INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Martins Sesks-Renars Francis of Team MRF Tyres win: Rally Poland

    Martins Sesks-Renars Francis of Team MRF Tyres win: Rally Poland

    Orlen (Poland), 22 May 2023: Mārtiṇš Sesks charged to his second victory in the FIA European Rally Championship after he fended off and then pulled clear of title leader Hayden Paddon to win ORLEN 79th Rally Poland on Sunday (May 21).

    MRF release:

    Team MRF Tyres took a dominant victory in the third round of the FIA European Rally Championship with Martins Sesks and Renars Francis putting on a master class in the ORLEN Rally of Poland.

    The Latvian duo started the day with a lead of 8.2 seconds and proved untouchable throughout the day. They took a further four stage wins and pulled their lead out to almost 40 seconds in their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 to take their first win of the season and the second of their career. Over the rally, Sesks and Francis averaged 115km/h on the fast and narrow roads that demanded grip and confidence.

    Martins Sesks, winner, Team MRF Tyres, said “The Team MRF Tyres car was unbelievable this weekend. The MRF Tyres were just fantastic through the rally and gave me the confidence to push through! I am thrilled to take my second win in the FIA ERC and I would like to thank the team and everyone back in India for making this happen. Rally Poland was something special and I am looking forward to getting back to Latvia for the next round.”

    The tyres had to contend with rocks being drawn onto the line, and the MRF Tyres stood the test of toughness that was demanded throughout the rally.

    In total, there were six MRF Tyre cars that won points in this rally.

    Efren Llarena, Denis Radstrom, Pontus Tidemand and Simone Campedelli were the other point scorers for team MRF Tyres. Team MRF Tyres continues to lead the Team Championship, while Sesks moves to second in the Driver’s Championship.

    As it happened

    The FIA ERC now moves to Rally Liepaja in Latvia for another fast gravel rally, one where Team MRF Tyres and Martins Sesks reigned supreme in 2022.

    With Renars Francis co-driving his Team MRF Tyres-entered Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, Sesks completed Saturday’s opening leg 8.2s ahead of Paddon.

    Although Sesks initially appeared to be on the defensive when his BRC Racing Team rival won Sunday’s opening test to narrow the gap to 7.4s, it wasn’t long before the 23-year-old Latvian sprinted clear to win ahead of Paddon by 39.6s.

    “It feels really special, doing it at home is one story in front of a home crowd, but doing it here in Poland is completely different, it shows the car, the team, the tyres, we’re all ready to fight,” said Sesks, who moves into second position in the provisional standings, 37 points behind early pacesetter Paddon. “It feels so good to be driving for such a good team with such a good car. It’s a pleasure and to be able to perform at such a high level it’s really good. Everyone wants to make a statement but in our minds we want to keep our heads down and just do our work.”

    Paddon’s high-paced endeavour on SS9 came at a cost as he completed the stage with a damaged front-right tyre, which would have a major bearing on the outcome of the victory fight. With only one spare Pirelli on board his Hyundai i20 N Rally2, Paddon had to make a tough decision.

    “We either kept pushing like we were doing but then you risk another puncture and you retire,” he said. “When you’re thinking about the championship and the points on offer it’s about playing the smart game and that’s the decision we had to make.”

    After setting a succession of top three stage times, Michelin-equipped Miko Marczyk completed the podium on his home round of the ERC having won the event last year.

    “I am very happy because probably our pace was better than last year when we won the rally,” said the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver. “If someone told me before the race I would finish between Hayden Paddon and Mads Østberg I would say for sure it’s perfect. The best guy won the rally.”

    Josh McErlean (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) started Sunday’s action 1.5sec ahead of Mads Østberg in the battle for fourth, only for a high-speed spin 1.6km from the start of SS13 to drop him to seventh, poor reward following a strong performance from the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver. Østberg won the Power Stage on his way to finishing fourth in his MRF Tyres Dealer Team Citroën C3 Rally2.

    Overnight set-up changes designed to stop Mikko Heikkilä having to “fight with the car” transformed the Finnish champion’s prospects as he moved up from eighth at the start of the day to fifth in the overall ranking aboard his Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo.  

    Mathieu Franceschi completed the top six after his cautious approach to Sunday afternoon’s stages paid dividends for the young French driver, who marked his 24th birthday by scoring his first Power Stage points in fourth in another Michelin-shod Fabia Rally2 Evo.

    Simone Tempestini followed McErlean home in eighth, while Erik Cais finished in a confidence-boosting ninth followed by European champion Efrén Llarena.

    Filip Mareš scored ERC points for the second event running in 11th having lost more than 40s rolling on Saturday morning. Dennis Rådström finished 12th on his first ERC event aboard a Rally2 car with his GN Motorsport team-mate Pontus Tidemand placing 13th after a spin and reverse on SS14. Grzegorz Grzyb was next up in 14th closely followed by Simone Campedelli who hit back from going off into a field on SS14. British champion Osian Pryce placed 16th on his ERC debut.

