INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Hamilton equals Senna’s 65 poles

    Hamilton equals Senna’s 65 poles

    Hamilton poseis after taking his career 65th pole at the Canadian GP on Saturday. An FIA image

    Montreal, 10 June 2017: Lewis Hamilton set a blistering pace in hto take here to take the 65th pole position of his career and equalled the marker set by his childhood hero Ayrton Senna. Hamilton’s lap of 1:11.459 was the fastest ever lap of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and was good enough to beat Ferraris Sebastian Vettel by 0.330s. Hamilton’s achievement was reward with the gift from the Senna family of a helmet worn in races by the legendary Brazilian driver.

    In Q1 both Vettel and Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen were on track early and both chose to do so on the supersoft Pirellis. Vettel quickly rose to the top of the order and with his second lap on the tyre set a time of 1:13.046 that was eventually good enough to secure passage to Q2 in P3. Raikkonen, too, set an early banker, though his time of 1:13.548 saw him drift out to P9 by the time the flag fell.

    It was ultrasofts all round for their rivals and the session was topped by Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas with a lap of 1:12.685. Hamilton was second, just three thousdanths of a second behind.

    At the other end of the order, Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz was hovering just above the drop zone with a minute remaining but the Spaniard’s blushes were spared when Pascal Wehrlein made a mistake in Turn 1 of his final flyer.

    The Sauber driver took too much of the track on the right hand side of the exit and got on the dirt. He immediately spun and slid backwards into the barriers, bringing out the yello flags. The flags ended any hope of improvement for those behind and the session ended with McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne eliminated in 16th place ahead of Williams’ Lance Stroll, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and the Saubers of Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein.

    As with Q1 the second session was again a by-the-numbers exercise for the front-runners. Hamilton topped the order with a lap of 1:12.496, six hundredths of a second clear of Bottas. The Ferraris slotted into third and fourth, with Raikkonen ahead of Vettel after the latter’s lap was compromised by a loss of control in Turn 3. The Red Bulls of Verstappen and Ricciardo were fifth and sixth ahead of Williams’ Felipe Massa, the Force Indias of Sergipo Perz and Esteban Ocon and the Renault of Nico Hulkenberg.

    Eliminated in 11th place was Daniil Kvyat, who suffered a right-rear puncture on his final lap and was forced to return to the pits. It was a tricky session for team-mate Sainz too. The Spaniard spun early in the session at Turn 1 and was quickly on the radio to tell his team that the car was “a nightmare’ and that he could “do nothing’. His later laps were an improvement but Sainz was eventually ruled out in P13, just behind the McLaren of Fernando Alonso. The final men eliminated in Q2 were Haas’ Romain Grosjean in 14th place and Renault’s Jolyon Palmer in P15.

    At the start of the Q3 Hamilton laid down the early mark with a superb lap of 1:11.791 to set the fastest ever lap of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, 0.484s up on Ralf Schumacher’s 2004 time.

    Vettel was operating at a similar level though and with his run the German posted a time just four thousandths of a second slower than his rivals.

    Hamilton was in inspired form, however, and is final run utterly ruled out any comeback from the German, with the Mercedes man sliced 0.332 off his first run to set Vettel the huge task of bypassing a time of 1:11.459. Vettel tried a third run, but pushing too hard the lap slipped away. Hamilton claimed the 65th podium of his career to equal his great hero Senna.

    With Vettel second, third place went to Bottas with Raikkonen fourth. Row three went to Red Bull Racing, with Verstappen ahead of Ricciardo. Massa was seventh for Williams, while the Force Indias of Perez and Ocon were seventh and eight respectively. Hulkenberg will start tenth.

    2017 Canadian Grand Prix – Qualifying
    1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:11.459s –
    2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:11.789s 0.330s
    3 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:12.177s 0.718s
    4 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:12.252s 0.793s
    5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:12.403s 0.944s
    6 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:12.557s 1.098s
    7 Felipe Massa Williams 1:12.858s 1.399s
    8 Sergio Perez Force India 1:13.018s 1.559s
    9 Esteban Ocon Force India 1:13.135s 1.676s
    10 Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1:13.271s 1.812s
    11 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1:13.690s –
    12 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:13.693s –
    13 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso 1:13.756s –
    14 Romain Grosjean Haas 1:13.839s –
    15 Jolyon Palmer Renault 1:14.293s –
    16 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1:14.182s –
    17 Lance Stroll Williams 1:14.209s –
    18 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:14.318s –
    19 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:14.495s –
    20 Pascal Wehrlein Sauber 1:14.810s –

    eom/FIA press release

  • Hayden remains in control: Rally Italia

    Rally Italia Sardegna leader Hayden Paddon remains in control of the leaderboard after Saturday morning’s loop of three stages as some of his nearest rivals hit problems in the final stage. The Hyundai driver has marginally increased his lead, now over Estonian Ott Tänak, and has crucially stayed out of trouble on stages he loves and that suit the i20 Coupe WRC. With the gaps opening up more, Tänak now sits 13.8 seconds ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala, the Finn climbing from fourth last night.

