INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Hype to keep Sahara Force India energised through 2016 season

    Hype to keep Sahara Force India energised through 2016 season

    Sahara Force India will continue its partnership with Hype Energy drinks for the 2016 season. Hype branding will be located on the cockpit of the VJM09, the inside of the rear wing end plate, as well as on the drivers’ suits.
     
    The extended partnership allows Hype Energy to build on its strong heritage in motorsport, which dates back to the 1995 season when the Hype logo first appeared in Formula One. Since then the brand has matured to become one of the best tasting premium and lifestyle energy drinks on the market.
     
    Fans of the sport can look forward to a busy activation programme from Hype ranging from social media competitions to consumer events, including the expansion of the #MFPClub at key races on the 2016 calendar.
     
    Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director: “Hype Energy is one of those exciting brands that fits perfectly with Formula One. We enjoy working with them and it’s great to see the brand going from strength to strength with the introduction of new products. With their support last year we enjoyed our best ever season, so I’m delighted that we have expanded the partnership for 2016 and look forward to further shared success.”
     
    Bertrand Gachot, CEO of Hype Energy Drinks: “We’re extremely pleased and excited to continue our partnership with Sahara Force India. Last year, thanks to the great successes of the team, the Hype brand enjoyed huge growth and strengthened its global position in the functional drinks category. I enjoy working with this team and from a personal perspective it’s a natural choice: I was involved with the team since its creation in 1990 and raced for them in 1991. Now, as a sponsor, I’m proud to still work with some of the same people as I did as a racing driver. I have immense faith in them. I would also like to thank Vijay for making this possible and Otmar for his great strategic work.”
     
    About Hype Energy drinks
    Hype Energy is a functional drinks brand that was first launched in 1994 by Hard Rock Cafe founder, Barry Cox. The current CEO, former international Sportsman, Formula One racing driver and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, Mr. Bertrand Gachot, has been involved with the brand since 1997. The Hype Energy range includes Hype Energy MFP, MFP Sugar Free, UP, Enlite, MOJITO, AfterDark and 60mL Shot. Hype Energy drinks are currently available in over 45 countries, with trademarks registered in more than 145 countries. The company head offices are located in Dubai, with branches in Europe and the USA. For more information, visit www.hype.com or email info@hype.com.
    eom/Force India release/david
    Force India car with HYPE ads 2016. An SFI image
    Force India car with HYPE ads 2016. An SFI image
  • Second in Championship for Jehan

    Second in Championship for Jehan

    Feilding (New Zealand) 14 Feb 2016: Sahara Force India Academy Racer, Jehan Daruvala, rounded off his maiden Toyota RJD16_R5A1acing Series New Zealand on a high. The Indian teenager finished runner-up in the overall championship after a good weekend where he had one pole position and one second place finish.

    Jehan entered the fifth and final round lying fourth overall in the championship table and knew it was important for him to finish consistently amongst the top five. Quick in practice at the 3km long Manfeild Autocourse, Jehan topped the timesheets of an extremely close first qualifying session with a time of 1:02.492. The top three were within six hundredths of a second, as Norris was second just 0.03 seconds behind Jehan while Brazilian Piquet, was just 0.062 seconds behind Jehan.

    Qualifying two was even closer as the series witnessed its closest qualifying session. This time the top three were all within one hundredth of a second, as Norris topped the timesheet with a lap time of 1:02.145 ahead of Piquet and Jehan who managed to clock the exact same lap time, down to a thousandth of a second! They both had a lap time of 1:02.162!

    Jehan, starting on pole for race one, got bogged down a bit as the lights went out and relinquished his top spot to Norris. Soon, Piquet and Markelov of Russia made contact and the safety car was brought out while Piquet had to retire. Jehan lost two places and fell to fourth at the restart, before the safety car was deployed once again. This time Jehan retained his position while race leader Norris fell to third. The race was won by Ferdinand Habsburg while Jehan’s fourth place finish ensured he moved from fourth to second in the championship table.

    Race two starting grid was based on the top eight finishers of race one being reversed. Jehan started fifth and had a good start to move into third. The seventeen-year-old was very quick and he proceeded to chase down the front runners. He soon made a good move on Antoni Ptak and moved into second. Jehan then closed the gap to race leader Brendon Leitch but was not able to make a move to pass him. Leitch won less than a second ahead of Jehan, while Ptak was third.

