Wheels have always fascinated Anis Akbar, a promising 15-year-old Dubai racing driver. Whether it’s the fighter jets picking up exhilarating speed on the runway before taking off or the vrooming Formula One cars, the Singaporean teenager can’t stop raving about life on the fast track.
But Anis is also blessed with a mature head as he keeps his feet on the ground despite achieving podium finishes in competitions against hugely experienced drivers in Dubai and Singapore.
It’s been only two years since the self-taught driver started racing, and yet he found a place on the podium with the Red Rabbit Racers team at the Dubai Kartdrome Endurance Championship last year before delivering another medal-winning performance at the Sodi World Series (SWS) in Singapore early this year.
“I was the youngest endurance racer at the event in Dubai, competing at the age of 14 alongside international professional teams and racers,” Anis told the Khaleej Times.
“In Singapore, despite limited practice, I secured a P5 finish. I was the youngest racer in my category, competing against seasoned Asian Karting champions.”
Spurred on by the success, Anis has now set his sights on racing in F4, an open-wheel category race for young drivers.
“Now my main goal is to reach Formula 4, but of course, F1 remains the biggest goal in my life,” he said.
How did it all start?
Anis’ mother is Singaporean, but his father is a Pakistani national whose family moved to Dubai almost 50 years ago.
“There is a great sporting culture in the family. My parents are not professional athletes, but they do a lot of sports activities, and my elder brothers play football,” he said.
But the biggest inspiration came from his friends in school.
“I used to do karting with my Emirati friends, I enjoyed it and started doing it more often and eventually realised that motorsport is my future,” he said.
“Also, my passion was bonding with my Emirati friends in school. I think in Emirati culture, they really like cars and engines. Thanks to them, I developed a passion for cars and racing.”
Parents’ unwavering support
Once Anis made motor racing his biggest goal in life, his parents backed him to the hilt.
The youngster says he can’t thank his parents enough for being on the track until the dead of the night at the Dubai Kartdrome Endurance Championship.
“My parents have made countless sacrifices that I am extremely grateful for. They were at the track in the night for me in endurance races and then the next morning they were back at work,” he recalled.
“That’s what I really appreciate. It’s not just the financial support they have given me, it’s their presence in every race that has given me so much strength.”
Dealing with hostile drivers
Anis may have made a superb start to his journey as a young racing driver, but the path has also been filled with obstacles.
“The racing culture is a mix of good and the not-so-good. Sometimes there are very arrogant and rude people when you ask them for help as a developing driver, they won’t entertain you, sometimes they would drive very aggressively against you on track,” he said matter-of-factly.
“On the other hand, I have met a lot of people who are very supportive. There is one guy whose name is Dario, he always supported me on track and even off the track. “And there is another guy whose name is Daniel — he helped me get the suit so I can race and be more comfortable. You know you never forget these things, your first racing gear, your first racing suit, it’s huge, they always have the biggest memories!”
But how does someone so young handle the not-so-friendly drivers on the track?
“My mother always taught me that when you are surrounded by negative people, just ignore them,” he said.
“Entertaining them will just give more fuel to the negative energy. I just ignore them and that has helped me focus on my objectives.”
The main objective
Anis believes he is on track to realising the F1 dream.
“If everything goes smoothly and if I am surrounded by the right people and the right team, I would like to do a few F4 championships, not to win it, just to gain the experience,” said Anis who draws a lot of inspiration from the never-say-die spirit of Fernando Alonso.
“It will require a lot of training, mental and physical because 10 years from now, I want to see myself racing a Formula One car.
“And if that dream does come true, I won’t be racing for a long time. I would, of course, love to win a few championships. But once I retire, I would love to be the team principal or a race engineer. I have always been fascinated by the role they play in Formula One.”