Q&A - Racing and Human Rights with Niki Lanik
Q&A
Interviewer: Katia Indigne
Inerrviewee: Niki Lanik
Katia: You were 16 when you started to race. Why have you chosen for carsports?
Niki: I always liked speed and I always wanted to compete. As a kid I had the opportunity to drive old cars around a big field at the family farm house. This is were I learned how to drive, and wanted to do more and more of it. Originally I wanted to drive in the World Rally Championship like Colin McRae, but I was too young and so decided to take up circuit racing, which I have now grown very fond of.
Katia: What do you hope to reach in the future?
Niki: I want to work myself up the racing ladder to race in FIA GT in GT1, and win the famous Le Mans 24 Hour Race in an LMP1 race car. I want to be a recognised Austrian top-sports athlete.
Katia: What do you do when you aren’t at the track?
Niki: I run a business in the UK, but most of my time is taken up by volunteering for international Human Rights campaigns and events. I have been to Geneva this year to receive an award for all the work I do, and do many trips to assist Human Rights education and promotions in other countries, such as Barbados, Colombia, and next year Ghana and Sierra Leone. I usually never relax, I always am in other countries and spend much time on planes - I simple love it, and I love meeting other people from diverse cultures. Helping other people gives me a kick just like winning a race. It’s a motivating experience helping other people.
Katia: What do you think of the Belgian circuits?
Niki: So far I have only been to Spa and I absolutely loved it! I will race at Zolder later this month and I am really looking forward to it! The team I am with for 2009, Prospeed Competition, are a Liege-based race team and they have much experience at these tracks, so the car is always set up spot on.
Katia: What is your favourite track in the world?
Niki: Wow.. that’s a very hard question… I guess it would be Spa at the moment because it’s literally a perfect track. Though I also like Algarve in Portugal and Silverstone in the UK. I am looking forward to Monza though.. I have heard many crazy stories about it.
Katia: How and why did you get involved with Youth for Human Rights?
Niki: I met the film director of the “30 Rights, 30 Ads” DVD in London in 2006. There are 30 Human Rights which are protected by law by the United Nations for each person, and this guy, Taron Lexton, decided to make a short video for each Human Right. I watched them, and I liked them so much that I decided to help out and promote it to all the people I know. This was obviously a brilliant combination, as I could reach many people every year through the press, internet, and so on. Making people aware of their Rights is an important task, and this is also why I travel the world to spread the word. You can read more about Human Rights on http://www.humanrights.com, and Youth For Human Rights International on http://www.YHRI.org.
Katia: You are driving your first year in the GT3, what do you think about the Porsche you’re using?
Niki: Yes, this is my first year in GT3, and in fact it’s my first year in GT racing. The Porsche 997 Cup S is fantastic, and the European FIA GT3 championship is fantastic also. It’s a more difficult car to drive than I originally thought, but it really does bring out the best of you, and Porsche sure did a good job with the design of this car.
Katia: How did your parents react when you started to race when you were 16? Hadn’t they planned another future for you?
Niki: No - my parents saw me doing a lot of extreme sports like snowboarding, skateboarding, BMXing, and so on when I was younger, and the “dangerous” factor was no barrier. My parents have always decided to support what I wanted to do, and I want to thank them for that. They brought me up with a business-minded approach to life, so they believe in whatever I do and know that I will succeed.
Katia: You’re always on the road, racing or travelling for Human Rights. Don’t you get the feeling that you’ve missed part of your youth and your friends? Don’t you want to live the life of an ordinary 22-year-old?
Niki: No, not at all. I do of course miss my friends, but it’s great to come home once in a while and see everybody and catch up. I think I am really living life, and I’m REALLY enjoying it and couldn’t ask for much more. I get to do what I love - race - and I get to travel, and help other people. One of my goals is to visit all countries in the world before the age of 30.
Find out more on http://www.nikilanik.com
Tags: austrian niki lanik racing 4 human rights http://www.y4
