INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Lance Stroll tops FP2; Albon crashes; Hulk 7th fastest

    Lance Stroll tops FP2; Albon crashes; Hulk 7th fastest

    Silverstone, 31 July 2020: Racing Point’s Lance Stroll set the pace in the second practice session ahead of Sunday’s FIA Formula 1 British Grand Prix. The Canadian eclipsed Red Bull Racing’s Alex Albon by just under a tenth of a second. There was trouble for Albon, however, with the Thai driver crashing out soon after his qualifying run. 

    Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc led the way on medium compound tyres in the initial stages of the session with a lap of 1:28.773s on the medium rubber but he was soon pushed out of top spot by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and by Albon who were also running mediums. Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas then moved clear on medium tyres with a lap of 1:27.731s.

    The switch to soft tyres for qualifying runs began shortly before the halfway point of the 90-minute session, with Albon one of the first out on track on the red-banded compound. He swiftly moved back to the top of the order with a lap of 1:27.363.

    However, Stroll then edged him out with a lap of 1:27.274. Verstappen might have beaten both but on midway through his soft tyre run he came across Grosjean in the middle of track through Maggots/Becketts. Verstappen was forced to abandon his lap. 

    Bottas and team-mate Lewis Hamilton then bolted on soft tyres but could not match Stroll or Albon, with Bottas taking third, 0.157 off top spot, and Hamilton a further 0.15 behind.

    The session was then red-flagged when Albon lost the rear of his RB16 midway through Stowe corner and slid hard into the barriers. The impact heavily damaged the rear and left-hand side of the car and brought out the red flags. 

    Carlos Sainz finished sixth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, who finished 0.636s off his new team-mate. Pierre Gasly took eighth for AlphaTauri, with Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Räikkönen rounding out the top 10.

    Elsewhere, Sebastian Vettel’s troubled day continued, and after completing just two laps in the morning he missed a large part of FP2 as Ferrari changed the pedals on his car after he had reported something being loose in his cockpit.

    2020 FIA Formula 1 British Grand Prix – Free Practice Two 
    1 Lance Stroll Racing Point-BWT Mercedes RP20 Racing Point 29 1:27.274 
    2 Alex Albon Red Bull Racing-Honda RB16 Red Bull 13 1:27.364 0.090
    3 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes F1 W11 EQ Power+ Mercedes 30 1:27.431 0.157
    4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari SF1000 Ferrari 30 1:27.570 0.296
    5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes F1 W11 EQ Power+ Mercedes 27 1:27.581 0.307
    6 Carlos Sainz Jr. McLaren-Renault MCL35 McLaren 35 1:27.820 0.546
    7 Nico Hulkenberg Racing Point-BWT Mercedes RP20 Racing Point 28 1:27.910 0.636
    8 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri-Honda AT01 AlphaTauri 31 1:27.997 0.723
    9 Daniel Ricciardo Renault R.S.20 Renault 30 1:28.112 0.838
    10 Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari C39 Alfa Romeo 35 1:28.159 0.885
    11 Lando Norris McLaren-Renault MCL35 McLaren 26 1:28.169 0.895
    12 Esteban Ocon Renault R.S.20 Renault 35 1:28.219 0.945
    13 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari C39 Alfa Romeo 31 1:28.256 0.982
    14 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-Honda RB16 Red Bull 23 1:28.390 1.116
    15 Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri-Honda AT01 AlphaTauri 29 1:28.426 1.152
    16 Romain Grosjean Haas-Ferrari VF-20 Haas 27 1:28.564 1.290
    17 George Russell Williams-Mercedes FW43 Williams 26 1:28.771 1.497
    18 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari SF1000 Ferrari 23 1:28.860 1.586
    19 Kevin Magnussen Haas-Ferrari VF-20 Haas 27 1:28.898 1.624
    20 Nicholas Latifi Williams-Mercedes FW43 Williams 35 1:29.958 2.684

  • Jehan Daruvala clocks second-fastest time in practice

    Jehan Daruvala clocks second-fastest time in practice

    Silverstone, 31 July 2020: Ace Indian racer Jehan Daruvala came second, only less than half a second off the pace than teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, who topped Free Practice for the third time in four rounds, as Carlin claimed a 1-2 finish at their home event. The Mumbai-born Daruvala is in second place, 0.4s further back, but had enough pace to show off, and is looking forward to a good weekend to add to his 10 points from the first two rounds.

    The field were glad to see some sunshine after a rather wet start to the 2020 season, and wasted no time in getting out on track, with all 22 of the grid setting a flying lap at the first opportunity.

    Mick Schumacher was the first around the British circuit, stretching his legs and taking a scenic tour of Silverstone, as he tried to warm up his boots.

    There was an early yellow flag as Giuliano Alesi spun off track and came to a halt, on his second lap of the circuit. When things got back underway, we got the familiar site of Yuki Tsunoda at the top of the Free Practice leaderboard.

    His teammate Jehan Daruvala nestled in behind him, while UNI-Virtuosi looked in solid form once more, taking third and fourth in the early stages.

    Tsunoda pushed the limits slightly too hard, spinning at Copse and bringing out a brief yellow flag. The Red Bull junior would thankfully get going again.

