As Aston Martin takes to the grid in 2021, we're bringing you, the fans, into the heart of our return to Formula One. Your passion and support drives our team forward and, in this series, we’re giving you a platform to share your I / AM Story.
For Harish, his studies as a mechanical engineer were born from his love of Formula One. Here, in his own words, Harish shares his I / AM Story.
My love of Formula One is connected to my love of racing and engineering, but the passion began in the early 2000s. My earliest memories are of a red car winning the races with Michael Schumacher, and I was so impressed by him and his victories.
I used to flick through the newspaper every morning on a Grand Prix weekend to check the TV schedules to make sure my Dad, also a Schumacher fan, and I didn’t miss a moment.
It also led to one of my great passions: the engineering of racing cars. Understanding the engines, aerodynamics and everything else helped grow my passion, and I would later take up mechanical engineering in the hope of one day working in the sport.
I took part in a student design formula series and this was my journey through college. I was never happier than I was building race cars and all-terrain vehicles.
#IAMSTORIES: Bahrain Grand Prix
Go behind the scenes of Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team's opening race of the 2021 Formula One season.
Formula One is the pinnacle and the excitement has created so many fans, but so has the engineering and innovation. It’s not just the overtaking and battles, it’s the pitstops, the strategies, the sound of the engines and the fact that even a millisecond can make or break a Grand Prix for a driver. I adore that dynamic, and it’s why Formula One is much more than going around in circles!
I became a fan of Team Silverstone in 2008 because India was given a platform on the Formula One stage, and it was incredible to have that link. The connection and bond felt unique and it only grew. I still feel it today now that the team is Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team.
Five years later, I was able to visit Force India at the 2013 Indian Grand Prix, and I will forever cherish the memory of getting up close with the car, team and drivers. Watching a live race was an incredible experience, and I went to the Austrian Grand Prix the following year. I’ll never forget being able to meet Jules Bianchi there too.
2021 is such an exciting time for the team, and it means everything to me. Just like it is for my football team Chelsea, my week ahead depends on how the Grand Prix goes!
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The team has always put its fans at the centre of what it does, and that’s what we want: the chance to get closer to our favourite team and witness the racing up close – especially as this team is so resilient and punched above its weight for so long.
That attitude has led to so many special days. My favourite was Giancarlo Fisichella’s podium in the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix. I can remember how high emotions were running, and I’ll never forget it.
There’s also been great moments like Nico Hülkenberg’s run in the wet at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix and Sergio Perez’s incredible podium in Bahrain in 2014.
I think everyone who’s a fan of this team would pick Sergio’s win in the Sakhir Grand Prix as their favourite moment, but I’m most proud of the team’s efforts to finish fourth in the Constructors’ Championship in 2016.
I’m really excited for the future, especially now one of my favourite drivers is on the team in Sebastian Vettel. I was lucky enough to see him win the World Championship at the Indian Grand Prix in 2013.
Like so many fans, this is our first experience of seeing Aston Martin on the Formula One grid, and I hope to see them fighting at the front of the field soon. It would be amazing to see the team write history.
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