    Jehan started from third in race three, but was overtaken at the start by Markelov. On lap two, Jehan ran wide and fell down to ninth. A few laps before the end he managed to overtake Ferrari Academy racer Zhou to finish the race in eighth. Jehan benefitted and moved up a position into seventh, after Piquet was handed a post-race penalty.

    “I knew I couldn’t afford any major mistakes coming into the last round. The two qualifying sessions were the closest I have been in. I really enjoyed climbing up the order in the reverse grid race, to second. Second in the overall championship, amongst a really competitive line-up, means a lot to me. I must thank the Sahara Force India Academy for the valuable support and also a big thank you to M2 Competition for giving me a fantastic car all through the championship,” said Jehan.

    Jehan’s quick pace and consistent results in the first two races this weekend ensured he comfortably retained and finished second in the overall championship. Lando Norris was the champion ahead of Jehan, while Brendon Leitch was third.  Three victories in addition to multiple podiums, summarise  Jehan’s strong and consistent performance in his maiden campaign inthe Toyota Racing Series. The series this year has had one of its most competitive line-ups with racers including Pedro Piquet (Twice Brazilian F3 Champion and son of F1 World Champion Nelson Piquet), Lando Norris (Former World Karting Champion and F4 Champion), Guanyu Zhou (Ferrari Academy Driver), Artem Markelov (Former German F3 runner up and GP2 racer)

    Jehan, Vice Runner Up at the World Karting Championship in 2014, made the jump from karting to cars only last year. The Sahara Force India Academy racer’s past important milestones are the British KF3 Champion, CIK FIA Asia Pacific KF3 Champion, Malaysian Yamaha Karting Champion and JK Tyre Indian National Rotax Karting Champion. Numerous channels and magazines have also awarded Jehan, their Motorsport Award.

    Next week, Jehan will begin testing in Europe. He will be contending for two separate championship titles, the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup Series and the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC.

    Final Championship Standings –

    1.    Lando Norris, England – 924 Points
    2. Jehan Daruvala, India – 789 Points
    3. Brendon Leitch, New Zealand – 754 Points

    Jehan’s Career so far –

    2009       –    Started Karting with Rayo Racing

    2010       –    Champion – JK Tyre Rookie Cup

    –          Champion – JK Tyre FMSCI National Karting Championship (Micro Max)

    2011       –     Champion – Malaysian Yamaha Karting Championship (Junior)

    2012       –    Selected into the Sahara Force India Academy

    –          Champion – CIK FIA Asia Pacific KF3 Championship

    2013       –     Retained as sole member of the Sahara Force India Academy

    –          Champion – British KF3 Championship

    2014       –    2nd Runner Up – World Karting Championship

    –     Vice Champion – German KF Karting Championship

    2015       –    Enters Formula Car Racing (Formula Renault 2.0)
    –    4 Podiums + 5 Best Rookie Trophies

    2016       –    Runner up – Toyota Racing Series

     

    eom/david/Rayo Release

  • MotoGP 2016 Calendar

    Several rounds of the 2016 MotoGP™ World Championship have been rescheduled.

    MotoGP’s provisional 2016 calendar has been updated, changes are highlighted in bold. The calendar is given here courtesy www.motoGP.com.

    Be sure to check out the fully updated 2016 MotoGP Calendar page.

    Round Date Grand Prix Venue
    1 20/03 Qatar* Losail International Circuit
    2 03/04 Argentina Termas de Río Hondo
    3 10/04 Americas Circuit Of The Americas
    4 24/04 Spain Jerez de la Frontera **
    5 08/05 France Le Mans
    6 22/05 Italy Mugello
    7 05/06 Catalunya Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
    8 26/06 Netherlands TT Assen
    9 17/07 Germany Sachsenring
    10 14/08 Austria Red Bull Ring
    11 21/08 Czech Republic Brno **
    12 04/09 Great Britain Silverstone
    13 11/09 San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini Misano
    14 25/09 Aragon MotorLand Aragon
    15 16/10 Japan Twin Ring Motegi
    16 23/10 Australia Phillip Island
    17 30/10 Malaysia Sepang International Circuit
    18 13/11 Valencia Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo

    * Night race

    ** Subject to contract

     

    ends/david

  • Jaguar returns to racing; Prefers FIA Formula E to F1

    Jaguar returns to racing; Prefers FIA Formula E to F1

    LONDON, 15 Dec 2015:  Jaguar on Tuesday announced its return to global motorsport. In the autumn of 2016, Jaguar will enter the third season of the exciting FIA Formula E  Championship as a manufacturer with its own team.  FIA Formula E is the world’s first global single-seater championship for electric powered cars.

