INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Gill rules the night stages of Rally of Arunachal: INRC

    Itanagar, (Arunachal Pradesh), 23 Dec 2017: King of Indian motorsports and reigning Asia Pacific Rally Championship, Gaurav Gill of Team Mahindra Adventure moved closer to another National title as he won along with long-time co-driver Musa Sherif, the Rally of Arunachal, the fifth and penultimate round of the MRF fmsci Indian National Rally Championship at Ziro on Saturday. With three wins, Gill has 75 points and is leading the table with Dean Mascarenhas in second place with 63 points.

    Fresh from his victory at the APRC championship victory at Chikkamagaluru, where he could not take part in the INRC which were held simultaneously. With the Mangalorean Musa Sherif making the calls, Gill was at this best speeding away through the Special Stages, as night stages made a comeback to add flavour to the first rally in the North East in the INRC on Friday.

    Young Turk Dean Mascarenhas of Mangalore came overall second and won his class, INRC3. Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) came third.

    Younus Ilyas and Harish Kumar won the INRC2 class edging out Rahul Kanthraj and Vivek Y Bhatt, who finished fifth overall, were leading the championship table in their class with only K-1000 round remaining in January. The South India Rally in Chennai is not likely to happen for want of calendar time as K1000 in Bengaluru is already pushed to the New Year.

    Karna Kadur and Arjun Rao failed to finish the rally due to mechanical problems.

    Provisional Results:
    INRC: 1. Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif); 2. Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik);
    INRC 2: 1. Younus Ilyas (Harish Kumar); 2. Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Y Bhatt); 3. Jacob KJ (Venu Ramesh Kumar);
    INRC 3: 1. Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival); 2. Daraius Shroff (Nitin Jacob); 3. Dr Punyabrata Barma (Mrinmoy Saha).

    eom/

  • Gill looking to conquer new territory in the North-East: INRC

    Itanagar  (Arunachal Pradesh), 21 Dec 2017: The King of Indian Motorsports and current Asia Pacific Rally Champion Gaurav Gill has come back to the fmsci Indian National Rally Championship, perhaps the penultimate round of this year’s calendar with only K-1000 remaining at Bengaluru next month. The postponed rounds now appear to have a slim chance of being organised as the 5th round begins in the North-Eastern territory, a new entrant into the INRC. Title sponsor MRF are all set for the Rally of Arunachal, which began today with the key contest being on Sunday.

    Despite not taking part in the INRC leg of the 4th round which was held along with APRC in the Coffee land of Chikmagalur, Gill, still leads the field with 50 points along with navigator Musa Sherif, after two victories for Team Mahindra Adventure. Karna Kadur who won the INRC category in the last round for the second successive year is five points behind. Kadur is also the defending champion.

    Dean Mascarenhas is leading the INRC3 class. Overall, Dean, who came back with his old navigator Shruptha Padival at Chikmagalur, has 43 points. But the duo lead their class with 75 points.

    ARKA motorsports’ Karna and Nikhil Pai are back in the fray, despite a non-finish in Round 3, the Rally of Jaipur.

    Karna yielded his pre-eminent position in the INRC 2 class to Rahul Kanthraj and Vivek Y Bhatt, who has managed a 2, 1, 2 finish so far. He is fourth in the INRC standings with 37 points.
    ends

  • Drugovich wins all races, takes 71-point lead: MRF Challenge

    Drugovich wins all races, takes 71-point lead: MRF Challenge

    Abu Dhabi, 15 Dec 2017: Brazilian driver Felipe Drugovich continued his unbelievable run at the M

    From Left: Vicky Chandhok, Falchero, Drugovich, Kalmthout. An MRF image by Aditya Bedre

    RF Challenge in Abu Dhabi by winning the first three races of the weekend. GP3 French driver Julien Falchero finished 2nd in two races and 3rd in the other but was no match for the flying Brazilian. Drugovich has a 71 point lead with 5 races still to go.

