INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • WRC: Stage set for Rally Mexico; Sebastien Loeb to drive Citroen C3

    Leon (Mexico): The third round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship takes the contenders to the Americas, the sunshine and gravel that is Rally Mexico (8-11 March). Celebrating its 15-year anniversary, the León-based rally has always been a firm favourite on the calendar, consistently maintaining its signature compact route, high percentage of special stages and colourful fiesta atmosphere.

    Rally Mexico is the first gravel round of the season, but like the two previous events has its own unique challenge. Running in the stunning Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato mountains, it is quite literally breath-taking as the contenders climb to heady oxygen-sapping heights of 2,700 metres above sea level. With this brings a reduction in power and, coupled with potentially high temperatures, yet more stress on engines and transmissions as drivers are forced to adapt their driving style to minimise the effect of the altitude.

    Much like last year, the Championship is again shaping up to be a very unpredictable affair with two different winners already taking the top step of the podium. Of the 11 World Rally Car drivers on the Mexico entry list, just one – Teemu Suninen – has yet to win at the highest level. He returns with M-Sport Ford and Dani Sordo is back with Hyundai, having sat out Sweden in place of team-mate Hayden Paddon.

    WATCH OUT FOR SEB LOEB!

    Toyota’s three-car line up remains unchanged, but the attention will undoubtedly be on the second Citroën C3 piloted by Sébastien Loeb. The French nine-time FIA World Rally Champion, who will contest three events this year, remains the sport’s most successful driver and with 78 victories and six consecutive WRC Rally Mexico wins to his name, cannot be discounted as a serious challenger, despite being out of full time rally competition since 2013.

    Three stages will be broadcast live on television; SS13 (El Brinco) on Saturday as well as the two passes of the Las Minas stage on Sunday. All stages are however live on WRC ‘All Live on the WRC+’ platform.

    – FIA release

  • Honda-backed Rajiv Sethu and Anish Shetty for Asia Road Racing Championship

    Honda-backed Rajiv Sethu and Anish Shetty for Asia Road Racing Championship

    Anish D Shetty from Hubballi (left) and Chennai’s Rajiv Sethu set for 2018 ARRC campaign.

    New Delhi, March 2: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd has decided to enter a two-rider team in the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship with Rajiv Sethu from Chennai and Hubballi’s Anish D Shetty wearing the company’s livery.

    Sethu, in his second season, and debutant Shetty will be riding in the Asia Production 250cc class in the upcoming season that commences this weekend at the Chang International Circuit, Thailand, according to an official release from Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd.

    This is the first time that Honda is promoting Indian riders in an Indian team in international motorsports arena. The IDEMITSU Honda Racing India team by T Pro Ten10 will see Sethu and rookie Shetty battling it out with 23 other Asian riders in the Asia Production 250cc class.

    The marquee SuperSport 600cc will see the team’s third rider, 23-year old Japanese Taiga Hada compete with 21 others in the SuperSports 600cc class.

    Rajiv Sethu, 20, said: “This is my second year at the ARRC, I had an amazing debut last year. By providing me with this global platform, Honda 2Wheelers has given me wings to achieve my dream of becoming an international Indian motorsport rider.

    “Taking the learning from 2017 season, I have worked diligently this year. I am very excited to be a part of the first Indian team and aim to deliver my best this year for my team and my country.”

    Shetty, 24, said: “I am elated and honored to be a part of the historical first all Indian team at the 23rd season of ARRC. For any Indian racer, getting global exposure is a big opportunity. Honda 2Wheelers India has made my dream come true.

    “I look forward to ride and learn from the most experienced racers in the World. The 2018 season for me is all about improving my riding and presence in international races. This is my first exposure in ARRC and it’s a big deal for me. I will do my best to make my team and country proud.”

    Globally, Honda is synonymous with Racing with a glorious history of iconic riders since 1959. In India, Honda 2Wheelers made its debut in motorsports in 2008.

    For the first 10 years (2008-2017), Honda 2Wheelers India’s motorsport direction was to ‘Promote Fun Culture in India’ with focus on nurturing, developing and giving professional platforms to Indian riding enthusiasts.

    And now in 2018, Honda has announced its new direction ‘To develop iconic Indian rider for National & International Championships’ which encapsulates Honda’s aggressive vision to nurture and develop Indian riders of international stature.

    Minoru Kato, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd said: “Honda 2Wheelers India is proud to announce that for the first time, an Indian team will be participating solo in the 23rd season of Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) 2018.

    “It is our next step towards realizing the dream to develop iconic Indian riders for both only national but more so international racing championships. My best wishes to the ‘IDEMITSU Honda Racing India’ by T Pro Ten10 and the two riders Rajiv Sethu and Anish D Shetty. The motorsport excitement will continue in 2018. Honda will announce a slew of new programs to promote and expand professional motorsport in India.”

