Your basket is currently empty!
Author: David Bodapati
-
FIA F2 races to begin in July; Indian ace Jehan Daruvala, raring to go
Paris, 2 June 2020: Top Indian racer Jehan Daruvala, who was signed by Red Bull team in February for their Junior Programme is raring to go as the FIA F2 season begins in July with the first race to be held at Austria.
Following Formula 1’s announcement of their opening eight races of the revised 2020 calendar, FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 are pleased to confirm that their 2020 season will also start on July 03-05 at the Red Bull Ring and will continue alongside F1 in the succeeding seven rounds.
The Indian prodigy, billed as the next-best bet for an Indian in F1, saw Red Bull Racing Formula One Team sign him up which means, Jehan will race for Carlin team, alongside fellow Red Bull Junior Yuki Tsunoda, in his maiden F2 season.
The Red Bull Junior program has been instrumental in producing some of the world’s best F1 racers over the years including, four-time World F1 Champion – Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, Alex Albon, and many others. The selection into the Red Bull program is a huge recognition for the young Indian who has consistently performed well at the top of every series he has participated in, culminating in a fantastic season last year where he finished 3rd in the FIA F3 championship. Importantly, in the last ten years, all Red Bull Racing F1 & AlphaTauri F1 (earlier Torro Rosso) racers have come from the Red Bull Junior Program.
Both the F2 and F3 championships were planned to start their 2020 campaign at Sakhir, Bahrain on 20-22 March, but was put on hold due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Since then, F2 and F3 have monitored the situation alongside Formula 1 who has been working closely with promoters, authorities in Europe and the FIA to put in place a revised calendar that allows a return to racing in a safe way for the visited communities and the paddocks.
We currently expect the events will take place without fans, with the hope to have them included in future rounds later this year. The opening calendar will include holding two consecutive events at the same circuit one week apart (Spielberg and Silverstone) as well as a number of back to back events.
As stated by F1 in their announcement, the health and safety of all involved will continue to be priority number one. A robust and detailed plan with strict procedures put in place by Formula 1 and the FIA to ensure the events have the highest level of safety will also apply to the F2 and F3 community and paddock.
The rest of the 2020 F2 and F3 calendar will be revealed at a later date.
F2 and F3 CEO Bruno Michel: “First of all, I would like to thank Formula 1TM and the FIA for making this revised opening calendar possible in such difficult circumstances. I am very pleased to confirm that F2 and F3 will be able to race alongside F1 in the first eight events.
“It is unfortunate that currently we don’t expect fan attendance in these opening events, but we are however glad that we are able to bring them the entertainment of our racing in the safest way possible.
“We will also follow the very detailed safety plan put in place by Formula 1 and the FIA as our priority is to make sure no risks are taken.
“Our 2020 season will continue beyond Monza. We will announce the second part of our calendar as soon as possible.”
S.No. Revised* 2020 F2 & F3 Dates Venue 1 03-05 July Spielberg, Austria 2 10-12 July Spielberg, Austria 3 17-19 July Budapest, Hungary 4 31 July – 02 August Silverstone, Great Britain 5 07-09 August Silverstone, Great Britain 6 14-16 August Barcelona, Spain 7 28-30 August Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium 8 04-06 September Monza, Italy *FIA Approved Calendar
File photo: Jehan Daruvala with the trophy for third place in an F3 Race 1 in Sept. 2019. Photo by -
Formula 1 to return with 8 ‘closed’ races
Paris, 2 June 2020: Formula 1 on Tuesday has announced the opening eight races of the 2020 calendar following the postponement of the 2020 FIA Formula 1 World Championship due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The calendar has been approved by the FIA. The Formula 2 & 3 opening race calendar has also been published alongside with full details available on the Formula 2 and Formula 3 websites.
Over the past two months Formula 1 has been working closely with all partners, authorities, the FIA and the ten teams to create a revised calendar that will allow a return to racing in a way that is safe for the communities we visit and the entire Formula 1 community. We have now completed the agreements with our promoters, and are able to publish the opening 2020 schedule that will begin in Austria on 3-5 July.