    Race 1: Starting on pole position, Drugovich got the perfect start with Falchero losing out to Presley Martono. Rinus van Kalmthout’s weekend went from bad to worse when he collided with Robert Wagner putting both drivers out on the spot. This brought out the safety car. When the safety car went in on lap 4, Drugovich easily pulled away while Martono had his hands full with Falchero.

    Behind them Louis Gachot and Alex Karkosik fought for 4th place. The safety car came out again when Michael Amendalo stopped in turn 9. With just two laps remaining, Drugovich coasted to an easy win with Martono holding off Falchero for 2nd. Gachot finished in 4th ahead of Karkosik and Danial Frost.

    Race 2: In the reverse grid based Race 2, Frost made the perfect getaway with Gachot slotting into 2nd, ahead of Falchero and fast starting Drugovich. On lap 2 Gachot tried to pass Frost but ended up hitting him and putting him out at the spot. Falchero tried to take advantage and pass Gachot only for Drugovich to get past both drivers and storm into the lead. The safety car came out as Frost’s car was taken out of harm’s way.

    Martono got past a recovering Gachot for 4th place, who was later given a 20 second penalty for his collision with Frost.. At the front there was no stopping Drugovich who took his second win of the weekend. Falchero finished in 2nd place ahead of Karkosik and Martono. Nazim Azman got his best finish of the season in 5th while van Kalmthout came from 17th place to finish 6th.

    Race 3: For the third race in succession, Drugovich made the perfect start and led into turn 1 while Falchero lost out to Karkosik and Martono. On lap 3 Martono tried to pass Karkosik but both drivers collided, allowing Falchero to get past in to 2nd place. Karkosik was forced to retire and Martono, who suffered front wing damage, also retired later in the race. Van Kalmthout, who started in 16th place, was amazingly upto 3rd after 4 laps.

    Drugovich pulled away to another win while Falchero came in 2nd, just ahead of a charging van Kalmthout. Amendalo came in 4th place ahead of Manuel Maldonado and Azman.

    Championship leader Felipe Drugovich, commented, “The car just suits this circuit and I love driving here. The second race was more challenging than the other as I took advantage of the chaos in front of me and got to the front. After that it was all about maintaining the pace and ensuring we finished in front. A big thank you to my engineer and mechanics for making this happen.”

    Julien Falchero was happy to finish on the podium in all the races. He commented, “Congratulations to Felipe (Drugovich) as he was the quickest this weekend. Our races were not as straight forward but we managed to get the maximum. There is one more race to go this weekend so hope I can get to the top step to finish off what has been a good weekend for me.”

    For more information please visit: www.mrfracing.in

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Race 1:

    S.No. Driver Name Total Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 25:50.742
    2. Presley MARTONO 25:53.085
    3. Julien FALCHERO 25:53.605
    4. Louis GACHOT 25:54.448
    5. Alex KARKOSIK 25:54.885

     

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Race 2:

     

    S.No. Driver Name Total Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 25:52.221
    2. Julien FALCHERO 25:54.098
    3. Alex KARKOSIK 25:56.089
    4. Presley MARTONO 25:57.277
    5. Nazim AZMAN 26:00.283

     

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Race 3:

    S.No. Driver Name Total Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 21:58.696
    2. Julien FALCHERO 22:12.174
    3. Rinus van KALMTHOUT 22:13.195
    4. Michael AMENDALO 22:26.080
    5. Manuel MALDONADO 22:31.418

     

  • Drugovich dominated Day 1: MRF Challenge 2017

    Drugovich dominated Day 1: MRF Challenge 2017

    Abu Dhabi, 14 Dec 2017: Championship leader Felipe Drugovich dominated day 1 of the MRF Challenge 2017 at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi after topping both practice sessions and qualifying on pole position. His closes competitor was French driver Julien Falchero, who finished 2nd in all sessions. Alex Karkosik will start in 3rd place, ahead of Presley Martono and Louis Gachot.