    Speaking on Indian riders skilling up and going global,  Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President – Customer Service, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said: “Honda India is making gradual and consistent progress in motorsport and our boys going international is great for the sport.

    “We are extremely delighted to extend learning curve of Rajiv while giving debut international exposure to the promising rider Anish. We are confident that they will put up a great show and supporting dreams for many more young riders to make a career in racing. With the ARRC returning to India later this year, this will be another great opportunity for the riders as well as the motorsport fans in India.”

    Sponsored by IDEMITSU Lube India Pvt. Ltd., Honda 2Wheelers India will oversee overall team management of the first ever Indian team at the ARRC. The team’s rider management will be undertaken by professional Indian team Ten10 Racing Pvt. Ltd while technical support including bike performance enhancement, modification, data analysis, maintenance and repairs will be looked after by T-Pro Innovation, a professional Japanese team, the release added.

  • Mathana, Aravind B win AVT Gold Cup Million Endurance Race for 2-wheelers

    Mathana, Aravind B win AVT Gold Cup Million Endurance Race for 2-wheelers

    Mathana Kumar (left) and Aravind Balakrishnan, winers of the AVT Gold Cup Million Endurance Race at the MMRT circuit at Sriperumbudur on Sunday, February 25. Image by Anand Philar

    Chennai,25 Feb 2018: The pair of Mathana Kumar (Trichy) and fellow-rider Aravind Balasumbramanaim (Chennai), representing Honda Ten10 Racing team, emerged overall champions in the AVT Gold Cup Million Endurance Race for two-wheelers at the MMRT circuit, here on Sunday.

    It is one of the firsts by Madras Motorsports Association (MMSC), as awareness about Endurance races is yet to reach the masses in India. “The Madras Motor Sports Club has been the pioneer in developing and promoting motorsport in India since 1953, and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is the club’s endeavor to provide more opportunities for competitors, and to this end, various progressive programmes were chalked out and this is one of them,” said an organiser.

    Kishor VS and Antony Peter (Apex Racing Academy) finished second overall ahead of Honda Ten10 Racing team’s Senthil Kumar and AS Alexander. All three podium pairs completed 41 laps.

    The final outcome of the 90-minute race had more to do with the team strategies and just about the pace of the riders. Each team comprised of two riders.

    As per the regulations, the minimum time a rider could ride was for 20 minutes and the maximum time was set at 45 minutes. After the minimum time and before the maximum time elapsed, the rider had to make a mandatory rider change. The mandatory stop time for a rider change was set at 1 minute.

    During the course of the race, a team had to make a mandatory fuel stop for which the motorcycle must have remained stationary for at least 3 minutes. The teams were allowed to do a tyre stop as well but this was not mandatory.

    “I think, our strategy worked well today. I went out first, built up a lead which my team-mate Aravind maintained. On my second run, I suffered from cramps, but somehow, I managed to complete my turn,” said an overjoyed Mathana who rode the Honda CBR 250 bike.

    The results (Provisional):

    Overall / Honda CBR 250: Mathana Kumar / Aravind Balasubramainam (Honda Ten10 Racing) 1 (41 laps, 01hr, 31mins, 38.048secs); 2. Kishor VS / Anthony Peter (Apex Racing Academy) (41 laps, 01:31.57.186); 3. Sethil Kumar / AS Alexander (Honda Ten10 Racing) (41 laps, 01:32.06.461).

    Pro-Stock Open (301-400cc): 1. P Sai Sahil / G Vikas Kumar (40 laps, 01:31:50.690); 2. K Raja Pandian / Varun Patil (38 laps, 01:32:06.038); 3. Aakash Rajshakha / Bhumik Lalwani (37 laps, 01:32:53.352).

    Pro-Stock Open (130-165cc): 1. Yashas RL / K Kannan (39 laps, 01:31:45.003); 2. A Amala Jerald / C Rajkumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) (39 laps, 01:32:11.871); 3. Sarath Kumar / PK Mithun Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) (39 laps, 01:32:31.469).

    Stock (130-165cc): 1. Aditya Rao Immaneni / Karthik (39 laps, 01:32:00.317); 2. Manoj Y / A Ryhana Bee (38 laps, 01:31:47.013); 3. Anand R / Narayanan K (38 laps, 01:33:29.028).

    eom/MMSC release

  • Sebastiean Vettel quickest on Day 2; Ocon 9th: Formula 1 Test in Barcelona

    Sebastiean Vettel quickest on Day 2; Ocon 9th: Formula 1 Test in Barcelona

    Vettel quickest on Day 2 of the Formula One Barcelona test on 27 feb 2018. An FIA image

    Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel set the quickest time of day two of the first pre-season Formula 1 test in Barcelona, outpacing Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas by three-tenths of a second. McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne finished third on the timesheet a further three tenths back.

