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Author: David Bodapati
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Miquel Oliveira takes fifth podium of his career in a day of crashes: Moto3
Phillip Island (Australia), 18 October 2015: Miguel Oliveira of Red Bull KTM Ajo won the MotoGP 3 here on Sunday clocking 37 minutes 34.742 to take his 5th podium of his GP career and moves to 2nd in championship, 40 points from Danny Kent with 50 points and two races remaining in the chamionship.
Spaniard Efren Vasquez of Leopard Racing came second in his Honda while Brad Binder came third. Oliveira had enough in hand around the final corners to win by 0.1s – a monumental margin by this race’s standards – but Vazquez just edged Binder and Navarro in a frantic dash to the line.
Miguel, the Portugal rider moved to the second position behind Danny Kent in the world championship Moto3 standings. Kent crashed out today along with nearest rival before the start of this race, Bastianini.
After the race Oliveira said: “I just realise now the championship is still on. What a crazy race. I noticed the group was not so big but I still wanted to be 1st or 2nd. I could defend the whole lap and I’m so happy, a great win.” On second thoughts, “I am sorry for the results, it happens…” he quipped.Second place Vazquez said: “I’m really happy with this race. The setting was perfect for the race and to get a podium is great.”Third-placed Binder feels lucky saying: “The front closed on me at T1, I was so lucky there was extra tarmac there. It was a good race although I’m a bit disappointed with 3rd. I felt strong and pulled back the gap. My bike was amazing, it handled really well. I’m sure I could have done better but…”eom/motogp.com results
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Armaan Ebrahim pairs with Lankan teammate to finish third overall in Trofeo Asia series in Shanghai
Shanghai, 17 October 2015: India’s Armaan Ebrahim finished third overall along with teammate for another podium and finished second in Pro-Am class in the fifth and concluding round of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Asia series, here on Saturday.
Chennai-based Armaan along with his Sri Lankan partner Dilantha Malagamuwa qualified third Overall and second in the Pro-Am class for the first race of the weekend.
Going out first, Armaan did well to hold his grid position till he came in to hand over the car to Dilantha. The Sri Lankan also managed to maintain the position to come in third.
However, with the race winner Afiq from Malaysia not classified as he drove without a partner, Armaan and Dilantha were placed second which fetched the pair 12 crucial points that put them third in the championship, just four adrift of the second spot and nine behind the leader.
Armaan had a good run in the qualifying session as he put in his fastest lap and looked set to improve in the next loop, but ran into traffic.
Armaan made a good start in the race to keep pace with the front runners while opening a sizeable gap to the car behind him. After the change-over, Dilantha was under pressure and lost a place, but recovered well to regain the position.
Reflecting on his performance, Armaan said: “In the first qualifying session which decides where we start in the first race, I did my fastest lap on my first flyer. The next lap should have been the lap, but I was blocked. Nevertheless, I was happy with P3, just three-tenths off the pace.
“The race start was ok. I ran through with the leaders and opened a gap to the guy in fourth. After the pitstop, Dilantha was under some pressure and actually lost a place, but did well to fight back and regain the position.”
eom/AP Media Comm release
Armaan finishes third overall and second in Pro-Am along with Lankan teammate on Saturday. An AP Media Comm image -
Ananth Shanmugham takes the lead in the JK Racing India Series
Ananth Shanmugam (centre) won the JK Racing India series at BIC on Saturday. A JK Tyre image Greater Noida, 17 October 2015: Ananth Shanmugam of Bangalore won the 10-lap race in the JK Racing India Series as the Round 3 of the 18th JK Tyre Racing Championship at Buddh International Circuit here on Saturday. Two races of the Formula LGB 4 and a race each in the JK Racing India Series and JK Tyre-VW Vento Cup were held on Saturday, the first day of the two-day event.
Shanmugam clocked 21 minutes 55.344 seconds while Vishnu Prasad came second in 22:06869 followed by Nayan Chatterjee (22:16.022) in third.
In Race One of Formula LGB 4, Sandeep Kumar of Team Meco Racing came first. Diljith TS of Team Avalanche Racing was second and Vishnu Prasad was third. In Race 3 saw a different set of podium finishers in Sudarshana Rao Karwal of Team Dark Don Racing who came in first followed by teammate Ajay Kini and Raghul Rangaswamy of Team Meco Racing took third place.
In the JK Tyre Volkswagen Vento Cup, Konda Anindith Reddy won the race in 15 minutes, 9.504 seconds while Ishaan Dodhiwala and Karminder Singh finished behind him in second and third respectively.