    Felipe Drugovich managed to get a lap in ahead of the spin, jumping up to third. The MP Motorsport racer looks much more confident on the hard tyres, which brought him great success in the opening two rounds in Austria.

    Tsunoda’s time of 1:40.563 could not be bettered in the second half of the session, as the field focused on gathering data and getting laps under their belts.

    Callum Ilott and Guanyu Zhou remained fourth and fifth, ahead of Dan Ticktum, Louis Deletraz and Nikita Mazepin. Christian Lundgaard and Marcus Armstrong completed the top ten.

    Tsunoda will look to turn his early form into pole position when Qualifying takes place at 5pm (local time) 9.30 pm IST.

    No.CarDRIVERTEAMTIMELapsKM/H
    17 Yuki TSUNODACarlin1:40.563  21210.888
    28Jehan DARUVALACarlin1:41.03321209.907
    315Felipe DRUGOVICHMP Motorsport1:41.06319209.845
    44Callum ILOTT  UNI-Virtuosi1:41.18220209.598
    53Guanyu ZHOUUNI-Virtuosi1:41.34820209.255
    62Dan TICKTUMDAMS1:41.35719209.236
    711Louis DELETRAZCharouz Racing System1:41.42820209.090
    824Nikita MAZEPINHitech Grand Prix1:41.49618208.950
    96Christian LUNDGAARDART Grand Prix1:41.51216208.917
    105Marcus ARMSTRONGART Grand Prix1:41.55720208.824
    1120Mick SCHUMACHERPREMA Racing1:41.67120208.590
    121Sean GELAELDAMS1:41.71818208.494
    1325Luca GHIOTTOHitech Grand Prix1:41.76718208.393
    1421Robert SHWARTZMANPREMA Racing1:41.77819208.371
    1512Pedro PIQUETCharouz Racing System1:41.97220207.974
    1614Nobuharu MATSUSHITAMP Motorsport1:41.99421207.929
    1722Roy NISSANYTrident1:42.22119207.468
    1816Artem MARKELOVBWT HWA RACELAB1:42.40822207.089
    199Jack AITKENCampos Racing1:42.68717206.526
    2023Marino SATOTrident1:43.32619205.249
    2110Guilherme SAMAIACampos Racing1:44.55619202.834
    1117Giuliano ALESIBWT HWA RACELAB1:59.0293178.171
  • Nico Hulkenberg to replace Perez at Silverstone

    Nico Hulkenberg to replace Perez at Silverstone

    Silverstone, 31 July 2020: Nico Hülkenberg will drive for BWT Racing Point F1 Team in this weekend’s British Grand Prix, lining up alongside Lance Stroll.

    Nico’s experience of racing in contemporary Formula 1 and his strong track record ensure he is the ideal driver to stand in for Sergio Perez this weekend.

    In a bid to minimise disruption and ensure the best possible chance of building upon the team’s strong start to the 2020 campaign, Nico’s familiarity with the team will prove invaluable.

    Nico’s association with the team began in 2011 as reserve driver, before graduating into a race seat for 2012.

    He raced for the team between 2014 and 2016 as a regular Top 10 finisher in the Drivers’ Standings.

    His 177 Grand Prix starts make him the 25th-most experienced F1 driver, and he was racing in the sport as recently as 2019.
    A Few Words
    Otmar Szafnauer, CEO & Team Principal BWT Racing Point F1 Team:
    “Having to find a replacement for Sergio at short notice is no easy task, but in Nico we’ve got a fantastic supersub who the team knows very well. He’s certainly being thrown in at the deep end, but he’s a fast learner and I’m sure he will get up to speed quickly.”
    Nico Hülkenberg
    “I was on my way to the Nürburgring for another racing project when the call from Otmar came. That was less than 24 hours ago, so it feels a bit surreal for me right now, but I like a good challenge and this is certainly one. It’s obviously a difficult situation for Racing Point and Checo. He’s a buddy of mine, an old team-mate and I wish him a speedy recovery. I’ll step in and try do the best I can for the team!”
  • Sergio Perez to miss British Grand Prix weekend

    Sergio Perez to miss British Grand Prix weekend

    Silverstone, 31 July 2020: Following the announcement that Sergio has tested positive for COVID-19 at the Silverstone Circuit ahead of the Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix, the Racing Point F1 team regrets to announce that he will be unable to participate in this weekend’s race.
     
    Sergio is physically well and in good spirits, but he will continue to self-isolate under the guidelines of the relevant public health authorities, with safety the ultimate priority for the team and the sport.
     
    The entire team wishes Sergio well and looks forward to welcoming him back into the cockpit of the RP20 soon.
     
    Our intention is to race two cars on Sunday. We will communicate the next steps for our British Grand Prix weekend in due course.

    Formula 1 statement

    Following today’s announcement that Sergio Perez of the BWT Racing Point Formula 1 Team produced an inconclusive test result for COVID-19 at the Silverstone Circuit ahead of the 2020 FIA Formula 1 British Grand Prix, the FIA and Formula 1 can now confirm that the result of his re-test is positive.
    Perez has entered self-quarantine in accordance with the instructions of the relevant public health authorities and will continue to follow the procedure mandated by those authorities.

