Your basket is currently empty!
Author: David Bodapati
-
Johann Zarco of Monster Yamaha Tech3 smashes lap-record for pole as MotoGP season begins
Johann Zarco, centre, takes pole for the first GP of the MotoGP season on Saturday. Image by MotoGP A lot has changed in the ten years since Jorge Lorenzo set the world alight on his premier class debut, but the Qatar pole lap record hadn’t. Set by the Majorcan in 2008, the Losail lap time remained steadfast in the record books for a decade and was the oldest of its kind until Saturday of the 2018 Qatar GP and a scorcher from Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3). The Frenchman, now heading into his second season, marked his return to the venue at which he first led a premier class race in serious style – uncatchable ahead of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to set a 1:53.680. So the reigning Champion starts his title defence from two tenths behind in second, and top Ducati Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) completes the front row and the trio of those who broke the record.
With strong winds throughout the day and the track temperature cooling as night fell for qualifying, the session revealed another piece in the puzzle of the first race of the year. Behind the top three, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was next up heading the second row to make it 75% Independent Team riders in the top four, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) – the man on provisional pole after the first run – taking the middle of Row 2. But Marquez says the 2017 Championship runner-up has the best race pace – something that will be revealed on Sunday.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), meanwhile, kept his great pace at Losail rolling for his best ever qualifying position to lock out the second row, after Suzuki mounted the biggest challenge to Ducati on Friday.
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) heads up an all-star Row 3 with some serious potential for fireworks, with 17 World Championships crammed into three grid places as the Spaniard heads Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi and Ducati Team’s Jorge Lorenzo. Lorenzo, who suffered some technical trouble in FP4, says he is out of position – and Rossi says the battle at the front could be more than ten riders. And Lorenzo, as well as being the previous pole record holder, is also the most successful rider at Losail across all classes – but Rossi beats him in the premier class with four to Lorenzo’s three wins.
Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) completed the top ten after moving through Q1, with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) two tenths back in P11 to make it more than ten riders within a second of pole. Meanwhile, 2017 polesitter and winner Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) lines up in P12 – but also showed incredible consistency on a long run in FP4…
Valentino Rossi expects to fight it out for the #QatarGP with more than ten riders and Losail always serves up a desert storm. Don’t miss the 2018 season opener, with the lights going out at 19:00 local time (GMT +3) as the battle well and truly commences.
Qualifying Results
First Independent Team Rider
1 – Johann Zarco (FRA) YAMAHA 1’53.680
—-
2- Marc Márquez (SPA) HONDA +0.202
3 – Danilo Petrucci (ITA) DUCATI + 0.207Source: MotoGP™ press release
-
Alex Marquez takes pole in the desert: Moto2
The Spaniard was unbeatable in the first qualifying session of 2018; looking strong for Sunday
It’s been a faultless weekend so far for Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) at the Qatar GP and that continued in qualifying, with the Spaniard setting an unbeatable time that took him to the top of the order midway through the session to stake an early claim on the first win of the year. He will be joined on the front row by a resurgent Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40), with his countryman Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) completing the front row – just over half-a-second adrift of pole.
Qualifying for the intermediate class was a drama-filled affair as ever, as the floodlights came on and the temperature dropped, creating perfect conditions in the battle for the top spot on the grid.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Miguel Oliveira is in good shape at a circuit where he battled for the podium last year and lines up heading the second row. He’s joined by rookie sensation Romano Fenati (Marinelli Snipers Team) who has shown incredible form on his first weekend, with returning 2015 lightweight class Champion Danny Kent (Beta Tools – Speed Up Racing) taking sixth and equally impressing.
Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) and Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors) complete the top ten, despite a crash for the Brit during qualifying – rider ok.
We’re ready to go racing on Sunday in Moto2™ and with 12 riders within a second of each other, it’s set to be very close. Watch the title contenders and key players kick off their campaigns on Sunday from 17:20 local time (GMT +3).
Moto2™ Qualifying Results
1 – Álex Márquez (SPA) KALEX 2’00.299
2 – Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA) KALEX +0.308
3 – Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) KALEX + 0.236Source: MotoGP™
Alex Marquez take Moto2 pole at Qatar on Saturday. A MotoGP image. , Moto2™
-
Jean-Eric Vergne scores an impressive victory: Formula E Round 6
Jean-Eric Vergne scored an impressive lights-to-flag victory today, 17 March, in the Punta del Este E-Prix – round six of the 2017/18 ABB FIA Formula E Championship. The TECHEETAH driver had to work hard for his second win of the season, as he was chased right from the start by reigning champion Lucas di Grassi in his Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler machine.