Due to the ongoing fluidity of the COVID-19 situation internationally, we will be finalising the details of the wider calendar and hope to publish that in the coming weeks with an expectation of having a total of 15-18 races before we complete our season in December.
As stated previously we currently expect the opening races to be closed events but hope fans will be able to join our events again when it is safe to do so. The opening calendar will include holding two consecutive events at the same circuit one week apart as well as a number of back to back events.
The health and safety of all involved will continue to be priority number one, with Formula 1 and the FIA having a robust and detailed plan to ensure our races maintain the highest level of safety with strict procedures in place.
The revised opening 2020 calendar is as follows:
S.No. Dates 2020 Grand Prix Name Venue 1 July 3-5 Rolex Grosser Preis Von Osterreich (Spielberg, Austria) 2 July 10-12 Pirelli Grosser Preis Der Steiermark (Spielberg, Austria) 3 July 17-19 Aramco Magyar Nagydij (Budapest, Hungary) 4 July 31 – Aug 2 Pirelli British Grand Prix Silverstone, UK 5 August 7-9 Emirates F1 70TH Anniversary GP Silverstone, UK 6 August 14-16 Aramco Gran Premio de Espana Barcelona, Spain 7 August 28-30 Rolex Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium 8 September 4-6 Gran Premio Heineken D’Italia Monza, Italy Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO of Formula 1, said: “In the past weeks we have been working tirelessly with all our partners, the FIA and the teams to create a revised opening 2020 calendar allowing us to restart racing in the safest possible way.
“We are pleased to be able to set out our opening eight race calendar today and look forward to publishing our full calendar in the coming weeks. I want to thank every promoter and partner for their support and ongoing commitment to Formula 1.
“While we currently expect the season to commence without fans at our races we hope that over the coming months the situation will allow us to welcome them back once it is safe to do, but we know the return of Formula 1 will be a welcome boost to sports fans around the world.”
File photo of Ferrari launch of SF1000 at Villa theatre in Feb 2020. A Scuderia Ferrari image -
Lorenzo takes virtual wildcard win at Silverstone
The five-time World Champion fights off Rabat for victory on his virtual return to MotoGP
Silverstone (virtual race), 31 May 2020: Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo is a virtual MotoGP™ race winner! The five-time Champion wildcard got the better of Reale Avintia Racing’s Tito Rabat in the closing stages of Sunday’s Michelin® Virtual British Grand Prix, making the most of his only wildcard appearance in 2020 by taking pole position and the win. Despite another fairly dramatic encounter in the virtual world, Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completed the podium behind Rabat.
As ever in virtual races, the opening lap wasn’t short of drama with the first incident coming when LCR Honda Idemitsu ‘s Takaaki Nakagami wiped out Lorenzo through Turns 2 and 3, leaving Quartararo with the holeshot. He was quickly dropped to second when Nakagami slipped through, however, with the group powering down the Hangar Straight for the first time.
Quartararo was keen to make up for his earlier mistake, and possibly in the end he proved too keen. Lorenzo headed into the gravel trap to put a dint in his progress and the Frenchman followed when the front end of his Yamaha folded. Quartararo’s crash elevated Pramac Racing’s Francesco Bagnaia to second place, but it wasn’t long until the Italian also tucked the front; a surprising mistake from the Red Bull Ring victor and consistent performer in virtual races…
Lorenzo fights off Rabat to win the virtual GP. A MotoGP image. As we completed the opening lap, Nakagami led Rabat and Ducati Team’s Michelle Pirro in an slightly unlikely opening trio given track records – but Quartararo was starting to make some progress back through the field after his first lap crash. He had another setback when crashing after contact with Rabat, however, and by four laps completed Lorenzo was starting to find his feet, squeezing past Pirro and up into third.
Nakagami hit half race distance without making a single mistake, but that was soon to change as the Japanese rider’s hopes of a debut MotoGP™ win evaporated in a crash at The Loop – handing the lead to Rabat, much to the Spaniard’s excitement. But five-time World Champion Lorenzo was on a charge, up to second and with his eyes firmly set on the race lead.