In the JK Racing India Series, karting champion Ananth Shanmugam from Bangalore had a comfortable race as he lead from the start to finish. He ensured he kept a safe distance from his followers behind. The main action was for the second and third place. Karthik Tharani made his move to the third place after starting fourth. Two-times champion Vishnu Prasad was on attack mode and had a great battle with Akhil Rabindra so much that they exchanged positions thrice. Their fight went to the extreme and Akhil lost traction and went off the track and Vishnu managed a second place finish. Karthik fell back too and Nayan who was in fifth position moved ahead to take a surprise podium. For Nayan the hard work paid off as he started seventh and finished third.
The day started with the qualifying sessions of each category. Karting champion Ananth Shanmugam lead in the JK Racing India Series, Chennai lad Ajay Kini lead in the Formula LGB 4 and Anindith Reddy Konda from Hyderabad lead in the JK- VW Vento Cup. In the qualifying race of the JK Super Bike Cup, Sandesh Prasanna finished first.
Race 1 of the Formula LGB witnessed some bumper to bumper racing. It wasn’t a good start to the weekend for pole sitter and current championship leader Ajay Kini. The Chennai lad who is a pilot by profession, lost out in the first two corners of the race and he retired from the race due to a technical snag. It was a constant battle between Delhi boy Rohit Khanna (Team Dark Don Racing) and Kolhapur boy Krishnaraj Mahadik (Team Dark Don Racing) for the first place as they were constantly charging at each other lap after lap. Rohit managed to regain his lead but as Anshul Shah spun, the safety car had to come out and stayed for a lap. The safety car changed the entire race. Rohit was caught up by Sandeep Kumar (Team Meco Racing) who drove brilliantly well to catch up the race leader and finally took the lead. However, a wrong move cost Rohit his second place and it allowed Diljith to move in to the second position and five other cars overtook Rohit. The fight for the third place became a five way fight which has not been seen in the championship in a long time. Rohit got a tough fight from Sudarshana Rao, Krishnaraj, Vishnu Prasad, Raghul Rangaswamy fought hard for the third position but as the chequered flag came out Vishnu Prasad from Chennai crossed the line by just having the nose of his car ahead of Krishnaraj who finished fourth.
Race 2 of the Formula LGB4, Ajay Kini was back in action and fought a tough race from start to finish. It was Ajay’s maiden race at the Buddh International Circuit and focused on finishing the race ahead of everyone. However, Sudarshana Rao Karwal from Bangalore was the surprise package and it was a roller coaster race for him as he kept swapping places with Ajay Kini on most of the laps. At the end it was Sudarshana who took the chequered flag followed by Ajay Kini. Raghul Rangaswamy from Chennai finished in the third place.
JK Tyre- VW Vento Cup: Anindith Reddy from Hyderabad had a good start and ensured he stayed focused throughout the race to seal his first place finish. Last year’s runner-up Karminder Singh from Delhi who is vying for the overall champion title this year kept the pressure on. Nayan Chatterjee the podium finisher in the JK Racing India Series who was on his maiden outing in this category had a poor start and fell back to the tenth place. HarkisanWadia from Delhi got stuck on the home stretch due to which the race was stopped. When the race restarted, Anindith resumed his lead and despite getting a tough competition from Hyderabad boy Ishaan Dodhiwala, Anindith smoothly took the chequered flag. Karminder due to his usual aggressive start finished third. The experienced SaileshBolisetti and the rookie Raghav Sharma fought really hard for the fourth place and in the end, Sailesh managed to cross the line ahead of Raghav.
The races are webcasted live on www.jktyremotorsport.com. The championship is run under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sport Clubs of India (FMSCI) and Motul is the official lubricant partner to the championship.
Provisional Race Results: Formula LGB 4- Race 1 (8 laps): 1. Sandeep Kumar (Team Meco Racing) – 22:27.062; 2. Diljith TS (Team Avalanche Racing) – 22:30.554; 3. Vishnu Prasad (Team Meco Racing) – 22:34.904. Race 2: 1. Sudarshana Rao Karwal (Team Dark Don Racing) – 21:58.469; 2. Ajay Kini (Team Dark Don Racing) – 21:58.934; 3. Raghul Rangaswamy (Tea Meco Racing) – 22:01.164.
JK Racing India Series (10 laps): 1, Ananth Shanmugam – 21:55.344; 2. Vishnu Prasad – 22:06869; bNayan Chatterjee – 22:16.022.
JK Tyre -VW Vento Cup: 1. Anindith Reddy Konda – 15:09.504; 2. Ishaan Dodhiwala – 15:10.323; 3. Karminder Singh -15:15.724.