    The opening practice session of the weekend started with all cars going out in unison on the mighty Yas Marina circuit. With none of the drivers having even sampled the circuit, the session was spent gathering useful data. Drugovich wasted no time and immediately went fast with a 2:13.683. Van Kalmthout and Falchero then took turns exchanging times at the top. Drugovich set a time of 2:10.173 to go one second faster than the rest of the pack to end the session. Falchero came closest, albeit half a second off the top spot. Van Kalmthout was 3rd ahead of Martono and Sweden’s Henning Enqvist.

    Free practice 2 saw the drivers concentrating on their race runs with the result being no different. Drugovich was still fastest, ahead of Falchero and van Kalmthout, with all drivers a second slower than the pace they set in the morning. Martono was once again in 4th place, ahead of Danial Frost and Alex Karkosik.

    In qualifying, Karkosik set a 2:11.974 to move to the top of the standings only for Drugovich to beat him with a 2:11.509. The session was red-flagged with 12 minutes to go as championship contender van Kalmthout crashed. He will start from 12th place, dealing his championship hopes a big blow.

    When the session resumed it was a straight fight between Drugovich and Falchero, who traded fastest laps till the last lap. Finally it was Drugovich who put in a 2:10.637 to claim pole position. Falchero will start beside him with Karkosik and Martono on row 2. Louis Gachot will start in 5th place after another impressive qualifying session.

    Championship leader Felipe Drugovich, commented, “It was really hard out there as we were struggling with grip and some parts of the car. Julien (Falchero) was quick and it was fun to see us trading fastest laps. Starting on pole is always important so look forward to the race and hope to do my best.”

    Julien Falchero, who was the only one close enough to challenge Falchero, commented, “Congrats to Felipe as he was too quick. I tried to stay close to him in qualifying but was having too much understeer. I am happy with 2nd and think we can challenge for the win tomorrow.”

    Live Timing: http:// http://livetiming.getraceresults.com/abudhabi#screen-results

    For more information please visit: www.mrfracing.in

     

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Free Practice 1:

    S.No. Driver Name Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 2:10.173
    2. Julien FALCHERO 2:10.628
    3. Rinus VAN KALMTHOUT 2:10.929
    4. Presley MARTONO 2:11.518
    5. Henning ENQVIST 2:11.604

     

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Free Practice 2:

     

    S.No. Driver Name Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 2:11.000
    2. Julien FALCHERO 2:11.258
    3. Rinus VAN KALMTHOUT 2:11.520
    4. Presley MARTONO 2:11.758
    5. Danial FROST 2:12.063

     

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Qualifying:

    S.No. Driver Name Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 2:10.637
    2. Julien FALCHERO 2:11.128
    3. Alex KARKOSIK 2:11.182
    4. Presley MARTONO 2:11.330
    5. Louis GACHOT 2:11.645

    Felipe Drugovich. MRF image by Aditya Bedra

     

  • Energica to supply motorcycles for FIM Moto-e World Cup

    Italian innovator Energica will be the single manufacturer for the FIM Moto-e World Cup when engines switch on in 2019

    The FIM Moto-e World Cup is becoming a reality in 2019, ushering in the beginning of a new era for two-wheeled motorsport: competition on electric motorcycles. Dorna is delighted to announce that the supplier for this new and exciting prospect will be Italian innovator Energica. The model that will be used by teams in the new competition will be a tuned version of Energica Ego.

    Energica Motor Company, based in the motorsport-rich area of Modena, created the world’s first Italian racing-bred electric motorcycle and has since redefined the possible on the street and within the sector. Working in perfect harmony with the experience, passion, and expertise of parent company the CRP Group, Energica and the Ego will provide the FIM Moto-e World Cup with the world-beating performance but zero emissions – taking high-octane yet electric-powered competition from concept to thrilling, high-speed reality.

    Vito Ippolito, FIM President, comments: “The FIM is very happy to support the development of new technologies, of which the new FIM Moto-e World Cup is an example. Energica is proving itself to be a reliable and expert leader in this sector and with the highly qualified support of Dorna we are sure that we are taking the road to success.”