Slowly but surely, the lead came down. Ultimately it took the Yamaha rider two laps to close in on the rear wheel of Rabat’s Ducati, and a further lap to properly dispatch him. Then, Lorenzo began to break clear and by the time he reached the flag, came across the line two seconds ahead to clinch his first virtual victory in MotoGP™.
Quartararo clinched the final place on the virtual podium after diving past Nakagami on the last lap to take a debut virtual podium and finally overcome his bad luck and trouble with crashes, leaving early leader Nakagami in fourth. Pirro completed the top five, ahead of Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori and a disappointed Bagnaia in seventh after an adventurous event. Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir was the final finisher, his race starting to go wrong at Turn 1 on Lap 1 and the Suzuki rider not able to pull it back.
Jorge Lorenzo: “Like some Roman Emperor said, ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’! So I arrived, I took the pole position and I won. But I have to say that Fabio today was much faster than me but to win the race you have to finish. We did it, even if I crashed at the second corner. I was consistent, I was quite fast. I overheated the rear tyre a little bit so It wasn’t easy to catch Tito but finally I overtook him and won the race. It was a lot of fun and I’m very happy.
“During these days I have tried all of the tyre options and I went with the hard rear. I was clear with the soft front, it didn’t overheat, but the medium rear overheated a little and was tough to manage; it was on the limit. So the hard option for the final laps was better and I was lucky Fabio crashed as many times as he did, otherwise, it would’ve been hard to beat him.” -
2020 WorldSBK season situation features positive prospects
Progress is being made in order to have the World Superbike Championship restart under safe conditions this season
Paris, 29 May 2020: The 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is working hard on resuming racing action for the remainder of the season, amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Championship started in fine style at Phillip Island and now, Dorna WSBK Organization would like to issue an update on the plans to get racing back underway, with the initial racing plan taking place in the month of August once permission is approved.
The Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto should welcome the restart of the season on the 31st July – 2nd August, before going to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal a week later on the 7th – 9th August. The season should then follow our current provisional schedule, at the MotorLand Aragon venue on 28th – 30th. The health of everybody is at the forefront of decision making and these rounds within the Iberian Peninsula are planned to be held behind closed doors, in-line with social distancing measures and medical guidelines set by the Spanish and Portuguese governments. Nevertheless, the situation is evolving, and we will adapt our protocols to the situation of the time.
Furthermore, updates have been made to the following events: the British and Dutch Rounds held at Donington Park and TT Circuit Assen respectively, have been postponed. The Dutch round itself has already been rescheduled once, from the 17th – 19th of April to the 21st – 23rd of August. However, new plans are underway with the best interests in mind, given the current restrictions in place that affect major sporting events within both the UK and the Netherlands. Further updates for the end season calendar will be communicated soon in order to further clarify the calendar situation.
The FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization is evaluating the different scenarios and adapting to each situation in each of the countries we should visit on a day-by-day basis. Our gratitude once again goes to all parties involved within the WorldSBK fraternity for their continued support. However, whichever decision is reached will have the health and safety at the forefront and that is something simply uncompromisable during these challenging times.
Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director, Sporting and Organization Departments, said: “We are very positive about the future, as all the signs are pointing in a good direction to start in Jerez. We are looking at all possible scenarios for all three classes to race, although we continue to work hard on finding the optimum scenario for all parties. A lot will depend on the measures that various governments will implement. As for Donington Park and Assen, we are working with the circuits and governments to establish the best possible outcome for all, with the intention to hold those rounds towards the end of the 2020 season.”File photo by WorldSBK. A grid start in the pre-corona days! Any further updates will be communicated accordingly.
-
British and Australian Grands Prix cancelled
Paris, 29 May 2020: The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports regret to announce the cancellation of the British and Australian Grands Prix. The ongoing coronavirus outbreak and resulting calendar changes have obliged the cancellation of both events.