Earlier in the day, fans were treated to a flat-out qualifying session, although as the intensity rose in Superpole, a number of drivers exceeded track limits resulting in a shuffling of the order before the grid formed up. This resulted in Vergne and di Grassi on the front row, with DS Virgin Racing’s Alex Lynn and NIO Formula E Team’s Oliver Turvey on the second row.
As the lights went out, the front runngers made it through the first few corners in grid order, but the race was quickly neutralised by a safety car period to recover the stricken car of Nick Heidfeld, whose Mahindra stopped on track with a technical problem.
After racing resumed, Renault e.dams’ Sebastien Buemi, who had made it back through on Vergne’s team-mate Andre Lotterer after being passed early on, saw his streak of two wins in Punta del Este come to an end as he clipped the wall on lap 11. This damaged the rear of the car and forcing him to retire.
Back at the front, the Brazilian driver di Grassi was right under the rear wing of the leader, and as the two entered the pit lane for their mandatory car change there was nothing between them. They exited the pits as they entered them, and on the out-lap di Grassi drew alongside Vergne but he was unable to make the move stick. Despite losing time in the attempted move, it wasn’t long before he was putting pressure on Vergne once again, and this was to be the story of the remainder of the race. Di Grassi repeatedly came within inches of the lead, but ultimately the Frenchman in front held on to take the chequered flag in first place.
Behind the lead pair there was another tight battle, this time between the DS Virgin Racing team-mates Alex Lynn and Sam Bird. Bird started the race in ninth, but quickly made up positions and ended up leap-frogging his stable-mate who faded in the latter stages. Bird latched onto the back of the fighting front two, but while he was ready to make the most of any incidents ahead, ultimately he secured a well-earned return to the podium in third place.
Despite falling back, Lynn still took his best finish of the season so far in sixth.
One of the stand-out performances of the day came from Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s Mitch Evans, who had qualified on the front row but was penalised as the weight distribution did not conform to the technical regulations. This meant he had to fight through from 16th place to an impressive fourth, with a sensational pass on Alex Lynn one of the highlights of the race.
Mahindra’s Felix Rosenqvist finished in fifth place and, like Evans, had a strong fight through the field after a difficult morning for the team, which has been in strong form since the start of the year.
Englishman Oliver Turvey couldn’t replicate his maiden podium last time out in Mexico for the NIO team and collected a handful of points a place further back in seventh.
Another storming drive to finish in the points came from Argentinean Jose Maria Lopez. The DRAGON driver sat on the penultimate row of the grid as the lights went out and fought his way through to finish in a valiant eighth position. Lopez also took the honour of setting fastest lap and earning an extra point.
Jerome D’Ambrosio jumped up a couple of place in ninth and Maro Engel rounded-out the top-10 with the final point for Venturi.
The next round of the 2017/18 ABB FIA Formula E Championship will see the all-electric series race on the streets of Rome for the first time on 14 April.
Jean-Eric Vergne, TECHEETAH, said: “I’m obviously very happy. I’m not focussing on the championship, but I’m focussing on each race. Obviously winning the race today in those conditions is to me one of the best drives. Racing against Lucas, who is the current title holder, was really tough. I don’t think I’ve won that many races but it was one of the ones I’m most happy with in terms of my driving. Today winning races proves that hard work pays off. We’re the only private team and for us to beat the other guys, we have to work twice as hard as them.”
Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, said: “First of all, congratulations to Jean-Eric and Sam. For Jean-Eric on the win, but for Sam to come from ninth on the grid. It was a really tough race for me, and to be honest JEV didn’t make many mistakes, I tried very hard – and I had the fastest car today. Starting second, on the dirty side, I tried very hard at the end to overtake him. I’m very satisfied with the car that I have but today we could’ve got 20 points and we only got 18. We know that in Formula E, when you get the chance you have to grab it. JEV defended very well so there was very little margin for me to attack, I think he did a small mistake coming into the last sector – we ended up touching a little bit and got super close. I tried my best, the car was super competitive – that won’t be the last time the team will fight for victories.”