    With the assistance of the local organiser of the British Grand Prix, local health authorities and the FIA COVID-19 delegate, a full track and trace initiative has been undertaken and all close contacts have been quarantined.

    The procedures set out by the FIA and Formula 1 have provided for swift containment of an incident that will have no wider impact on this weekend’s event.

  • Defending champion Amith Kutti begins with a bang

    Defending champion Amith Kutti begins with a bang

    Mumbai, 27 July 2020: Chennai’s Amith Kutti launched his campaign in the fourth edition of the Mumbai Falcons Indian eRacing Championship, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport, in style, winning both the Pro races on Sunday.

    The defending champion warded off Season 2 winner Sai Prithvi’s challenge to take a commanding lead after Round 1. Bangalore’s Ujjwal Belwariar won the Junior race, edging past Sayee Saran who had taken pole position.

    Reigning champion Amith Kutti and Sai Prithvi were engaged in a keen battle for pole on the Spa Francorchamps Circuit, with the former finishing ahead in 2:13.718. Prithvi was a close 0.13 seconds behind while Niranjan Kumar was third.

    The latest season of the Indian eRacing Championship (earlier ISRL) extends to eight rounds and will see multiple new classes as the season progresses. A women’s class along with two separate amateur classes are also set to be introduced soon.

    “We are proud to be associated with the Indian eRacing Championship. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IR eSports team has done a stellar job in keeping the spirit of motorsport flying in the minds of racers,” Ameet Gadhoke, owner of Mumbai Falcons, said.

    Sirish Vissa, Head Volkswagen Motorsport India added “The Indian eRacing Championship is making motorsport racing fun, exciting and a unique learning experience for our young and aspirational racers in India. With the continuous development of this platform, it intends to offer a near realistic experience along with reaching out to a wider audience of potential race drivers.”

    Race 1 began on a furious note with three cars attempting to enter a corner side by side in the first lap itself before Kutti and Prithvi pulled away. However, a massive crash in the midfield saw multiple cars suffering severe damage. 

    Kutti eventually won just 0.75 seconds ahead of Prithvi while Hyderabad’s Bhanu Teja was third. Sonipat’s Ankit Tyagi was fourth.

    With the reverse grid coming into play for the top 12, Ankit Roy started with the advantage of pole. But after just a few corners, he made a mistake and went off-track, setting off a chain reaction of incidents, resulting in numerous cars suffering damage. Ankit Tyagi took the lead while Kutti made his way up to fourth. 

    Kutti was on a charge though, and eventually grabbed the lead as also the race ahead of Tyagi & Teja.

    F3 Asia Race winner & guest racer for the weekend, Sri Lanka’s Eshan Pieris, representing the CMSC, suffered technical issues and an accident in Race 1. The highly rated racer started seventeenth in Race 2 and made some excellent moves to finish fifth.  

    Macau’s Frederico Joaquin finished fourteenth, climbing from 21st, after missing Race 1.

    “We have created the Junior Class to help newcomers adapt to the sport in slower cars. We are thankful to Mumbai Falcons and Volkswagen Motorsport for their continued support. We also welcome and thank Red Bull for their support,” 8-time champion and founder of IR eSports Rayomand Banajee said.

    Results (Top 5):

     Pro Race 1    
    PositionCar No.NameCityStart Pos.
    19Amith KuttiChennai1
    257Sai PrithviChennai2
    316Bhanu TejaHyderabad4
    446Ankit TyagiSonipat7
    575Sunil KukdeBangalore17
    Pro Race 2    
    PositionCar No.NameCityStart Pos.
    112Amith KuttiChennai12
    246Ankit TyagiSonipat9
    311Bhanu TejaHyderabad10
    420Chevlyn FernandesMumbai13
    521Eshan PierisColombo17
    Junior Race 1    
    PositionCar No.NameCityStart Pos.
    17Ujjwal BelwariarBangalore2
    25Avinash GuptaKalimpong4
    310Aditya IyerPune5
    43Sayee SaranChennai1
    521Janak PanchalMumbai7
  • Inside MotoGP Mecca: VR46 Motor Ranch with Valentino Rossi

    Inside MotoGP Mecca: VR46 Motor Ranch with Valentino Rossi

    On the outskirts of a sleepy town in northern Italy lies MotoGP Mecca. In Tavullia, the hometown of The Doctor himself – nine-time Grand Prix World Champion Valentino Rossi – is where you’ll find the legendary Motor Ranch VR46. At the heart of the Ranch lies a purpose-built 1.5-mile dirt track; where Rossi, his friends, and the VR46 Rider Academy hone their craft in pursuit of Grand Prix glory. It’s truly any racers dream to own their own track; and this is Valentino’s… join The Doctor on an exclusive tour of the track and its facilities, where dreams really are made. Follow Valentino Rossi’s channel: @valentinorossiracing Find out more at https://www.MonsterEnergy.com

  • Mission successful for Team MRF Tyres at Rally di Roma Capitale

    Mission successful for Team MRF Tyres at Rally di Roma Capitale

    Rome, 27 July 2020: It is mission positive for Team MRF Tyres on the Rally di Roma Capitale, the opening round of the 2020 European Rally Championship.

    It is the first time the development tarmac tyres have seen competition and the first time Team MRF Tyres have competed at the top level of tarmac rallying.

