Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup: Lee Keshav, a racing driver from India, shared his journey as a tech enthusiast and his love for motorsports. Born into a traditional Indian family, where sports were seen as an alternative to education, Lee’s passion for racing began at a young age. He discovered racing on TV and started searching for ways to become a racing driver at around 13 years old. Lee’s curiosity and passion led him to find training programs at 16 years old, which allowed him to pursue his dreams.Lee’s career in racing began shortly after receiving professional training in Thailand, and the years that followed were a roller-coaster of success and challenges for him.
Later that year, he received an invitation to a selection event in Spain from the coveted Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.
Well-greased and low-fuelled Lee’s career sharp turn when he decided to switch from superbikes to cars after realising bikes were relatively more dangerous and even a small crash could put him out of work and studies for weeks, which worked wonders for him as he earned the title of India’s ‘Fastest and Fittest Young Driver’ at the highly competitive JK Tyre Volkswagen Polo R Cup championship.
Since then, he has competed in several top-tier championships, including the JK Formula BMW and MRF International Championship. He dreams of one day driving in Formula One and following the footsteps of Karthikeyan and Chandhok to represent India in one of the biggest sports in the world.
Lee is grateful for the opportunity to grow with computers and the internet, which made it easier to build websites and apps. He started his design journey early, self-taught, finding tutorials online. He believes that driving requires concentration and strength both physically and mentally, as the car moves inside the car. Lee emphasizes the importance of fitness in racing, stating that physical strength is crucial for proper driving.
Despite facing financial difficulties, Lee learned to take ownership of himself and his surroundings by working online, freelancing, and finding online clients. This allowed him to afford training and participate in various programs that heavily subsidized participation. Balancing his passion for racing and work has been a challenge, but he found a balance through strategic planning.
The recent success of MotoGP in India has opened doors for more international motorsports tournaments, and Lee is excited about the future of motorsports in India. He believes that the success of MotoGP and Formula 1 in India will help develop infrastructure and benefit locals, including Indian kids. Lee was inspired by his own Indian heroes, Naren Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok, who went into F1.
“I was really crazy about MotoGP. And so, MotoGP is very close to my heart. That gave me inspiration. We know when MotoGP comes to India or Formula 1 comes to India, it helps us develop the infrastructure and the locals, the Indian kids, that benefit from that infrastructure.I’m so lucky that when I was in the early 2000s when I was growing up and I was really into F1, our very own Indian, you know, Naren Karthikeyan made it to F1. So Naren was a huge inspiration for me.
Then there was Karun Chandu, who’s another, you know, big figure from India who went into F1,” said Lee Keshav