Sam Bird, DS Virgin Racing, said: “We were a little bit fortunate with Buemi having an issue, getting damage. I don’t know what happened to Daniel in the second stint, but that was again another position gifted to me. The pace was good today to be fair, I just wanted these two to fight a little bit more. I ran out of laps but a very strong race, it was nice to get another podium and we needed it from where we started. It was damage limitation in the championship as JEV is streaking away as he did an amazing job, and it’s great to see Lucas back on it too. One thing I would like to say is last week, Britain lost an amazing journalist – a great man who brought so much energy to others. It’s not a win, it’s the best I could do, but I would like to dedicate this to Henry Hope-Frost.”
2018 CBMM Niobium Punta del Este E-Prix (Rd 6)
1 – Jean-Eric Vergne, TECHEETAH, 50:43.809s (28)
2 – Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, +0.447s (18)
3 – Sam Bird, DS Virgin Racing, +2.611s (15)
4 – Mitch Evans, Panasonic Jaguar Racing, +4.075s (12)
5 – Felix Rosenqvist, Mahindra Racing, +4.224s (10)
6 – Alex Lynn, DS Virgin Racing, +7.672s (8)
7 – Oliver Turvey, NIO Formula E Team, +11.818s (6)
8 – Jose Maria Lopez, DRAGON, +12.612s (5)
9 – Jerome D’Ambrosio, DRAGON, +22.242s (2)
10 – Maro Engel, Venturi Formula E Team, +26.293s (1)
11 – Antonio Felix da Costa, Andretti Formula E, +27.335s
12 – Andre Lotterer, TECHEETAH, +38.731s
13 – Luca Filippi, NIO Formula E Team, +39.926s
14 – Daniel Abt, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, +43.139s
15 – Nico Prost, Renault e.dams, +47.194s
16 – Tom Blomqvist, Andretti Formula E, +59.299s
17 – Edoardo Mortara, Venturi Formula E Team, +1 LAction from Formula E race on Saturday. An FIA image ap
DNF – Sebastien Buemi, Renault e.dams, 29 Laps
DNF – Nelson Piquet Jr, Panasonic Jaguar Racing, 25 Laps
DNF – Nick Heidfeld, Mahindra Racing, 1 LapDriver standings
Jean-Eric Vergne, TECHEETAH – 109
Felix Rosenqvist, Mahindra Racing – 79
Sam Bird, DS Virgin Racing – 76
Sebastien Buemi, Renault e.dams – 52
Nelson Piquet Jr, Panasonic Jaguar Racing – 45Team standings
TECHEETAH – 127
Mahindra Racing – 100
DS Virgin Racing – 93
Panasonic Jaguar Racing – 86
Renault e.dams – 59
Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler – 58
Venturi Formula E Team – 35
NIO Formula E Team – 33
Andretti Formula E – 20
DRAGON – 19Source: FIA press release
-
Ogier-Ingrassia claim 4th Rally Mexico win: WRC
Seb Ogier and Ingrassia win Mexico Rally on Sunday. An FIA image Reigning FIA World Rally Champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia claimed a fourth Rally Mexico win today to retake the lead in the Championship. After a determined fight from the start, the Ford Fiesta WRC crew ultimately crossed the finish line with over a minute in hand to Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio. This was also the first time a Ford has won in Mexico since Markko Martin raised the trophy in 2004. Sordo moved into second in the day’s opening stage when Kris Meeke ran wide and toppled his C3 WRC on its side; he and co-driver Paul Nagle managed to continue but dropped to third in the process.
In the FIA World Rally Championship, Ogier takes a four-point advantage over arch rival Thierry Neuville, the Belgian enduring a nightmare weekend running first on the road. Andreas Mikkelsen, Kris Meeke and Jari-Matti Latvala are closely matched in third, fourth and fifth respectively. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, Hyundai continues to top the leaderboard and takes a 12-point lead over M-Sport Ford after three rounds. Citroën is just one point adrift with Toyota fourth.