    Livia Cevolini, CEO Energica Motor Company S.p.A, says: “We are proud to have been chosen by Dorna and we are already committed to this project. The passion for engines is what brought us here, to build new dream vehicles right in the beating heart of the Italian Motor Valley, Modena, Italy. We took the electric field to another level: each Energica undergoes quality control and performance tests, and our R&D department is always focused on new technologies and their practical application. Our history comes from racing, our passion for this sector has never faded. Moto-e is an excellent project. After all, it is what we hoped since our racing years, now it can be managed professionally thanks to Dorna and its unique and long-lasting experience.”

    Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports, adds: “The FIM Moto-e World Cup is a new and exciting project for Dorna, and it makes us very proud to announce Energica will be the supplier in this new venture. We believe in excellence, quality, and performance and we cannot think of a better collaborator with whom to launch the FIM Moto-e World Cup. Energica are an industry-leading and innovative company and we look forward to the incredible spectacle of electric-powered racing together.”

    eom/press release

  • Akbar Ebrahim, Chandhoks lead 14 other Indians into FIA Commissions

    By David Bodapati

    Bangalore, 12 Dec 2017: It is almost a week since the FIA Annual General Assembly was held in Paris and a few days since the good news of Gautham Singhania, the drag master, and racer, adorned the highest post in his racing life. The glittering FIA grand gala Prize-Giving at the Palace of Versailles, also saw Gaurav Gill, the only Indian in the award winners list invited by the FIA, receive the honours for retaining his APRC title, on Dec. 9.

    Singhania, 52, climbed to the helm of motorsports administration being nominated by Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) and then getting elected in the FIA General Assembly. An election to the World Motorsports Council, in the International Automobile Federation (FIA) is the highest form of governing body one can get into in this sport. He will be replacing, Vijay Mallya, the King of Good Times, is down in the dumps dubbed as the `willful defaulter’ and is facing an extradition case which looks very unlikely to stand in the London Court, with the lady lawyer grilling the prosecution and making arguments that the case is politically motivated. Whether Mallya will be indicted or not is a moot point. He lost his position as the member of the World Council and FMSCI was forced to nominate a person, and the bigwigs preferred to name Singhania, ahead of Vicky Chandhok, who was the Deputy Titular earlier and who did enormous work in bringing F1 to India, even if it stayed here only for three years. Keeping such a stalwart out may be due to the bad times, but Singhania, the MD of  Raymond Group, is no stranger to Motorsports either.

    Singhania is reported to be `very passionate about fast cars, fast boats, and fast planes’. He has driven a Formula One single-seater, said to be in France and we received many a release regarding his exploits in racing cars. He took part in the 2014 Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli – Coppa Shell, held at Silverstone in Sept 2014 as an official Indian entry endorsed by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). The Coppa Shell is a series for “amateur gentleman drivers” in the one-make racing series organised by Ferrari, and Singhania competed in a Ferrari 458. He also won on debut, the amateur category in the All Stars European Drifting Championship in Malta earlier in September 2012 and the next year he unveiled India’s first purpose-built drifting car. There are many similarities between him and Mallya…

    The Super Car Club that he co-founded is promoting drifting as an auto sport in a big way in the country, and Singhania also holds the lap record at the Buddh International Circuit in a non-open wheel car.

    But how he would become an adept administrator from being a racer, needs to be noticed. All the best to him.

    Then the current president of FMSCI, Akbar Ebrahim, who brought in a series of changes to cleanse the Federation and the clubs running various national championships, will be Singhania’s deputy titular. Akku, as he is popularly known in the circuit, is a no-nonsense man. He calls a spade a spade. But he too is facing a gigantic challenge in dealing with the veterans in the sport, the grapevine alleges. That is enough material for a separate story.