    This morning’s stages have proved tricky and tough, the opener in particular as hanging dust made for poor visibility. Paddon powered on however, seeing it as an opportunity rather than a disadvantage. Fastest time underlined his commitment and the Kiwi was able to extend his advantage to 13.1 seconds over Neuville in this single stage. Maintaining a comfortable pace over the following two stages, he was one of the few drivers to avoid problems and arrives at the mid-leg service 9.4 seconds ahead. Tänak, third last night, was losing the brakes in the final stage but was still fastest and has otherwise fared well. Latvala has been pushing hard but then furiously lost out in the last test when he was held up by Mads Østberg who had stopped to change a puncture.

    Thierry Neuville has been hit hard this morning. The Belgian was pushing in second, with a fastest time in the middle stage, but then had no brakes for the whole of the last test, losing him over a minute and two positions. Juho Hänninen has moved into fifth for Toyota, benefitting from Østberg’s puncture, the Norwegian dropping from an overnight fifth to eighth. Esapekka Lappi has exercised a bit of caution this morning, not entirely confident on the slippery stages, and while he too got held up in the dust of Mikkelsen – who also stopped to change a puncture – the Finn remains upbeat in only his second outing for Toyota. He is now sixth with a reasonably comfortable advantage over Sébastien Ogier. The Frenchman struggled for traction and then he too had to change a wheel in the final stage. Mikkelsen continues to try different settings on the C3 WRC and is ninth with Eric Camilli rounding off the top 10.

    Dani Sordo, Eflyn Evans and Craig Breen all returned under Rally 2 regulations this morning, but Sordo once again hit problems with an intermittently working gearshift.

    In the FIA WRC 2 Championship category, Jan Kopecky continues to head the field and has nearly a minute in hand to Ole Christian Veiby. Nil Solans also remains in control of the Junior WRC category but now leads Nicolas Ciamin in second and Terry Folb in third.

    After the mid-leg service in Alghero, the crews return to the same three stages for the afternoon’s competition.
    eom/FIA press release

  • Aishwarya, Jagan top in qualifying: NRC

    Coimbatore, 9 June 2017: Bengaluru’s Aishwarya Pissay (Apex Racing) further underlined her stature as one of country’s top female riders by grabbing pole position in the girls section (Stock 165cc), introduced this season, as the Rolon round of the MRF MMSC Fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship commenced at the Kari Motor Speedway, here on Friday.

    Astride a Yamaha R15 bike, 21-year old Aishwarya overcame her nervousness ahead of the qualifying session and put in the fastest lap of one minute, 28.161 seconds which put her in front of the grid ahead of Kalyani Potekar from Madhya Pradesh (Team Speed Up Racing) who clocked a best of 01:28.645 and the experienced Alisha Abdullah of Alisha Abdullah Racing Academy (01:29.046).

    “I was absolutely paranoid before the qualifying session as this was the first-ever National championship for girls. I put myself under pressure and wanted to throw up, but after a few laps, I settled down. I hope I can go faster in tomorrow’s race. Today’s qualifying time was much slower than the 1:24 I had done here earlier,” said Aishwarya who also participates in the National Rally championship.

    Earlier, Jagan Kumar of TVS Racing began the defense of his title by finishing in pole position in the premier Super Sport India (up to 165cc) class.

    Close behind Jagan, who clocked a best lap of one minute, 15.820 seconds in the sixth lap after a sedate start in the qualifying session, was young Rajiv Sethu of Honda Ten10 Racing at 01:15.974, while TVS Racing’s KY Ahmed came in third at 01:16.144.

    Team Honda Ten10 Racing had much to cheer about as its riders Mithun Kumar, Soorya PM and B Aravind occupied the top three slots in the Pro-Stock (up to 165cc) class.

    Qualifying (Provisional):

    Super Sport Indian (up to 165cc): 1. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (01min, 15.820secs); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (01:15.974); 3. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) (01:16.144).

    Pro-Stock (up to 165cc): 1. Mithun Kumar PK (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (01:19.608); 2. Soorya PM (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (01:19.727); 3. B Arvind (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (01:20.017).

    Super Sport 300-400cc: 1. Amarnath K Menon (Gusto Racing India) (01:14.761); 2. Antony Peter (Kingdom Motorsport) (01:16.320); 3. Kishoar VS (Apex Racing Academy) (01:16.514).