    Andrea Mabellini was eighth when he went off the road into haybales on SS13 and rolled. He eventually regained the road but retired shortly afterwards. The Italian had never driven on high-speed gravel stages in a Rally2 car making his late exit tough to take.

    Jon Armstrong won the FIA ERC3 category in a Ford Fiesta Rally3 with Ola Nore taking spot in FIA ERC4 driving a Renault Clio Rally4. The Norwegian also won the FIA Junior ERC category, which attracted an impressive 16-car entry for the opening round of the championship’s 10th season and the first with Hankook as the official tyre supplier.

    The ERC’s three-event tour of high-speed gravel events continues next month when Tet Rally Liepāja hosts the fourth round of the ERC season from June 16-18.

  • Injured Jaden Pariat returns with rich experience: British F4

    Injured Jaden Pariat returns with rich experience: British F4

    Snetterton (Norfolk, England), 22 May 2023: It was a disappointing end to a well-prepared week-end but Indian racing talent Jaden Pariat is high in spirits as he says, “there is much to learn and I have enjoyed the week-end despite not being able to get a result. It is racing and these things happen and it is disappointing but a rich experience,” he said philosophically, talking to INDIAinF1 from the venue, on Sunday.

    Jaden Pariat headed to Snetterton in Norfolk at the weekend beginning May 19 for rounds seven, eight, and nine of the F4 British Championship that concluded on May 21, Sunday, but left without any official race results.
     
    After a tight and fiercely-contested qualifying session on Saturday, the youngster from Northeast India was just one second off pole position around the three-mile circuit – the second longest on this season’s calendar.
     
    The opening race began later that afternoon, but after just one lap Jaden was involved in an incident which damaged his car and put him into retirement. However, with a red flag then being shown the race was restarted a little later before again being red flagged for another incident. With damage to the barriers and time running out to complete the contest, the race was voided and instead will be added to the weekend at Donington Park in August.
     
    Unfortunately for Jaden, he hurt his wrist during his contact and, though he was cleared at hospital, he wasn’t allowed to take part in Sunday’s races, meaning he recorded no official results across the weekend.
     
    The teenager will return to the F4 British Championship with Phynsis by Argenti in two weeks’ time, over the weekend of June 3/4, at the UK’s fastest circuit, Thruxton in Hampshire.

    Jaden Pariat

    Jaden Pariat before the injury at Snetterton

    “Saturday was unfortunate. The contact hurt my wrist which will stop me from doing any driving for a while. The race was going well and I was quite happy with the moves that I had made, it was just unfortunate to have had contact.

    “I feel better and although the decision was maybe not we wanted, in the long term at least we’re sure we’ll be fit to race well. We will miss a few days of testing which will put me on the back foot, as during the season we don’t get many test days, so they are important.

    “I’m happy that I got to supprt the team from the outside and happy for the team’s results this weekend. We would have had a chance for the podium in the last race, but I’m looking forward to putting in lots of hard work so we can get back in the car as soon as possible and push at Thruxton!”

  • TVS’ Rajendra sets fastest time; wins Round 1: 2w Rally

    TVS’ Rajendra sets fastest time; wins Round 1: 2w Rally

    Madikeri, 22 May 2023: Defending champion Rajendra RE of Petronas TVS Racing began his title defence clocking the best time as he won the premier class in the MRF Rally of Coorg, the first round of the National Rally Championship for two-wheelers 2023 here on Sunday.

    The first round of the two-wheeler National Rally Championship was organised by Ace Events and promoted by Godspeed Racing. While MRF sponsored the event, many of the riders were individually supported by Vamsi Merla Sports Foundation.

    In the Ladies class, young Tanika Shanbagh of Satara (Hero MotoSports) dominated the proceedings all through and won the class with ease and also beat the times of fancied Aishwarya Pissay, the reigning champion, in three of the six special stages. Tanika also finished a creditable overall 30th, among 94 finishers, just two spots behind 2019 World Baja champion Pissay. The six-time national champion, Pissay, moved to the top class contending on equal footing with the male bikers on a TVS Apache RTR 450.

    Nataraj of Bengaluru won the Superbike Expert class while Stephen Roy of Kodagu beat Ajin Abraham of Kottayam to clinch the Supersport 165cc Group B class.

    Imran Pasha (Supersport 260cc Group B) and Syed Asif Ali (Scooters) won two more titles for Petronas TVS Racing team while Tanika kept the Hero MotoSports flag flying winning the Ladies class victory.

    Shivamogga’s Darpan Darshan became Star of Karnataka winning the local class while Stephen Roy,  Russel Jossey, Arun Jossey M and Nitish Bharadwaj won the other classes.

    Provisional Results:

    Class 1: Superbike Pro-Expert Group A: 1. Rajendra RE (Petronas TVS Racing) (1hour, 5min, 13.356sec); 2. Samuel Jacob (TVS) (1:05.40.361); 3. Abdul Waheed Tanveer (TVS) (1:06:06.253).

    Class 2 Superbike Expert Group A: 1. Nataraj (Bengaluru) (1:09:33.070); 2. Dhritimaan Singh (Dehradun) (1:12:23.307); 3. Sinan Francis (Ernakulam) (1:13:47.472).