Today’s itinerary included just three stages, the long 24 kilometre Alfaro stage and then two runs through Las Minas, the second one counting as the all-important Power Stage. Ogier led into the day and was faultless through the first two stages, saving tyres for a push for additional championship points. He initially claimed four for second fastest, but after the Stewards deemed he did not go around the elements of a chicane correctly he was penalised 10 seconds. The penalty had no effect on his overall result, but docked him of the Power Stage points. Sordo moved into second on the first stage when, in similar style to last year, Meeke had a final day moment. The Northern Irishman slid wide and ended up in a deep gully with the car on its side. Fortunately he was able to get the C3 WRC back on the road but he lost over 30 seconds to the Spaniard and slipped to third overall.
Andreas Mikkelsen brought his i20 Coupe home in fourth after clouting a bank in the second stage and admitted it was good points in the bag during a weekend when he was not really on the pace. Nine times FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb picked up points for fifth overall after a stunning return to the WRC and his first gravel rally since 2013. The Frenchman will be back in action on the next round in Corsica, again partnering Meeke. Neuville finished sixth after a torrid weekend but he picked up an additional three points in the Power Stage, helping him maintain a close watch on Ogier in the Championship standings. Jari-Matti Latvala finished the highest of the Toyota runners in eighth.
In the FIA WRC 2 Championship, Pontus Tidemand took victory by an enormous margin over Gus Greensmith and, in the FIA WRC 3 Championship, although Tom Williams completed the final stage he retired on the road section back to service.
The FIA World Rally Championship now returns to Europe for Rallye de France-Tour de Corse (5-8 April).
Rally Mexico – Final Provisional Classification
1. Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC 3hr 54min 08.0sec 2. Dani Sordo / Carlos del Barrio Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 55min 11.6sec 3. Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle Citroën C3 WRC 3hr 55min 27.2sec 4. Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jæger Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 3hr 55min 46.4sec 5. Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena Citroën C3 WRC 3hr 56min 32.6sec 6. Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 4hr 03min 11.0sec 7. Pontus Tidemand / Jonas Andersson Škoda Fabia R5 4hr 04min 32.7sec 8. Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC 4hr 09min 45.1sec 9. Gus Greensmith / Craig Parry Ford Fiesta R5 4hr 11min 17.3sec 10. Pedro Heller / Pablo Olmos Ford Fiesta R5 4hr 18min 26.1sec -
Rally Mexico: ŠKODA’s Tidemand wins WRC2 and takes series lead; first points for Rovanperä
Pontus Tidemand and Jonas Andersson who won the WRC2 category at Rally Mexico. Photo: SKODA AUTO
León (Mexico): ŠKODA factory crew Pontus Tidemand and co-driver Jonas Andersson from Sweden achieved a dominant WRC2 win at Rally Guanajuato Mexico on Sunday, finishing seventh overall with their ŠKODA FABIA R5. With his first WRC2 win of 2018, Tidemand took the championship lead after three rounds of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship.
Team-mates Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen from Finland had to retire after the second stage, but could re-start under Rally-2 regulations on Saturday and Sunday. They scored five fastest times, finished fifth in WRC2 category and collected their first championship points of the season.
Reigning WRC2 champions Tidemand and Andersson proved their speed and reliability on the tough gravel roads of Rally Mexico. With a faultless drive, they led from start to finish, won 17 of the 22 Special Stages and repeated their Mexico victory of last year.
Their ŠKODA FABIA R5 was well prepared for the tough conditions in Mexico. The race engines not only had to face the heat of 30 degrees Celsius and more but also the extreme altitudes, the highest point being 2,737 metres.
The correct engine mapping was crucial, because the thin air causes a power loss of more than 20 per cent. While a lot of other teams struggled under these conditions, Tidemand’s ŠKODA FABIA R5 was running like clockwork.
The Swedish pairing moved as well into the lead of the WRC2 category standings. Driving his 24th rally within the WRC2 since 2014, Tidemand continued to build up an impressive track record: He finished 19 times on the podium including nine victories, which made him the most successful driver in WRC 2 history.
On Sunday, the final day of Rally Mexico, Tidemand set another two fastest times, totalling 17 stage wins. “I have to thank the whole team for the great support. My ŠKODA FABIA R5 was really fantastic and a pleasure to drive it on these gravel roads,” said Tidemand.
After they hit a stone on the second stage of the rally, 17 years old Rovanperä, set five fastest times on re-start. Rovanperä was happy to finish his first rally for the factory team ŠKODA Motorsport.
“It´s a pity, that we had this mishap on the second stage. But I am happy that the team could repair my car, so that I could continue on Saturday and Sunday to get more valuable experience of the World Rally Championship. For my next WRC rally, I will benefit from what I learnt in Mexico,” commented the Finnish youngster.
