F1 meets Indian cricket as Ravi Shastri talks about his love for the sport during his 2023 Belgian GP visit (Exclusive)
Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri believes the adrenaline rush and the physical tenacity of Formula 1 draws him towards the sport.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda at the Belgium GP, the former Indian cricket team coach revealed his fascination for the sport. On being reminded that he was last spotted in an F1 paddock in 2018, Shastri said:
“Correct you’ve got a good memory, just before the covid time, 2018. Yep. Singhi is a good friend of mine, he loves Formula 1, Gautam. So i went with him.”
On what aspect of F1 fascinated him, the former cricketer said:
“The adrenaline, you knife it’s exhilarating and its fast. Decisions have to be (made) in a split second and everything can get over in a split second. So it’s absolutely exhilarating, it’s different, it’s individual sport that for me brings the physical element into the sport, much like boxing, the danger element. When you compare the two sports, its fabulous.”
Shastri visited the 2018 Bahrain GP with automotive aficionado and industrialist Gautam Singhania. This year, the 61-year-old visited one of the most iconic F1 circuits — Spa Francorchamps — to enjoy the essence of the sport at its best. He believes that the adrenaline rush and exhilarating nature of the sport have often lured him to watch it. The individualistic nature of the sport and the physical elements have also fascinated him.
Ravi Shastri lists his F1 favorites for the season and his reasons for choosing the Spa circuit experience
Currently commentating on Sky Sports for The Hundred tournament, Ravi Shastri used his month-long summer break to accommodate a Formula 1 race in his schedule. Explaining his choice of visiting Spa-Francorchamps instead of other rounds on the F1 calendar, the former Indian cricket team coach admitted to doing some research before visiting the iconic track.
“Let’s be straight, I was in England I’ll be working for SKY after this for the 100s. And it was my month off. I was doing the world test championship. So there were two races, I think Silverstone was too quick, there was Hungary and then there was Spa. From what I gathered the research I did Spa is a fabulous course,” he said.
“Now that I’ve come here, seen the setting, specially with the sun out. You need this blue sky, you need this ‘ravi’. You know ‘Ravi’ stands for the sun. You need that fellow to come out over there (sky). Let it be blue, let it shine on the driver and you’ll see Spa at its best. You wont be in a Spa, you’ll be here watching the drivers out on the track in Spa,” he added
Listing Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc as some of his favorites, Shastri explained his liking for underdogs in the sport and said:
“I go for the youngsters. I like Oscar, he’s just done something spectacular. He’s 22 and of course Charles, Charles Leclerc. Any sport, go and ask any sportsman, he’ll always be looking for that underdog, that youngster after a span of time. Whether its tennis, whether its in cricket, whether its in you know any sport.”
During his time at the Belgium GP, Ravi Shastri visited the McLaren garage where he met Piastri.