    Class 10 Star of Karnataka: 1. Darpan Darshan (Shivamogga) (1:22:56.020); 2. Yamanurappa Hugar (Kachohalli) (1:24:13.725 including 1min 51sec penalty); 3. Kiran Kumar S (Mysore) (1:24:33.249).

    Class 3 Supersport 165cc Group B: 1. Stephen Roy (Kodagu) (1:13:21.324); 2. Ajin Abraham (Kottayam) (1:13:41.419); 3. Akhil Joy (Ernakulam) (1:16:11.147).

    Classs 4: Supersport 260 Group B: 1. Imran Pasha (Petronas TVS Racing) (1:06:34.949); 2. T Arun (Hero Motosports)  (1:06:58.310); 3. Karan Kumar (Hero Motosports) – 01:08:57.733)

    Class 5: Supersport 400 Grouop B: 1. Russel Jossey (Mumbai) (1:16:54.803); 2. Rohit Shinde (Baramathi) (1:21:41.088); 3. Akhand Pratap Singh (Uttarakhand) (1:22:35.504).

    Class 6: Supersport 550 Group B: 1. Arun Joy M (Eranakulam) (1:18:23.852); 2. Jeemon Anthony (Kochi) (1:19:12.449); 3. Sharath Kumar (Bengaluru) (1:20:27.756);

    Class 7: Scooters up to 210cc Group B: 1. Syed Asif Ali (TVS) – 01:19:26.866; 2. N Karthik Naidu (TVS)  (1:21:19.864); 3. Pinkesh Thakkar (JB Racing) (1:21:48.845).

    Class 8: Women’s Class Group B: 1. Tanika Shanbhag (Hero MotoSports) (1:19:04.992); 2. Tanaya Singh (Hero MotoSports) (1:25:20.163); 3. Fazeela U (Palakkad) (1:32:18.855).

    Class 9: Super Stock up to 450cc Group D: 1. Nitish Bharadwaj (Kulu) (1:14:29.829); 2. Shailesh Kumar (Erode) (1:14:37.088); 3. R Sabarish (Coimbatore) (1:15:44.466).

    Last edited on 30May2023

  • Marco Bezzecchi of VR46 wins historic 1000th GP at packed Le Mans

    Marco Bezzecchi of VR46 wins historic 1000th GP at packed Le Mans

    Bezzecchi bounces back, Bagnaia clashes with Viñales, Marquez slides out and there’s a home hero on the podium as Le Mans served up a day packed with headlines

    Le Mans, 14 May 2023: Take a minute to catch your breath after what was an incredible SHARK Grand Prix de France! Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) takes a special place in history as the race winner at the 1000th FIM Grand Prix after a stunning break for glory in front of a record crowd at Le Mans, and there was drama, drama, drama throughout the field.

    First, Bezzecchi is now just one point behind Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) after the Italian crashed out of the race in a dramatic clash with Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales… gravel trap shouting match included, but both riders ok. Then, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) vs Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) lit up the fight for second in a tough but fair tussle, but that then ended in late race heartbreak for the number 93 as he slid out. However, for the French fans it did mean Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) was then promoted to a glorious home podium after some impressive Sunday pace, giving the 278,805 record crowd even more to cheer about.

    The grid formed in front of the biggest crowd MotoGP™ has ever seen and it was Marc Marquez who shot into the lead as Bagnaia dropped down the order to P5. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) slotted himself into P2 with Bezzecchi putting his VR46 Ducati into P3. Bagnaia then quickly snapped back at Martin as the Ducati riders duked it out on lap 1.

    It was Marquez, Miller, Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Bagnaia, and then Martin as they came across the line for the first time, and we had a race on our hands in MotoGP™. Miller wasn’t intimated by the eight-time World Champion by any means as the Aussie tried to force his way through on Marquez, but the Spaniard wouldn’t give in and hit straight back in true Marquez fashion.

    Miller hit the front at the Dunlop chicane, meanwhile, the reigning World Champion was on the move as Bagnaia had now climbed his way back up into a podium position with 25 laps remaining.

    The laps ticked away as a seven-bike battle for victory formed with Viñales carving his way into the 3rd place, the Aprilia seriously on the move. But then came the drama: the Spaniard collided with Bagnaia as both riders competed for the same piece of tarmac, both careening off into the gravel. Riders ok and to their feet… and then a fair few yells exchanged.

    Half a lap later, there was more drama in the Le Mans gravel traps as Marini suffered a big crash coming out of the Dunlop chicane, just cutting the kerb. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) then got caught in the Italian’s crash as the field behind avoided the incident, riders again ok but another huge moment of adrenaline shaking the race up.

    As the chaos subsided, we had a race on our hands. A four-rider battle for victory had formed as Miller now found himself with Marquez, Bezzecchi, and Martin for company, before Bezzecchi pushed his way through on Marc Marquez – and dropped the Spaniard from 2nd to 4th. The number 93 was sent into another postcode although no harm done, with both regrouping and Bezzecchi then told to drop a position for the move: a penalty he expected, and a penalty he also served wisely as he chose his moment to let Martin back through. And then took it back, with Marquez following suit too.