    Stock (up to 165cc, Novice – Batch 1): 1. Asfak Ahamed (Kingdom Motorsport) (01:23.412); 2. Peddu Sriharsha (Sparks Racing) (01:23.653); 3. Nitish Kumar N (Sparks Racing) (01:23.788). Batch 2: 1. AS Alexander (RACR) (01:22.297); 2. Anup Kumar M (RACR) (01:22.794); 3. Akshay VM (Apex Racing) (01:22.989).

    Girls – Stock (up to 165cc): 1. Aishwarya Pissay (Bengaluru, Apex Racing) (01:28.161); 2. Kalyani Potekar (Madhya Pradesh, Speed Up Racing) (01:28.645); 3. Alisha Abdullah (Chennai, Alisha Abdullah Racing Academy) (01:29.046).

    One-Make Championship – Honda CBR250 Open: 1. Amit Richard Topno (Pro Lap Racing) (01:17.957); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten10 Racing) (01:17.962); 3. Abhishek Vasudev (Rock Star Racing) (01:17.982).

    TVS Apache RTR 200 Open: 1. Yuvraj S (Chennai) (01:22.477); 2. Yashas RL (Bengaluru) (01:22.643); 3. Sivanesan S (Chennai) (01:22.875).

    eom/AP Media Comm press release

  • Ladies to race for National title for first time: NRC

    Ladies to race for National title for first time: NRC

    Honda ladies race file photo by Anand Philar

    Coimbatore, 8 June 2017: In an innovative and landmark move, the Madras Motor Sports Club has unveiled a full-fledged National Championship for ladies under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) and it is incorporated into the 2017 MRF MMSC Fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship, the Rolon round of which will be held at the Kari Motor Speedway here this weekend.

    It is for the first time in India that women are contesting for the National title over five rounds and the entries have been very encouraging. So also is the case with other National championship categories – the Super Sport Indian 300-400cc and 165cc, the Pro-Stock 165cc and Stock 165cc (Novice).

    However, Suzuki has opted out and will not be holding its one-make championship along with the National races. This year the Suzuki Gixxer Cup will be organised along with the JK Tyre championships, according to sources.

    Thus, the two-day extravaganza that follows Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions, will witness a full card of 19 races with over 200 riders vying for honours.

    Race Director and Chairman of organizing committee Manoj Dalal said: “In keeping with MMSC’s constant endeavour to promote motorsport at all levels, we decided to introduce a National championship exclusively for women. We are happy that so far, 15 entries have been received.

    “Given the fact that increasing number of women are taking to various forms of motorsport, we do hope that our move will further their cause.”

    Along with the National Championship, India’s top two-wheeler manufacturers TVS and Honda will run their separate One-Make series in two categories – Open and Novice – besides a support race apiece for ladies.

    As in the past, the Super Sport Indian 165cc (Open) will headline the championship as the category has attracted country’s top riders astride their modified bikes with the likes of last year’s champion Jagan Kumar along with his TVS team-mates KY Ahmed and Harry Sylvester, in the fray, besides Shankar Sarath Kumar of Honda Ten10.

    Similarly, the TVS and Honda One-Make championships have witnessed ever-growing number of entries, some of whom include riders with international exposure like Rajiv Sethu, Vishwadev Muraleedharan, Hari Krishnan Rajagopal and Mathana Kumar.

    About Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC):

    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, it has chalked out a progressive program for 2016. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2015, making it the only club which owns such a facility. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the Asian 2-wheeler racing championships besides a host of other motorsport events over the years. The club also has active participation for its events from vehicle manufacturers who also use the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) extensively for testing their products.

    eom/AP Media Comm press release

  • Canadian Preview: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team

    Battle continues with Round Seven of the 2017 season from the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

    • Toto Talks Canada
    • Featured this Week: Battle of the Brakes
    • News: We’ve Launched Our Very Own App!
    • Stat Attack: Canada and Beyond

    Toto Talks Canada
    “Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games, so said Babe Ruth and he was right. Every season the points reset to zero and, with new regulations like we had this year, historic success doesn’t translate into current performance. We’ve come into this season with a strong car that has allowed us to win three of the first six races. But it has also caused us more complications than we have seen in previous years.

    “I had an encounter on Sunday afternoon in Monaco with someone I really respect who asked how I felt after the defeat. I told them how much it hurt and their response was “that’s motor racing”. This is the reality of the situation now. We have to fight with all that we are worth for every single win, pole position, podium finish and every point. You can no longer expect that when you look at a timesheet the two Mercedes will be right at the top.

    “Everybody at the factories is working absolutely flat out to assess the current difficulties we are facing – to define our objectives, work with the data we have and then come up with the right solutions. Some of these fixes will be short term, others may take longer. We’ve had bruising weekends before and it’s about showing resilience and getting up after falling. I remember the troubles we had in Singapore in 2015, which hurt badly. We gave ourselves a deadline to address that setback before switching our focus to the next race in Suzuka, which we won. We’ve done exactly the same thing after Monaco – addressing the problems before turning our attention to Montréal. We know that this season is a marathon, not a sprint.