The British Grand Prix was set to take place from the 28th to the 30th of August at the classic Silverstone Circuit. Silverstone hosted the first Grands Prix held on the British mainland from 1977, and MotoGP™ returned to the illustrious track ten years ago. 2020 will now sadly mark the first year MotoGP™ sees no track action in the British Isles for the first time in the Championship’s more than 70-year history.
The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix was set to take place at the legendary Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from the 23rd to the 25th of October. Phillip Island hosted the very first Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix in 1989 and since 1997 has been the only home of MotoGP™ Down Under – with its unique layout providing some of the greatest battles ever witnessed on two wheels.
File photo of Marc Marquez at Jerez test. A MotoGP image The cancellation of the British Grand Prix also obliges the cancellation of the corresponding British Talent Cup track activity at the same event.
Stuart Pringle, Silverstone Managing Director: “We are extremely disappointed about the cancellation of the British MotoGP event, not least as the cancelled race in 2018 is still such a recent memory, but we support the decision that has had to be taken at this exceptional time.
“I want to thank the stoic British fans for their patience and support. We must now look forward to 2021 when Silverstone will once again host the fastest and most historic MotoGP race on the calendar and work hard to make it a truly exceptional event for all to enjoy.”
Paul Little AO, Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman: “We’re very disappointed that MotoGP fans throughout Victoria, Australia and internationally won’t get the chance to make the pilgrimage to see the world’s best riders compete on one of the best circuits anywhere in the world, but the right decision has been made.
“The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix puts Phillip Island on the global stage and it’ll be back better than ever in 2021.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We’re saddened to have to announce the cancellation of these iconic events after finding no way through the logistical and operational issues resulting from the pandemic and rearranged calendar. Silverstone and Phillip Island are always two of the most thrilling race weekends of the season, with both tracks never failing in their promise to deliver some of the closest racing in our Championship.
“On behalf of Dorna, I would like to once again extend my thanks to the fans for their understanding and patience as we wait for the situation to improve. We look forward to returning to Silverstone and Phillip Island next year for more incredible battles.”
-
NK Racing Academy Signs up India’s Fastest Gamer
Chennai, 22 May 2020: In an important move in Indian motorsports, NK Racing Academy and Ultimate E have partnered on Friday to find out the Fastest Gamer in India, in the days of COVID as almost all the drivers and riders are restricted to their homes due to lockdown.
NK Racing Academy, founded in 2006 and operated by Narain Karthikeyan, India’s first Formula 1 driver, bounces back in 2020 to help the next set of young talent in India. Aditya Patel, one of India’s foremost racing drivers, who spent his formative years with NK Racing Academy has won his National championship under the academy. The academy has taken a different view this time, identifying India’s `Fastest Gamer’ and has decided to take him under its wings.
Ultimate E is an eSports organisation that focuses on gaming events as well as promoting and managing gaming talent. Co-founded by Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim, Ultimate E brings together Pros and Amateur gamers from around the country to compete in various disciplines at various levels.
Aditya Patel, co-founder of UltimateE: A file photo. NK Racing Academy aims at developing motorsports talent within the country. With Narain Karthikeyan providing hands-on training, the drivers can expect nothing but the best. The academy helps drivers in various aspects of motorsports varying from driving techniques, mental and physical fitness and media training. Drivers who excel in the academy will have the chance of gaining scholarships from the academy for their future racing endeavours.
This collaboration with Ultimate E will provide the best eSports racing driver a chance to make a
career in motorsports. “We are extremely happy and positive about this collaboration with ultimate E. It aims at expanding horizons in Indian motorsport and promoting young talent. eRacing has become more relevant now with the Covid19 situation.
“In the first edition of this collaboration, Amith Kutti, who has excelled in multiple eSports leagues and has easily come on top as the fastest gamer in India, is signed up by the Academy. Amith will be testing for NK Racing Academy in the Karting programme, in the near future, once the lockdown is lifted. Then the Academy will evaluate his capabilities, train him and ultimately push him to a race seat in the Rotax Max National Championship.” said Narain Karthikeyan, Founder of NK Racing Academy.