“Congratulations to Pontus and Kalle. Between them they set all fastest times of the WRC2 category for ŠKODA, proving speed and reliability at the same time,” emphasized ŠKODA Motorsport boss Michal Hrabánek on the podium in León, the country’s fifth largest city some 400 kms north-west of Mexico City.
Final Result (WRC2): 1. Tidemand/Andersson (SWE/SWE), ŠKODA FABIA R5; 2. Greensmith/Parry (GBR/GBR), Ford Fiesta R5; 3. Heller/Olmos (CHL/ARG), Ford Fiesta R5; 4. Bulacia Wilkinson/Mussano (BOL/ARG), Ford Fiesta R5; 5. Rovanperä/Halttunen (FIN/FIN), ŠKODA FABIA R5.
Current WRC2 standings (after 3 of 13 rounds): 1. Tidemand (ŠKODA), 43 points; 2. Kopecký (ŠKODA) and Katsuta (Ford), 25 points; 4. Greensmith (Ford) und Sciessere (Citroën), 18 points.
SKODA AUTO Press Release
-
F1 to promote FIA F3 Championship from 2019
The Formula One, (F1) group of companies has been selected by the FIA as the promoter for the new FIA Formula 3 Championship, which will begin from 2019. The decision has been confirmed by the World Motor Sport Council at the meeting held on Friday in Geneva. Indian Federation head Akbar Ebrahim, represented FMSCI in the meeting.
The international championship will be hosted on the FIA Formula One World Championship platform and feature an all-new car, with a single supplier for chassis, engines, and tyres to be selected by the FIA in collaboration with Formula 1.
The introduction of this new FIA Formula 3 Championship will benefit both competitors and fans, providing the unparalleled platform of F1 for young drivers working their way up the FIA’s single-seater pyramid, which now spans the full spectrum of the discipline from Formula 3 to Formula 2 and Formula 1.
Having the top three tiers of FIA single-seater competition together at the same events will make it easier than ever for fans to follow the careers of aspiring young drivers and see the dramatic journey towards Formula 1 unfold.
A maximum grid of 30 cars will be accepted, with the championship planned to run between nine and ten events, with two races per event.
The new car will integrate the latest FIA safety technologies, making it the benchmark in safety standards for the F3 category. It will feature increased chassis strength, increased cockpit rim height and strength that will be the same standard as in F1, the Halo frontal impact protection device, and will be the first car to feature a frontal anti-intrusion panel.
FIA press release
-
Driven to be bold: Motorsport & women
Around the globe International Women’s Day 2017 will be marked in many ways, with thousands of different activities planned to celebrate this year’s theme, ‘Be Bold for Change’. It’s a theme woman involved in motorsport have championed since the dawn of the motoring age.
Within a decade of motor racing first capturing the public imagination in the 1890s, women such as French racer Camille du Gast (competing in the Paris-Berlin race) and English driver Dorothy Levitt (at the Shelsley Walsh Hillclimb in the UK) were boldly pushing the boundaries of speed.
The trend continued through the interwar period as a succession of pioneering female drivers competed in events such as illustrious Targa Floria but female motorsport entered its first Golden Age after World War II, with Pat Moss and Anne Hall breaking new ground in rallying and Maria Teresa de Filippis becoming the first woman to take part in a Formula One race at the 1958 Belgian Grand Prix.
These and other pioneers have been joined by many others in the decades since, but it was on the rally stages that the greatest mark was made, with Michèle Mouton and co-driver Fabrizia Pons becoming the first women to win a World Championship rally in Sanremo in 1981. The following year the female crew were Vice World Champions.
Throughout, the pathway for women to the top of the motorsport remained tough, with Mouton believing that more needed to be done to encourage female participation in motorsport.
It was fitting, then, that when FIA President Jean Todt resolved to tackle the issue he called on Mouton to head up the Federation’s Women in Motorsport Commission.
In the years since, the Commission has grown in strength and purpose, with 74 national Women in Motorsport representatives now working on behalf of their ASNs and with the Commission.