    “I’m expecting an interesting weekend in Canada. It could be a tricky race for us in terms of the layout of the track. But, equally, it’s a circuit that suits both of our drivers. Lewis has won a number of times in the past and Valtteri has always gone strongly there for Williams. It will be about doing our homework right to give the drivers the car they need to succeed. We have two excellent drivers and we will hold true to our philosophy of letting them race each other to drive the team forward – even if sometimes it can be difficult because you can’t always have the one who is ahead in the Championship winning.

    “It’s painful, but we are not the favourites for this year’s Championship. At the moment it’s Ferrari. They have a very strong package and we need to rise to the challenge to prove once again that we are the team to beat. There are still 14 races left and everything is completely open. We’re looking forward to Montréal and the chance to bounce back with a strong result – hopefully producing valuable answers to some tough questions in the process.”

    Featured this Week: Battle of the Brakes
    Few circuits on the calendar test the stopping power of a Formula One car quite like Montréal. Drivers spend 60% of the fast, semi-permanent, street-style lap at full throttle, before hammering the anchors into the several heavy braking zones – making Montréal one of the highest energy circuits for brakes on the entire calendar.

    With its near perfect blend of high-speed straights broken up by tight corners, drivers hit an average pedal load per lap in excess of 750kg at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. That’s 52,500kg pedal load on average over a 70 lap race, with a peak of over 120kg as they stamp on the brakes into Turn 13.

    This braking effect is amplified by the high-speed nature of the circuit, as teams run their cars in a low-drag guise in Montréal. Teams chase high speeds down those long straights, meaning cars are braking from an even greater velocity with less aerodynamic drag to help slow them down under braking. This scenario is even worse when a tail wind picks up along the two main straights, increasing outright top speeds to over 327km/h.

    Montréal features seven heavy braking zones, with Turn 13 – the sharp-flick right through the chicane which opens up into the run along the infamous Wall of Champions – the most severe. The drivers approach that final chicane at a top speed of 320km/h, before planting their foot on the left-pedal and slowing to 140km/h in just 90metres.

    Under braking for the slowest part of the track – the Turn 10 hairpin – drivers go from 300km/h to 65km/h in around 120m. Drivers experienced an average deceleration of 4.3G in the 2016 edition of the Canadian Grand Prix. But with the introduction of extra downforce and wider tyres in 2017, we can expect to see decelerations of over 5G – an incredible figure.

    These stops come thick and fast in Montréal. 19% of the lap is spent on the brakes – and it’s this frequency, not just the intensity of the circuit’s many braking zones, that puts extra pressure on teams to manage the huge amount of energy created.

    This energy – 149 kWh dissipated per race – is turned into heat, with modern F1 brake discs reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius in a single braking zone. This immense heat also has a knock-on effect on tyres, brake calipers and sensors. Temperatures have to be controlled and you’ll often see drivers darting out of the slipstream to cool their brakes before hitting another heavy braking zone, or deploying the famed ‘lift and coast tactic‘ at certain points in the race.

    Managing temperature in Montréal is absolutely crucial in traffic – and often simply in terms of ambient temperature on a warm weekend – because if a driver overheats his brakes, wear will become excessively high, costing valuable performance. It’s a 70 lap battle to manage temperatures. But, as we see almost every year, it’s not a battle everyone will manage to come out on top of.

    To combat these unique challenges teams make special preparations, carrying out a series of simulations before heading to Canada to understand the exact brake energies involved and to ensure that there is sufficient cooling available on the car, as well as packing the thickest discs and pads possible for the weekend.

    Whatever the result of Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, Montréal will be sure to give both Lewis and Valtteri’s left feet one heck of a workout…

    News: We’ve Launched Our Very Own App!
    Launched last week, the official App of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport will give fans and followers of the team – including race drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas – an exciting new way to receive the latest news, competitions and offers from the reigning Formula One World Champions.

    With a total fan base of 14.5 million people across major social media platforms, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport enjoys the biggest audience of any team in the sport – and, with Lewis Hamilton, the most followed driver, too.

    Staying true to the Team’s fan-first approach, which was showcased during the 2017 car launch in Silverstone, the new App will be completely free for fans and only involves a basic, light-touch registration process.