    Bezzecchi now had an open goal to make huge gains in the title fight as Bagnaia sat in the garage, and the VR46 rider took the lead from Miller as they barrelled into the Dunlop chicane once again. Marquez quickly followed him through half a lap later too, with Bezzecchi already stretching out half a second at the front.

    With 15 laps to go, Bezzecchi had 1.2s in his pocket to Marquez behind, who was 0.5s up the road from Martin, who had found his way through on Miller. The Aussie was starting to fall into the clutches of Zarco and Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3). It didn’t take long for Zarco to push his way through either as the Frenchman moved up into P4 and Fernandez followed, leaving Miller in sixth.

    With six to go, Martin thought it was time to pounce on Marc Marquez. The Spaniard tried to push his way through on the eight-time World Champion, but the Repsol Honda man was not giving in easy and bit back at the Prima Pramac Racing rider at every opportunity. That allowed Zarco to edge closer and closer… and the crowd had definitely noticed.

    Martin finally pushed his way through with one and a half laps remaining, and this time the drama was for the number 93. Trying to hang in there, the returning Repsol Honda rider tucked the front and ended his French Grand Prix in the gravel trap, but after quite a return to the upper echelons of the timesheets.

    That meant one thing to a partisan crown: Zarco was on the podium. The grandstands erupted around the French circuit as Bezzecchi crossed the line for a first dry weather win, Martin ensured he’s the top scorer at Le Mans this year, and then the home hero reached the flag. The noise made for an impressive welcome.

    Fourth place was also something to shout about as Tech3’s Fernandez took an impressive result after an impressive weekend. First time in Q2, the GASGAS rider had had the speed all weekend and made it pay to perfection on Sunday to bounce back.

    Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) rounded out the top five as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) recovered from being battered down the order on the first lap to fight his way back through the pack, take a long penalty for a shortcut, and still manage to take sixth.

    Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) had a tougher home Grand Prix but took a chunk of points on Sunday as the 2021 World Champion ended his weekend in Le Mans with a P7, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia), and Franco Morbidelli taking 8th, 9th, and 10th – just ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Lenovo Team) on his MotoGP™ return deputising for the injured Enea Bastianini.

    Early race leader Miller crashed out with three laps remaining after the Aussie had been dropping down the order on his KTM machine, making it a weekend to forget in terms of results but one to remember for speed. Can he bounce back at Mugello? Many will be looking to join him in doing so…

    MARCO BEZZECCHI: “I expected the penalty. I didn’t want to pass but I braked a bit too late and when I realized I was getting closer and closer, I tried to go to the inside to not hit him. Unfortunately I pushed him wide so I thought for sure they give me a drop position. I was ready for it and I agree, also. It was a bit too much. It’s difficult to pass but I didn’t really want to pass, but it’s ok. Fortunately I kept myself calm about the penalty I knew was coming, tried to find the right place to give up the position and then fight back. 

    How was that winning feeling?
    “It was fantastic. I saw I was fast, at the beginning I didn’t want to use the front tyre too much or put too much temperature in it. When I was behind someone, I was trying to pass quite quick and when I found myself at the front I thought, ‘now I have fresh air’. I tried to push and see how it is. On Friday I had good pace so I tried to make the same but it was even better! I was able to ride 31.9, 31.8 and it was fantastic. I saw I was escaping so I tried to stay calm and concentrate, at one with my bike, and it was an incredible emotion crossing the line in the dry. In the wet was good but in the dry even better!”

    And on that bet to not shave their moustaches until he won again…
    “This is the thing I’m most happy about. I made this bet first in December before Christmas with my team, we were having dinner together and to break their balls a little bit I said ‘ok, you all have a long beard but if I win, you have to make it moustache and we won’t shave it until I win again. But then when I did win I said, ‘No! Now I have to really have a moustache!’ I was so nervous because it wasn’t coming anymore, so fortunately today when I saw the feeling was good, I said ‘today’s the day!”

  • Hayden Paddon, co-driver John Kennard win Rally of Whangarei: APRC Ro4

    Hayden Paddon, co-driver John Kennard win Rally of Whangarei: APRC Ro4

    Whangarei, Sunday 14 May 2023: Cromwell’s Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard have won the 2023 International Rally of Whangārei in their Hyundai i20N Rally 2 car, finishing 3min35 ahead of Ben Hunt and Tony Rawstorn (Skoda) while Rana Horan and Michael Connor finished third (Skoda).

    Indian businessman from Andhra Pradesh and former Promoter of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) has sponsored the Prize Money for the winners of the APRC segment for both Otago Rally and the International Rally of Whangarei.

    The fourth round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) it was also the final round for the sub-category Pacific Cup. Paddon’s successive point scoring reinstated him as champion and was awarded the FIA trophy by representative Mr Wayne Scott.

    It’s Paddon’s eighth win in Whangārei – his first was in 2007.