    FIA Formula E offers a unique opportunity for Jaguar Land Rover to further the development of future EV powertrain including motor and battery technology. Jaguar Land Rover employs over 8,000 engineers and is the UK’s largest investor in research and development across any business sector. Jaguar‘s Formula E team will be able to draw upon this industry leading resource with Jaguar Land Rover engineers working closely with the race operations team.

    Williams Advanced Engineering will be Technical Partner to the Jaguar Formula E Team and provide  extensive  motorsport knowledge, combined with high performance EV Systems experience and success. Jaguar Land Rover has a long term relationship with Williams, who partnered with Jaguar on the development of the Jaguar C-X75 plug-in hybrid concept car. The team entry has been granted by Formula E and approved by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

      Jaguar Land Rover confirms its electric future with entry for Jaguar into the innovative FIA Formula E Championship

    ·        Formula E to provide a real world performance test bed for future Jaguar Land Rover technology

    ·        Jaguar Land Rover, the UK’s leading investor in research and development , strengthens its commitment to British engineering by extending development of electrification technology into the racing environment

    Jaguar image courtesy TVC group
    Jaguar image courtesy TVC group

    ·        Jaguar Land Rover engineers will work directly with Jaguar‘s race team to push the boundaries of electrification technology

    eom/press release

  • Lohit Urs tops in Asia Cup, wins National title; Gill clinches Overall Coffee Day Rally title

    Gaurav gill wins overall, Lohit (not in pic) wins IRC 13dec2015 AP pic Lohitt Urs and his co-driver Shrikanth Gowda expectedly won the title in the FIA Asia Cup category besides emerging National champions even as Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) took the Overall crown in the Coffee Day India Rally which concluded here on Sunday.

    Mysorean Urs, driving the Mitsubishi Evo VIII, destroyed the Asia Cup field with relative ease despite encountering set-up problems on Saturday which cost him some time.

    Having registered for the FMSCI Indian Rally Championship, Urs collected sufficient points to win the title despite finishing Overall second behind Gill who ended an otherwise wretched season on a high, but lost his National crown.

    “I am obviously delighted to win the Asia Cup and the National championship. We had some problems with the car early on, but we managed to set things right,” said Urs.

    Reflecting on his performance, Gill, who scored the second win of the IRC season, said: “It has not been the best of seasons for me with so many non-finishes. I am of course disappointed to lose my National title, but feel good to finish the season on a high. We lost some 40 seconds yesterday due to mechanical problems. However, we managed to put it all behind us and win here.”

    For Team Yokohama, it was a double delight as Bengaluru pair of Rahul Kanthraj and his co-driver Vivek Bhatt came out on top in the IRC 2000 class and also sealed the championship in their category, as did Karna Kadur (co-driver Vivek Ponnusamy) in the IRC 1600 category.

    While it was smooth sailing for Kanthraj who thus completed a clean sweep by winning all the four IRC rounds, Kadur was a bit lucky as overnight leader Dean Mascarenhas (Shanmuga SN) was docked a one-minute penalty for early check-in at a Time Control and thus finished second.

    Also, IRC 1600 championship leader Dr Bikku Babu retired on Saturday and it paved the way for Kadur’s triumph. “Not the way I wanted to win the championship with Dr Babu retiring and Dean getting a penalty which helped me. But, it is nice to win considering that we had issues with the car through the weekend,” said Kadur.

    The three-day event, which was also a contender for a round of the 2016 Asia Pacific Rally Championship, was supported by Karnataka Toursim and Indian Oil.

    Provisional classifications:

    FIA Asia Cup: Lohit Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Pvt, Evo VIII) 1 (2hrs, 14 mins, 11.2 secs); Satyan Kochar / Amit Wagchoure (Pvt. VW Polo) 2 (02:32:13.2); Pradeep RG / Shekar 3 (Pvt, Evo VIII) 3 (02:37:22.5).

    IRC Overall): Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif 1 (Mahindra Adventure, XUV 500) 1 (02:06:18.6); Lohitt Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Pvt, Evo VIII) 2 (02:06:34.2); Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure, XUV 500) 3 (02:07:08.5).

    IRC 2000: Rahul Kantharaj / Vivek Y Bhatt (Team Yokohama, Cedia) 1 (02:11:16.0); Younus Ilyas / Paul Thomas (Pvt, Cedia) 2 (02:12:09.4); Sumit Punjabi / Shahid Salman (Pvt, Cedia) 3 (02:12:44.1).