    Once complete, you will be registered as an Official Fan and the App will take you even closer to the heart of Formula One and what it takes to succeed at the pinnacle of motorsport. A perfect example of this is the exclusive, app-only competition to mark the launch of the channel: a very special chance to win a unique, money-can’t-buy experience with the team at the 2017 British Grand Prix.*

    Registered Official Fans will enjoy three major benefits from the new App:

    • Official Fans will be in pole position for the latest official news and insight from the team through the App. This means richer photo galleries and unique imagery from the behind the scenes of the race weekend; and first watch of the team’s exclusive video content. This will give Official Fans the opportunity to be the first to enjoy the Team’s daily content through the App.
    • The opportunity to enter first exclusive Team competitions for money-can’t-buy prizes such as factory visits, meet and greet opportunities with the drivers and attendance at Team events. In addition, there will be App-exclusive competitions like the one marking the platform’s launch, for an Official Fan to enjoy a unique race weekend experience with the team at the 2017 British Grand Prix.
    • Special offers and discounts will give our Official Fans the opportunity to show their allegiance first and most strongly thanks to the new App. To mark the launch of the App, all Official Fans will receive a 10% discount code on Team official merchandise.

    In time, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport hopes to see the App grow to become a platform that will allow fans to engage directly with the team and each other, connecting the Team’s global fan base through our shared passion for Formula One and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. Today’s launch marks just the first step in the adventure…

    Disclaimer:
    *Availability of the App on Apple devices is restricted in certain territories, please check your local App Store. The 2017 British Grand Prix competition will only be open to enter by fans in countries where the App is available. At the current time this also excludes the USA, where the App will be released in due course. We apologise in advance for any disappointment or inconvenience this may cause.
    eom/Mercedes AMG Petronas Team press release

  • Maini clocks 67 laps of testing: GP3

    The GP3 Series paddock has gathered at the Hungaroring in Budapest for a two day test mid-season session ahead of Round 2 at the Red Bull Ring in Austria next month. ART’s George Russell was the quickest man in both sessions of the opening day, with a fastest laptime of 1:32.159 set in the morning session, ahead of Dorian Boccolacci and Alessio Lorandi in P2 and P3 of the overall timings.
    The morning’s proceedings were delayed by one hour to wait for the full medical staff to be operational. As the pitlane went green at 10am local time, all cars fed onto the track to complete their installation laps with Tatiana Calderon the only driver to set a laptime in the opening 45 minutes. On the one hour mark Boccolacci went top, dipping under 1:34, but Russell found some extra pace to move up to P1, three tenths faster than Alessio Lorandi in P2.
    Russell remained top for most of the trouble-free session, improving to break the 1m33s barrier, but with thirty minutes left on the clock Boccolacci temporarily edged him out, going fastest by four hundredths. In the closing stages Russell went P1 again, as Aitken also improved to move up to P2, four tenths slower than his teammate. At the chequered flag, and behind the top 3, Arjun Maini, Santino Ferrucci, Lorandi, Raoul Hyman, Marcos Siebert, Nirei Fukuzumi and Anthoine Hubert rounded up the top 10.
    Following a two hour lunch break the action picked up again, with Leonardo Pulcini leading the way in the opening stages, but Bruno Baptista improved on the Italian’s laptime to go top. The session was briefly halted after Julien Falchero stopped at the exit of Turn 5. At the restart Niko Kari was soon sitting pretty at the top of the timesheets, before Lorandi went quickest under menacing skies.
    With one hour left on the clock, Russell put his head down to lap the Hungarian track under 1m33s, two tenths faster than Lorandi. In the closing stages, a red flag was shown after Baptista stopped at Turn 12. When the track went live again Russell improved further to set a laptime of 1:32.332, while Boccolacci also found some extra pace to move up to P2, one tenth slower than the Briton.
    When the flag dropped and behind the top 3, Aitken, Ferrucci, Maini, Fukuzumi, Siebert, Kevin Jörg and Hubert completed the top 10. The second and final day of testing will open tomorrow at 9am local time.
    Day 1 Morning results
    Driver
    Team
    Laptime
    Laps
    1.
    George Russell
    ART Grand Prix
    1:32.159
    31
    2.
    Jack Aitken
    ART Grand Prix
    1:32.654
    28
    3.
    Dorian Boccolacci
    Trident
    1:32.680
    22
    4.
    Arjun Maini
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:32.765
    30
    5.
    Santino Ferrucci
    DAMS
    1:32.811
    34
    6.
    Alessio Lorandi
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:32.864
    32
    7.
    Raoul Hyman
    Campos Racing
    1:32.913
    31
    8.
    Marcos Siebert
    Campos Racing
    1:33.014
    33
    9.
    Nirei Fukuzumi
    ART Grand Prix
    1:33.056
    20
    10.
    Anthoine Hubert
    ART Grand Prix
    1:33.273
    30
    11.
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    1:33.303
    26
    12.
    Ryan Tveter
    Trident
    1:33.352
    24
    13.
    Kevin Jörg
    Trident
    1:33.384
    32
    14.
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Arden International
    1:33.694
    24
    15.
    Julien Falchero
    Campos Racing
    1:33.721
    32
    16.
    Bruno Baptista
    DAMS
    1:33.876
    26
    17.
    Tatiana Calderon
    DAMS
    1:34.099
    32
    18.
    Steijn Schothorst
    Arden International
    1:34.388
    22
    19.
    Niko Kari
    Arden International
    1:34.609
    20
     
