January 11 is a special day for me, and funnily enough I share this unique day with two of the sports persons that I like. One of them is an ex-captain of the Indian Cricket Team, "The Wall" Rahul Dravid, and the other is Adrian Sutil, the once-best rookie of F1 after Lewis Hamilton.
This is the story of Adrian Sutil.
The symphony in D minor ended on a sad note and the young man walked away from the piano with a new determination—he wanted to replicate that symphony on the race track.
He was not sure how he was going to emulate a concerto at Albert Hall or at the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra.
The young pianist dreamt incessantly of making it on the race track, of weaving his way past his opponents, of making magic on those tracks.
At 14, he made his entry into Karting like all of his ilk and then moved on to the Swiss Formula Ford Championship in the 2002 season, where he won his first title with the SSPT-Racing team, notching up 10 pole positions and 10 wins in 10 races.
He was ranked sixth overall in the German Formula ADAC BMW Championship in 2003. In the Formula Three Euro Series he signed on for the Midland (later Spyker, currently Force India team), and in his second year with them set one lap record after another, standing second in the championship ultimately.
After this stint with Midland, he went on to partner Lewis Hamilton at ASM in 2005. Hamilton led the field, but Sutil was not far behind and was a great challenger to the might of Hamilton's performances.
- B/R Ticket Guide
He raced for Team Germany in the A1 GP Series, though his performances were not outstanding.
2006 heralded his stint in the "Land of the Rising Sun" where he went on to win the All Japan Formula Three Championship, and the Japanese Super GT. He also won the Macau Formula Three GP during that year, making 2006 a watershed year in his racing career.
Perhaps it is this Japanese experience that holds him in stead when he is forced to face situations that are not suitable to him.
Whatever be it, Adrian Sutil's 2007 entry into Formula One was not historic, unlike his rival GP2 mate Lewis Hamilton.
There was no great team waiting in line to sign him on. He was not the prince of racing whose entry into Formula One would stun and surprise the world.
He had to rely on his old ties to make his debut into Formula One. Colin Kolles of Midland came to his rescue. He signed him on for MF1 Racing, and this in turn was bought out by Spyker.
His racing skill in the wet came to the fore in the 2007 Japanese GP at the Fuji Speedway, where he earned his first point.
Prior to that in the Belgian GP, he finished as high as 14th. He outdrove Jarno Trulli, Rubens Barrichello, and Jenson Button, who were all in better equipment than the B-spec Spyker that Sutil was handling.
People took note of his potential and one was tempted to envision him in a superior car.
But sadly, teams did not come calling to sign on Adrian Sutil in 2008, though there was talk of him being considered as a replacement for Fernando Alonso in the McLaren team.
This time Force India happened, and his association with the revamped Spyker continued.
The 2008 Monaco GP in the wet, he drove like a champion. He was placed fourth with just six laps remaining before the Piano Strings came undone due to a flying baton of the mishapen celloist.
Maestro Sutil was stunned, and the deep anguish that touched his soul made him want to recreate the scenario of Tchaosivky's Swan Lake.
The Wagnerian (Richard Wagner) mystique came crumbling down, and then in Valencia the tumble and fumble of yet another mishap made the orchestra lose its momentum.
Today, Adrian Sutil is being called up on some counts by some parties, but the young man whose symphony is yet to be serenaded before the enthralled audience is waiting patiently like a samurai warrior for his calling.
Today, tomorrow, he hopes and prays that one day soon he will be able to make his mark and deliver his masterpiece yet, and that his Concerto in D Minor will end to a standing ovation.
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2 months ago
What a special article. "The Wagnerian Mystique". That is a great line that conjours up a multitude of memories and thoughts. I've got to go write an article just so I can use it!
from 2 months ago
Baby Tate, You are one of the few people who know how to put a smile back on someone's face :-) I am looking forward to your article.
2 months ago
Nice piece. If there is one thing Sutil has demonstrated it is self control -- how he kept from strangling Kimi after Monaco is completely beyond me. I wasn't rooting for him but I practically cried....
from 2 months ago
thank you Craig
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