At grassroots level the Commission has supported the development of a number of young racers including France’s Lucile Cypriano and Spaniard Marta Garcia who competed in the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, with Garcia taking the title in 2015. Cypriano has since become a race winner in the SEAT Leon Eurocup and is this year targeting participation in the French Porsche Carrera Cup. Garcia last year made the transition to single seaters in Spanish Formula 4 and is hoping to undertake a full campaign in the Spanish national F4 championship this year.
In rallying the Commission last year organised its most ambitious talent search yet. Launched in conjunction with the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation, the Women’s Cross Country Rally Selection initiative provided three all-female crews with the chance to compete in a round of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies.
The success of the venture led to the driver and co-driver who showed the most promise – Emma Gilmour and Sandra Labuscagne – receiving a funded drive in the 2016 Italian Baja and the Baja Portalegre, with the support of the Automóvel Club de Portugal.
The Commission has also supported the rise of young rally star Tamara Molinaro and this year the Italian will step up to the FIA ERC Junior Under-27 category alongside co-driver Ursula Mayrhofer as a factory Opel driver
Elsewhere, Molly Taylor, who has been supported by the Commission, last year became the first woman to win the Australian Rally Championship. Her title defence, as a works Subaru driver, begins this month.
2016 was also a notable year for providing a female drag racing champion in the shape of Finland’s Anita Mäkëla who won the FIA European Top Fuel category for the second time in her long career.
Women are increasingly represented at the pinnacle of motorsport, in Formula One, with Former F3 racer Tatiana Calderon from Colombia recently being appointed to the role of development driver at the Sauber F1 Team where FIA Women in Motorsport Ambassador Monisha Kaltenborn is Team Principal.
Kaltenborn is not the only female powerbroker in F1, with Claire Williams – also a member of the FIA’s Commission – continuing to help guide the Williams F1 team in her role as Deputy Team Principal.
Elsewhere, former Indycar driver and F1 hopeful Simona de Silvestro is this year competing in the highly competitive V8 Supercars series in Australia as a full-time driver with Nissan Motorsport. The drive follows de Silvestro became the first woman to score points in a Formula E race, with ninth place at last year’s Long Beach ePrix.
Away from the track, the motorsport continues to give women the chance to excel in a huge array of disciplines – with an increasing number of women involved at the highest levels of officialdom, in engineering, design and in administration and promotion. A key example was last year’s FIA World Rallycross Championship round in Norway, which was officiated over by an all-female panel of stewards for the first time in FIA World Championship history.
This year is set to be another year of intense activity for the Commission. At last year’s Commission seminar in Portugal, Mouton announced details of a new Europe-wide driver search programme, which Mouton said: “we hope to develop in different countries and regions.”
As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, motor sport can confidently claim to be a truly equal opportunities endeavour that has been (and continues to be) bold enough to drive change.
FIA release
-
Arjun Maini sets 6th fastest time in the morning session: FIA Formula 2 pre-season test
Le Castellet (France): Indian racer Arjun Maini set the sixth fastest time in the morning session and ended up 11th in the afternoon at the Formula 2 first pre-season test on Tuesday. At the end of the first hour, new Trident recruit Maini led the proceedings ahead of team-mate Santino Ferrucci.However, it was Lando Norris who set the day’s fastest lap. The Carlin driver set a 1:43.095 lap during the afternoon session to head the time sheets ahead of Nyck De Vries and teammate Sergio Sette Camara.A damp, overcast Circuit Paul Ricard greeted the teams as they sought to clock in their customary installation laps at the start of the day. Oliver Rowland was the first driver to hit the track on wet weather tyres for the DAMS team, narrowly beating MP Motorsport’s Ralph Boschung out of the garage.The first hour was punctuated with a few brief red flags following early spins, with Trident’s Santino Ferrucci and Sette Camara prompting stoppages as they got to grips with the wet track, while Louis Delétraz of Charouz Racing System came to a halt at the exit of the pitlane.Norris was first to break the two-minute boundary at the midway point of the session, with the track slowly drying out. Soon, a number of cars were dipping into the 1m59s as they became accustomed to the conditions, although the circuit was not dry enough throughout the session for anyone to attempt a lap on slick tyres.
A red flag in the final half-hour of the session was called for Alexander Albon (DAMS) who stopped at turn 2 due to mechanical gremlins, as running got back underway with 10 minutes remaining. Although Boschung was quick on the draw at the restart to eat into Norris’ advantage, edging to within three-tenths of the leader, the British driver was able to put the first position well out of reach by going 0.6s quicker than his best time.
