INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Ducati presents Mission Winnow Team 2019: MotoGP

    Ducati presents Mission Winnow Team 2019: MotoGP

    From Left: Andrea Dovizioso, Claudio Domenicali, Luigi Dall’Igna, Danilo Petrucci. on Jan 18. A Ducati image

    Neuchâtel (Switzerland), 18 Jan 2019: The Mission Winnow Ducati team, which will compete in the 2019 MotoGP World Championship, was presented today at the iconic Cube, Philip Morris International’s Research and Development centre in the lakeside Swiss town. Riders Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci unveiled the brand-new Desmosedici GP19 machine – in its captivating red livery – in front of an audience of international media, guests, sponsors and partners. Everything is now ready for an exciting new season, with the first of 19 races scheduled for March 10 in Qatar. In two weeks’ time, Dovizioso and Petrucci will resume testing action with the Desmosedici GP19 at Sepang (Malaysia).

    Miroslaw Zielinski, PMI President Science and Innovation, welcomed the audience: “Mission Winnow is about driving change by constantly searching for better ways of doing things. Ducati is one of the most inspiring and resilient brands in MotoGP, with a 70-year history in racing. The team’s determination to do better every race, to think unconventionally and to continuously push the boundaries of technology perfectly exemplify Mission Winnow.”

    Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Motor Holding CEO, added: “Racing has always been part of Ducati’s DNA. The solutions and expertise gathered on track represent an asset that is directly tied to our product line, and the MotoGP project is crucial for us to produce models that are more performing, exciting and safe to ride for all our passionate fans. Looking back at the results achieved in 2018 on track, we can be proud because our Desmosedici GP proved to be one of the most competitive bikes, but we cannot settle and we want to make another, decisive step forward. I believe our know-how and the spirit that characterizes the people of Ducati Corse are an extra value compared with our rivals. I want to take this occasion to thank all the partners that are supporting us in this new challenge in MotoGP – including Audi Sport, which starting from this season will be main sponsor – and to send my best wishes to the whole Mission Winnow Ducati team for an unforgettable season.”

    Luigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager: “2018 was another important season for us in MotoGP, one that saw us grow and improve again – both from a technical and a sporting point of view – for the fourth consecutive season. We were very competitive even on tracks that have traditionally been more difficult for us, and we achieved more victories and podiums overall compared with 2017. However, our direct competitors have also improved. We must do better and improve more than what we have done in recent years, bringing new ideas and evolutions to cover all the possible areas. With Andrea and Danilo, we’re confident we have the right team to optimize the resources for the development of the bike. Our goals must be ambitious, as always, and we want to bring the MotoGP title back to Borgo Panigale.”

    Andrea Dovizioso (#04, Mission Winnow Ducati): “2018 was a very positive year for me. We started with a victory and, even if we had some ups and downs, the difficulties pushed us to look in new directions and half-way through the season we made a big step forward. I’m very happy with the work done with the team, we fought for the win basically throughout the second half of the championship and I think we’ll make more improvements in the next tests to begin the season in the best possible way. The expectations are high, I have a great feeling with both the bike and my crew, and we can count on more experience. I’m happy to have Danilo alongside me in the garage, we know each other well and I believe we can fight on track but also work together to develop the package.”

    Danilo Petrucci (#9, Mission Winnow Ducati): “Last season was very important for me, my best ever in terms of points scored. Even if I barely missed my goal to finish first among independent riders, I still finished 2018 on an undoubtedly positive note. Racing with the factory colours makes me really proud and I can’t wait to get started: I have a great feeling with my new crew, and the technical level is higher than ever. As for me, I know where I can still improve and I changed my conditioning program to make sure I’ll be in my best shape ever come the first race. I’m very happy to pair with Andrea: not only is he a phenomenal rider, but also a wonderful person. We’ve known each other for a long time, and we started to train together with one goal: to both have a really strong season.”

    The Mission Winnow Ducati team will soon leave for Malaysia where, on February 6-9 at Sepang, the first collective pre-season tests will unfold.