    IRC 1600: Karna Kadur / Vivek Ponnusamy (Team Yokohama, VW Polo) 1 (02:07:29.3); Dean Mascarenhas / Shanmuga SN (Pvt, VW Polo) 2 (02:08.08.5); Bopaiah KM / Karumbaiah KS (Pvt, VW Polo) 3 (02:09:58.6).

    FMSCI Cup 1600: Druva Chandrasekhar / Jeevarathinam J (Pvt, Honda City V-Tec) 1 (02:10: 45.5); Adith KC / Harish KN (Pvt, Honda City V-Tec) 2 (02:12:46.5); Michu Ganapathy / Venu Ramesh Kumar (Pvt, Maruti Baleno) 3 (02:15:01.4).

    eom/AP Media Communications release and photos

  • Gaurav Gill sparkles to take lead; Dean takes lead over Karna

    Chikkamagaluru, 12 Dec 2015: Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) of Team Mahindra Adventure came up with one of his smoothest drives, marked by controlled aggression to take a sizeable lead at the conclusion of the Leg-1 of the Coffee Day India Rally here on Saturday.

    The day witnessed some stirring action. While 34-year old Delhi-based Gill eased his way through the highly challenging and technical Special Stages to top the time charts clocking one hour, 58 minutes, 18.9 seconds, young Dean Mascarenhas (Shanmuga SN) from Mangaluru was positively sparkling in the Volkswagen Polo to finish second Overall in the FMSCI Indian Rally Championship.

    Lohitt Urs (Shrikant Gowda) who is participating in the FIA Asia Cup that is being run concurrently and is also in contention in the IRC category, carved his way to Overall third after starting the day from 13th position.

    Urs, driving the all-wheel drive Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII, also led the Asia Cup field quite comfortably. In fact, of the eight starters in the Asia Cup, only four were still running as Arjun Rao Aroor (Satish Rajagopal), younger brother Phalguna Urs (Anoop Kumar), PG Abhilash (Rohan Rego) and Garima Avatar (Shrupta Padival) retired, bringing the day’s total of dropouts to 11 of the 40 entrants.

    Even as Gill consolidated his position, the battle of the day was between Mascarenhas and Karna Kadur (Vivek Ponnusamy) of Team Yokohama as the duo went neck-and-neck for positions in the IRC 1600 class. In the process, the two young guns pushed their respective VW Polo cars to the limit, providing plenty of thrilling moments for the spectators.

    Equally impressive was veteran Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Bhatt) of Team Yokohama who consolidated his lead in the IRC 2000 class while finishing the day over a minute ahead of Sumit Panjabi (Shahid Salman).

    In the FMSCI Cup 1600 class, Druva Chandrashekar (Jeevarathinam) took a nearly two-minute lead over his nearest rival Raghunandan B (Roopesh Kholay) and looked set to clinch the title.

    The three-day event, supported by Karnataka Toursim and Indian Oil, concludes on Sunday.

    Provisional classifications (after Leg-1):

    FIA Asia Cup: Lohitt Urs / Shrikant Gowda (Pvt, Evo VIII) 1 (1hr, 59mins, 41.2secs); Satyan Kochar / Amit Waghchoure (Pvt, VW Polo) 2 (02:16:14.7); Bani Yadav / Sukhbans Mann (Pvt, Cedia) 3 (02:21:36.1).

    IRC Overall: Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure, XUV 500) 1 (1hr, 58mins, 18.9 secs); Dean Mascarenhas / Shanmuga SN (Pvt, VW Polo) 2 (1:59:31.1); Lohitt Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Pvt, Evo VIII) 3 (1:59: 41.2).

    IRC 2000: Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Bhatt (Team Yokohama, Cedia) 1 (2:03:38.4); Sumit Panjabi / Shahid Salman (Pvt, Cedia) 2 (2:05:05.5); Karan AM / Suraj M (Pvt, VW Polo) 3 (2:07:18.7).

    IRC 1600: Dean Mascarenhas / Shanmuga SN (Pvt, VW Polo) 1 (1:59:31.1); Karna Kadur / Vivek Ponnusamy (Team Yokohama, VW Polo) 2 (1:59:47.7); Bopaiah KM / Karumbaiah KS (Pvt, VW Polo) 3 (2:02:05.9).