    Team MRF Tyres drivers, Craig Breen and Paul Nagle led the MRF Tyres charge in the Hyundai i20 R5. He came into the day in fifth and was involved in a huge battle for fourth position with Simone Tempestini/Sergiu Itu with the pair swapping positions through the day.

    Breen had started the final loop in fifth place but immediately moved to fourth. He consolidated the gap on the second last stage, building 4.5 second gap before the final stage.

    In the end Breen controlled the pace to take fourth place by 1.3 seconds to Tempestini.

    For Emil Lindholm and Mikael Korhonen in the Skoda Fabia evo2 R5, it was all about consolidation and improving the cars across each of the loops.

    The Skoda duo continued to refine their setup throughout the day with the three passes over each stage giving the team a great opportunity to collect data for the future development of the tyre.

    In the overall classification, the pair took a top 10 finish, controlling their position throughout the rally. Additionally, the pair are entered in the ERC1 competition for junior drivers. In this category, he took fifth position, a great start to his campaign.

    Stage 10 – Rocca di Cave (7.25km) provided incredible moment for Team MRF Tyres as both drivers posted the exact same time. Both drivers posted a time of 5:12.2, just 7.5 seconds off the stage win.

    The crews faced a total distance of 197km competitive action and with 44 R5 cars in the field, it was always going to be a tough rally.

    The day was split into three loops of three stages, with 100.8km of total competitive kilometres. The weather was warm and the stages were fast and wide.

    It provided the ideal conditions for the tyres development for Team MRF Tyres with both drivers taking the opportunity to test different elements of the tyres in order to gain important data for future development.

    It was a successful rally for Team MRF Tyres. In the first tarmac rally for the tyre, it was important to reach the end and gain data and provide some insight on the competitiveness of the tyre.

     With both cars reaching the end of the rally, it was a success. To be so competitive, taking a top five position and setting top two stage times, the Rally di Roma Capitale proves to be a positive for the team.

    Next time out in the European Rally Championship is the fast gravel roads of Latvia with Rally Liepāja from 14-18 August.

    Craig Breen (Driver, Hyundai i20 R5) – 4th

    “We gave it pretty much everything we had. We made gradual improvements over the weekend to learn how to get the best out of the tyre. To finish fourth is great and an absolute credit to the team.

    “To think that this tyre barely existed a few weeks ago and to come out and be so competitive is a credit to the team. We gained a lot of valuable data on this rally.

    “I really enjoyed it. It has been a pleasure from start to finish. Let’s bring on the next one. Pico just dominated everything and reminds me of home. I would love to go do that stage again!”

    Emil Lindholm (Driver, Skoda Fabia evo2 R5) – 10th

    “We were able to make improvements to the set up at each service point. It is a process of learning how to maximise the tyre and maximise my own performance. It has been over a year since I have done a tarmac rally, so I am pleased with my result.

    “This rally was always about gaining more information on the tyre for its future development. We did this successfully for Team MRF Tyres. Undoubtedly, we will be much wiser next time out!”

    “It was a weekend without any issues and that is good. There has not been a rally for months and it is good to be back. Importantly, we can see that the tyre is working, and we have more knowledge to work with them.”

  • Breen finishes 4th; MRF Tyres look competitive

    Breen finishes 4th; MRF Tyres look competitive

    Rome, 26 July 2020: Indian Tyre giant made their debut in ERC with a big impact as International rallying returned with a bang this weekend and Russian Rocket Alexey Lukyanuk charged to victory on Rally di Roma Capitale, round one of the delayed 2020 FIA European Rally Championship here on Sunday.

    Irishman Craig Breen in MRF colours did a wonderful job matching the pace of Pirellis and finished fourth with focus on tyre development.

    “It’s not often I would be happy with finishing 4th, but after all the hard work, the testing, it has been immensely satisfying to have been competitive with our MRF Tyres! Both the tyres and the i20 R5 performed faultlessly, we still have some work to do but thank you MRF!” tweeted Breen.

    “Our primary aim is to test our tyres and see how they are faring when compared with our competitors. We have gathered some data late last year and I am happy with the way we ran this rally,” added the 30-year old Breen, who has Paul Nagle as his navigator, driving a Hyundai i20 R4, shod with MRF Tyres.

    “A fantastic result for #MRFTyres. On what is a new tyre and a new challenge for us. The purpose is development at the moment and getting both cars home, in P4 and P10 is great!,” tweeted MRF Tyres.

    Lukyanuk, partnered by new co-driver Dmitry Eremeev, the Saintéloc Junior Team ace led from start to finish in his Pirelli-equipped Citroën C3 R5 to claim his second win in Rome and his 10th in the ERC by 16.1s.

    “It’s good points for the championship and of course winning in Rome is something special,” said Lukyanuk, who hadn’t driven a rally car for 255 days prior to a test on Tuesday. “It’s a unique race with very hard competition. It was a long rally, very tough and very hot. It took a lot of effort to achieve the result and I’m delighted for the performance and happy for the team. I thank our sponsors for their support in this hard situation. You never expect to be the winner and when it comes it’s a special feeling. It was a controlled drive, quite calculated with reasonable pace. It’s very pleasant to see we didn’t lose our feeling and our performance during this lockdown. But without my new co-driver this result would not have been possible.”

