race weekend, and both have been a great eye-opener to me. The team is very professional, and the technology in the car is very advanced. Learning any new form of racing is always a challenge. Having 50 cars on track simultaneously makes it a really busy track, especially as you’re lapping the slower GT cars all the time, sometimes several of them per lap. It’s difficult to get into a lap-time rhythm. I think that was probably the biggest change to what I’ve been used to up to now in my career.

AX: Are you the first driver from India to race at Le Mans or in the LMS ever?

NK: As far as I know, yes, I am the first Indian driver to participate in the LMS and at the Le Mans 24 hour classic.

AX: Obvious question – how is the Audi compared to anything you’ve raced before? Sports cars are perceived to be forgiving cars in terms of handling – is this true of the Audi?

NK: I wouldn’t say that any top-level racing cars today are forgiving. They are all so powerful, and are operating so far on the edge of the performance envelope that they’re bound to be quite a handful. Having said that, the Audi R10 TDi is a more driver friendly car, which allows for long stints without exhausting the driver. It has an incredible amount of torque, more than any other race car I’ve ever driven, large amounts of downforce, and a top speed in excess of 340 km/h – so, it’s really fun to drive.

AX: These are endurance races as opposed to 2 hour sprints – will your preparation / fitness levels change in any way?

NK: My fitness is better than it has ever been in my career. I’ve been working very hard at it, with long hours in the gym. Also, racing A1GP has kept me quite fit. No amount of gym work can ever substitute for seat time in a fast race car.

AX: Also new for you will be night racing, or have you done any before? How have you started adapting to it?

NK: I did my first night test recently, and it was amazing. The speeds feel so much quicker at night. 300 km/h at night feels like 500 km/h in the day. Blind corners are a real challenge, as the headlights don’t light up the apex of the corner.

AX: The world is your oyster – will you be looking at other forms of racing too, like DTM, BTCC, Indycar, etc., as well?

NK: At the moment, I’m concentrating on the LMS and Le Mans for the summer of 2009, with a return to A1GP when the next season starts in October. I’ve already done an Indycar test a few years ago. It’s quite a different experience. Those cars are also super-fast.

AX: Final question – given what was widely reported in the Indian media during your F1 days, what is your relation with Dr. Kolles actually like? The fact that you are racing for him implies those earlier reports were false...

NK: I would say that you’ve asked and answered the question yourself. Sometimes the press can really make mountains out of mole hills.