Agra boy Shahan Ali Mohsin has become the youngest racing driver ever to start in the MRF F1600 championship. The 14-year-old made his single-seater racing debut with the MRF F1600 series as he moves up from the go-kart championships. The previous youngest age for a driver in the series was 16-years. The race weekend conducted last week was held as a support event to the international MRF Challenge (F2000) with plenty of international drivers making it to the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) in Chennai for the championship.
Shahan is coached by drivers Armaan Ebrahim and Aditya Patel as he moves to single-seater cars
Speaking on his maiden experience in the single-seater F1600 car, Shahan said, "It was an amazing experience in the MRF F1600 series. Not only my first time in the Formula 1600 car but also my first competitive single-seater run. I am elated with the conversion from karting to single-seater, which isn't an easy task as you feel so-so different on the track in a single-seater car than a kart. It was a weekend of learning and I managed to adapt well with help of my coaches Armaan Ebrahim and Aditya Patel. It took some laps to get used to the steering wheel and also the power of the car, especially in the corners. My lap times got better over the weekend which was the aim and I hope to get stronger by the end of the season."
Shahan will be participating in the MRF F1600 and Euro JK series this year
The race weekend saw the younger racer gain valuable learning experience as he progresses from go-karts. The driver started off the weekend with two practice sessions and a qualifying round, allowing him to adapt to the new heavier and faster Formula 1600 race car. Shahan qualified ninth ahead of the three races with the driver forced to retire in Race 1 after spinning out. He performed better in Race 2 having finished eighth at the end of the 10 lap race. The third and final race of the weekend saw the driver showcase strong improvement as he put out a consistent 1m41s lap time.
Shahan moves up to single-seaters racers after a successful stint in karting
Shahan Ali Mohsin started his motorsport career at the age of eight with karting and has claimed several titles both nationally and internationally. The Agra-based driver will be competing in the full season of the MRF F1600 championship this year, will also compete in the Euro JK Series this season. Shahan also intends to continue racing select karting events. He is yet to take a decision if he will also compete full-time in the Indian National Karting Championship this year.
