Fan Focus No. 9 - Lakshmi

[Administrator]

1.Name
LAKSHMI NATARAJAN

2.Nationality
Indian

3.Country you live in
Switzerland

4.When did you start watching Formula One?
I was fascinated by F1 as early as 1993 but couldn't bring myself to watch for a while after Senna's death. Slowly started to regain interest in the late 90s during the Hakkinen years and started following Kimi's career after he replaced Hakkinen at McLaren.
5.What teams / drivers have you supported in the past and present?
Started off fascinated by the Senna-Prost rivalry and then followed the Schumacher-Hakkinen one. But the first driver I supported was Kimi at McLaren. Switched loyalties to Ferrari in 2007.

6.Have you been to any Grand Prix races or do you watch on TV?
I have only been to two Grand Prixs so far. Growing up in India in a middle class family, I was only able to follow F1 on TV, but since my husband and I moved to Switzerland I have been to Silverstone in 2007 (when Kimi won - yayyyyyyyyy!) and Monza in 2008 (fantastic racing in the rain). It helps that my husband is also an F1 fan but he has been to 5 GPs in all - grr!!

7.Have you met any Formula One racing drivers, if so, who?
THE fastest and best there is -- KIMI! Absolutely magical four minutes of my life meeting him at the 2009 IIHF World Championships in Zurich, Switzerland. Met him the night Finland beat Denmark 5-1 and I only said I hoped he had enjoyed the game and that that was a great drive in Bahrain and started to walk away -- behaving totally unlike the stalking fanatic my husband and friends tease me of being! But he actually continued the conversation and asked if I had enjoyed the game and if I like ice hockey. We walked together to where his car was parked chatting mostly about India and things Indian. And in the end he held out his hand and said really nice talking to you - I just hope I didn't crush his hand in the handshake!
8.Favorite Grand Prix of the 2008 Formula One Season and why?
Has to be the Italian GP I watched live. Pouring rain and start under safety car conditions. Was sitting opposite the pits and from where we were sitting, watching those cars whizz past when visibility must have been almost nil, especially for someone like Kimi who had a lot of overtaking to do, just confirmed what fearless guys F1 drivers are!

9.Your best moment watched in Formula One?
The Hakkinen overtaking manoeuvre over Schumacher at Spa in 2000.

10.What would you ask Kimi if you got the chance to meet him at a Grand Prix?
Hoping he would recognise me from last time, I would ask if he would join me for either vodka shots or an icecream after the race But seriously, the one time I met him, I didn't have the heart to bother him for a photograph as it was "his day off", so that either makes me his most thoughtful fan or the biggest fool there is!! So if I met him at a race, I would ask him to pose for a photograph with me.

11.Best Kimi moment on track in your opinion?
Kimi retaking his position from Lewis at Spa in 2008 just before he went wide and crashed. That ended up being euphoria followed by heartbreak in the space of seconds but I still am absolutely in awe at the way Kimi took that risk to get his position back on the track as opposed to playing it safe and being awarded it from the stewards after the race. Other close contenders are ofcourse Kimi's brilliant drive at Suzuka in 2005, Kimi's win at Silverstone in 2007 (the turning point in the season and I watched it live ) and the Championship-winning drive at Interlagos in 2007.

12.As a Kimi fan club member, what do you like about Kimi as a racing driver?
His absolute fearlessness, his determination to be the fastest, his sheer talent, his team spirit, his integrity, his respect for the history of the sport and other drivers, his no-nonsense attitude and the fact that he minds his business both on and off the track.