    Giandomenico Basso, the two-time ERC champion who won this event 12 months ago, finished second with Oliver Solberg taking third and winning the ERC1 Junior category on his Roma debut.

    Zelindo Melegari claimed a richly-deserved ERC2 victory on his first start since he and co-driver Corrado Bonato were hospitalised following a crash on Barum Czech Rally Zlín 11 months ago. ERC newcomer Andrea Mabellini bagged Abarth Rally Cup honours.

    Ken Torn won a frenetic battle for ERC3 and ERC3 Junior glory, as his rally-long rival Pedro Antunes crashed out of first place on the final stage. Pep Bassas took second for Rallye Team Spain on his first event as the winner of Spanish federation RFEDA’s Beca Júnior R2 scholarship.

    ERC3 Junior champion Efrén Llarena (Rallye Team Spain) marked his graduation to ERC1 Junior by finishing sixth overall behind fourth-placed Craig Breen (Team MRF Tyres) and Romanian champion Simone Tempestini, who came home 1.3s behind the five-time ERC winner from Ireland after a spin. Grégoire Munster held seventh ahead of the advancing ERC1 Junior champion Filip Mareš, who narrowed the Hyundai Junior Driver’s margin to 5.5s. Emil Lindholm and Miko Marczyk filled out the top 10.

    Leg two round-up
    After winning all six stages on Saturday to build an advantage of 34.1s, Lukyanuk was second best to Basso this morning, with the two-time ERC champion going quickest on the first and second stages north of rally hub Fiuggi. At the regroup in the thermal spa town earlier, Basso had narrowed Lukyanuk’s overall lead to 29.3s with Oliver Solberg maintaining his grip on third as the top ERC1 Junior driver.

    Basso scored a brace of stage wins in the middle loop to start the final trio of tests 23.9s behind Lukyanuk. Although he would win the penultimate test, Lukyanuk’s controlled performance and measured approach in ambient temperatures exceeding 30 degrees centigrade meant the Russian was never truly threatened.

    Solberg belied his absence of Rally di Roma Capitale experience on his first pure Tarmac rally in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 to take third with Hyundai-powered Craig Breen taking advantage of a spin for Simone Tempestini on SS13 to grab fourth.

    Tempestini admitted he struggled to “wake up” and repeat his flying form from Saturday this morning. Despite only confirming his Roma entry on Tuesday, Tempestini was 2.3s ahead of Breen starting the final trio of stages, but his spin caused a six-second delay and Breen finished 1.3s in front. Meanwhile, Breen, on his return to ERC action with Team MRF Tyres, was hugely praiseworthy of the rate of progress of the Indian company’s development programme.

    ERC3 Junior champion Efrén Llarena starred on his step up to ERC1 Junior, finishing sixth after adapting the handling of his Rallye Team Spain C3 R5 more to his liking by tweaking the spring and anti-roll bar settings. Hyundai Junior Driver Grégoire Munster took seventh on his second outing in an i20 R5 with ERC1 Junior champion Filip Mareš battling back to eighth after a tough rally, which began with a roll in Friday practice. Young guns Emil Lindholm and ORLEN Team’s Polish champion Miko Marczyk impressed as they rounded out the top 10.

    More drivers rewarded in ERC 2020
    With points awarded to the top 15 classified finishers from this season, more drivers than ever before scored ERC points on Rally di Roma Capitale. By finishing in positions 11-15, Alessandro Re, Antonio Rusce, Dominik Dinkel, Albert von Thurn und Taxis and Marijan Griebel all scored.

    COVID-19 protocol takes centre stage on international rallying’s restart
    With myriad strict measures in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rally di Roma Capitale is the first FIA international-level event to run since lockdown restrictions eased in certain countries. Drivers and teams have united in their praise of the extensive steps taken by organiser Motorsport Italia to provide a safe and secure environment for competitors and volunteer officials alike in partnership with the FIA, ERC promoter Eurosport Events and Italian federation ACI Sport.

    Solberg clinches ERC1 Junior victory on Roma debut
    Oliver Solberg, son of 2003 World Rally champion Petter Solberg, made it two ERC1 Junior wins from two starts, overcoming the handicap of losing his glasses prior to stage two. ERC3 Junior champion Efrén Llarena followed Simone Tempestini home in third with Grégoire Munste, Emil Lindholm, Miko Marczyk, Dominik Dinkel (Brose Motorsport) and Albert Battistolli next. Erik Cais (Yacco ACCR Team) restarted after his stage one crash to place ninth on his step up from ERC3 Junior in a Ford Fiesta MkII. Callum Devine retired his Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy Hyundai with engine failure after the finish of SS3.

    Hard time for Kreim
    A strong fifth overnight on his return to ERC1 Junior action, three-time German champion Fabian Kreim’s debut in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 ended on Sunday’s first stage when he crashed into a wall. “It was my mistake,” he said. “I did a mistake on my pacenotes and have written left-entry-flat and 40-metre hairpin-left. And for this I was definitely too fast and crashed into a wall and broken the front-right wheel.”

