In a rather unusual manner, I had a chance to reconnect and catch up with Akshay Bohra last week. He was preparing to travel to Paul Ricard right before and must’ve had a tight schedule to jump on a video call, but as enthusiastic and open as he always is, he offered to answer our questions over WhatsApp.

My first interaction with Akshay happened nearly two years ago when he wrapped up his European racing season and joined the Indian Racing League crew of Godspeed Kochi to support his brother Nikhil Bohra. He was young (still is, but two years younger back then) but had a way with people - perhaps something young athletes naturally pick up while racing across Europe.

In his own words, “In pursuit of my racing goals, I’ve made many sacrifices, such as living alone away from my family and studying online. However, I’ve managed to befriend other drivers and teammates, so I’m able to have a community to hang out with away from the track.”

A sacrifice that one wouldn’t make without knowing oneself, belief in one’s own abilities, or the support of one’s family. Even with all of that, sometimes, motor racing can be brutal. Hence, even to this day, sponsorships make the backbone of a sport like this. For Bohra, being supported by his dad, who built his career in finance, he knows a thing or two about what sponsorships are all about these days. “Sponsors want to be represented by ambassadors that reflect their values as a brand. Usually that includes things like high performance and excellence, so obviously strong results are required. But it’s equally important that the ambassador’s character reflects the most positive aspirations of the company’s culture such as integrity, hard work, and trust.”

Strong results and performances are visual. He’s won plenty in his years in karting and continues to elevate his performance in cars; just last weekend, he won race 2 at Paul Ricard and finished on the podium in race 1, having taken double pole on Saturday. But as an athlete chasing his version of perfect, I assume, that this performance might come as a relief, but by no means gives him any comfort to take the remainder of the season easy. After all, an athlete who’s chasing perfection rarely thinks they’re there at the ...