    The day began in muted fashion as overnight snow and rain meant conditions were tricky early on and many teams avoided significant running before the halfway point of running. One of those was Red Bull Racing, with the Milton Keynes team being restricted to the garage for most of the morning after a fuel leak resulted in a lengthy delay to Dutchman Max Verstappen’s first real taste of team’s RB14 challenger.

    The track slowly improved across the morning and by midday Bottas was on track and making the running climbing to the top of the order on the soft tyre.

    His time stood until mid-afternoon when Vettel also appeared on the soft tyre. The German chipped away his lap time over the course of the run and eventually nudged his Ferrari to a day’s best time 1:19.673s.

    Bottas wasn’t done, however, and a switch to medium tyres saw him edge close to the Ferrari driver and set a personal best for the day of 1:19976.

    Verstappen’s day began in earnest at around 2 pm and over the following four hours, he posted 67 laps to get to the best time of 1:20.326, set on medium tyres. That was just 0.001s behind third-placed Vandoorne who had set his time on Pirelli’s new hypersoft compound. However, after a decent return from Vandoorne’s morning efforts, McLaren opted out of afternoon running.

    Fifth place on the timesheet went to Renault’s Carlos Sainz, with Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly in sixth. It was another solid day for the Italian team as Gasly logged a total 82 laps in the team’s new Honda-powered car.

    Robert Kubica got his first taste of F1’s 2018-spec cars in the afternoon as he fulfilled his testing duties for Williams for the first time. The Pole put in 48 laps for the best time of 1:21.495 to sit over three-tenths of a second clear of Williams race driver Sergey Sirotkin who drove in the morning.

    Over at Alfa-Romeo Sauber, 2017 FIA Formula 2 champion Charles Leclerc made his debut as a Formula 1 driver, with the Monegasque claiming 10th position. Leclerc’s outing wasn’t without mishap as a morning spin into the gravel traps at Turn 4 brought out the red flags for a brief period.

    Formula 1 Pre-season Test 1, Barcelona – Day 2
    1. Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:19.673 98
    2. Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:19.976 +0.303 94
    3. Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1:20.325 +0.652 37
    4. Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:20.326 +0.653 67
    5. Carlos Sainz Renault 1:21.212 +1.539 65
    6. Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1:21.318 +1.645 82
    7. Robert Kubica Williams 1:21.495 +1.822 48
    8. Sergey Sirotkin Williams 1:21.822 +2.149 52
    9. Esteban Ocon Force India 1:21.841 +2.168 79
    10. Charles Leclerc Sauber 1:22.721 +3.048 81
    11. Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:22.727 +3.054 36

    eom/FIA release

  • Ajgar-Mustafa take lead after Day 1 of Biswa Bangla presents JK Himalayan Drive 6

    Chitwan (Nepal), 24 Feb 2018: Defending champions Ajgar Ali and Mohammed Mustafa jumped into the lead after Day 1 of the Biswa Bangla presents JK Himalayan Drive 6, the only Tri-Nation TSD (Time, Speed, Distance) rally of India, late here on Saturday.

    The veteran rallyists underlined their class in their Mitsubishi Media as they tackled the dirt and dust tracks that eventually took them through the lush forests in Darjeeling. They were ahead of the pack with 54 penalty points; Subir Roy and navigator Nirav Mehta were right behind the leaders, with 62 penalty points in their Maruti Gypsy. Captain Vijay Kumar Sharma and Chandan Sen eased into the third position with 132 penalty points.

    The HD 6 was flagged off ceremonially at the City Center in Siliguri (West Bengal), jointly by Siliguri Police Commissioner Sunil Kumar Choudhury and Inspector General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Srikumar Bandopadhyay on Friday morning. Hundreds lined up

    To watch the mean machines even as police and SSB brass and pipe bands played popular tunes.

    The rallyists drove through Matigara-Kurseong Road, Khaprail Bazar and Panihati before reaching the vast dry bed of the Manja river, a tributary of Teesta river. They then drove through Naxalbari (which incubated the infamous ultra-left Naxal movement) to enter Nepal at Kakarbitta.

    At Kakarbitta, the participants were accorded a warm welcome by the Nepal Automotive Sports Association (NASA). The rallyists then drove 466 kilometers on the busy East-West Highway to reach Chitwan for the night halt. Out of the total 521 kilometers that they travelled on Friday, 74 kilometers were in the competitive section.

    The lush green backdrop of the Chitwan National park in Nepal provided the perfect setting for the ceremonial flag-off of the second leg of the rally. Saturday’s 80 kilometer-long rally route traversed through hills, tropical forests, embankments of the Rapti river and dry beds of the Rapti’s many tributaries.

    It proved to be a thrilling leg as it was the first time that an international rally was staged at Chitwan, a National Park and a World Heritage Site spread over 932 square kilometers. The rallyists drove through the periphery of the national park which is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, the endangered one-horned rhino, sloth bears, elephants, leopards and crocodiles.