    Day 1 Afternoon results
    Driver
    Team
    Laptime
    Laps
    1.
    George Russell
    ART Grand Prix
    1:32.332
    46
    2.
    Dorian Boccolacci
    Trident
    1:32.436
    50
    3.
    Alessio Lorandi
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:32.459
    40
    4.
    Jack Aitken
    ART Grand Prix
    1:32.547
    46
    5.
    Santino Ferrucci
    DAMS
    1:32.696
    38
    6.
    Arjun Maini
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:32.724
    37
    7.
    Nirei Fukuzumi
    ART Grand Prix
    1:32.728
    45
    8.
    Marcos Siebert
    Campos Racing
    1:32.997
    37
    9.
    Kevin Jörg
    Trident
    1:33.019
    38
    10.
    Anthoine Hubert
    ART Grand Prix
    1:33025
    49
    11.
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Arden International
    1:33.075
    34
    12.
    Bruno Baptista
    DAMS
    1:33.075
    31
    13.
    Ryan Tveter
    Trident
    1:33.275
    41
    14.
    Steijn Schothorst
    Arden International
    1:33.301
    37
    15.
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    1:33.320
    37
    16.
    Niko Kari
    Arden International
    1:33.321
    37
    17.
    Julien Falchero
    Campos Racing
    1:33.462
    34
    18.
    Tatiana Calderon
    DAMS
    1:33.837
    33
    19.
    Raoul Hyman
    Campos Racing
    1:35.680
    23
     eom/GP3 release
  • Rally Italia: WRC 2017 season reaches midpoint

    Rally Italia: WRC 2017 season reaches midpoint

    An FIA image

    Rally Italia (8-11 June) marks the mid-point of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship and takes the crews to the picturesque Mediterranean island of Sardinia. The scenery may be spectacular, but the sun-baked gravel tracks make for gruelling, rough and rocky competition, leaving little room for error.

    Originally known as the Rally of the Flowers and dating back to 1928, Italy’s round joined the Championship in 1973 and was traditionally a mixed surface event based in Sanremo, on the mainland, before moving to Sardinia in 2004 and becoming a full gravel rally. Run during Europe’s summer months, temperatures are normally high and the hard base roads covered with a sandy surface disadvantage the early runners on the first passage. However, when the loose has been swept away, rough and rutted conditions can easily catch out the unwary. Michèle Mouton, President of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, claimed her first WRC victory on Rallye Sanremo in 1981 and remains the first and only female to win a round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

    An impressive entry list includes three nominated crews from each of the four registered manufacturers and for the first time this season Andreas Mikkelsen will drive a 2017 specification World Rally Car, the Norwegian joining Citroën Racing for his debut outing in the C3 WRC. The fight in WRC 2 is again sure to be intense and the FIA Junior WRC Championship contenders are back in action for the second round of their series.

    Three stages will be broadcast live; Saturday’s Coiluna-Loelle stage (SS13) and both runs through Sassari-Argentiera on Sunday, the second run counting for extra points as the closing Power Stage.

    ROUTE GRAPHICS

    2017 italy map ss.png

    THE 2017 ROUTE

    The rally is based out of the northwest town of Alghero but after the start and opening super special stage, the crews head to Olbia on the northeast coast for an overnight halt, allowing the organisers to re-introduce the tough Terranova and Monte Olia stages on Saturday. The mid-rally leg is the longest and toughest with 143.16 competitive kilometres run over six stages, while Sunday is identical to last year with two loops of two identical stages, culminating in the all-important Power Stage.

    WHAT WE SAID…

    “The heat and rough roads really define Rally Italia, making it a very tough challenge for the crews as well as the cars,” said Jarmo Mahonen, FIA Rally Director. “In these conditions it’s going to be important to mix car preservation with speed over the rock-strewn stages; the days are also lengthy and the sanctuary of service potentially a long way away for anyone who hits trouble.”

    RALLY DATA

    Total distance:
    Stage distance:
    Number of stages:    		 1,495.36 km
    312.66 km (20,89%)
    19

  • Maini to take part in mid-season testing: GP3

    Hungaroring (Budapest), 5 June 2017:  The 2017 GP3 Series season continues tomorrow for a fourth test, to be held at the Hungaroring in Budapest, Hungary on 6-7 June. The teams and drivers will use the 2 day test to finalise preparations for the next round of the season, at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on 7-9 July.