    FMSCI Cup 1600: Druva Chandrasekhar / Jeevarathinam J (Pvt, Honda City V-tec) 1 (2:03:02.7); Raghunandan B / Rupesh Kholay (Pvt, Honda City V-tec) 2 (2:05:03.2); Adith KC / Harish KN (Pvt, Honda City V-tec) 3 (2:05:12.1).

    eom/MSCC release

    Deam Mascarenhas (co-driver Shanmuga SN) en route to topping the IRC 1600 class on conclusion of Leg-1 of the Coffee Day India Rally in Chikkamagaluru on Saturday.
    Deam Mascarenhas (co-driver Shanmuga SN) en route to topping the IRC 1600 class on conclusion of Leg-1 of the Coffee Day India Rally in Chikkamagaluru on Saturday.

  • Stage set for exciting Coffee Day India Rally; 8 entries for Asia Cup

    Chikkamagaluru, 10 December 2015: With 40 entries in fray, the Coffee Day India Rally 2015, which doubles up as the concluding round of the FIA Asia Cup and the FMSCI Indian Rally Championship, promises high-octane action as the cream of country’s rally talent converge here for the three-day extravaganza beginning Friday.

    The event, also supported by Karnataka Tourism and Indian Oil, kicks off with a ceremonial start at the Coffee Day Global premises on Thursday evening, followed by the hugely-popular Super Special Stage at the Amber Valley School grounds on Friday. The cars will then head out of town for the Special Stages on Saturday and Sunday.

    The 180 Kms-long Asia Cup Rally which is also a contender event for a round of 2016 Asia Pacific Rally Championship, has attracted eight entries led by Mysuru’s Lohitt Urs with Srikanth Gowda of Mudigere as his co-driver in a Mitsubishi Evo VIII, and Arjun Rao Aroor of Mangaluru (co-driver Satish Rajagopal, Bengaluru) driving the Volkswagen Polo (R2B variant).

    None of the registered Asia Cup crews from overseas is taking part as Japan’s Hitoshi Takayama has already clinched the title with a round to spare. However, the Asia Cup participants in the Coffee Day India Rally are eligible for IRC points.

    With two wins from three starts this season, the vastly experienced Urs heads the IRC points table with a tally of 95, well clear of Team Mahindra Adventure’s former National champion Amittrajit Ghosh from Kolkata (co-driver Ashwin Naik, Mangaluru) who is on 72, driving the Mahindra XUV 500. Also in title hunt is Arjun Rao Aroor with 64 points.

    “We have not done much work on the car apart from what was necessary. We didn’t have too many problems this season, winning the previous two rounds, and we hope to carry the momentum in Chikkamagaluru,” said Urs.

    Behind the top three is Delhi-based reigning National champion and Team Mahindra Adventure’s marquee driver Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif, Mangaluru) who has had a dismal season as he drew blank in two of the three rounds after opening the season with a win in Nashik. With 52 points in the kitty, Gill, the 2013 APRC champion, is effectively out of the title race. The maximum points available are 39 (25 for win and 14 Leg points).

    The tight and twisty terrain interspersed with fast and flowing corners, is expected to favour the all-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Evo and the compact Polo cars, though Gill, piloting the heavier and bulkier XUV 500 has often authored his own script with some stunning drives, defying all odds in the process.

    In the IRC 2000cc category, Bengaluru pair of Rahul Kanthraj and Vivek Bhatt of Team Yokohama, who won all the three previous rounds, are set to clinch the class championship as they are 34 ahead of Hyderabad’s Sumit Panjabi.

    A three-way battle is on in the IRC 1600cc class which Kerala’s Dr Bikku Babu (87 points) leads, closely followed by Team Yokohama’s Karna Kadur (70) and Aroor Vikram Rao (61), all driving the Volkswagen Polo.

    The scenario in the FMSCI 1600 Cup is much tighter as Ashwin Reddy (87), Druva Chandrasekhar (83) and last year’s champion Adith KC (69) are bunched together at the top.

    The organizers, Motor Sports Club of Chikkamagaluru, have laid out yet another challenging route that comprises four physical Special Stages, three of them in the Coffee Day estates and one at the University in Birur with the Asia Cup cars covering 180 Kms and the IRC, 120 Kms.

    MSCC have put in massive efforts to get the route ready for the event after overcoming huge odds, mostly by way of unseasonal wet weather that hampered preparations.

    eom/MSCC press release

    File photo of former APRC champion Gaurav Gill. Image by Anand Philar
    File photo of former APRC champion Gaurav Gill. Image by Anand Philar

  • Aravind wins MRF Mogrip Supercross Nationals, adds 17th National title to his kitty; Aussie stunt riders thrill crowd

    Bangalore, 5 Dec 2015: Mangalore rider KP Aravind came up with an impressive performance in the sixth and final round of the MRF MOGRIP FMSCI National Supercross Championship to clinch his 17th National title here on Saturday.