    “I’m really proud of our team and being able to take the Pacific Cup again – against strong competition like Ben and Rana,” said Paddon after the finish.

    “The event has been nice to us over the years so are honoured to make it win number eight and we look forward to next year. It was a flawless effort from the team. The car ran perfectly, so is a credit to their performance from the workshop to the event.”

    The disappointment continued for Shane van Gisbergen and co-driver Glen Weston when they went off the road on the third stage of the morning. Competing for the experience, van Gisbergen’s day started with a spin on the opening stage before setting second-fastest time on the second.

    A faultless performance by Cromwell’s Hayden Paddon and John Kennard has rewarded the team with their eighth win at the International Rally of Whangārei on Sunday.
    Photo by Geoff Ridder.

    Following heavy rain in the week leading up to the event the rally ran as scheduled – including the city-side Pohe Island publicity stage. The event covered eight stages to the north on the Saturday and six to the south on Sunday, totalling 707.99km – 225.80km being competitive sections. Attrition was high with 21 of the 48 missing from the finish.

    Returning to Whangārei’s Pūtahi Park in the Town Basin, the city’s mayor Mr Vince Cocurullo was on hand to celebrate with the finishers. The top three also received

    prize money provided by Indian businessman and promoter Vamcy Merla. Paddon’s team was awarded NZ$3,000 for the win, $2,000 for Hunt and $1,000 for Horan in third.

    The Ken Block Memorial trophy was awarded to Auckland’s Rana Horan – for outstanding sportsman like attitude and performance.

    “It didn’t all go his way on the Saturday and Rana demonstrated the type of attitude we knew of Ken – his ability to give, accept adversity and still deliver a 100% performance,” said Rally New Zealand representative Chris Carr.

    When his name was called out, Horan was speechless: “Awesome. It’s off the hook. Unreal,” he said. “Ken Block is a legend – I was thinking what did I do to deserve this, so am blown away. It really means a lot and I’m so grateful to Rally New Zealand for putting this together.”

    Dunlop tyres drive of the event was awarded to Pukekohe’s Zeal Jones – his first time on the Whangārei roads. The 18-year-old finished fifth overall.

    First two-wheel drive was Christchurch’s Dylan Thompson (Ford Fiesta Rally 4), finishing just behind Jones in sixth place.

    Also the second round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC), the local teams now return to the South Island for the third round – the 17 June South Canterbury Rally. While Paddon leads the series, he will miss the next round.

    The title deciding final round of the APRC will be held at Indonesia’s Danau Toba Rally – 24 to 26 November.

    Top-ten overall: 2023 International Rally of Whangārei (provisional)

    1 Hayden Paddon/John Kennard – Hyundai i20n Rally 2 2:04:03.0

    2 Ben Hunt/Tony Rawstorn – Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo +3:35.6

    3 Raana Horan/Michael Connor – Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo +1:08.4

    4 Josh Marston/Andrew Graves – Holden Barina AP4 +6:54.8

    5 Zeal Jones/Matt Sayers – Subaru Impreza +3:00.0

    6 Dylan Thomson/Bayden Thomson – Ford Fiesta Rally 4 +0:00.5

    7 Jackson Clendon/Tania Cresswell – Ford Fiesta Rally 4 +0:35.3

    8 Jordan Grant/Glenn Goldring – Suzuki Swift Sport    +3:12.4

    9 Bryn Jones/Sean Lockyear – Ford Fiesta Rally 4 +0:20.4

    10 Mike Young/Amy Hudson – Toyota C-HR +0:16.6

    (Top-three are FIA APRC registered competitors).

  • JK Tyre-backed Ruhaan Alva grabs a superb 2nd: GB4 Championship

    JK Tyre-backed Ruhaan Alva grabs a superb 2nd: GB4 Championship

    Silverstone, 9 May 2023: Indian Racing starRuhaan Alva grabbed his maiden podium in the GB4 single-seater championship last weekend with a second-place finish in the final race of the series’ second round  at England’s iconic Silverstone race circuit.

    The 16-year-old from Bengaluru, backed by the JK Tyre scholarship programme, crossed the line less than a second behind winner Harri Reynolds and Tom Mills finished third.

    Ruhaan Alva, who drives for Fortec Motorsports team, took his rostrum result in the third race of the weekend. Starting from pole in the reverse grid race, he had a contact with Sid Smith, which robbed him of the momentum, and gave Reynolds a sniff at the lead.

    The Bengaluru teenager defended robustly against Reynolds, going wheel-to-wheel with the Elite Motorsport racer, through the high-speed Maggots and Becketts complex of corners. But the young Indian ultimately had to concede as Reynolds swept past at Vale.

    Ruhaan didn’t get a chance to make the place back as the safety car was deployed to clear away Sid Smith’s car, which had suffered a puncture from the start-line contact with Ruhaan and was left stranded at Copse. Thomas Lee had also spun off in his Evans GP car at Abbey.

    The safety car came in, once the time limit on the race had run out. With no overtaking allowed, Reynolds went clear of the field and cruised to the flag followed by Ruhaan.     