    Crugnola quick on restart
    For the second Rally di Roma Capitale running it was a case of what might have been for Andrea Crugnola. After a puncture robbed him of victory 12 months ago, a crash on stage one wrecked his hopes of first place. He restarted on day two, scored six stage bests and five ERC bonus points for winning leg two. There was no restart for Adrien Fourmaux, however, the Frenchman having rolled his M-Sport Ford World Rally Team entry on SS2.

    Melegari savours his “perfect day” in ERC2 on injury comeback
    Zelindo Melegari described winning ERC2 on his comeback from injury as a “perfect day”. Melegari hadn’t competed since a crash on Barum Czech Rally Zlín last August left him and co-driver Corrado Bonato with serious injuries. But he showed no lasting affects to win ahead of ERC newcomer and Abarth Rally Cup winner Andrea Mabellini and Porsche 997 GT3 driver Petr Nešetříl.

    “I am very happy for this result after one year away from rally,” said Italian Melegari. “It was the first rally with the new car on Tarmac, a perfect day. I was happy also to fight with the young drivers in the Abarth Rally Cup. It’s a good result for continuing the season.”

    Roberto Gobbin drove his Abarth 124 rally to fourth with Latvia-based Dmitry Feofanov fifth, hitting back from a roll during testing on Tuesday on his second start on Tarmac. Poland’s Igor Widłak retired prior to SS7 with a sensor failure.

    Abarth Rally Cup contender Dariusz Poloński was back in action for leg two after a turbo issue forced him out on Saturday morning. After going fastest in the one-make series and in ERC2 on SS7 and SS8, more turbo problems struck on SS9, forcing the Pole to retire for a second day running.

    Ford Fiesta Rally4 driver Torn takes ERC3 and ERC3 Junior double in dramatic finale
    Ken Torn scored a memorable ERC3 and ERC3 Junior victory double in his Estonian Autosport Junior Team-entered Ford Fiesta Rally4 following a thrilling battle with Pedro Antunes.

    Driving a Peugeot 208 Rally4 on Pirelli tyres, Antunes snatched the lead from Torn with two stages remaining only to crash out on the final run.

    That left Torn to take the win in his Pirelli-equipped car as Pep Bassas inherited second place for Rallye Team Spain, with Amaury Molle battling to the finish in a fine third as technical issues struck the Belgian’s older-specification 208 in the closing stages.

    Italian Junior champion Marco Pollara finished fourth with Nikolai Landa and Rachele Somaschini fifth and sixth respectively. Pedro Almeida and Dennis Rådström restarted after retiring on Saturday and came home in seventh and eighth.

    A brake issue caused Adam Westlund to crash out of fifth place on SS11. An electrical issue stopped William Creighton on SS10, while Miika Hokkanen went off the road on SS3 when a damaged steering rod failed. Sergio Cuesta retired with engine failure on SS6.

    Vogel victorious
    Adrienn Vogel claimed a fine fifth place in ERC3, following home fellow Hungarian drivers Martin László and his father Zoltán. She also finished as the leading lady driver.

    P1 Racing Fuels Podium Challenge begins
    The P1 Racing Fuels Podium Challenge, run for the first time during the 2019 ERC season finale in Hungary, will reward the top three finishes on every ERC1 and ERC2 round with fuel vouchers that can be exchanged for P1 XR5 race fuel at subsequent events, helping competitors to further reduce the cost of competing. Across both categories, winning drivers will be entitled to 150 litres of fuel, while second and third placed drivers will receive 100L and 50L of the product respectively.

    LEG ONE REPORT: Click here for leg one report
    DAY TWO NEWSFEED AVAILABLE BY EMAILING: Paula_Dequidt@discovery.com

    TOP 15 POSITIONS (after 15 stages, 197.80 kilometres)
    1 Alexey Lukyanuk (RUS)/Alexey Arnautov (RUS) Citroën C3 R5 1h58m57.0s
    2 Giandomenico Basso (ITA)/Lorenzo Granai (ITA) Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 +16.1s
    3 Oliver Solberg (SWE)/Aaron Johnston (IRL) Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 +1m03.2s
    4 Craig Breen (IRL)/Paul Nagle (IRL) Hyundai i20 R5 +1m57.0s
    5 Simone Tempestini (ROU)/Sergiu Itu (ROU) Škoda Fabia R5 +1m58.3s
    6 Efrén Llarena (ESP)/Sara Fernández (ESP) Citroën C3 R5 +2m15.9s
    7 Grégoire Munster (LUX)/Louis Louka (BEL) Hyundai i20 R5 +2m20.5s
    8 Filip Mareš (CZE)/Radovan Bucha (CZE) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +2m26.0s
    9 Emil Lindholm (FIN)/Mikael Korhonen (FIN) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +2m54.0s
    10 Miko Marczk (POL)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +3m25.1s
    11 Alessandro Re (ITA)/Paolo Zanini (ITA) Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 +3m25.8s
    12 Antonio Rusce (ITA)/Sauro Farnocchia (ITA) Citroën C3 R5 +4m10.2s
    13 Dominik Dinkel (DEU)/Ursula Mayrhofer (AUT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +4m47.1s
    14 Albert von Thurn und Taxis (DEU)/Bernhard Ettel (AUT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +4m54.4s
    15 Marijan Griebel (DEU)/Pirmin Winklhofer (DEU) Citroën C3 R5 +6m24.1s