    The Team TVS Racing rider finished second in the first moto and won the second moto in the Class 1 (SX 1, Group A, upto 250cc 2stroke, 500cc 4stroke) to bag the title. He has won the National title in this class in 2011, 2013 and 2015.

    In the first moto, Aravind had built up a good lead but a fall saw CD Jinan move to the front and win. A determined effort fetched Aravindthe second place. The second moto was a tight one and Aravind and CD Jinan fought tooth and nail for the lead. However, Jinan had a fall and that left Aravind with much less pressure as the Mangalorean completed the formalities in style.

    A beaming Aravind said: “I am really excited and happy. I had seen my senior riders do it earlier and it is a great feeling to have won this championship.”

    The highlight of the afternoon was an international moto. David Pulley, Jared Hicks and Bryce Stewart (all from the USA), Oliver Eveleigh (Britain), Roger Bergstrom, Dale Jullien, Josh Brodalka and Anthony Raynard (all from South Africa), Alexander Ivanyutin and VitaliyGusev (both from Russia) and Tomoya Suzuki (Japan). This moto was won by Alexander Ivanyutin.

    Later, Australians Daniel Ford and Shaun Webb stunned the crowds with their exhibition jumps and stunts.

    MRF MOGRIP is the title sponsor of the event with Sidvin Energy, Indian Oil Corporation, TVS Motor Company and Hero Moto Corp being the associate sponsors.

    Regal Hospital provided medical facilities, including ambulances and doctors.

    Results (provisional): Class 1 – SX 1 – Group “A” Stroke 2/4 Upto 250cc/ 500cc: 1. KP Aravind (Team TVS Racing, moto 1: 17, moto 2: 20 points); 2.CD Jinan (Thrissur, 20 & 13); 3. AW Tanveer (TVS Racing, 15 & 17).

    Class 2 – Novice – Group “C” Stroke 2/4 Upto 260cc: 1. Saijith ES (Team TVS Racing); 2.AmalVerghese (Eranakulam); 3.Jagdeesh Kumar (Coimbatore).

    Class 3 – Indian Experts – Group “B” Stroke 2/4 Upto 260cc: 1. R Natraj (Team TVS Racing); 2.AW Tanveer (Team TVS Racing); 3.Yuva Kumar (Team TVS Racing).

    Class 4 – Locals Group “B” Stroke 2/4 Upto 260cc: 1.Basheer Ahmed (Bangalore); 2.Azmath Sharif (Bangalore); 3.Gautam Kumar (Bangalore).

    Class 5 – Indian Experts Class-C Stroke 2/4 Upto 260cc: 1. AW Tanveer (Team TVS Racing); 2.Saijith ES (Team TVS Racing); 3.R Natraj (Team TVS Racing).

    Class 6 – Private Experts – Group “C” Stroke 2/4 Upto 260cc: 1. Suhail Ahmed (Bangalore); 2.Basheer Ahmed (Bangalore); 3.AmalVerghese (Ernakulam).

    Class 7 – SX 2 – Group “A” Stroke 2/4  Upto 250cc/ 500cc: 1. Adnan Ahmed (Mangalore, moto 1: 20, moto 2: 17); 2.Suhail Ahmed (Bangalore, 15 & 20); 3.Jignesh Patel (Nagpur, 17 & 15).

    Class 8 – Jr SX – Group “A/B/C/D” Stroke 2/4 Upto 500cc: 1. RugvedBarguje (TVS Racing); 2.Rishi Gomes (Goa); 3.Amon Gomes (Goa).

    Class 9: International Open Class SX 3 Group A Up To 250cc/ 500cc: 1. Alexander Ivanyutin (Russia); 2.Bryce Stewart (USA); 3.VitalyGusev (Russia).

    eom/FMSCI press release

    Aravind KP, Tanweer A W & Jinan CD in an intense battle for the lead in the MRF Supercross Nationals in Bangalore on Saturday. An MRF image
    Aravind KP, Tanweer A W & Jinan CD in an intense battle for the lead in the MRF Supercross Nationals in Bangalore on Saturday. An MRF image

  • Lohit Urs urges motorsport fraternity to gear up and make efforts to reach the world standards

    Bengaluru, 1 Dec 2015: In a polite manner, Lohit Urs, told the motorsports fraternity that India have to make better efforts to reach global standards in organising and providing infrastructure for motorsports. “Motorsports is a global sports and India should not be left behind,” he said at the Press Conference held here at the Cafe Coffee Day outlet opposite to Kanteerava Stadium back gate, to announce the ASIA CUP and India Rally Championship to be held next month.