    Ruhaan Alva said, “It’s really nice to be here. The qualifying didn’t go as planned and I had to settle for P11. I got caught up in traffic. Later, the rain and resultant spray resulted in a lot of lost time. My first podium of the season is a really good boost to my confidence and we know that if we keep working hard, we will be able to achieve consistent results.”

    “Ideally it would have been P1 but Harri passed me and I just had to stick with him and hope that no one else caught me and started fighting me so then I could get a gap behind.

    “Obviously I’d like to thank the big sponsors who helped me get here, my Dad, and it’s really great thing being an Indian driver being able to get podiums outside of India now,” Ruhaan concluded.

    The GB4 Championship is an entry-level, one-make single seater championship aimed at giving young racers their first taste of slicks-and-wings machinery. Launched in September 2021, the series is currently in its second season and uses Tatuus F4-T014 cars, which are also raced in Italian, ADAC and Spanish F4 series.

    About JK Tyre Motorsport

    JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades. The company laid down a long-term plan to popularize and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So, it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport. JK Tyre’s efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others. JK Tyre Motorsports is very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, the company also gave them opportunities in various national championships. With a vision to promote women in motorsports, the company has curated women-centric events such as JK Tyre WIAA Women’s Rally to Valley, JK Tyre Defence Wives Power Drive, JK Tyre-YFLO Women’s Power Drive, JK Tyre Times Women’s Drive apart from introducing an all-women’s team in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship to encourage women to take up to the sport.

  • Le Mans all set to host the historic 1000th MotoGP race

    Le Mans all set to host the historic 1000th MotoGP race

    Le Mans, 9 May 2023: As you all know, this weekend Le Mans will host the 1000th Grand Prix in history. Here are some stats for the occasion! 

    1949 – The Grand Prix World Championship was introduced in 1949 with four classes for solo motorcycles: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc and 125cc. The very first race counting towards a World Championship classification was the 350cc race on Monday June 13th 1949 on the Isle of Man, won by Freddie Frith on a Velocette.

    817 – Honda is the most successful manufacturer in GP racing with 817 wins ahead of Yamaha (520), Aprilia (295), MV Agusta (275), Kalex (165) and Suzuki (162).

    432 – Valentino Rossi is the rider with most GP starts: 432, meaning he’s raced in more than 43% of all the Grands Prix that have taken place. 

    393 – From the very first race in 1949 to the 2023 Spanish GP, 393 different riders have stood on the top step of the podium. The most recent “new winner” is Ivan Ortola in Moto3™ in Austin this year. 

    235 – Valentino Rossi is the rider with the most podiums with 235, ahead of Giacomo Agostini (159), Dani Pedrosa (153), Jorge Lorenzo (152), Angel Nieto (139) and Marc Marquez (139).

    125 – 125 different riders have clinched a Grand Prix World Championship, taking a total of 284 titles. Giacomo Agostini holds the record with 15, ahead of Angel Nieto (12 + 1), Mike Hailwood (9), Rossi (9) and Carlo Ubbiali (9).

    122 – Agostini is the most successful rider with 122 GP wins ahead of Rossi (115) and Nieto (90). Marc Marquez is fourth with 85 wins, ahead of Hailwood with 76.

    73 – Assen is the venue that has hosted the most Grands Prix. It held an event every year since the World Championship started back in 1949, until 2019. The 2020 Dutch TT was then cancelled due to the pandemic, making it 73 Dutch TTs so far counting towards the World Championship. 

    73 – Since 1949, 73 different circuits have hosted a premier class Grand Prix; Mandalika is the most recent addition, joining the calendar in 2022. 

    30 – Since 1949, 30 different manufacturers have clinched Grand Prix World titles. Honda leads with 72 titles ahead of Yamaha (37), MV Agusta (37), Aprilia (19) and Suzuki (15). 

    29 – 29 countries have hosted at least one Grand Prix since 1949. Spain leads with 143 ahead of Italy on 103. 

    29 – 29 nationalities have won Grands Prix. Italy leads with 876 wins ahead of Spain (700) and the UK (413).

    20 – There were six GPs in 1949, all in Europe. 20 GPs are now scheduled in 2023, in 17 different countries.

    19 – 19 nationalities are represented in the 125 World Champions crowned since 1949. Italy leads with 80 world titles ahead of Spain (57) and the UK (45). 

    1 – Of the 125 Champions, 70 (more than half) have clinched only one title – but 55 are multiple World Champions. 

  • Indian star Advait Deodhar 2nd in Challenger Trophy

    Indian star Advait Deodhar 2nd in Challenger Trophy

    Valencia (Spain) 7 May 2023: Valencia, 8 May 2023: Indian racing star Advait Deodhar secured a podium in the Challenger Trophy classification for bronze and silver drivers in the EuroNASCAR PRO, finishing second behind Riccardo Romagnoli. In the overall classification, the Euro-based Deodhar, finished P10 within points for a very impressive debut in the top class.