Norris was the only driver to break into the 1m56s, as his teammate Sette Camara slotted in behind Boschung for third. Albon was fourth quickest, ahead of Maini – who set a session high of 36 laps – and Arden’s Maximilian Günther. Roberto Merhi (MP Motorsport) was seventh ahead of Delétraz, while Antonio Fuoco (Charouz) and Ferrucci completed the top ten.ART Grand Prix’s Jack Aitken kicked off proceedings after the break to make up for a lack of mileage across the morning’s session, bolting on a set of medium compound tyres after the circuit had dried. The Brit had the track to himself in the opening stages, before teammate George Russell and the Campos Vexatec Racing duo of Luca Ghiotto and Roy Nissany joined him.After the first hour, PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing’s De Vries led the standings ahead of Russell, the pace decidedly faster than the morning’s benchmark. Norris then immediately stamped his authority on the time sheets and was joined by Sette Camara for a Carlin 1-2.A brief red flag was called for Günther who suffered a spin and stopped on the track, but after the action returned Norris continued to whittle away at his best time, dropping below the 1m44s mark with a full house of fastest sectors.Sean Gelael (PERTAMINA PREMA) wrested the second sector away from Norris, slotting in between the two Carlins as the session wound into the final hour. Ghiotto and de Vries briefly seized control of the timing boards, but with 20 minutes remaining, Norris once again reclaimed the fastest time. It proved to be unassailable, despite De Vries’ best efforts in the latter stages.Sette Camara was third quickest, ahead of Ghiotto and Russell. Gelael finished the day sixth fastest, completing a session-best of 40 laps, while Aitken beat Nirei Fukuzumi (BWT Arden) to seventh. Günther and Rowland ended the session in the top ten. Over the day, 881 laps were for a cumulative total of 5000 km.The action will resume tomorrow at 9 am for the second day of the test; the morning’s running ends at 12 pm, before the afternoon session takes place from 2 pm to 5 pm.FIA Formula 2 Le Castellet Test – Day 1 Morning SessionDriverTeamLaptimeLaps1Lando NorrisCarlin1:56.136302Ralph BoschungMP Motorsport1:57.037273Sergio Sette CamaraCarlin1:57.289224Alexander AlbonDAMS1:57.357285Arjun MainiTrident1:57.591366Maximilian GüntherBWT Arden1:57.742257Roberto MerhiMP Motorsport1:58.358208Louis DelétrazCharouz Racing System1:58.619199Antonio FuocoCharouz Racing System1:58.7801810Santino FerrucciTrident1:58.8992511Nirei FukuzumiBWT Arden1:59.7591712Luca GhiottoCampos Vexatec Racing2:00.0672013Nyck De VriesPERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing2:00.0881114Sean GelaelPERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing2:00.0952315Tadasuke MakinoRUSSIAN TIME2:03.229816Roy NissanyCampos Vexatec Racing2:03.9831517George RussellART Grand Prix2:04.282818Artem MarkelovRUSSIAN TIME2:10.4431319Oliver RowlandDAMS2:12.894220Jack AitkenART Grand Prix——FIA Formula 2 Le Castellet Test – Day 1 Afternoon SessionDriverTeamLaptimeLaps1Lando NorrisCarlin1:43.095292Nyck De VriesPERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing1:43.282323Sergio Sette CamaraCarlin1:43.401294Luca GhiottoCampos Vexatec Racing1:43.707335George RussellART Grand Prix1:43.745206Sean GelaelPERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing1:43.844407Jack AitkenART Grand Prix1:44.115348Nirei FukuzumiBWT Arden1:44.232359Maximilian GüntherBWT Arden1:44.2772610Oliver RowlandDAMS1:44.3452511Arjun MainiTrident1:44.5223112Ralph BoschungMP Motorsport1:44.6032813Louis DelétrazCharouz Racing System1:44.8071114Alexander AlbonDAMS1:44.950415Santino FerrucciTrident1:45.0232516Roberto MerhiMP Motorsport1:45.0862917Roy NissanyCampos Vexatec Racing1:46.1663618Antonio FuocoCharouz Racing System1:46.480319Tadasuke MakinoRUSSIAN TIME1:47.0501120Artem MarkelovRUSSIAN TIME—13eom/david/F2 release
-
Icy junior debut for Ruhaan Alva in Italy
Jesolo (Italy): A shunt when in line for a possible podium spot, ended Ruhaan Alva’s debut race in the junior category of the Easykart Italian Championship here on Sund
Ruhaan Alva file photo by Anand Philar ay.