    Lohitt Urs 2015After a lapse of over a decade, India will play host to an international Rally with the coffee town of Chikkamagaluru, nestling in the lap of Western Ghats, being the venue for the fourth and final round of the FIA Asia Cup, branded the Coffee Day India Rally, to be held from December 11 to 13.

    ​The fourth and concluding round of the FMSCI Indian Rally Championship will be run concurrently while the Asia Cup is also a contender for a full round of the 2016 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship. Peter Mecneal of Australia has been deputed as the Observer.

    Sponsored by Coffee Day Global, the Coffee Day India Rally and the IRC are expected to attract a total of nearly 40 entries. PG Abhilash and Lohitt Urs, both in the Mitsubishi Evolution cars, along with Arjun Rao Aroor who will be piloting the Volkswagen Polo (R2B), head the Asia Cup field that also includes three female participants, Garima Avtar, Bani Yadav and Sukhman Mann.

    The IRC will have its usual complement of full grid headlined by reigning National champion Gaurav Gill representing Team Mahindra Adventure and driving the Mahindra XUV 500 with the likes of Team Yokohama’s Rahul Kanthraj and Karna Kadur besides a clutch of young, talented drivers such as Dean Mascarenhas and Adith KC.

    The Asia Cup was originally allotted to India last year, but the dates were found unsuitable and hence the organizers, Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur, opted to run the event in 2015.

    With Coffee Day Global being the title sponsors and in association with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and Karnataka Toursim, the 2015 India Rally will also be a contender for a round of the 2016 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship which will be a big step forward.

    Since 1982, when the “Coffee 500” Rally was first held in Chikkamagaluru, the event has evolved into one of the most popular and keenly awaited rallies in the National motorsport calendar.

    Chikkamagaluru’s rustic charm and scenic setting have not only made the Coffee Town into a popular holiday destination, but also attract the cream of country’s Rally talent every year.

    The Motor Sports Club of Chikkamagaluru, has, over the years, put in massive efforts and overcome many hurdles to constantly raise the bar in terms of organization and hospitality, besides providing Rally route that is at once challenging and exciting.

    ​Speaking at a Media Conference here on Tuesday, ​

    Mr. Venkatesh M, Director, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts, said: “We are proud to associate with the FIA Asia Cup. The Coffee Day Rally has always received an overwhelming response from people all over the country and this year we look forward to creating a new level of excitement in the minds of the spectators and Indian sportsmen.

    “While we aim to conduct the sport as per international standards, our association with Asia Pacific Rally Championship will put us on the global map. We look forward to putting this event together with our fellow national and international sponsors​.”​

    Mr Farooq Ahmed, Chairman, FMSCI Rally Commission, and Vice-President​, Motor Sports Club

    ​ of  Chik​kamagalur​u, said: “It is a dream-come-true for us at the M​SCC.

    It was always our ambition to put Chikkamagaluru on the international motorsport map and we are happy that the dream has become a reality.”

    Mr Jayanth Pai, President, Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur, said: “Obviously, we are thrilled that the Coffee Day India Rally has been included as a round of the 2015 Asia Cup.

    “We have a very dedicated team at the MSCC and are ready to take up the challenge of hosting a major international event. I am confident it will be a success.”

    Mr D Ramkumar, Clerk-of-the-Course, said: “We are taking all measures to provide an exciting and safe event. It is bound to be a World-class Rally and we hope fans will come in large numbers to enjoy the fare.”

    This year, the rally route includes some new tight and twisty sections inside plantations belonging to the title sponsor Coffee Day Global and also Special Stages previously used before between 2006 and 2011.

    The route has been designed to provide new challenges for drivers while continuing to use the fast and smooth roads so well-known and liked throughout in the Indian Rally Championship. The Super Special Stage, to be run ​the  Amber Valley School ​grounds on the Friday, December 11 afternoon, will kick-start the event with the Special Stages scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

    The Asia Cup will be contested over 1​80 Kms of Special Stages while the IRC participants will cover 1​20 Kms besides the liaison sections.

    eom/AP Media Communications release

  • Rosberg ends the season with a dominant win; Cool Hami takes second followed by Raikkonen

    Nico Rosberg took a third consecutive win with a dominant drive at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating world championship-winning team-mate Lewis Hamilton by a comfortable eight seconds as Kimi Räikkönen took third place ahead of Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who rose from 15th on the grid to take fourth place.