    Kenko Miura came third and overall 11th. The Indian rounded out the top-10 positions. Provisionally, Lucas Lasserre exits the Spanish round of the championship as the championship leader with 71 points. Doubek is in second with 64 points with the aid of bonus points for most positions gained that he secured in Race 2, while Goossens sits in third with 63 points.

    Advait Deodhar being interviewed by his manager Anish Gohil in Valencia.

    Advait Deodhar won the Elite Club championship in 2018 in his debut year and has been competing in EuroNASCAR since then. He took part in the NASCAR2 last year, made an impressive debut in elite Pro-Division at NASCAR Whelen European Series Round 1 here on Saturday.

    One driver who stood out from the rest was Indian racing ace Advait Deodhar, who promoted himself to Elite Pro division this year, driving for Academy Motorsports team. Advait had virtually no practice time, going into the race weekend, which made his performance even more impressive.

    The NASCAR Whelen European Series made its much-awaited return to Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, and it did not disappoint. The first round of the Elite Pro division saw some exhilarating racing and a mix of fortune for many drivers.

    Deodhar salvages P16 in Race 1

    Starting from P14 in Race 1 on Saturday, Advait had a decent start but was forced to go wide in Turn 1 and lost a few positions. However, he managed to gain back some places as the race progressed. His battle with Thomas in car number 46 was intense, and he eventually settled for P16.

    “The qualifying time for Race 2 on Sunday was based on the quickest lap time from Race 1. Advait was determined to do better in Race 2, starting from P14 again. The start of the race was as expected, with drivers going all out to gain positions,” said Anish Gohil, his spotter.

    “An incident in turn one forced half of the grid to go wide but Advait managed to move up to P12. With four laps remaining, another incident involving leading cars of Gimmy and Hezemans forced the safety car out again. Doing everything right at the restart, Advait managed to finish in P10, securing championship points of the season and a top 10 finish,” he added.

    It was a step in the right direction for Advait, who will be looking to build on this performance going forward.

    The next round of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series is in the UK at Brands Hatch, which is Advait’s home race. Also it a memorable venue for the Indian, as he secured his first career win in NASCAR at the same venue.

    Academy Motorsports have shown great pace at the track, and Advait and the team are determined to perform well at NASCAR GP UK. Overall, the first round of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series was a fantastic event, with some great racing and performances from all drivers.

    “Advait Deodhar’s debut in the Elite Pro division was a promising start, and we look forward to seeing him and Academy Motorsports in action again at Brands Hatch,” Gohil concluded.

    In the overall classification, the Euro-based Deodhar, finished P10 within points. Kenko Miura came third and overall 11th. The Indian rounded out the top-10 positions. Provisionally, Lucas Lasserre exits the Spanish round of the championship as the championship leader with 71 points. Doubek is in second with 64 points with the aid of bonus points for most positions gained that he secured in Race 2, while Goossens sits in third with 63 points.

    The Race report

    The season opener of the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season ended with a big bang and it was Lucas Lasserre who won EuroNASCAR PRO Round 2 in a tremendous battle against Martin Doubek. The Speedhouse Racing driver grabbed his first victory since 2018 and gave Speedhouse the team’s second win in EuroNASCAR PRO since its debut in 2017. The Frenchman took advantage from a clash between Gianmarco Ercoli and Liam Hezemans late in the race to take the lead and capture the checkered flag.

    The owner, engineer and driver coach of Speedhouse didn’t plan to jump into the #64 Ford Mustang in 2023, but with the cockpit free, the Biarritz resident decided to take the wheel at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. Lasserre has been involved in the series since its foundation in 2009 and is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid. It took all his cleverness to put the #64 in Victory Lane: the Frenchman took the lead on restart – the second of the race – on lap 17, beating Vladimiros Tziortzis into turn 2 after the Cypriot had kept the lead in turn 1. Lasserre then defended first place and turned the NASCAR GP Spain into a huge party for Speedhouse.

    On to Brands Hatch – June 17 and 18

    The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will make its next stop on June 17-18 at Circuit Brands Hatch in the UK. Four action-packed races will highlight the 10th edition of the popular American SpeedFest at the Indy layout of the legendary race track close to London. Qualifying and all races will be broadcast live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel, Motorsport.tv and several TV services from all around the world.

    Editor’s Note: With inputs from Official press release from EuroNASCAR /ANDRÉ WIEGOLD / REZA MAULANA / GIAN LUCA GUIGLIA

  • Geoffrey Emmanuel survives big crash to finish debut race: JrGP, road to MotoGP

    Geoffrey Emmanuel survives big crash to finish debut race: JrGP, road to MotoGP

    Estoril (Portugal), 7 May 2023: India’s Geoffrey Emmanuel, despite a high-side crash in qualifying session, went on to complete his debut race in the first round of the FIM World Championship JuniorGP at the famed Circuit do Estoril on Sunday.

    Chennai-born 18-year old Geoffrey, the first and lone Indian rider in the JuniorGP, crashed in the very first flying lap of the qualifying session on Saturday and could not post a time. However, he was still allowed to race on Sunday because of his times in free practice sessions, but had to start from the back of the 29-bike grid and eventually finished 22nd.