    About JK Tyre Motorsport: JK Tyre has always been closely associated with the world of sports. Almost three decades back the company laid down a long-term and sustained approach to promote Motorsport. Participating in this form of the sport has helped the company in continuously updating its products to meet the challenges of grueling Indian conditions. The sport at that time in India was perceived as elite but JK Tyre took upon itself to package and redesign the sport to suit the masses. The company not only made the sport affordable but also equivalent to International operating standards. JK Tyre’s foray into Motorsport was a well thought out strategic decision to not only use and develop this virgin branding platform but also to realise the dreams of making India a force in the field of motorsport.

    In 2011, the company acquired the Formula BMW Series and rechristened it as the JK Racing Asia Series (JKRAS). With this acquisition, JK Tyre created history in Indian Motorsport by becoming the first Indian company to acquire an FIA accredited series. By taking over the series, JK Tyre promises to utilise it as a platform to encourage and support the world’s best racing drivers and promote India as one of Asia’s motorsport capitals.

    Thus, JK Tyre has conquered two steps in the motorsport programme where the new racing aspirants first establish themselves in India, then graduate to Asian level i.e. to Formula BMW, which is now JKRAS and then they move to higher levels of racing. JK Tyre now stands closer to achieving its mission of bringing world-class motorsport to the Indian masses. The Racing and Karting programme by JK Tyre has been the breeding ground for the country’s  motorsport talents like Narain Karthikeyan, Armaan Ebrahim, Karun Chandhok, Aditya Patel and other emerging talents.

    Another pioneering initiative was the launch of the Truck Racing Championship in India in partnership with Tata Motors. The company developed and designed `JetRacing’, the new-generation truck racing tyres especially for this application. With this, JK Tyre became the first tyre company to produce truck racing tyres in India. The combination of the Prima trucks fitted with Jet Racing received an overwhelming response from participants and has definitely brought in a revolution in the Indian racing scenario.

  • DUO partners with Sahara Force India Formula One Team

    DUO partners with Sahara Force India Formula One Team

    DUO branding on the SFI car. Image by Sahara Force India F1 team

    Sahara Force India is pleased to welcome DUO, a market leading industrial engineering brand, as a new partner ahead of the 2018 season.

    DUO’s logos will be visible on the team’s 2018 car next week when the covers are pulled off the VJM11 in Barcelona. Branding will be located on the car’s rear crash structure and elements of the front wing.

    Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director of Sahara Force India: “I’m pleased to welcome DUO as our newest partner as they venture into Formula One for the first time. DUO’s business shares many parallels with the motorsport industry, especially precision engineering and manufacturing, and Formula One is an ideal platform to showcase their brand and technology.”

    Alex Moss, CEO at DUO Group: “We’re very excited about our new partnership with Sahara Force India. We have been involved in motorsport for some years, but it’s our first venture into Formula One. We have huge respect for Sahara Force India and what they have achieved over the last few years. They always deliver outstanding results and often punch well above their weight with tremendous efficiency. We really admire their racer’s attitude and it’s one of the reasons we chose to support the team. This partnership offers a great opportunity for us to develop our brand awareness on a global scale.”

    About DUO
    DUO Group is a market leading company that provides the Aggregate, Recycling and Material Handling Industries with a comprehensive package of complete processing solutions, including specific industrial applications for the Quarrying, Recycling, Bulk Handling Industries and Transport Infrastructure. DUO has a history that dates to 1981 and now comprises of three main business areas; equipment sales, contract processing, and manufacturing, equipment sales support. They also offer pre-used equipment and a comprehensive parts & service package.

    eom/SFI release

  • Force India is not for sale, says team statement; Vijay Mallya to miss launch in Barcelona on 26th

    Following recent media reports speculating on the sale of Force India Formula One Team Limited, the Company’s shareholders wish to clarify that there is no offer from potential investors under consideration.

    The Team is focussed on the start of testing next week where the 2018 car will be presented in Barcelona on Monday 26th of February. The team’s drivers, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, will pull the covers off the VJM11 and pose for photos in the pit lane at 8:00 am local time.

  • Marco Melandri sets fastest time on Day 1 of WorldSBK test: Aruba.it Racing Ducati team view

    Marco Melandri sets fastest time on Day 1 of WorldSBK test: Aruba.it Racing Ducati team view

    The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team officially kicked off its 2018 campaign at Phillip Island with the first day of pre-season tests ahead of Round 1 of the WorldSBK Championship. The team enjoyed a positive debut in what was the first of a two-day test, as shown by the provisional best time set by

    Marco Melandri

    . Davies, who finished in 10th position, preferred to adopt a progressive approach given the less than optimal track conditions caused by strong wind gusts, especially to avoid potential setbacks in his recovery from an injury sustained in late 2017.

