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Picture Credit: Instagram/@narainkarthikeyan

Racing Team India is set to become the first India team to compete in the iconic 24 hours of Le Mans event later in 2021. They have been granted a provisional entry for the 2021 edition of the twice-round-the-clock classic. The team which was formed this year only, will compete in the LMP2-AM category in the endurance event in France during August 2021.

All-Indian driver line-up for Le Mans

The most exciting aspect for Racing Team India is that all the three drivers for the event are Indian. The team will be led by former Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan. The 44-year-old will be teamed up by racers Naveen Rao and Arjun Maini to complete a 3-men driver line-up. Notably, Naveen is a 2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge champion while Arjun has competed in Formula 2 in 2018 and 2019.

 

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Route to 24 Hours of Le Mans

It has been a dream journey for the Indian team as they secured a spot in the official 62-car entry list for the endurance racing event in France. The planning started during the lockdown and things started to fall in place as Racing Team India made its debut in Asian Le Mans series in Dubai last month. Competing against few of the best teams, Racing Team India produced a brilliant performance and finished 5th in LMP2 category. The #74 car for Racing Team India will be prepared and run by Eurasia Motorsport, who have the prior experience of 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Proud moment for nation: Karthikeyan

Karthikeyan was certainly delighted with Racing Team India securing a spot in the iconic event. He said, “It’s a proud moment not just for our team, but for our nation as a whole. Racing at Le Mans with an Indian team is a dream I have nurtured since 2009 when I first visited the Circuit de la Sarthe.”

The 44-year-old racer also thanked the sponsors and partners for their constant support to make his dream come true. Karthikeyan added that it has been a long wait for the nation but they are finally ready to put Indian motorsport on the global endurance racing map.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2021 will be the 89th edition of the historic automobile endurance event at the Circuit de la Sarthe, France. The event is currently slated to take place on August 21-22.