    Akku will also be a member of the Electric and New Energy Championships Commission. Apart from the top two, we have stalwarts Chandhoks, who can just walk into any commission. But Vicky Chandhok continues to be in the Truck Racing Commission while Karun Chandhok, one of the only two Formula One drivers from India, who thrills millions of motorsports fans with his amazing knowledge of F1 and motorsports during his commentary stints on TV, will continue to be on the Drivers’ Commission. The other two important Commissions saw J Anand and Farhan Vohra get elected. Anand, a former speed master and current chief of JA Motorsport which builds the single seater cars in India will be in the Single Seater Commission. I always believed that J Anand and Arjun Balu, both based in Coimbatore, are two of the greatest drivers India ever produced who also ended up as greatest underachievers, never realising the potential their raw speed and immense talent deserved. Unsung heroes, who I still respect for their deeds behind the wheel! Anand went on to become a great entrepreneur and is coming up with a big venture for Tatas. Arjun Balu too is nominated by the Federation but unfortunately, he could not make it this time and he has to wait. The way he won the Asia Zone Cup in China in 2002 defeating his much-acclaimed teammate Naren Kumar, is still fresh in my mind. In MRF team, he was always a second fiddle, for reasons unknown, even if one is made to believe that there were no team orders.

    Vohra was in control during the three years, India hosted the Formula One world championship at Buddh International Circuit. As the Indian Race Director and Assistant CoC and he will be on the Circuits Commission.

    Then we have the multi-faceted, 7-time National champion and amazing rallyist, racer, tuner, N Leelakrishnan. He will be the member of the Touring Car Commission. Farooq Ahmed, the brain behind the Motorsports Club of Chikmagalur and the one who brought the Asia Pacific Rally Championship to India will adorn the FIA Rally Commission and rightly so. What with the enormous success of the APRC in the Coffee Estates of Coffee Day Global for the last two years, where the King of Indian Motorsports Gaurav Gill ruled the roost winning not only the Chikmagalur leg but also the APRC titles. Gill is also the lone winner at the Gala FIA prize-giving, a day after 17 Indians walked into the FIA panels.

    Farooq was a former National Champion himself and was the co-driver for Leelakrishnan among other drivers. Under his stewardship, the Coffee Day Rally, and the club itself raised standards to a higher notch, not only to become a permanent fixture in the INRC, the Indian National Rally Championship but also to set the game to a professional level that only a few can achieve.

    When MSCC shines, can KMSC, the Karnataka governing body, be far behind. Balakrishna Jayasimha, the biker turned rallyist, is the current secretary of Karnataka Motorsports Club for the last seven years. With Bharat, leaving all of us, after his untimely death, BK, as he is fondly known in the circles, and Shivu Shivappa, the President are pulling on the reigns. But it is BK, who makes his debut in the FIA commissions. He will be part of the Off-road stuff. The RallyCross and AutoCross. He has a story to tell about the sport taking off in India in one division. It has made a quick start with a GP published in the other, but that I will keep for another story.

    And then we have Zayn Khan, the former FMSCI president. The Hyderabadi will be replacing Prabha Shankar of Chennai in the Volunteers and Officials Commission. Nawaz Sandhu, nee Batheena will again sit in the `Women In Sport’ Commision. As CoC, she was impeccable driving the deserts in her vehicle to run the Jaipur rally when PSP and IMG ran it. A former rallyist and married to `madman driver’ Sandhu, who with his mad speed, used to scare the daylights out of his navigator, another former champion, and our very own Bengalurean, Jaidas Menon. I still remember the joke about the day when a train passed through the unmanned gates of those many tricky crossings K-1000 had. Jai stopped making the calls and started shouting…..STOP, STOP, STOP. But the cool-as-as-a-cucumber Sandhu was not mad enough to heed the caution. He crossed the track in a jiffy, seconds before `the Train’ crossed the same spot. And then it was his turn to shout… “RELAX, RELAX, RELAX. It’s all over”. The narration is an exaggeration, I agree, but the incident was a real-life experience. Ask Jaidas or even the `silent’ Sandhu. Now they will laugh about it.

    Coming back to Navaz, she will continue to be the Indian representative of the `Women in Sport’ Commission. We also have Balamurugan in the Drag Commission for another term and another Coimbatore-based official Sajeev Mathew entering the Karting Commission this year. Automobile journalist and expert voice, Hormazd Sorabjee continues in the Land Speed Records Commission. That will leave us with Satish Kumar in Homologation Commission, Manjeev Balla, famous for the Raid de Himalaya gets one more term in the Hill Climb Commission, and Shyam Kumar enters Safety Commission, which is turning out to be one of the most important Commissions.