    Melandri clocked 63 laps in total, posting his personal best in the morning session with a 1:30.726 then focusing on the pace with used tires. The Italian, who was the only rider able to break the 1:31 wall so far, confirmed his penchant for the Australian track where he already took five podiums in his career. Davies got progressively in tune with his 2018-spec Panigale R, making several evaluations and finishing with a personal best of 1:32.054.

    The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati will resume action tomorrow at 09:10 local time (CET +10) for the second and final day of pre-season tests ahead of the opening round, scheduled for February 23-25 on the same track.

    Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #33) – 1:30.726 (1st)
    “It’s been a really positive day overall, despite the less than ideal weather conditions. The wind was really strong and unpredictable in the afternoon, so it wasn’t possible to further improve the lap times, but we worked well with the team and we immediately found a good feeling with the bike. Having evaluated many components in the previous tests, we were finally able to focus more on performance. A year of experience with the Panigale R also represents an advantage, especially when it comes to the electronics. The races will be a different matter anyway, so we need to stay focused.”

    Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 1:32.054 (10th)
    “We tried quite a lot of things today and we have a general idea for tomorrow to further refine what felt good and what didn’t. We still need to combine our package a little bit but, considering that the conditions weren’t ideal, I think we achieved quite a lot. Physically I feel better, so I’m really happy about that. You never want to do anything stupid and get caught out or make mistakes on the first day of testing here. We basically used only two sets of tires, it wasn’t about going out for a quick lap time in the end, but rather to understand the package. Our first priority is to have a bike that can consistently be a reference in every circuit.”

    eom/Aruba.it Racing Ducati team press release

  • Co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul talks about sensible targeting of the driving, less mistakes: WRC Round 2 press meet

    Co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul talks about sensible targeting of the driving, less mistakes: WRC Round 2 press meet

    Winners of Rally Sweden, the second round of WRC on Sunday. Image: FIA

    WRC FIA press conference after the Rally Sweden, the second round of the WRC 2018

    Present:
    1st – Thierry Neuville, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
    1st – Nicolas Gilsoul, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
    2nd – Craig Breen, Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
    2nd – Scott Martin, Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
    3rd – Andreas Mikkelsen, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
    3rd – Anders Jæger, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
    Michel Nandan, Team Principal, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT

    Q:
    Thierry, congratulations, a great weekend – does this help to make up for last year?
    TN:
    I don’t think about last year. This year is different, this year we took revenge at this event, but as well as this we took some really important manufacturer points with two cars on the podium. This is the first time I lead the drivers [championship] with more than 10 points (now 10 points following a penalty to Evans), of course I led before but not like this. It was a very important weekend for us.

    Q:
    Leading the Championship is something special, but it does make Mexico more complicated…
    TN:
    It is something special and something we are not so much used to yet. We were second most of the time last year – but being the leader is different. Mexico will be a tough event, that’s the game and these are the rules. I am really looking forward to it even if I know a podium will be difficult. If I get away from Mexico in the lead of the championship then Corsica will be special!

    Q:
    You looked very confident when you pulled ahead yesterday afternoon…
    TN:
    The confidence was high, of course. The car worked well and the team supported us like they do for a long time. I was sure we could hope for a good result, but the win was tough. The first day with the conditions and the snow made it difficult for the first cars on the road. In fifth I was able to push hard and make a difference – especially in the long one where I really pushed. From there the game was on to push very hard. I was in a tough fight with the guys on my left and right.

    Q:
    You lost a bit of time on the first stage this morning, did that worry you?
    TN:
    I was not so concerned, if I’m in the lead on Sunday morning then I am normally losing a bit of time; I take it too carefully, but then I react quite quickly. We had a good controlled lead and we were even able to take some Power Stage points.

    Q:
    Nicolas, every point counts – it’s great to get the season off to a good start?
    NG:
    It’s the perfect start here. This has been a great weekend, I enjoyed a lot in the car. You talk about the attack and pushing, but it was also much more sensible to target the regulation [driving]: we were always in the top three and there were no mistakes. This must have been the good choice because we won!

    Q:
    Colin’s Crest, tell us about it, was it a moment?
    NG:
    In fact I have to say I know in advance I have three notes to tell Thierry. According to the timing of the first two, I have to say these before the jump and then I have one to read when we start to jump. When I read this note then I looked up and I couldn’t believe my eyes so much, we were completely on my side. I didn’t expect that. For one second I was surprised, one second after it was okay.

    Q:
    Craig, this is a career-best second overall for you here, it looked like it came very naturally.
    CB:
    It was one of those weekends where it all clicked. In one of the first few corners on Friday, I went in a bit hot, but it stuck and so I tried in the next one and the next one and I was able to carry that rhythm – it happened a bit by default. The car worked well and we started to find our feet. The guys worked so hard in the last few months on gravel and worked on snow, this is a complete turnaround from 12 months ago – it’s been an absolute pleasure to drive the car and I’ve enjoyed every moment.