    FIA ERC2: Zelindo Melegari (ITA)/Corrado Bonato (ITA) Subaru Impreza STI
    FIA ERC3: Ken Torn (EST)/Kauri Pannas (EST) Ford Fiesta Rally4
    FIA ERC1 Junior: Oliver Solberg (SWE)/Aaron Johnston (IRL) Volkswagen Polo GTI R5
    FIA ERC3 Junior: Ken Torn (EST)/Kauri Pannas (EST) Ford Fiesta Rally4
    Abarth Rally Cup: Andrea Mabellini (ITA)/Nicola Arena (ITA) Abarth 124 rally

  • Quartararo bolts to victory ahead of Viñales and Rossi

    Quartararo bolts to victory ahead of Viñales and Rossi

    The Frenchman’s reign continues as Yamaha lockout the podium for the first time since the 2014 Australian GP

    Jerez, 26 July 2020: For the first time since Phillip Island 2014, Yamaha locked out the podium in a 1-2-3, but it was Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) who once again scorched to victory on Sunday at the Gran Premio Red Bull de Andalucia. Maverick Viñales and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP teammate Valentino Rossi had a memorable fight for the rostrum in which the number 12 came out on top for a second – but nevertheless it was The Doctor’s first podium since the 2019 Americas GP as he took P3.

    Quartararo got the best launch and from pole, with Rossi also getting away well from P4, but drama unfolded behind as fifth place Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech3) crashed in a Turn 1 melee that also then involved Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Bradley Smith (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini). The Portuguese rider was down and out of the race, with Binder running off circuit and dropping to the back and Smith’s race compromised too.

    There was a three-way Yamaha scrap at the front though, and it was Quartararo leading Viñales and Rossi, who had a slight gap to the two Pramac Racing riders of the quick starting Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia just behind. Quartararo was getting down to business quickly though with the hammer well and truly down, and Viñales went wide at the final corner trying to pounce. Instead, that let The Doctor through into second, with Quartararo starting to escape and Viñales having lost out some significant ground. Just behind, Bagnaia went for P4 underneath Miller as well but was also wide, before making a miraculous save to keep his GP20 upright.

    Fabio Quartararo after winning the Round 2 at Jerez. A MotoGP image

    Quartararo’s lead on Lap 4 was up to 1.5 seconds, and Viñales couldn’t find a way through on Rossi to try and give chase. The Pramac Racing duo were also breathing down the YZR-M1 rider’s neck as the number 20 Petronas Yamaha SRT started to clear off into the distance, and Rossi couldn’t do anything about Quartararo’s pace either. By Lap 6 the Frenchman’s lead was nearly three seconds.

    With 10 laps down that lead was looking unassailable, with Bagnaia making progress to get through on Miller and Viñales, as the Italian locked his radar onto the boss’ rear wheel. The race in Jerez was quickly starting to become a race of attrition in the blistering Andalusian heat, however – with some parts of the track over 63 degrees. Then Miller slid out of contention at Turn 9 having made his way through on Viñales at the beginning of the lap, and teammate Bagnaia pounced Rossi for second place.

    Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) had made steady progress and was the fastest man on track as he got in the hunt for that illustrious first MotoGP™ podium, but drama was just around the corner in a cruel end to the Italian’s race as he encountered engine troubles with nine laps to go. Heartbreak for Morbidelli, and there would be more incoming for his compatriot Pecco Bagnaia. Safely in P2 ahead of Rossi, smoke started to stream out of his GP20 and onto the back straight, just six laps away from spraying the Prosecco, Bagnaia was out of contention.

    This saw Rossi back up into second, with Viñales back in the podium places just behind. El Diablo’s lead was up to nearly nine seconds and the win – barring any mistakes or reliability issues – was surely his. Viñales was clambering all over the back of the number 46, but Rossi was a demon on the brakes and it was really looking like Viñales just wouldn’t be able to find a way through. Then though, after not having put a wheel wrong the whole race, Rossi was slightly wide at Turn 9 – and Top Gun pounced. Viñales was up to second and was able to immediately get some bike lengths on the veteran Italian, although the Doctor couldn’t relax with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) just eight tenths down the road…

    At the front though it was all about one man. Quartararo made no mistakes in the brutal conditions to take his second consecutive victory, cementing his lead in the Championship over second place Viñales. The Spaniard salvaged 20 points which could be crucial in the long run, but he had no answer for his 2021 teammate in Jerez. Rossi’s return to the rostrum was more than welcomed for the 41-year-old, the number 46 putting in a mesmerising ride to notch up his 199th MotoGP™ podium, and his 235th across all classes.

    Nakagami’s P4 was the Japanese rider’s best ride in the premier class as he finished just 6.113 off the win and half a second from the podium, putting the Japanese rider 4th in the Championship heading to Brno. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) banished the demons from the Spanish GP to finish 5th seven days later too – his equal-best in MotoGP™. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), meanwhile, recovered from a P14 starting slot to take sixth in Jerez after a third place finish last weekend, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in P7 the only KTM to finish in a tough day for the Austrian factory with Oliveira, Binder and Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech3) all crashing out.