  • The feeling of finishing Dakar is yet to sink in: Aravind KP

    The feeling of finishing Dakar is yet to sink in: Aravind KP

    A proud Aravind with Indian flag as his team celebrates. A TVS Racing image

    Bengaluru 18 Jan 2019: Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team’s Aravind KP has successfully completed the 2019 edition of Dakar making him the only Indian to finish the gruesome rally at 37th position. This is KP’s third appearance at Dakar and this successful attempt to finish the rally has brought glory to the team and the country. This edition of Dakar has been touted as one of the toughest in the history of the rally and only 55% of the bikes completed the gruesome rally this year. The 11-day rally saw riders battle with fesh fesh, sand dunes, beach and rocks with complex navigation at every stage.

    After a steady start in the early stages, Aravind KP picked up his pace in the second half of the rally and climbed up the rankings. Despite a few crashes during the intermediate stages, he fought hard and got to the finish line. KP faced a tricky situation in the penultimate stage of Dakar, when his bike broke down in the sand dunes. He sought help from some spectators and reached the finish line defying all odds.

    Commenting on his achievement, Aravind KP says, “The feeling of finishing Dakar is yet to sink in fully as I have been dreaming and waiting for this moment for 3 years now. It’s difficult to express my feelings at the moment but I am overjoyed to be at the finish line. With multiple injuries in the run up to Dakar, I always knew I had to push myself beyond the comfort zone to finish the rally. The route this year was extremely challenging but I was ready to fight it out and finish one stage at a time. I would like to thank my team especially my mechanic Prakasham for ensuring my motorcycle was in the best shape at the beginning of every stage. I am also grateful to my mentors at TVS Racing & Sherco for believing in my dream and supporting me all along. Dreams do come true if you truly believe in them. I hope my achievement inspires young Indian riders to chase their Dakar dreams and work hard to put India on the world motorsport map.“

    KP’s teammates – Michael Metge and Adrien Metge finished the rally at the 25th and 22nd positions respectively. Michael had a good start at the rally but had a setback on the second day due to fuel outage. He picked up pace in the next stages and broke into top 15 in the third stage. His grit became intense with each passing stage and he won the ninth stage against all lead riders. Adrien Metge strived hard and picked up pace in the first two stages but an unfortunate fall in third stage left him with a sore wrist. His bike fell in the seventh stage and the navigation system got damaged but he continued his journey to finish the rally. Lorenzo Santolino, rookie at Dakar was the fastest rider of the team this year and broke into top 10 in the third stage. Unfortunately, he had to exit the rally in the sixth stage due to a heavy crash.

    Selvaraj, Team Manager, TVS Racing said, “I would like to congratulate all the racers and the team for their outstanding performance at the rally this year. With each passing day at the rally, the level of difficulty shot up manifold and so did our determination. Aravind KP is a talented rider and has a razor sharp focus on his goal and that’s precisely the reason why we chose him to represent us at Dakar. At TVS Racing, we spend a lot of time with the racers to identify their potential and strive to give them every opportunity to prove their mettle. We believe success doesn’t come to anyone overnight, it is an ongoing journey and one might have to overcome many obstacles before achieving glory. It is a red letter day in the history of TVS Racing and we are honoured to be a part of this success story.”

     

  • Toby Price wins second Dakar; Nasser Al-Attiyah bags his third in car section

    Toby Price wins second Dakar; Nasser Al-Attiyah bags his third in car section

    Toby Price (Aus), left, of KTM Factory Team winner of Dakar 2019 Moto class  with Matthias Walkner (Aut); at the finish line after the Stage 10 from Pisco to Lima on January 17 – Photo Florent Gooden

    Lima, 17 Jan 2019: Toby Price of Red Bull KTM Factory team won his second Dakar on Thursday. Has won the last stage of the Dakar 2019 and wins the world’s biggest rally-raid for the second time, following his triumph in 2016. It was a performance of genuine class from the KTM rider who left everyone in his wake in Lima, beating José Cornejo by 2’21 to crown 10 extremely difficult days for the Australian who rode throughout the race with an injury to his scaphoid bone, which occurred several weeks before the Dakar.

    Peru welcomed the 41st edition of the Dakar that finished today in Lima after 10 punishing stages, the outcome of which was victory for a heroic Toby Price in the bike race, Nasser Al-Attiyah with his third title in the car category thanks to his exemplary strategic poise, Nicolás Cavigliassounprecedentedly dominating the quad category, Francisco “Chaleco” López succeeding in his comeback and conversion after six years of absence with a win in the SxS race and Eduard Nikolaev picking up his fourth title in the truck race.