    Q:
    Have you used your pleasure in the car to deflect the pressure?
    CB:
    I tried, but sometimes you come outside of that bubble and think: “Oh god…” but then we go and fire the car up and I get the emotions from the car. That helped me put the pressure to one side and just enjoy it. Somebody’s paying me a wage to drive a car between trees at 200 kph with my best friend at my side – what comes after is bloody good fun. And this rally was good fun, we may never get these conditions again, or it could be in 10 years, who knows? We had to make the most of it.

    Q:
    There’s a bit of a gap before we see you again now, how will you keep yourself busy when you’re not in Mexico?
    CB:
    Since I was eight years old, every year I’ve been doing some form of motor sport, so to have two months out – this is the longest I’ve ever been out. I don’t know what to do with myself. It’s going to be a strange couple of months, all I can do is get myself in the best possible position.
    AM:
    Try one year out!

    Q:
    Scott how were the conditions today?
    SM:
    We were really looking forward to the Likenäs stage, we remembered that one – they were the best conditions we could get. Early in the stage we wanted to see the rhythm from the previous two days and Craig found that from the first corners and we were able to set a good time. Craig said he was nervous going into the second run, but I was the other way around, but we kept it together to the end of the day.

    Q:
    Did you feel the pressure from Andreas?
    SM:
    Craig was unbelievable all day. In the whole rally, I think there were only one or two really small mistakes that I can think of. It’s been a great performance from him. If you make a small mistake in these conditions you can pay heavily in time, so I’m really happy we have a very clean rally. And it was good to put pressure on Thierry and Nicolas in the middle of the day yesterday.
    TN:
    What pressure? It must have gone the other way – I didn’t see it!
    SM:
    It’s coming this year!

    Q:
    Andreas, your first podium for Hyundai is a special one?
    AM:
    It’s good to get that box ticked, it’s a nice feeling. It’s nice to be back in the championship after very few points in Monte Carlo. But I am a bit disappointed. I wanted a bit more from the weekend. Thierry and Craig did a great performance; it was a fantastic drive from both crews. To be honest, we never got that perfect feeling to go flat out. But we know what to look for in the next tests and we will bounce back when it comes to Mexico.

    Q:
    What needs improving?
    AM:
    My test had different conditions and I set the car up with a very aggressive rear – I was not comfortable 100 per cent and when it’s like this, it’s hard to attack the stages. Myself and Anders did a sensible job, we did one mistake but other than that it’s been a pretty faultless drive.

    Q:
    You will have a good position on the road in Mexico…
    AM:
    And points-wise it’s not bad. We are close to the guys ahead and we have a good road position for Mexico. I hope we find a good set-up at the test next week.

    Q:
    Anders, this has been a good one for you?
    AJ:
    Very good. To see the roads like this in Sweden, it was amazing – even if it was not always equal. But putting the times aside we have had some really good fun. This is a fast rally where you have to be really determined and sometimes quite crazy, Andreas has done a good job. We’re happy to get away with the podium after the disappointment in Monte Carlo – the championship is looking better. Sixth is good for a road position in Mexico, but points-wise we are also close to the podium. We have to work on that, we’re back on track and heading to Mexico.

    Q:
    Will we see that first victory for Hyundai soon?
    AJ:
    Maybe mexico, we’ll see…

    Q:
    Michel you have gone from bottom of the list of manufacturers to the top in one rally; that must feel very good?
    MN:
    The championship is a still a long way away, but to go from fourth to first is great. All the crews did a really good job; they had a good road position, but even when you have that, you still have to stay on the road. Thierry did well and Andreas was able to keep his position for a double podium and that’s very good for us after Monte Carlo – and this is only the second event of the year.

    Q:
    Did you say anything to Hayden Paddon this morning? He was in a big fight for fourth place…
    MN:
    Well, he had Esapekka [Lappi] and Mads [Østberg] close and the only way to keep the position was to go for it – we allowed him to do this. Esapekka was really fast and in the last stage there was a mistake for Hayden – that meant he couldn’t fulfil [the position], but he set some good times, two best times, in the rally and he was comfortable in the car, that’s important for us.

    Q:
    And, of course, Sordo’s back for Mexico?
    MN:
    Yes of course. Thierry will be first on the road, but this is the game of the championship. Andreas will be in sixth position and we have Dani back – he will be in a very good road position. For Hyundai it looks not bad.
    FIA WRC 2 CHAMPIONSHIP

    Present:
    1st – Takamoto Katsuta, Tommi Mäkinen Racing
    1st – Marko Salminen, Tommi Mäkinen Racing

    Q:
    Takamoto, what an incredible result, how does it feel?
    TK:
    It has not been an easy weekend, Pontus [Tidemand] and Ole-Christian [Veiby] are very fast drivers and they have many experience of these conditions on this rally. We needed to make a big push, but to stay on the road. It was very difficult for us, but this is amazing – I didn’t expect this!