“We are happy to be collaborating with one of the best training grounds in India, the NK Racing Academy and with Narain’s guidance we feel this is the best opportunity for the all-round development of the eSports drivers. As a product of the academy myself, I know Amith is in a great place to give his career a boost,” said Aditya Patel, co-founder of Ultimate E.
“I’m really happy to be guided by Narain Karthikeyan. It’s an honour and a huge opportunity to be guided by him and moving from the virtual world to real-world racing, I’m really excited and I hope to impress him with my skills,” said Amith Kutty.
-
Chennai’s Amith Kutti wins Indian Sim Racing League 3
Abdul Malik and Sai Prithvi finish runners up
Mumbai, 19 May 2020: Chennai’s Amith Kutti was crowned champion in the Mumbai Falcons Indian Sim Racing League that concluded, after a thrilling finale, on Sunday. The Indian SIM Racing League (ISRL) has been growing in leaps and bounds. Its wide success has seen Mumbai Falcons step up to sponsor the ISRL, while Volkswagen Motorsport continues their association, taking the ISRL to newer heights.
Amidst a close competition, the speedy Kutti amassed 377 points, winning six out of the ten races over five rounds to pip Thrissur’s Abdul Malik (345 points; one win and four podiums) and another Chennai lad Sai Prithvi (341 points; six podium finishes) to the title.
Start of the MUmbai Falcons ISRL .The Season 3 winners received cash prizes from Mumbai Falcons, with the champion getting Rs 15,000, the first runner-up Rs 10,000 and the second runner-up Rs 5,000. In addition, the title winner Kutti also earned a fully paid testing and training session for a day from Volkswagen Motorsport India, who have been part of the ISRL from the first edition. Second-placed Malik won a training session with Rayo Racing while Prithvi, third, got a race entry from IndiKarting.
Top racers from across the country took part in the competition, with Kutti dominating the first 2 rounds and winning all 4 races; UK based Muhammad Ibrahim snatched pole and won Race 1 of Round 3. Round 4 was dominated by the lads from Thrissur; and saw Abdul Malik earn his maiden victory in Race 1 while Abdul Fattah won Race 2.
Entering the final round, 3 racers were in a close fight for the title. Kutti had a narrow lead and secured his position by winning Race 1 after Malik had a relatively poor race by his standards. Former International racer and India’s representative to the Volkswagen Scirocco Cup in Europe, Oshan Kothadiya, currently based in the Netherlands, won his final race of the season.
Ameet Gadhoke owner of Mumbai Falcons commented “We at Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited are proud to associate with the Indian Sim Racing Challenge. There was a lot of great racing by the competitors which shows the potential and talent available in our great nation. During these trying times of the Covid-19 pandemic, SIM racing has offered an alternate platform for racing aspirants to continue to hone their talents.”
Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, said “I am glad that ISRL is making racing fun and exciting for the young racers. It is great to see the enthusiasm and traction for Mumbai Falcon ISRL in its third season. Basis the continuous development of the ISRL platform, I believe, it is offering a near realistic experience to the racers on the way we run our national racing championships in India. I look forward to meeting these young champions and train them in one of our Polo Cup cars in the near future. Till then, I urge you all to stay safe, stay at home and keep honing your racing skills on your SIMS.”
“Season 3 has been a big step up. We are grateful to Mumbai Falcons showing faith in our progress and would also like to thank Volkswagen Motorsport for their continued support,” Rayomand Banajee, of IR eSports, organisers of the ISRL, said.
Season 4 dates and format will be announced shortly, with the new schedule promising to increase the duration of the season.
-
FMSCI announces stimulus package for Indian motorsports
Chennai, 19 May 2020: The Indian Motorsports Federation, FMSCI, has announced a slew of concessions to clubs and sportsperson to promote the sport during these tough times due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, which has disrupted the sporting activities worldwide including motorsports.
The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the National Sports Federation, responsible for the governance and promotion of motorsports in India, has announced this package for the year 2020 to stimulate the Indian motorsports activity on Tuesday.