    Beyond the winners, 179 riders, drivers and crews (75 bikes, 15 quads, 76 cars, 20 SxS and 13 trucks) reached Lima to enjoy a podium ceremony at the end of the day on Magdalena beach, where it all started.

    Bikes: What a fine story was told thanks to the monstrous determination and bravery shown by Toby Price. Taking part in his fifth Dakar with a wrist that was still sore after fracturing his scaphoid bone several weeks before the start, the Australian grinned and bore it, focusing on consistency rather than the verve that his rivals showed, as they picked up stage victories. Gritting his teeth day after day to stay in contact with the best, the winner in 2016 finally took the lead in the general standings the day before the finish and offered spectators a genuine recital with a stage victory in Lima. This allows him to write a second Dakar rally on his role of honour and an 18th in a row for his employer KTM. Indeed, for the Austrian firm, this was an especially satisfying triumph with its three official riders on the podium in Peru. Matthias Walkner, the title holder, took second place, while Sam Sunderland, the winner in 2017, rounded off a podium that again sees Honda absent. Yet, Joan Barreda had offered high hopes to HRC with a superb start to the rally before coming undone, while Ricky Brabec was surprisingly comfortable for 8 stages… until the engine on his Honda broke. It was a cruel disappointment for the American one year after having suffered the same fate, similar to the misfortune that rained down on Adrien Van Beveren, whose Yamaha also gave in on him so near to the finish. In the end, it was Pablo Quintanilla who resisted the KTM clan for the longest amount of time, before his hopes collapsed due to a fall on the last stage of this uncompromising Dakar…

    AL-ATTIYAH Nasser (qat) and BAUMEL Matthieu (fra) Toyota Gazoo Racing (Group T1; Class 1; Auto) arrive at the finish line after Stage 10 January 17 – Photo Florent Gooden / DPPI

    Cars: One single duo managed to avoid all the pitfalls, find the balance between performance and driving safely and grasp all the subtleties of the navigation to which they were subjected. It was the crew made up of Nasser Al-Attiyah behind the wheel and MathieuBaumel as co-pilot. On completion of the ten stages, three of which he won, the Qatari driver also won the Dakar for the third time, thanks to a carefully crafted scenario and a superb understanding of strategy. One by one, the “Prince of the desert” distanced his direct rivals, striking a big blow on his adversaries on the Super Ica stage (stage 8), where he took care to start a considerable distance behind his rivals. Always in control, the boss of the race observed his pursuers do battle in the dunes, whether it wasStéphane Peterhansel, Sébastien Loeb or Nani Roma, before setting the historical record straight in Lima. Toyota, the constructor which has most probably entered the largest number of vehicles in the history of the Dakar, won the car category for the first time to reward the efforts of Team Overdrive, which had previously been prevented from reaching the top step on the podium by the Peugeots or the Minis, firstly with Giniel de Villiers or also last year with Al-Attiyah. As for the X-Raid team, in the end, the 4×4 Mini achieved the firm’s best results, with Nani Roma in 2nd position and Jakub Przygonski again stepping up a notch in the hierarchy by climbing to 4th place. The challenge to win for Sébastien Loeb genuinely seemed possible in light of the gaps that he was capable of opening up when everything was running smoothly. However, navigational mistakes and mechanical problems put paid to his hopes for victory. He finished the rally with four extra stage wins on his roll of honour and another place on the final podium (3rd).

     Side by Side: A battle well and truly took place in the Side by Side category, which swelled threefold in number in 2019 (with 30 crews at the start), thanks to the arrival of prestigious competitors, such as former biker Francisco López, who had previously failed to conquer the title on two wheels (3rd in 2010 and in 2013) but did not let the chance slip through his fingers for his first participation in the SxS category. After a discrete start to the rally, “Chaleco” put on an imperial display ahead of title holder Reinaldo Varela and former biker GerardFarrés (3rd in 2017), while Sergey Karyakin, Casey Currie or Ignacio Casale had already lost a lot of ground. The most successful comeback kid on the Dakar 2019, with three stage victories to add to his already impressive roll of honour (11 specials on a bike),“Chaleco” nailed Chile’s colours even further on to the mast of the rally, with a triumph that follows on from countryman IgnacioCasale’s two successes in the quad race (in 2014 and 2018).