    Q:
    This is a great start to the year…
    TK:
    Yes, very well.

    Q:
    Where else can you be strong this year?
    TK:
    Finland: I live in Jyväskylä. We have many training around Jyväskylä and on the Finnish roads, I did some Finnish Championship rounds, so I have quite a lot of experience of the Finnish road – they’re quite similar. My main target is Rally Finland this year.

    Q:
    Marko, this is a special victory against some giant local competition?
    MS:
    As Taka said, it’s incredible – I was thinking we could maybe finish third after the Škoda factory drivers, but Taka was driving so well. He has taken a lot of progress in the last year – we have a lot of people behind us. And we can just be proud of him.

    Q:
    From 12 months what’s made the difference?
    MS:
    The training is the main key…
    TK:
    The biggest thing is English, three years ago I don’t speak it and now it’s much much better!

    Q:
    What was the feeling like at the finish, Marko?
    MS:
    Incredible, I will remember this for a very long time.
    FIA JUNIOR / WRC 3 CHAMPIONSHIP

    Present:
    1st – Dennis Rådström
    1st – Johan Johansson

    Q:
    Dennis how does this JWRC win feel?
    DR:
    It’s the best day of my life. We were aiming for this and we’ve done it.

    Q:
    How tough was the event?
    DR:
    In the beginning, we only did our pace – but today I got really nervous, but we close it out on Torsby.

    Q:
    Was there a bit of pressure today – there was only six seconds between you and Bergkvist before the last stage…
    DR:
    Maybe not pressure, but I was nervous in some way. In Torsby I enjoyed the stage and it was a great time.

    Q:
    It must be a special feeling to get the first win?
    DR:
    I hope we have shown the teams in the WRC our development and a step in our performance. We made a great victory.

    Q:
    Johan, how does this first win feel?
    JJ:
    Crazy, we worked so hard for this. This is a very difficult rally and I could feel the pressure, but we have showed we are able to catch Emil [Bergkvist] and now we take the win.

    Q:
    It’s very good moving forward…
    JJ:
    Yeah, I think so. We have one year [in JWRC] and we take this good feeling to Corsica, but we don’t have such confidence on Tarmac.

    Q:
    Dennis will you test for Tarmac?
    DR:
    We have scheduled for more tarmac – every kilometre is important.

    eom/FIA release

  • Thierry Neuville, co-driver Gilsoul of Hyundai continue to lead after Day 2: WRC Round 2

    Thierry Neuville, co-driver Gilsoul of Hyundai continue to lead after Day 2: WRC Round 2

    Hayden Paddon, Seb Marshall are in 4th place in a Hyundai i20 Coupe on Saturday. Image by Helena El Mokni
    Copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

    Rally Sweden – Day Two Report

    • Hyundai Motorsport has extended its lead of Rally Sweden to 22.7-seconds with all three Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC cars still inside the top-four overall
    • Thierry Neuville scored four stage wins on Saturday to build a buffer to his nearest rival, Craig Breen, as he chases his first victory of 2018
    • Andreas Mikkelsen still has his sights set on the podium, just 9.3s behind Breen, and ahead of Hayden Paddon in fourth place.

    Torsby (Sweden), 17  Feb 2018: Hyundai Motorsport continues to lead Rally Sweden, the second round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), after a measured performance on the penultimate day.

    Thierry Neuville continued where he left off on Friday evening, defending his lead during the morning stages before extending his advantage with an assured afternoon loop. The Belgian will begin the final morning with a 22.7-second gap to second-placed Craig Breen.

    All three Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC crews remain in the hunt for competitive finishes this weekend with Andreas Mikkelsen and Hayden Paddon holding a strong third and fourth spots. There are just over nine seconds between Citroën’s Breen and Mikkelsen, setting up a tantalising final morning.

    Saturday’s action took place on classic Swedish roads near to Hagfors, covering a total special stage distance of 120.31km. The 19.88km Torn-top stage returned to the itinerary for the first time since 2014, when Hyundai Motorsport first contested Rally Sweden.

    Spinning around

    Crews also tackled the iconic Colin’s Crest jump in the 14.21km Vargåsen stage, with Neuville offering one of the most spectacular sights of the day! Two shorter stages brought the day to a thrilling conclusion with a Super Special Stage in Karlstad (1.90km) and the Torsby Sprint (3.43km) close to the Service Park.

    The morning loop wasn’t without its problems for the Hyundai Motorsport trio, as both Neuville and Mikkelsen endured spins on SS10 (Hagfors 1). Paddon, meanwhile, opted for a cautious approach to the opening stages. All three crews increased their pace in the afternoon.