To give impetus and to encourage the resumption of grass root motorsports activities as well as National Championships, the FMSCI Council has announced a spate of initiatives as under:
· Free renewal of National level Competition Licences applied for in 2020 for the year 2021, if these licence holders do not take part in any event in 2020.
· 100% waiver of the Permit Fees for organisers of all status of events, if no sponsor/s associated with the event. 50% of permit fees will be charged otherwise.
· 100% waiver of the Naming Rights fees for events, if no sponsor/s associated with the event. 50% naming rights fees will be charged otherwise.
· One year extension for the existing Promoters of various National Championship events irrespective of whether the National Championship is conducted in 2020 or not
· Local Stewards will be appointed to ease the burden of travel and hospitality costs for the organizers.
The FMSCI sincerely hopes that with these initiatives, the motorsports in India will resume as soon as the lock down is lifted for sports activities.
The Government has already announced that stadiums can be opened but with no spectators, though a clarity is needed if sports can be conducted without spectators or not.
-
Carlos Sainz to race for Scuderia Ferrari in 2021 and 2022
Maranello, 14 May 2020 : Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow is pleased to announce that Carlos Sainz will drive for the team in the 2021 and 2022 seasons of the Formula 1 World Championship.
Mattia Binotto, Managing Director Gestione Sportiva and Team Principal, said: “I’m pleased to announce that Carlos will join Scuderia Ferrari as from the 2021 championship. With five seasons already behind him, Carlos has proved to be very talented and has shown that he has the technical ability and the right attributes to make him an ideal fit with our family.
“We’ve embarked on a new cycle with the aim of getting back to the top in Formula 1. It will be a long journey, not without its difficulties, especially given the current financial and regulatory situation, which is undergoing a sudden change and will require this challenge to be tackled in a different way to the recent past.We believe that a driver pairing with the talent and personality of Charles and Carlos, the youngest in the past fifty years of the Scuderia, will be the best possible combination to help us reach the goals we have set ourselves.”
Charles Leclerc (in pic) will have the company of
Carlos Sainz from 2021. A file photo by
Scuderia Ferrari Press OfficeCarlos Sainz said: “I am very happy that I will be driving for Scuderia Ferrari in 2021 and I’m excited about my future with the team.
I still have an important year ahead with McLaren Racing and I’m really looking forward to going racing again with them this season.”Born in Madrid on 1st September 1994, Carlos already has plenty of Formula 1 experience, having taken part in 102 World Championship Grands Prix, over five seasons. In 2019, he finished sixth in the Drivers’ Championship, his best ever result, in a year when he also made it to a podium position for the first time, finishing third in Brazil.
-
Daniel Ricciardo for McLaren from 2021; Sainz moves to Ferrari
Woking (England), 14 May 2020: McLaren Racing announced today that it has signed Daniel Ricciardo to a multi-year agreement to race for the team in the Formula One World Championship from 2021.
Meanwhile, at Maranello, Scuderia Ferrari has announced that Carlos Sainz will join the team in 2021 following the decision to let go of Sebastian Vettel after this season.
Ricciardo, 30, from Perth, Australia, will join Britain’s Lando Norris, 20, who will start his third season at McLaren in 2021. Carlos Sainz will leave the team at the end of the 2020 season after two years with McLaren.
Daniel Ricciardo image by McLaren Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, commented:
“Signing Daniel is another step forward in our long-term plan and will bring an exciting new dimension to the team, alongside Lando. This is good news for our team, partners and of course our fans.
“I also want to pay tribute to Carlos for the excellent job he has been doing for McLaren in helping our performance recovery plan. He is a real team player and we wish him well for his future beyond McLaren.”
Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren F1, commented:
“Daniel is a proven race-winner and his experience, commitment and energy will be a valuable addition to McLaren and our mission to return to the front of the field. With Daniel and Lando as teammates, I believe we have two racers who will continue to excite our fans and help the team grow.
“Carlos is a true professional, a pleasure to work with and we will continue to enjoy going racing with him this year. We all wish him good luck for the next stage in his career when he leaves McLaren.”