    1. Akbar Ebrahim, Electric and New Energy Championships Commission;
    2. Vicky Chandhok, Truck Racing Commission;
    3. Karun Chandhok, Drivers’ Commission;
    4. J Anand (Single Seater Commission;
    5. Farhan Vohra, Circuits;
    6. Zayn Khan, Volunteers, and Officials;
    7. Manjeev Balla, Hill Climb Commission;
    8. Sajeev Mathew, Karting Commission;
    9. J Balamurugan, Drag Racing Commission;
    10. N. Leelakrishnan, Touring Cars Commission;
    11. Jayesh Desai, Cross Country Commission;
    12. Balakrishna Jayasimha, Off-Road commission for Auto-cross and Rally cross;
    13. Shyam Kumar, Safety Commission;
    14. Navaz Batheena Sandhu, Women in Motorsports;
    15. Farooq Ahmed, Rally Commission;
    16. Satish Kumar, Homologation Commission;
    17. Hormazd Sorabjee, Land Speed Records Commission;

    eom/david/inputs from FMSCI nomination list

    edited kind of motorsports to…king of motorsports on 12 Dec 2017 at 8pm.

     

     

  • Pirelli announces Tyre choices, mandatory sets for 2018 first 3 GPs

    http://f1pressarea.pirelli.com/wp-content/files/pdf/38696.pdf

    Milan, December 11, 2017 – Pirelli is bringing the following compounds to the Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne, March 23-25), Bahrain Grand Prix (Sakhir, April 6-8), and Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai, April 13-15).

    A reminder of the rules: Each driver must save one set of the softest of the three nominated compounds for Q3. This set will then be returned for those who qualify in the top 10, but the remaining drivers will keep it for the race. Each driver must have both these sets available for the race. Teams are free to choose the remaining 10 sets, making 13 sets in total for the weekend.

  • Drugovich extends lead in MRF Challenge 2017

    David Bodapati

    Dubai: 9 Dec 2017: Brazilian Felipe Drugovich recovered from Friday’s disappointment to win a Race 3 in Round 2 and also came second in Race 4 of the MRF Challenge 2017 here on Saturday.

    In Race 3, Drugovich overtook Martono on Lap 2 and pushed the latter to 2nd place with Karkosik coming in 3rd. However, Martono struck back in Race 4 to take his first win of the season beating Drugovich and Rinus van Kalmthout came in third. Drugovich currently leads the championship with 150 points, ahead of Martono (132) and van Kalmthout (124).

    Martono finally got a good start off the line in Race 3 as he led into the first corner with Felipe Drugovich tucked up right behind him. Drugovich immediately piled on the pressure and got past the Indonesian driver with a daring move down the inside into turn 12. Behind them there was action all race as Harri Jones, Karkosik and Falchero did battle. All drivers were given a warning for dangerous driving on the track. Karkosik passed Jones to move into 3rd place. At the front, Martono stayed with Drugovich but was unable to get close enough to attempt a pass. The Brazilian driver took his 4th win of the season.

    Karkosik crossed the line in 3rd place. Danial Frost and Falchero finished in 4th & 5th places respectively but both were disqualified due to technical infringements on their cars. Jones was promoted to 6th place only to be given a 20-second penalty for overtaking outside track limits. After all penalties, Robert Megennis, Michale Amendola and Manuel Maldonado finished in 4th, 5th, and 6th places respectively. Championship contender van Kalmthout had a gear shift problem and dropped to last before recovering to finish in 9th position.

    The final race of the weekend saw van Kalmthout starting on pole alongside Martono for Race 4. The Indonesian driver had another good start and took the lead as they headed into the first corner. There was trouble at the back as Maldonado and Frost collided, bring out the safety car. When the safety car came in on lap 4, Martono had both van Kalmthout and Drugovich on his tail. Drugovich managed to pass van Kalmthout to take 2nd place.