    Neuville took four stage wins (SS11 Vargåsen, SS13 Hagfors 2, SS14 Vargåsen 2 and SS16 Torsby Sprint), backed up by Mikkelsen and Paddon with all three cars inside the top-four during the repeat loop. Hyundai Motorsport has amassed eight stage wins across all three crews so far this weekend, including four stage 1-2s and a stage 1-2-3.  Last season, the team secured seven stage wins in Sweden.

    Crew Notes: Neuville/Gilsoul (#5 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)

    • Crew has led rally since SS3 and holds 22.7s advantage over Craig Breen
    • Four stage wins on Saturday including jaw-dropping jump over Colin’s Crest

    Neuville said: “Things have gone pretty much to plan today and we can be pleased with our day overall. We had a bit of a stressful start this morning after a technical issue in the first stage and a spin in the second, which cost us some time. After that, though, we were able to increase the gap stage by stage. In the afternoon, we took six tyres compared to Craig’s five so we knew we’d lose a bit initially with the extra weight, but we then had fresher tyres for later in the loop. We gave a big push through SS13 and SS14, as we’re involved in a very close fight. We scored more stage wins, which was a nice reward for our efforts. I actually touched the inside bank of the Colin’s Crest jump, which created some exciting images for the fans. I think Colin himself would have called that ‘a little moment’ but we were still able to register the fastest time. We took things a bit steadier in the final stages and we are now prepared to fight for victory on Sunday morning.”

    Crew Notes: Mikkelsen/Jæger (#4 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)

    • Spin in SS10 lost 15 seconds as Norwegians battle for top-three
    • Second in SS13/SS14 supported double Hyundai Motorsport 1-2 in stage

    Mikkelsen said: “It has been a day of two halves. The morning loop could have been better. We had a spin in SS10, the second stage of the day, and lost around 15 seconds. We touched a bank and had to reverse out, which was easier said than done, as it was a narrow section of road. We made some set-up adjustments at lunchtime service to find a similar feeling to yesterday, making the car less stiff in a bid to find more traction. The afternoon was a lot cleaner as a result with some improved times. Hayden has been pushing, so we have done the same to try and defend our third place. There is an almost ten-second time deficit to Craig, with three stages left on Sunday, but we’ll give it a good go. It’s not impossible.”

    Crew Notes: Paddon/Marshall (#6 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)

    • Patient start to the day paid dividends with competitive afternoon loop
    • Fourth place overall helps set Hyundai Motorsport up for strong finish on Sunday

    Paddon said: “Not quite the day we wanted but we are still enjoying ourselves and doing the best we can. We started the morning loop knowing that we would be playing a waiting game. The way that the car has been set up for my driving meant we had to find a compromise between my own confidence and the outright performance in those first stages. The wider lines on the roads in the afternoon played more to my strengths, so we had to be patient and wait for the stages to come to us. We were definitely more comfortable to push in the repeat loop. It was fantastic to see so many fans enjoying the stages, especially through Colin’s Crest. Unfortunately, we lost a little time stuck in a snow bank on the final stage, but we are still in a good position to push on tomorrow.

    Eyes on the prize

    Team Principal Michel Nandan commented: “We head into Saturday evening in a very competitive position with Thierry leading, Andreas in third and Hayden just behind in fourth. I wouldn’t say we are in a comfortable situation because, as we know too well, anything can happen on the final day of a rally. However, I think we are giving a good account of ourselves here and I’m pleased with how things have gone today. Of course, there have been a few issues. The same is true for almost everybody but I think we have seen a representative performance from the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC and from our three crews. I’m eager to see what we can deliver in the final stages of the rally. The gap to second is not insurmountable. It’s going to be exciting for the fans, and most likely nerve-wracking for us!”

    Sunday’s itinerary at a glance

    • Three stages remain on Rally Sweden’s 19-stage itinerary, a total of just 51.94km
    • Two runs of the 21.19km Likenäs test will be followed by a repeat of the 9.56km Torsby stage, initially contested on Friday when Hyundai Motorsport registered a 1-2-3 finish
    • With each of the three stages spread out over the course of Sunday morning, it promises to be a tense finish to the rally.

    Classification after Day Two

    1 T. Neuville N. Gilsoul Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 2:23:23.8
    2 C. Breen S. Martin Citroën C3 WRC +22.7
    3 A. Mikkelsen A. Jæger Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +32.0
    4 H. Paddon S. Marshall Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +48.6
    5 M. Østberg T. Eriksen Citroën C3 WRC +56.8
    6 E. Lappi J. Ferm Toyota Yaris WRC +1:05.8
    7 J. M. Latvala M. Anttila Toyota Yaris WRC +2:03.3
    8 T. Suninen M. Markkula Ford Fiesta WRC +2:20.5
    9 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Toyota Yaris WRC +3:41.3
    10 S. Ogier J. Ingrassia Ford Fiesta WRC +4:24.9