    Quads: The race was soon dominated by Argentinean Nicolás Gavigliasso. It would be euphemistic to say that the rider from Córdoba sailed through this edition of the Dakar because he quite simply won nine out of ten stages on the 2019 edition, an unprecedented feat in the history of the most famous rally-raid, for all of the categories put together. What’s more, at the age of 27 years old, the Yamaha rider was only taking part in his second Dakar this year. “It wasn’t easy,” declared Nico at the finish to the last stage. “I worked hard before this Dakar. It’s only my second Dakar, but I kept pushing, I wanted to finish in front. Now I’m number one in the quad race and I’m so, so happy”. Jeremías González Ferioli, second in the general standings 1 hour 55 minutes behind the winner, was Cavigliasso’s sole rival who managed to win a special, on the third stage. Taking part in his fourth Dakar, the young 23-year old rider from Córdoba was not able to put his countryman under pressure. Behind the two Argentineans, Frenchman Alexandre Giroudfinished on the third step of the podium.

  • Sherco TVS team’s Aravind KP conquers Dakar, becomes only Indian to finish Dakar 2019

    Sherco TVS team’s Aravind KP conquers Dakar, becomes only Indian to finish Dakar 2019

    Lima, 17 Jan 2019: Aravind KP had done it. The Indian conquered the Dakar 2019! “The will to win, the desire to succeed! The urge to reach your full potential, these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal EXCELLENCE,” the powerful words of Chinese Social reformer Confucius come to mind, at this historic moment for India and for TVS Racing, as Aravind became the only Indian to finish the Dakar Rally this year.

    In a short period of cross-country rallying, the Indian giant, who had been promoting two-wheeler racing in India for decades, partnered with the French outfit and took part as Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team in Dakar Rally 2019 and Aravind KP became the second Indian to complete Dakar Rally. CS Santosh, who bowed out in Stage 5 this year, is the first Indian to complete Dakar in 2015.

    On Thursday, Aravind Prabhakar, as listed in the Dakar timings, rode his number 48 bike across the finish line of Stage 10, the last stage to reach another milestone in his life, perhaps the biggest, completing Dakar in his third attempt. In the first year in 2017, he had a wrist injury and failed to finish the second time too in 2018.

    Aravind did consistently, as he was keen not to allow any obstacle to stop him this year, and in the second half, he stepped up the game and negotiated the tough terrain with admirable regularity to steadily progress to the front, hitting the top-50 before reaching the top-40. After finishing the 359-km Stage 10 in 1hr, 48:16 to be placed in 42nd position. Finishing in 37th position overall, the TVS rider took 49 hours, 48 minutes and 43 seconds for the 10 stages of Dakar, all held in the single country, Peru this year.

    Joaquim Rodriques of Hero MotoSports Team Rally finished stage 10 in 12th position, closely followed by Adrien Metge of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team in 13th, while Hero’s Oriol Mena was 17th and Adrien’s brother Michael struggled but managed to finish last as 75 of the 78 bikes completed the Moto section of the last stage of Dakar. Michael Metge was the hero for India team yesterday as he won the penultimate Stage 9 with brilliant riding.

    Overall, Hero MotoSports Oriol Mena had a top-10 finishe with 9th position while his teammate Joaquim Rodriques finished 17th. Younger of the Metge brothers Adrien finished three places ahead of Michael in 22nd position. And Aravind KP did a creditable job managing at top-40 place in 37th overall. All the results are provisional.

    “I was overjoyed. I was overwhelmed. It was the shortest stage, but it was the longest for me because I was hoping to get to the finish line and have been counting every kilometre. I came in with a lot of setbacks but I put in a lot of hardwork and with a positive attitude, I turned everything around me.

  • Geetha Wadhwa starts favourite in 2nd edition of Divas on Wheels all-woman rally

    Geetha Wadhwa starts favourite in 2nd edition of Divas on Wheels all-woman rally

    he second edition of Divas on Wheels was flagged off from Fairfield by Marriot in Bengaluru on Thursday. A Motorsports Inc image

    Bengaluru, 17 Jan 2019: Defending champion Geetha Wadhwa will look to reclaim her crown in the popular Divas on Wheels all-woman car rally over the next two days. 