Having moved up to the junior category after finishing second runner-up in the Cadet class last season, the first round of the 2018 championship was an acid test for the 11-year old schoolboy from Bengaluru who is supported by Play Factory and Birel Art, the leading Italian kart manufacturer.
Ruhaan also had his first taste of driving in the snow with Europe in the grip of a cold wave. Snow and rain apart from sub-zero temperatures, besides longer races, tested his driving skills and stamina.
“It was a novel experience for me to be driving in the snow. Also, the conditions kept changing from snow to wet to dry or the other way around. So, it was quite confusing as my racing lines also kept changing. There was some fog too and it was quite tough,” said Ruhaan who showed rare determination and pluck to stay on pace with the front-runners.
The race weekend saw Ruhaan qualifying fifth for the pre-Final where he finished eighth. He was fourth quickest in the warm-up session preceding the 20-lap Final that he started in the sixth position.
Ruhaan was off to a good start and quickly made three places to move to third by the seventh lap and looked good to hold the position. However, he got entangled in an incident and was bumped off the track which ended his race.
The Easykart Italia Championship comprises of seven rounds and the next round is on April 7-8.
eom/posted by AP
-
Rally Mexico: ŠKODA Motorsport’s Pontus Tidemand chasing WRC 2 Championship lead
Worldwide Copyright: Skoda Motorsport / McKlein Mladá Boleslav: ŠKODA Motorsport has entered reigning WRC 2 Champions Pontus Tidemand (co-driver Jonas Andersson) from Sweden and 17-year old from Finland Kalle Rovanperä with co-driver Jonne Halttunen into the season’s third WRC round in Mexico where the tough gravel roads await the competitors after the ice and snow on the opening rounds of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in Monte Carlo and Sweden.
The Rally Guanajuato Mexico (March 8-11) pose a different challenge. While Pontus Tidemand wants to move into the WRC 2 championship lead by repeating his victory from last year, Kalle Rovanperä is nominated for WRC2 for the first time, being an official ŠKODA Motorsport driver.
“In Mexico, we will field a unique combination of experience and speed. Pontus won the WRC2 category in Mexico last year and will again be the man to beat. Kalle already proved his speed on lose surface.
“Our ŠKODA FABIA R5 are well prepared for the challenge on the tough gravel roads of Rally Mexico,” said ŠKODA Motorsport boss Michal Hrabánek.
“After temperatures below zero in Monte Carlo and Sweden, in Mexico the engines not only have to face 30 degrees Celsius and more. The stages also reach extreme altitudes, the highest point at 2,737 metres. The correct engine mapping is crucial, because the thin air causes a power loss of up to 20 per cent,” Hrabánek added.
Pontus Tidemand has good memories of Rally Mexico. “Last year, I could win after a tense fight. With another good result, I could take the lead of 2018 WRC2 championship standings. But I am pretty sure, my competitors, including my young and fast teammate Kalle, will give me a hard time,” said the reigning WRC2 champion.
Kalle Rovanperä, on the other hand, is starting the first time in Mexico. “I am here to learn. I love to drive on gravel and my ŠKODA FABIA R5 is perfectly prepared for the extreme conditions of Mexico,” said the young Finn.
Incidentally Kalle Rovanperä will be accompanied by his father Harri, who won Rally Mexico in 2002, when it was a candidate event for the FIA World Rally Championship.
Rally Mexico will start with the spectacular street stage in Guanajuato on Thursday (March 8) which features an underground road through a former mining tunnel.
On Friday (March 9), the longest day of the rally, the crews are facing nine Special Stages covering 155 Kms on rough gravel. The longest stage of the rally, the 31.44 Kms long “El Chocolate”, will climb up to an altitude of more than 2,700 metres.
On Saturday and Sunday (March 10/11), the rally features 12 more Stages covering additional 186.81 kms, including the Powerstage “Las Minas”, before the winner will be on the podium. Rally Guanajuato Mexico is based in Léon, the country’s fifth largest city, some 400 kms north-west of Mexico City.
SKODA release
