Vaishali

Vaishali Dinakaran, born October 11, 1987, is an Indian journalist and writer specializing in motor sports. Her career began with an internship at Overdrive magazine, followed by roles at Autocar India and Business Standard Motoring. She gained recognition for her in-depth coverage of the sport, including a one-on-one interview with Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher in 2011, coinciding with Formula 1's arrival in India. Dinakaran also worked alongside veteran motorsports photographer and journalist George Francis.

From 2013 to 2020, she served as the Motorsports Editor for Overdrive magazine, continuing her editorial duties remotely from Germany after relocating in 2015. In 2020, Dinakaran transitioned to digital media, joining Deutsche Welle to produce video news features. She is noted as one of the few motor sports journalists who has had the experience of driving a Formula 1 car. Her writing has been recognized with the 'ProDrive Motorsports Award' for 2018, 2019, and 2024, presented by The Guild of Motoring Writers, acknowledging her contributions to motor sports journalism, including her opinion column 'Pacenotes' for Overdrive.

Born in Bangalore on October 11, 1987, Vaishali Dinakaran pursued her education in her hometown. She completed her schooling at Sishu Griha and went on to study communicative English at Mount Carmel College. In 2008, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Mass Communication. Her initial foray into professional journalism occurred in 2006 with a brief internship at Overdrive magazine. Following her academic pursuits, she commenced her career as a Copy Editor at Autocar India in June 2008.

After a year and a half at Autocar in Mumbai, Dinakaran moved to Business Standard Motoring as a Principal Correspondent. A significant moment in her career was interviewing Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher in 2011, a year when Formula 1 visited India. She covered numerous rallies, collaborating with experienced motorsports photographer and journalist George Francis. From April 2013 to July 2020, she held the position of Motorsports Editor at Overdrive magazine. Despite moving to Germany in 2015, she continued to manage the motor sports section of the publication, which is part of the Network18 Group. Since 2020, she has been engaged with Deutsche Welle, focusing on video news features and exploring digital media platforms.

Vaishali Dinakaran's contributions to motorsports writing have been acknowledged with the esteemed 'ProDrive Motorsports Award' for the years 2018, 2019, and 2024. This award is presented by The Guild of Motoring Writers. One of the pieces that garnered attention for the award was an opinion article titled ‘Pacenotes’, a regular column she initiated for Overdrive magazine in August 2014. Beyond her journalistic achievements, Dinakaran possesses the distinctive experience of having driven a Formula 1 car, setting her apart as one of the few motor sports journalists globally to have had this opportunity.