    Just 1.8 seconds behind Pol Espargaro was Repsol Honda Team’s Alex Marquez, the reigning Moto2™ World Champion producing an impressive ride in just his second MotoGP™ race, in the toughest of conditions, to take the chequered flag in P8. The lone Repsol Honda managed to beat Johann Zarco (Hublot Reale Avintia) as the Frenchman took P9, with the remarkable Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) defying the odds to complete the race and take 10th. An unbelievable and super-human effort from the Spaniard after suffering a dislocation-fracture to his shoulder eight days ago. Tito Rabat (Hublot Reale Avintia), Smith and the second injured rider on the grid, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), were the final finishers – a sterling effort from the latter to complete the laps.

    Binder once again showed his cracking pace after dropping back in the Turn 1 incident, but the South African rookie then sadly crashed out unhurt at Turn 13. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also crashed – riders ok.

    50 from 50: Quartararo has had a perfect couple of weekends in Jerez and will head to Brno as the points leader, with Viñales taking home two second places – far from a disaster – and looking to build on a successful weekend. Also expected in Czechia is the return of reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to the MotoGP™ arena… and we can’t wait for more.

    MotoGP Podium: 1 Fabio Quartararo – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – 41:22.666
    2 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +4.495
    2 Valentino Rossi – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +5.546

    Fabio Quartararo: “Oh my god! That one was tough. Actually we normally start with a new tyre on the grid, and today we decided with Yamaha to make the warm up lap three laps to see if the tyre was ok, everything… I’m so happy we had amazing pace from the beginning to make the gap, so fast, I was so happy because I made my pace. It was really tough, when I got to two seconds, to make it four was so difficult. An amazing feeling! What can I say? Just thanks to my team, they did an amazing job, worked a lot during the races, and to my family at home… for sure they’re starting to get drunk already now to celebrate! But honestly, this feels so good to win back-to-back here in Jerez.”

  • Quartararo claims back-to-back pole

    Quartararo claims back-to-back pole

    Last-minute drama, amazing pace from Independent Teams and some big reveals for race day characterise Saturday at Jerez

    Jerez, 25 July 2020: Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) has claimed back-to-back pole positions at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto thanks to a 1:37.007 at the Gran Premio Red Bull de Andalucia, beating Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) to the honour as the number 12 had his fastest effort cancelled for exceeding track limits. The last-minute slice of drama makes it three poles in a row at the venue for Quartararo after his rookie heroics in last year’s Spanish GP, and his fourth pole in a row stretching back to Sepang 2019. Completing the top three was an impressive performance from Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing), with the Italian taking his first premier class front row start and doing it as top Ducati to boot.

    The session was set up for a duel from the off, and that’s what we got. Quartararo was hitting first and ultimately it all came down to Viñales: the gauntlet was thrown, a 1:37.007, but could the Spaniard hit back? The answer appeared to be yes and it was advantage Viñales, but not long after he crossed the line, the drama hit and the lap suddenly disappeared off the timing screens. Where he had seemed a tenth clear, the Spaniard was pushed down to second and the replay showed why: track limits. A small infraction but a clear one, the pole was handed to ‘El Diablo’.

    Behind that, Bagnaia’s impressive pace from last weekend has only been increasing and the Italian made another step forward with a landmark first premier class front row, and less than a tenth off Viñales. He was also a nice little chunk of time clear of mentor of sorts Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), with the ‘Doctor’ bumped down to head the second row.

    That second row is nevertheless a big leap forward for the nine-time World Champion after a tougher time out in the Spanish GP at times, and he beat a stunning performance from Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) to keep the Portuguese rider in fifth by only a couple of thousandths. It’s Oliveira’s best, however, and he’s top KTM after a slightly tougher Saturday afternoon for the Austria factory than promised. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completes the second row.

    Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) will be looking for revenge against his less experienced teammate Bagnaia from P7, and the Australian having only narrowly missed out on a podium last week so he’ll want a good launch off the line with, which his machinery may help. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) had another impressive session to join Miller on Row 3, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) locking that out in P9. The South African didn’t quite replicate his searing Friday, but he seems one to watch once the lights go out, with serious speed. He has also won from the back at Jerez in Moto3™ – a stat that becomes even more impressive considering no one has ever won from pole in the class…

    Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) leads the Suzuki charge in tenth, with Hamamatsu factory teammate Alex Rins on the superhuman comeback from injury and starting 20th after managing a few more laps on Saturday. 11th went the way of Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), with P12 filled by Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) after a heartbreakingly-timed crash in Q2. Rider ok, and ready to light it up again on Sunday as KTM’s pace continues to impress.

    Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) put in a mammoth effort to go from surgery on a broken scaphoid only a few days ago to almost getting through from Q1, and he’ll start P13, ahead of a difficult day at the office for Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), who’ll be looking to launch forward. Johann Zarco (Hublot Reale Avintia Racing) starts P15.

    That’s it from another scorching Saturday in Jerez, tune in for more action on Sunday with MotoE™ at 10:05 (GMT +2), Moto3™ next, Moto2™ after that… and then another stunning MotoGP™ battle at 14:00.

    MotoGP front row:

    1 Fabio Quartararo – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – 1:37.007
    2 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.095
    3 Francesco Bagnaia – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.169