    Drugovich then had Martono in his sights for the rest of the four laps, but the Indonesian just had enough to take his maiden win of the season. Van Kalmthout completed the podium with Karkosik in 4th. However, Karkosik was later disqualified for failing to serve a drive-through penalty, for a jump start. Jones finished in 4th place ahead of Falchero.

    Championship leader Felipe Drugovich, commented, “Today was a really good day so I am very happy to extend my championship lead. Especially after we had that problem yesterday, today’s win was sweet. I really enjoy driving this circuit.”

    Presley Martono was thrilled to win his first race after showing great pace the whole weekend. He commented, “I have been having a problem with my starts but today in race 4 I really nailed it. When the safety car came out I knew I would have a tough time keeping the two guys behind me. But the car was good so to take my first win here feels good.”

    Round 2: Race 3: 1. Felipe Drugovich 19:45.535; 2. Presley Martono 19:46.295; 3. Alex Karkosik 19:52.310. Race 4: 1. Presley Martono 24:14.432; 2. Felipe Drugovich 24:15.133; 3. Rinus van Kalmthout 24:16.045.

    Championship Positions after Round 2 (provisional): 

    Championship Positions after Round 2 (provisional): 1. Felipe Drugovich 150 points; 2. Presley Martino 132; 3. Rinus van Kalmthout 124; 4. Julien Falchero 102; 5. Alex Karkosik 74.

    For more information please visit: www.mrfracing.in

    eom/david/MRF press release

  • Jean Todt elected for third term as FIA President

    Paris: Old hat Jean Todt, who spends a great deal of time on road safety, passionately promoting it all over the world was re-elected as President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) at the organisation’s General Assembly here on Monday.

    Unlike last time, Todt was elected unanimously for the third term in office by acclamation, and by a show of hands. The new mandate will see Todt continue to develop the global federation of Motorsport and Mobility organisations until the end of 2021.

    Meanwhile, Gautam Singhania of India is elected to the World Motor Sport Council and Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India President Akbar Ebrahim will be the deputy titular. It is reported that a record 17 Indians have been in various committees. The full list is yet to be published. Singhania, a race driver himself, will replace Vijay Mallya, the co-owner of Sahara Force India Formula One team. Mallya is facing a trial in London which reached the stage of hearings from Dec 4.

    Speaking after accepting President Todt said: “It is gratifying to have such universal support. I would like to thank all of the Member Clubs of the FIA for their support. I see this as a validation of the direction the FIA has taken under my leadership, and as encouragement to continue the programme we have pursued over the past eight years.”

    President Todt went on to outline an ambitious programme for what will be his final term in office, focusing on three key areas: innovation, advocacy and the development of a strong network of Mobility and Sport Clubs.

    Reaffirming the FIA’s role as the governing body of Motor Sport worldwide, he said: “From time to time there are some who challenge this role, and I remind them that Motor Sport will always need a regulator, it will always need fair play, it will always require ethics, and it will always need an independent referee. This is the vital role the FIA plays and one it will continue to play in the future.

    Expanding on the theme of innovation, he added: “Innovation is essential if the FIA is to continue to improve and take its rightful place in the world as the leader in Mobility and Motorsport development,” he said. “To encourage this, we propose to establish an FIA Innovation Fund.”

    Over President Todt’s first two terms advocacy across a range of issues, including road safety and sustainable mobility, has become a key area of endeavour for both the FIA and its Member Clubs, and following today’s vote he emphasised the need to further strengthen the Federation’s efforts to reduce road fatalities and to help shape the future of clean and accessible mobility for all.

    “The FIA has made significant progress globally, and is now recognised by world bodies, governments, and fellow NGOs as a reliable and relevant voice on the international stage,” he said.

    “Road Safety continues to be a major focus through the work of the FIA High-Level Panel for Road Safety, the support and assistance of the FIA Foundation and its Chairman, Lord Robertson, and through the #3500 Lives campaign which was launched worldwide earlier this year. I am pleased to confirm that this campaign will continue to have a global presence in 2018 in order to help achieve the goal of reducing road trauma. Additionally, during this term, a new set of FIA Road Safety Awards will be instigated, to recognise outstanding contributions to achieving real progress in international road safety outcomes.”

