Gill all geared up for Kenya safari rally
The Hindu
Champion driver says he used pandemic time to optimise his fitness
Gaurav Gill looks almost restless to get back to racing action as he eyes a creditable finish in the World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally in Kenya from June 23 to 26.
“I last raced before the pandemic set in and now I can’t wait to get going,” said Gill here on Wednesday.
Gill, an Arjuna Awardee, will be driving Skoda Fabia R5 in the WR2 with Brazilian co-driver Gabriel Morales.
“This terrain is considered one of the toughest in the world and I need to have the right mindset to complete the course,” said Gill. The safari comprises 19 special stages covering around 365 kms of competition, the challenges being closed dirt roads, rocky and rutted tracks, not to forget unpredictable weather.
A three-time Asia-Pacific Rally championship (APRC) winner, Gill mentioned how tough it was to deal with the days of the pandemic but was quick to add, “I made the most of the time on hand and worked a lot on optimising my fitness levels. There are stages when we drive up to 12-16 hours and lose 5-6 kgs of water weight. One needs to be in the best of shapes to be able to deal with the challenges.”
Gill’s last competitive race in the WRC2 was the 2019 Rally of Turkey where he missed out on a top-five finish but his stupendous drive attracted a lot of praise from the driving community.
About his expectations, Gill said, “I’m pretty hard on myself. I am looking to give it all and complete it in a good time.”
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