     
    The ceremonial start of the rally, an FMSCI approved event, took place here on Thursday, with as many as 100 ladies lining up for glory. They will be flagged off from Bengaluru on Friday morning and will traverse through the beautiful landscapes of Chikmagalur and Coorg on January 18 and 19. 
     
    After the success of the inaugural year, the all-women championship has only grown bigger and better with the 100 participants enthusiastically preparing for this exciting but demanding rally. 
     
    The Time, Speed, Distance (TSD) Rally will cover a total distance of around 750 km. Day One will see participants drive from Bengaluru to Chikmagalur, covering 350 km. After a night’s halt, the women drivers will then travel from Chikmagalur to the finishing point at Coorg Pollibetta over a distance of 300 km. 
     
    Shivani Pruthvi, who won the last edition of Times Women’s Drive, Ashima Duggal and Amrita Shergill (runners-up at the Times Women’s Drive) are the other notable names in the field, besides holder Geetha. 
     
    Participants will showcase their skills and acumen in the TSD format, which is a slow speed rally and relies a lot on navigation. Calculations are made purely in terms of time and the routes are not disclosed to the drivers. The team with the least number of penalties is declared the winner.
     
    The ceremonial flag-off took place at Fairfield by Marriott Rajajinagar at 4.30 pm.
  • Big day for Sherco TVS Factory team as Michael Metge wins Stage9; Aravind 39th overall

    Big day for Sherco TVS Factory team as Michael Metge wins Stage9; Aravind 39th overall

    Michael Metge with the Sherco TVS Factory team after winning Stage 9 on January 16. A TVS Racing image

    Pisco, 16 Jan 2019: The lone Indian left in the Dakar Rally 2019, Aravind KP of Sherco TVS Racing Factory Team successfully completed the penultimate stage on Wednesday and is all set to complete the Dakar with only one day left.

    Arvind (Prabhakar) did a wonderful job in all the sections except in wp4, WayPoint4, where he lost time, to gain positions in the 409-km Stage 9. He crossed the finish line gaining valuable positions in a time of 6hr, 25 minutes and 22 seconds. The Indian was 55th in the stage for an overall 39th position with only one stage to go to complete Dakar 2019.

    Aravind KP negotiates the Stage 9 dunes. A TVS Racing image

    However, his Sherco TVS Rally Factory teammate Michael Metge is the real hero of the day winning the stage in 3:46:38. It was quite a memorable day for the TVS Team as their top rider Michael Metge won the penultimate stage of Dakar 2019. Michael dominated the stage today ahead of all the top 10 riders as he pushed himself right from the start. The team dedicates this stage win to teammate Lorenzo Santolino, who had to retire due to a crash in Stage 6. Michael’s overall ranking is now at 22nd and he intends to finish Dakar with another dominating performance. The stage saw a mass start in waves of 10 like the first marathon stage. The riders had to ride through another loop in Pisco, full of tricky sand dunes, the ones that had resulted in many key riders to quit the rally in Stage 2.

    The loop around Pisco explored the Ica desert from an entirely new perspective. It started with an 80 km dune sector, followed by a series of coastal dunes separated by the Subida de los Burrosascent and, to cap it all, another sequence of dunes with three fearsome massifs in the final 100 kilometres —more than enough to throw sand in the gears of the top riders and drivers, as Adrien van Beveren, Stéphane Peterhansel and Sébastien Loeb came to know.

    Stage nine of the rally saw another motocross style mass-start with riders setting off in waves of 10, determined by their finishing positions from the previous day’s stage. Heading into the dunes for the 313-kilometre timed special, the first group of riders stuck together for the majority of the stage.

    Aravind’s teammate and Michael’s younger brother Adrien Metge was more cautious in his approach due to physical strain and he finished at 20th position. He is right behind Michael in the overall rankings at 23rd. India’s Aravind KP got off to a blazing start taking the lead for the first 190 kilometres. KP faced bike issues in the middle of the stage but thanks to some help, he was able to complete the stage. His overall ranking stays at 39th position.