    Turning to the future of Mobility, President Todt stressed the need for the Federation to foster the growth and influence of its Member Clubs in defining the next generation of transportation systems.

    “Our clubs are the largest consumer organisations in their country and their 80-million road-user members make the FIA one of the largest global consumer bodies. This is important because while the future of mobility is exciting, it also holds many challenges, and it is our duty to help shape it.

    “We will have to deal with increased congestion in all our major cities, with the introduction of autonomous vehicles, the growing cost of mobility and with the development of new technologies in developed countries. We need to influence the direction these developments take in order to ensure acceptable outcomes for all.

    “My ambition remains for our Federation to continue to strive to be the best it possibly can – stronger, smarter, more secure, more professional and globally respected.”

    President Todt’s re-election also confirms a restructured team at the helm of the FIA. After eight years as President of the FIA Senate, the body with oversight of the management and finances of the Federation, America’s Nick Craw steps down from the role. Mr Craw will be replaced by New Zealand’s Brian Gibbons, who has acted as FIA Deputy President for Mobility since 2009. That role will now be filled by Belgium’s Thierry Willemarck, who moves from his position as President of Region I of the FIA. Graham Stoker continues as Deputy President for Sport, a post he has held since 2009.

    Commenting on the new structure, President Todt said: “I have encouraged the selection of a leadership team that is a mixture of the experienced and the new. The experienced will ensure we continue to respect our heritage, uphold our values and avoid the pitfalls of the past. The new faces will bring fresh, innovative thinking to our Federation. I am particularly pleased that a number of talented women have been nominated for important positions by our clubs. It is a beginning I hope will lead the FIA to embrace greater diversity and recognise and reward talent, wherever it exists.”

  • Over 60,000 gamers take part in Formula 1 e-sports series

    Paris, 7 Dec 2017: The Formula 1 Esports Series has burst on to the world’s sports gaming stage. More than 60,000 gamers raced against each from early September to the end of November for the chance to become the first-ever Formula 1 Esports Series World Champion.

    The winner was Britain’s 18-year-old Brendon Leigh, who beat Chile’s Fabrizio Donoso Delgado and Germany’s Sven Zurner in second and third place respectively in the Grand Final, held in the paddock of the Yas Marina Circuit on Saturday 25 November during the 2017 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

    The first edition of the Series was a great success in terms of digital audience. Social media and digital platforms were a key factor in promoting the event, as the F1 Esports Series World Championship final gathered more than 20.5m impressions and 6m video views.

    Sean Bratches, Managing Director, Commercial Operations at Formula 1 said: “The strength of the Formula 1 brand permits us to move into many new markets, and esports was a logical year-one strategy for us. The audience numbers, particularly in the digital realm, are a testament to the future opportunity for us in this space.”

    On Facebook, the final event saw a total of 1.8m video views (72% higher than the semifinal). Also, there were 2.8m minutes viewed on Facebook which is equal to the time watched for the semifinals content.

    The event generated 54,000 views on Twitch, and was watched by an average 5,734 viewers (peaking at over 8,000). Instagram also had a strong performance, with 6.1m impressions and 310k engagements, while video views on this platform reached over 1.6m. Twitter had more than 7.8m impressions across the event with over 830k engaging on the day. YouTube’s top performing video for the World Finals’ content reached over 3.5 million minutes watched, after being published for only two days. Total video views have reached over 950k so far. F1 Esports finals video (494k) on YouTube has gained more video views than the NBA 2K17 all-star tournament championship (259k video views) and the NFL Madden 17 Championship Final (227k) in 2017.

    The F1 Esports Series World Finals has been broadcast in 123 countries across the world. The combined total TV reach of the semifinals, which took place in the Gfinity Esports Arena in London on 11 October, and of the finals has reached to date an audience of 1.16m viewers.

    eom/F1pressrelease