    The test follows the first round of the season in Barcelona on 12-14 May, which saw a fierce competition as the entire grid battled for an early advantage in the Drivers’ Championship. Jack Aitken took pole from ART teammate Nirei Fukuzumi and Dorian Boccolacci, but in Race 1 a mechanical gremlin for the Briton saw the Japanese take the win ahead of Leonardo Pulcini and Alessio Lorandi. Arjun Maini dominated Race 2 from the reverse pole, winning from Boccolacci and Lorandi.
    Previous tests have been marred by rain, and the teams will be hoping that testing in central Europe in June will bring better weather to allow them to have a more useful test, which will once again feature access to the new for 2017 Drag Reduction System (DRS), restricted to use only within the 2 nominated DRS zones, in line with the FIA Formula 2 and Formula 1 championships. As usual all drivers will be allowed 4 sets of Pirelli’s medium compound for the test, and 3 sets of wets.
    The driver line up is unchanged once again, and the sessions will start each day at 09:00 local time and run until 12:00: on Tuesday the afternoon session will run from 14:00 to 17:00, while on Wednesday this will be pushed forward an hour to 13:00 before closing at 16:00.
    GP3 Series – Estoril Test Session: Drivers’ Entry List
    ART Grand Prix
    1. Jack Aitken
    2. Nirei Fukuzumi
    3. George Russell
    4. Anthoine Hubert
     
    Arden International
    5. Niko Kari
    6. Leonardo Pulcini
    7. Steijn Schothurst
     
    Trident
    8. Kevin Joerg
    9. Giuliano Alesi
    10. Ryan Tveter
    11. Dorian Boccolacci
     
    DAMS
    14. Santino Ferrucci
    15. Tatiana Calderón
    16. Bruno Baptista
     
    Jenzer Motorsport
    22. Alessio Lorandi
    24. Arjun Maini
     
    Campos Racing
    26. Julien Falchero
    27. Raoul Hyman
    28. Marcos Seibert
    eom/GP3 official press release
  • Sarath Kumar earns points at Suzuka: ARRC

    Sarath Kumar earns points at Suzuka: ARRC

    S Sarath Kumar at Suzuka on Sunday. A Rama Honda Racing team image

    Suzuka (Japan), 5 June 2017: India’s Shankar Sarath Kumar of Rama Honda Racing team by NTS T.Pro Ten10 secured a few more precious points in the first race of the SuperSport 600cc double-header following an improved performance in the third round of FIM Asia Road Racing Championship here over the weekend.

    Riding the Honda CBR 600WR, Chennai-based Sarath Kumar picked up two points in the first race on Saturday, but drew blank in the second outing on Sunday, but showed improvement through the weekend. He has nine points from three rounds.

    Sarath’s team-mate Rajiv Sethu, riding the Honda CBR 250RR in the Asia Production class for the first time at this iconic circuit, finished outside of points in both the races.

    Both Sarath and Sethu are backed by John Sudheer of the Rama Group of companies besides Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India and Honda Motorsports Japan.

    Sarath said: “Although I improved my timing with each session this time as well, I still do not have enough speed compared to my competitors. As such, I want to review the riding style and be able to run faster in the rounds to follow.”

    Sethu said: “Although racing at the Suzuka circuit was not the first time because of my participation in the Asian Dream Cup in the previous season, it was still a difficult race I was riding the CBR 250 RR for the first time here. Yet, it was still a good experience as I was able to put in some good lap times.”

    However, the Rama Honda team also enjoyed better results as their 600cc spearhead Taiga Hada finished sixth and fourth to be placed fourth in the championship while in the Asia Production class, Tomoyash Koyoma was third in both the races. The fifth RAMA Honda team rider Sena Yamada also picked up useful points in both the SuperSport 600cc races.

    The Rame Honda team is currently placed third in the 600cc championship and fifth in the AP 250 class after three rounds.

    John Sudheer, Chairman, Rama Group of Companies, said: “I am quite satisfied with our team’s overall performance here at Suzuka. It was heartening that both Sarath and Rajiv showed some improvement and I look forward to the next round in Indonesia in August.”

    Rama Honda team director Yusuke Teshima said: “We were aiming to win both AP 250 and SS 600 races, and though we couldn’t, it was one more step forward. We will continue to work on the bikes and be better prepared for the next round.”

    eom/AP Media Comm press release

  • Dovizioso pips Vinales to win Italian GP; Rossi 4th

    Dovizioso pips Vinales to win Italian GP; Rossi 4th

    Ducati’s Dovizioso wins Italian GP. A Ducati MotoGP team image.

    Mugello, 4 June 2017: Andrea Dovizioso scored a fantastic win in the Italian GP in the MotoGP world champioinship here on Sunday. Maverick Vinales came second and Danilo Petrucci pushed Valentino Rossi back to finish on the podium with an excellent third place on the Team Pramac Desmosedici GP.