    Commenting on the stage win, Michael Metge says, “It’s an unbelievable feeling to win a stage at Dakar. The stage was challenging as there was lots of dunes and fesh-fesh. I started in the second line at the wave start and I pushed all the way through the stage. Soon I caught up with the first riders and I went past the leader quite quickly. Full credit to the team mechanics for preparing my bike, which has been performing beautifully in the sand dunes. I dedicate this win to my wife and 2 children, who are my pillars of support.”

    Aravind KP says, “It was a mixed day for me but that’s what Dakar is about. I started really well taking the lead in the mass start. But things changed halfway, when my bike had some issues. These were tense moments as I wanted to complete the stage at any cost. Thank god for the local help who assisted me in restarting the bike and finish the stage. This is the spirit of Dakar and I am lucky to have experienced it.”

    The team will ride back from Pisco to Lima in Stage 10, which will be a 358 kilometres journey.

    Provisional Results Stage Nine – 2019 Dakar Rally

    1. Michael Metge (FRA), Sherco, 3:46:38
    2. Daniel Nosiglia (BOL), Honda, 3:48:38 +2:00
    3. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Husqvarna, 3:50:06 +3:28

  • Strong entry list for 2019 FIA Junior World Rally Championship

    The FIA Junior WRC Championship has attracted another strong entry and 13 all-new EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta R2s will line up for the start of the season at next month’s Rally Sweden.

    The exciting 2019 line-up sees drivers representing 10 countries across three continents, and the competition is expected to be stronger than ever as they do battle for one of the biggest prizes in motorsport – ownership of a brand-new Ford Fiesta R5 expected to launch this summer and 200 competition tyres from Pirelli.

    A number of familiar faces are back and more determined than ever – not least Sweden’s Dennis Rådström who was last year’s runner-up with two victories to his name.

    Estonia’s Ken Torn proved he has the speed to win and will be looking for more of the same, as will Germany’s Julius Tannert who puts his experience to good use in pursuit of a return to the top-step of the podium.

    Italy’s Enrico Oldrati and the UK’s Tom Williams are keen to show their progress over the past 12 months, and Romania’s Raul Badiu is returning for a full season having enjoyed his taster at last year’s Rally Turkey.

    The 2018 FIA European Under 27 Junior Champion and Vice Champion are stepping up to the world stage – Latvia’s Mārtiņš Sesks and Sweden’s Tom Kristensson both signed up for the year.

    Jan Solans – younger brother of 2017 Champion Nil Solans – is confirmed having secured six wins out of six on his way to the Junior R2 Championship title in Spain.

    Estonia’s Roland Poom joins the ranks having finished second only to Torn in last year’s Estonian Junior Championship, and Nico Knacker makes his WRC debut after competiting in his native Germany.

    Two competitors from outside Europe are also signed up – Fabrizzio Zaldivar from Paraguay and Sean Johnston from the United States. Zaldivar will be making his debut outside South America next month, whereas Johnston started his career in Europe last year.

    The championship is still taking entries for the following rounds in Corsica, Italy, Finland and Wales and all those interested are encouraged to contact Michał Moździerz (mmozdzierz@m-sport.co.uk).

    FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager, Maciej Woda, said:

    “It’s fantastic to see such a strong entry for this year’s FIA Junior WRC Championship and I can’t wait to see what this year’s crop of talented young drivers are capable of. 

    “With 13 crews from 10 different countries and three different continents, the championship has retained its global appeal and we have more national and European champions within our ranks than ever before!

    “I’m extremely proud of the all-new EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta R2 that we launched at the end of last year, and I’m thrilled to have 13 of these fantastic new cars lined up on the start line in Sweden. 

    “These young guys are going to have a lot of fun behind the wheel of this car, and the prize is bigger than ever – ownership of one of the very first Ford Fiesta R5s which is due to launch in the summer as well as a generous tyre package from Pirelli.

    “We’re in for another thrilling season and I can’t wait for the action to get underway. I expect the competition to be more competitive and more exciting than ever, and there’s still time for further drivers to get involved so I’d encourage any interested parties to get in touch without delay!”