    Geoffrey, who is sponsored by Fairstreet Sports, Vidiem, Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation and Gusto Racing India, had a very good start in the race. Despite having just 35 minutes of track time on the bike and nursing injuries, he did well to stick on to the last bunch in Moto3. After a red flag due to crashes and a restart of a shortened five-lap race, he moved up to 19th spot before finishing the race in 22nd position with some good battles with the seasoned Moto3 riders.

    Earlier, in Free Practice 1, Geoffrey rode the 2018 bike until the new engine arrived for the season, and was fitted on to the new chassis. It meant he could ride only for the last 15 minutes of FP2. His FP3 outing was curtailed to 20 minutes of track time due to rains.

    Reflecting on his performance, Geoffrey said: “I enjoyed riding at the highest level of the junior World Championship. I have been learning and improving with every lap on the new bike even though I wasn’t at my best physically. Now, we are looking forward to round two in Valencia, Spain, later this month. I would like to thank my sponsors Fairstreet sports, Vidiem, Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation and Gusto Racing India.”

    The second round of the championship, which is a junior class race event that runs under FIM Moto3 regulations and acts as a Moto3 World Championship feeder class, will be held at the Circuit do Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain, on May 20-21.

  • Solid podium for MRF Tyres at Gran Canaria

    Solid podium for MRF Tyres at Gran Canaria

    Gran Canaria, 6 May 2023: Efren Llarena and co-driver Sara Fernandez won a solid podium for MRF Tyres in the 47th edition of the Rally Islas Canarias which concluded here on Satureday.

    It helped the Indian tyre giant’s rally team to continue on their improvement curve on the tarmac surface.

    Yoann Bonato is a two-time winner in the FIA European Rally Championship after a sublime drive to victory on Rally Islas Canarias today.

    With fellow Frenchman Benjamin Boulloud co-driving, Bonato started leg two 11.0s in front of European championship leader Hayden Paddon. He eventually triumphed by 36.9s following a day dominated by the changeable weather conditions – and some seriously close competition throughout the field.

    Paddon takes crucial second

    Paddon extended his title advantage in second place with defending European champion Efrén Llarena coming home third. Jon Armstrong claimed FIA ERC3 honours, Bendegúz Hangodi inherited the FIA ERC4 victory after long-term leader Roberto Daprà retired, while Michelin was the Winning Tyre.

    Efren Llarena & Sara Fernandez excel for MRF Tyres

    Between the team MRF Tyres crews, Efren Llarena together with Sara Fernandez finished in 3rd position: working on car setup throughout the day paid off as the two closed the event with a solid podium.

    In the top ten also Martins Sesks and Renars Francis who reached the finish in 8th position: the Latvian driver managed to gain some positions by finding a better feeling with car setup stage after stage, together with a better physical shape after some health issues in the previous days.

    Sadly, Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton had to retire during the last road section due to a technical issue: Simone was gaining some positions with a consistent run during the whole day.

    Fastest Crew

    What a day for Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi! they have been the fastest crew among the Dealer Team drivers, claiming their maiden ERC stage win in SS11. An unfortunate weather change in the morning meant he lost almost all the time gained yesterday but the young Italians managed to climb up as much as possible in the remaining stages with an aggressive driving style and they completed their crescendo with the second stage win on the power stage and a final 12th place. They are followed by Mads Ostberg paired with Patrik Barth in 18th position: the Norwegian kept working on the car’s setup and times on the boards showed that the direction taken was the right one.

    Italian duo, Andrea Nucita – Rudy Pollet positioned their car in 6th position in the final classification: satisfaction for his improved driving style setting the target to keep his pace as much higher as possible. For Bogdan Cuzma – Ilka Minor a solid event: positively impressed with the Medium compound behavior within the wet and damp and some good mileage for the next tarmac events to tackle. Unfortunately, Javier Pardo and Adrian Perez, has been forced to retire due to a double puncture in SS9.

    About the Rally Islas Canarias

    With the stages climbing and descending at a frequent rate, drivers pay close attention to corner speed and lines to ensure optimal momentum is maintained, while precise car set-up and pacenote accuracy are vital. One of the notable features of the sealed stages is the abrasive surface, constructed partly from volcanic lava. It means grip levels are high and remain constant if it rains, although tyre wear can increase in dry conditions. However, with the opportunity to take ‘cuts’ through corners limited, the roads remain relatively debris-free. The rally’s 47´th edition marks a return to a more traditional May date.

    Final provisional classification:
    3. Llarena Efrén – Fernández Sara +53.4
    6. Nucita Andrea – Pollet Rudy +1:15.0
    8. Sesks Mārtiņš – Francis Renārs +1:33.8
    12. Mabellini Andrea – Lenzi Virginia +1:47.5
    16. Østberg Mads – Barth Patrik +2:36.9
    21. Cuzma Bogdan – Minor Ilka +11:04.6

    DNF.Pardo Siota J. – Pérez Fernández A.
    DNF. Campedelli Simone – Canton Tania