    Andrea Dovizioso scored a fantastic win in today’s Italian GP, held at the Mugello circuit in Tuscany in front of a record crowd of 98,269 spectators. The Italian, who started from the front row after qualifying third, crossed the line at the end of lap 1 in fourth and then fought it out with Lorenzo and Rossi in the early stages, before moving up to second behind Viñales on lap 6. Dovizioso then took control at the front and maintained the lead of the race until the flag, holding off attacks from Viñales and Petrucci, who were second and third at the finish.
    Jorge Lorenzo, who got a great start from row 3, was in the lead of the race for part of the opening lap, but then began to lose touch with the leading group and in the end he had to settle for eighth, ahead of Michele Pirro, who finished ninth after starting from row 2.
    Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1st
    “It was a fantastic day for me but it had started badly after a sleepless night because I had a bit of food poisoning. Today I didn’t have much energy, but I knew that the bike was going to be strong, because we had worked well throughout the weekend and I also had a lot of support from my fans, physiotherapist and family and this made a big difference. Despite the fact that I wasn’t at 100%, I was able to administer the race even though I wasn’t the quickest man out there, but I did a perfect strategy, and I moved into the right position at the right moment. I rode really smoothly, I never forced the pace excessively and this made all the difference because Mugello is a track that physically wears you out and in any case the tyres did not allow me to push too hard. Finally we did it: winning at Mugello is really something special!”
    Movistar Yamaha adds:

    Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales ended the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley today with a strong performance. The Spaniard held firm at the front of the field to earn a second place, his fourth podium of the season over six races. His still recovering teammate Valentino Rossi had the passionate Italian crowds at the Autodromo del Mugello in a frenzy as he battled at the front of the field. He finished the race in fourth position.

    Viñales had a good start from pole and slotted in behind his fellow Movistar Yamaha rider. After a few tussles with various rivals in the opening stages, he hit the front of the field on lap four and put his head down to get a bit of daylight between him and the chasing riders. Though he was unable to completely break away, he held on to the lead for ten laps, after which he had to let Andrea Dovizioso pass.

    Small mistakes in turn 15 on lap 15 and in turn one on lap 17 caused the young contender to lose some time and he found himself in third place. However, Viñales refused to give up the fight and, with four laps to go, he took back second position and was on the hunt for Dovizioso, 1.215s ahead of him. He shaved off some time in the last few laps, but decided to abort his mission on the home stretch. He crossed the line in second place, 1.281s from first, scoring valuable points for the championship.

    Starting from second on the grid, Rossi had the air horns blare in the crowd as he dashed past his teammate to take the holeshot. He was joined at the front by Jorge Lorenzo, Viñales and Dovizioso. The heart rates of VR46 fans all around the world went through the roof on the opening laps, as the Doctor battled with the challenging riders. The order changed constantly, until a front group, consisting of four riders, started to form after lap seven.

    While the Mugello Circuit got swamped in yellow smoke, Rossi bravely held on to third place for eight laps, until Danilo Petrucci passed him on lap 14, just when the Doctor was lining up Viñales. The nine times World Champion was initially up for the challenge to regain his position, but with his body still sore from his motocross accident, he wisely decided to bring home his YZR-M1 for a fourth-place finish. He took the chequered flag 3.685s from the front.

    Viñales’ second place earns him 20 points. He maintains the lead in the championship standings with a 105-point total, 30 points ahead of Rossi in third place. The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team also hold the lead in the Team standings by 44 points, with a total of 180 points, whilst Yamaha remains the top manufacturer in the Constructor’s Championship by a 23-point margin, with 128 points.

    The MotoGP paddock will now travel to Spain for the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, held next weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

    Valentino Rossi:
     I knew that today‘s race would be more difficult than usual for me. While on the bike I rode well and I didn’t have pain, but I was struggling a bit and I knew that 23 laps would be long and hard. I tried my best, I did a perfect start and I led the race for some laps, but I couldn’t really ride the way I would have liked to. At the end I tried to stay close to the riders in front, but I did not have the power to attack Danilo. I would have liked a lot to be on the podium today, but there was nothing I could do. It‘s a bit disappointing that I’m not on the podium at Mugello, but seeing where I was few days ago, and the big hit I took, it‘s been a positive weekend all in all. Being here and riding in front of so many fans was a “gift”. Now we have just few days before Catalunya, another important race, so I will try to recover and be in perfect shape in Barcelona.
    Maverick Vinales:
    Honestly, I‘m so happy and pleased, because today was a day to stay on the bike. When I saw Valentino fall back and with Marc not being there at the front, I thought “OK today is the day to take second place and bring home a lot of points”, which is really important after the crash on Friday. Being on the bike was already very lucky, because it was a fast crash and my arm was hurting a lot, so I‘m very pleased for today‘s result. I was only feeling pain when the bike was moving but for most of the race I was feeling really good, I was at 100%. I was, as always, preparing to push on the last five laps and make my best rhythm of the race, but like I said, today was a good day to stay on the bike.
    eom/Ducati, Yamaha press releases