    FIA Junior WRC Championship entries:

    Raul Badiu (ROU)
    Sean Johnston (USA)
    Nico Knacker (GER)
    Tom Kristensson (SWE)
    Enrico Oldrati (ITA)
    Roland Poom (EST)
    Dennis Rådström (SWE)
    Mārtiņš Sesks (LAT)
    Jan Solans (ESP)
    Julius Tannert (GER)
    Ken Torn (EST)
    Tom Williams (GBR)
    Fabrizzio Zaldivar (PAR)

  • TVS Racing’s Aravind KP 39th after 575-km Stage 8: Lone Indian left in Dakar Rally 2019

    TVS Racing’s Aravind KP 39th after 575-km Stage 8: Lone Indian left in Dakar Rally 2019

    WALKNER Matthias (Aut); KTM Factory Team during the Dakar 2019 Stage 8. Photo Florent Gooden / DPPI

    Pisco, 15 Jan 2019: In what has been a very successful day for the Sherco TVS Rally Factory team, all the three remaining riders finished another demanding stage with the lone Indian rider Aravind KP improving his overall position with a creditable 39th position overcoming the 575-km section from San Juan de Marcona to Pisco with a cool head and challenging navigation in the Moto section of the Dakar Rally 2019 on Tuesday. Aravind continues to impress with his consistency and finished the stage without any hiccups. He battled with low visibility initially but was able to ride smoothly post the refuelling point into the dunes.

    He clocked 5 hours, 30 minutes and 10 seconds and is in 39th position after Stage 8 as Dakar Rally comes to the closing stages with only two stages remaining. The other two Sherco TVS riders, the Metge brothers, had one more successful day finishing in 11th and 16th places.

     

    Aravind KP (Stage 7) of Sherco TVS team. Image courtesy Twitter @TVS_Racing

    While elder brother Michael timed 4:13.36 for his 11th Adrien clocked 4:27.52 for 16th as they finished the tough 575 km stage dubbed as `Super Ica’. At 360 kilometres, the timed special was the longest of the event and took competitors over fast, open pistes for the first half, before once again challenging them with the mountainous sand dunes of the Ica desert. In the overall standings, Michael is 24th and Adrien is 26th.

    Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team conquered Stage 8 with a strong performance by all riders despite multiple challenges. The team had to find their way through dense fog at the start point wherein the visibility dropped to as low as 5 metres. This was just the beginning of an eventful day for the team as after the fog, they had to battle against the dust left behind by the cars and trucks. The cars and trucks had opened the race ahead of the bikes in Stage 8. This was the longest special stage of 360 km in this edition of Dakar.

    Michael Metge was at his best despite difficult weather conditions and finished the stage in the 10th position. Michael picked up his pace once he hit the sand dunes and his overall ranking is now at 24th. Adrien finished Stage 8 in 14th position despite a minor wrist injury. His strong show has taken him to the 26th position (overall).

    Aravind KP says, “The low visibility at the start was a concern for me and I didn’t take any chances. I really enjoyed my ride once I hit the dunes and managed to improve my rankings. It was a very long stage and I am happy to have completed it.”

    The team will ride through a loop in Pisco in the next stage, which is also the penultimate stage for Dakar 2019.

    Oriol Mena and Joacquim Rodriques of Hero MotoSports Team Rally finished in 12th and 13th positions respectively after Stage 8. Mena took 4hrs 20.03 while Rodriques came home in 4:21.49. Indian rider CS Santosh crashed out in Stage 6 and made his exit from Dakar Rally 2019 leaving Aravind of TVS Racing the lone Indian in the field. In the overall standings, Mena is 11th while Rodriques is 18th.

    Matthias Walkner of KTM Factory Racing has claimed his second stage win of the 2019 Dakar Rally. Pablo Quintanilla of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team was second with third fastest going to Toby Price, also of KTM,who now sits at the top of the provisional overall standings with two stages left to contest.

    On the return journey to Pisco, the riders and drivers were served up a cocktail of sand for 360 km, before they get the chance to savour a flavoursome Pisco Sour! The day started with fesh-fesh and was followed by an intermittence of beaches for almost 80 kilometres. Before encountering the genuine chains of dunes to be crossed to reach the finishing line of the special, care had to be taken to avoid stalling in the formidable “subida de los burros”. The dunes of Ica, already partially visited during stage two, were more comprehensively explored, with the aim of submitting the participants to the most demanding of ascensions and descents, for example at the 300-kilometre mark on the special. To finish the route, a final portion of off-track racing required maximum awareness from the co-pilots.