    Racing into the lead from pole position at the start, Rosberg was always in control and across his opening stint on used supersoft tyres he opened up a gap of almost five seconds to Hamilton in second place.

    The Briton had to fend off challenges from Räikkönen and Force India’s fourth-on-the-grid Sergio Perez at the start but he soon settled into second place. Perez held his starting position ahead of team-mate Nico Hulkenberg and Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo.

    Further back Vettel was already making up ground, rising from 15th to 12th by the end of lap one, despite making contact with Max Verstappen’s Toro Rosso. Having started on the soft prime tyre , the German then briefly rose to second place as the supersoft starters around him began to pit, with Rosberg stopping on lap nine and Hamilton following his team-mate a lap later.

    At the start of the second stint Roberg began to stretch his legs, broadening the gap to 7s but Hamilton then began to push, chopping two seconds off the deficit by lap 22 and then reducing it by a further 2.5s over the next few laps.

    With Rosberg in more trouble with tyres than his team-mate Hamilton elected to extend the stint, hoping to keep up the momentum and erase the deficit as Rosberg’s pace dropped and he worked through his pit stop, which came at the end of lap 31.

    The German switched to soft tyres and began to close on Hamilton in a bid to cover any decision by Hamilton’s crew to put the Briton on the more fragile but significantly faster supersoft tyres for his final stint. He eventually brought matters under control with a 10s gap to his team-mate with 15 laps remaining.

    The threat of Hamilton on supersofts never materialized, however, and when the Briton made his final visit to pit lane he took on soft tyres and emerged 12s adrift of his team-mate. Rosberg then controlled matters until the chequered flag to finish 8.2s in front to claim his sixth win of the year and his third in a row.

    Behind them Räikkönen ploughed a lonely furrow in third place, having got past team-mate Vettel as the German’s tyres faded towards the end of his first soft-tyre stint.

    Vettel pitted on lap 24 for another set of softs and then with 15 laps to go the German switched to the quicker supesofts. The injection of pace allowed him to haul himself up to an excellent fourth place, passing Ricciardo and Perez in the closing stages.

    Perez clung onto fifth ahead of Ricciardo, with Nico Hulkenber finishing seventh, ahead of Williams’ Felipe Massa.

    Romain Grosjean, in his final race for Lotus, worked a three-strategy well to surge through to the points positions in the final stages and he finished ninth ahead of Red Bull Racing’s Daniil Kvyat.

    Carlos Sainz’s race was hampered by a slow first pit stop and he finished in 11th place ahead of team-mate Verstappen. Jenson Button was 13th for McLaren, aherad of Williams’ Valtteri Bottas who collided with Button in the pits and was forced to make an additional stop as a result.

    Marcus Ericsson beat team-mate Felipe Nasr to take P15, while Fernando Alonso was 17th, the Spaniard having collided with Lotus’ Pastor Maldonado at the start. Will Stevens beat Manor team-mate Roberto Merhi by taking 18th place.

    2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Race
    1 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:38:30.175
    2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +8.271
    3 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari +19.430
    4 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari +43.735
    5 Sergio Perez Force India +63.952
    6 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing +65.010
    7 Nico Hulkenberg Force India +93.618
    8 Felipe Massa Williams +97.751
    9 Romain Grosjean Lotus F1 Team +98.201
    10 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing +102.371
    11 Carlos Sainz Jr. Toro Rosso +103.525
    12 Max Verstappen Toro Rosso +1 lap
    13 Jenson Button McLaren +1 lap
    14 Valtteri Bottas Williams +1 lap
    15 Marcus Ericsson Sauber +1 lap
    16 Felipe Nasr Sauber +1 lap
    17 Fernando Alonso McLaren +2 laps
    18 Will Stevens Manor +2 laps
    19 Roberto Merhi Manor +3 laps
    R Pastor Maldonado Lotus Collision

    eom/FIA press conference transcript

    Rosberg takes the chequered flag at Abu Dhabi GP on Sunday. He won more races but a consistent Hamilton clinched the F1 title with many races to spare. FIA image
    Rosberg takes the chequered flag at Abu Dhabi GP on Sunday. He won more races but a consistent Hamilton clinched the F1 title with many races to spare. FIA image