On the winning track

Qatar’s first-ever karting competition — the Red Bull Kart Fight — held earlier this month offered various elements of appeal and fascination for enthusiastic spectators.
Besides the thrilling pace of the event that called for many moments of quick reflexes and responses, spectators, participants and even organisers were in for a complete surprise, when a 15-year-old amateur — the youngest participant in the event, emerged the winner. Omar Aswat, evidently the dark horse of the competition, won hands down beating seasoned and experienced drivers in an all-out battle.
While the victory seemed to catch everyone by surprise, Omar himself seemed to have expected the win. Omar Aswat who hails from London spoke to Community about the hard work and preparations required behind such a win, as well as his triumphant success, and his dreams.
“I love motor racing and absolutely enjoy watching Formula One races. I’ve always wanted to do something related to F1 and karting is a simple way to race. What makes this win most satisfying is the amount of effort and practice I put into a race which happens only once a year. From the time I heard about the possibility of the Red Bull competition last year, I’ve been practicing and training for it.
“Winning was an amazing feeling and like a dream come true. My close competitor, Ahmed Fakhroo who came second was only 0.05 seconds slower than me. The final was the most challenging, as I had to go looking for extra time to manage a win. The timings were so close and each time I set a record time, Ahmed would beat it. That goes to show how intense and exciting this race was. This being the first competitive karting event in Qatar, it makes the win even more significant; winning the first one is always an amazing feeling. Hopefully this is a sign of more things to come.”
The racing track offered the participants several challenges, with many tight and twisty corners and a surface that was extremely slippery. For the competitors it felt like driving in the wet on slick tires. However Omar seemed prepared to confront the obstacles.  
Attributing his success to the training he received, the young man said, “Fortunately I was living in Oxford, England, towards the end of last year and was able to get great coaching on an outdoor track in the treacherous English weather, on slick tires. That practice really paid off. The qualifying process for the Red Bull Kart fight was surprisingly tough. Although I qualified for the final on my first day, I never beat the best times of the day for the rest of the week. This had a psychological impact on me and I didn’t really expect to make it in the finals. Fortunately on the day of the final, I was in my groove and fully focused. There were times when I had to take risks, to make up as much time as I could achieve and this meant getting as closes as possible to the tire barriers without hitting them. In the end I managed the fastest lap.
“Fact is I have been practicing since the beginning of 2015, when I started off as a novice at the karting track at the Villaggio Mall. My dad would record my races on camera and when we went back home we’d analyse my performance. Practicing karting regularly is important for success. It sounds simple but I had to be dedicated to race regularly and that’s what I do to this day.”
There is obviously more to Karting than just turning up for races. Omar seems quite focused on the track he has taken up. Besides practicing on the track at Villaggio and the international racing track at Losail consistently, he  follows a special diet and works out regularly to keep himself physically fit — working on a CrossFit fitness regimen thrice a week and swimming four times every week. He enjoys his workouts to the point where he considers them hobbies. He draws his inspiration from watching the performances of racing drivers and CrossFit athletes.
As a follow-up to his latest success, Omar intends to compete in the Sodi World Series in Dubai, in September. As a matter of fact he has already participated in two races for the Sodi series 2016 — after his initial attempt when he finished 12th overall, the determined racer managed to climb to the second position. He hopes to win several karting championships by the time he is 16 and then compete in the F3 and work his way up to the top. Omar also has his gaze set on working his way to university.  
The young champ believes his strength in karting lies in his ability to cope under pressure, as well as his skill in overtaking and naturally changing lanes. “Coping under pressure was what I really got the hang of, while practicing at Oxford. The marshals there raced with me regularly around the track. They were faster than me, but to teach me to cope under pressure I would always have to go out on to the track first and then they would be right behind me waiting for a gap to sneak through. Obviously I wouldn’t give up easily and I found myself defending in ways I never thought I was capable of. As my dad records my races, I get to review the footage later to improve my skills. Overtaking is something which requires time to perfect, just like in a racing line,” Omar explains.
Omar’s long term goals are naturally ambitious. “I hope to continue motor racing and want to become a pro racing driver. It may seem impossible, but I believe, ‘If you never think of a goal, you can never achieve it’. I also want to become a better Crossfit athlete as I enjoy Crossfit as much as racing, and want to put in the same amount of effort. I am thankful to my parents for helping me pursue my passion.  As for my dreams, well, dreams are meant to be unrealistic:  I want to become an eight time Formula One champion and surpass Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world championships. I also want to race Lewis Hamilton in a Formula One race around the Monaco GP circuit.”