APPLES & ORANGES

How different is a touring car from a single-seater? The editor races both in the MRF Challenge weekend to find out

“THEY’RE WAITING FOR YOUR SEAT fitting, c!*tiya,” hollers Farad Bathena, proceeding to then question my gender, provenance, life choices and sexual orientation. A racing and more so legend of rallying with the most extravagantly flowery prose in a paddock not known for its political correctness, Farad now runs the MRF Formula 1600 program. Which leaves me confused. I have nothing to do with his end of the pit lane. I’m at the MMRT to race the VW Ameo Cup car in its swansong race, and as far as I know, touring cars do not need a seat fitting.

“You’re driving the 1600, c!@tiya,” booms Farad.

“Wait, what?”

Turns out the good folks at MRF Tyres decided that throwing me into the races would be the best way for me to test their F-1600. And that’s how I found myself suited up and wriggling my buttocks on a warm bag of gooey stuff on the floor of the MRF Formula 1600 single-seater. It’s the first indication of the F-1600s being a serious bit of kit. The seat is custom made, the pedals are adjustable and are now being moved as far forward as they will go to account for my height, and reams of padding are strategically being stuck inside the tub to account for my girth.

“Okay, saar!” shouts my mechanic — yeah, my own mechanic! — and he then tries his best not to laugh at the sight of me struggling to get out of the tub. The first of many realisations of the weeekend — race drivers are proper-fit to be able to jump out of their cars!