    Provisional results after Stage 8:

    1. Mathias Walkner, KTM Factory Racing, 3 hours, 55 minutes, 25 seconds;
    2. Pablo Quintanilla, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory, 3:56:10;
    3. Toby Price, KTM Factory Racing, 3:56:38; 11.Michael Metge, Sherco TVS Rally Factory team, 4:13:36;

    12.Oriol Mena, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, 4:20:03;

    1. Joaquim Rodriques, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, 4:21:49;16. Adrien Metge, Sherco TVS Rally Factory team, 4:27:52;

    39.Aravind Prabhakar, Sherco TVS Rally Factory team, 5:30:10.

     

  • Aravind KP completes Stage 7 with 47th overall: Dakar Rally

    Aravind KP completes Stage 7 with 47th overall: Dakar Rally

    Aravind KP image courtesy @TVS_Racing twitter handle

    San Juan de Marcona, 15 Jan 2019: Visitors to San Juan de Marcona are usually looking for the best plan to discover the Nazca Lines. Stage 7 of the Dakar was completely different, with an assortment of difficulties to fray the nerves of all types of competitors. To add to this, the lone Indian survivor Aravind KP, had navigational issues. But he managed to overcome all the hurdles and accelerated his progress to the top-50 with a brilliant run as the fast men were in their element in the fast off-road sectors of the first 100 kilometres, only to suffer in the fesh-fesh and on the rough tracks on a plateau halfway through the stage.

    For the next 50 kilometres, the focus of Aravind, the Sherco TVS Rally Facotory team rider, switched to the dune surfers, with the Duna Grande and Duna Argentina sectors, later to transition to faster stretches near the end of the stage… all while dodging the navigational pitfalls in the vicinity of San Juan. He did a tremendous job to stay on course even as his teammates, the Metge brothers had a top-15 finish.

    Aravind, once again was in his elements and he put in a steady effort to end the day 46th. The Indian is now in 47th in the main standings after the 387 km of Stage 7. He was 46th in the Stage Classification.

  • Arvind KP rides brilliantly to finish Stage 6: Dakar Rally

    Arvind KP rides brilliantly to finish Stage 6: Dakar Rally

    Lorenzo Santolino is airlifted for treatment. A Dakar Rally image

    San Juan de Marcona, 14 Jan 2019: After a long wait of about 20 minutes, at 2.20am (IST) Arvind Prabhakar’s time was up on the Dakar site after the previous rider finished the WayPoint 7 and it was only a matter of time that Aravind KP finished the tough and challenging Stage 6 838 km with an impressive time. The Sherco TVS Rally Factory team rider was doing extremely well before losing time in the fag end. Nevertheless, he finished overall 48th, his bike number after a brilliant 44th in the stage classification.

    Meanwhile, his teammate, the top-flying rookie rider Lorenzo Santolino bowed out of the Dakar 2019, 33km into the stage as he was air-lifted for medical attention. The Sherco-TVS rider was one of the breakout stars of the Dakar so far, with his best-ever finish to the day coming just two days prior on Stage 5. He had to be airlifted to Lima where further assessment of his injuries will take place.

    The team had a day to forget with just a glimmer of hope coming from KP Aravind who rode extremely well to finish the day 44th, climbing up quite a few spots in the overall rankings. He is currently 48th and should aim to climb a few more spots. Michael was the better of the two Metge brothers finishing the day in 31st. That did bump him down a number of positions in the overall standings, to 36th in fact, but not as much as his brother Adrien who had a miserable day at the office. Adrien ended the day at 77th spot, which has seen him plummet down the overall standings to 33rd.

    Hero MotoSports had no casualties to report but their standings too were slightly hampered in the overall stage progression. Since Lorenzo’s crash, Oriol Mena has taken over as the top rider from an Indian team. He was 20th over the course of the day which has seen him slide down a spot in the overall rankings, to 13th. The day started off strongly for his teammate Joaquim Rodrigues but he stopped to help Oriol out as the latter ran his fuel tank dry. He had to rebuild the aux tank and thus finished the day in 30th. He is 25th in the overall tally now. Hero hopes both its riders will challenge for better results in the days to come.