For JK racing updates visit: www.jktyremotorsport.com, www.twitter.com/JKTyreRacing, www.facebook.com/jktyremotorsport,
eom/david/JK Tyre release
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Marquez takes blistering pole in Australia with heartache for Pedrosa in 4th
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez has taken an incredible pole position – his 30th in MotoGP – as he chases his first win in the premier class at Phillip Island, but unfortunately teammate Dani Pedrosa was demoted from second to fourth in the dying seconds of qualifying according to a Repsol Honda release.
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo rode as smoothly as ever around the Phillip Island circuit today, taking third position for tomorrow‘s Australian Grand Prix. Teammate Valentino Rossi also felt the tension build before the crucial qualifying session, and secured seventh place on the grid, adds Movistar Yamaha team release.
Since Saturday Honda notes of FP2, Marc has led every session here in Phillip Island and immediately shot to the top on his first exit in qualifying. On his second run, Marc was on track to improve his time again however, a big moment in turn four – where he was lucky to save the bike from crashing – forced him back into the pits for new rubber for his final third exit. Marc delivered an incredible lap, improving his first run by three tenths with a time of 1’28.364 and securing pole position.
Dani found traffic on his first flying lap but was then able to get a fast lap in. On his second run, he improved by half a second and his time of 1’28.712 placed him second with just a handful of riders remaining. However, in the final moments, Lorenzo and Iannone crossed the line with identical times just 0.032 seconds ahead of Dani and relegated him to fourth.
Tomorrow’s race will begin at 16h00 local time.
Marc Marquez
1ST 1’28.364
“I am pleased with how the day went, and of course with pole position! Thanks to the team for all their work, we have a good pace
for tomorrow and we are ready to fight for the podium and hopefully the victory tomorrow. However we must wait and see what happens, because here every day is different; it can be sunny but then all of a sudden clouds can appear, and the key will be interpreting how the track conditions are, in order to have a good race.”Results Session
Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Time/Gap 1 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’28.364 2 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Ducati Team 1’28.680 3 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’28.680 4 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’28.712 5 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda 1’28.912 6 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’28.932 7 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’29.014 8 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’29.015 9 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’29.222 10 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team 1’29.267 11 REDDING Scott 45 GBR Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS 1’29.499 12 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’29.626 13 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Pramac Racing 1’29.918 14 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA Avintia Racing 1’30.064 15 MILLER Jack 43 AUS LCR Honda 1’30.104 16 LAVERTY Eugene 50 IRE Aspar MotoGP Team 1’30.105 17 HERNANDEZ Yonny 68 COL Pramac Racing 1’30.135 18 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’30.147 19 BAZ Loris 76 FRA Athina Forward Racing 1’30.173 20 HAYDEN Nicky 69 USA Aspar MotoGP Team 1’30.376 21 BRADL Stefan 6 GER Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’30.634 22 DI MEGLIO Mike 63 FRA Avintia Racing 1’30.959 23 WEST Anthony 13 AUS AB Motoracing -
One of a kind: Volkswagen takes on a mixture of asphalt and gravel at the Rally Spain
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Sébastien Ogier (F), Julien Ingrassia (F)
Volkswagen Polo R WRC (2015)
WRC Rally Portugal 2015Two appearance, two wins so far for Ogier/Ingrassia and the Polo R WRC in Spain
- Latvala/Anttila and Mikkelsen/Fløene do battle for second place in the championship
- 51 per cent unfamiliar terrain at penultimate WRC round of 2015
Wolfsburg, 16 October 2015: All eyes on the surface – Volkswagen faces a unique challenge when it lines up with the Polo R WRC at the Rally Spain (22–25 October). The twelfth and penultimate round of this season’s FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) is the only one on the WRC calendar, at which the drivers go up against the clock on both asphalt and gravel. Two men, in particular, have proven to be experts in this field: reigning champions and champions elect* Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia (F/F). Last year, the two Frenchmen wrapped up their second World Championship title on the Iberian Peninsula, with one round still to come. In 2013, when Volkswagen won the Manufacturers’ Championship, the winners in Spain were once again Ogier/Ingrassia. Second place in a Volkswagen one-two in both years went to Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), who are currently second in the World Championship and arrive in Spain on the back of their recent victory on Corsica. Success at the Rally France on Corsica saw Latvala/Anttila extend their advantage in the overall standings over the third Volkswagen duo of Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N) to 34 points. Should Latvala/Anttila retain at least 28 points of their lead on Mikkelsen/Fløene, who are third in the World Championship, they would be guaranteed to end the season as runners-up in the overall standings.
“The Rally Spain is unique. We must ensure the Polo is ideally set up for both gravel and asphalt,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. “This not only means that the driver and co-driver must be wide awake and able to adapt well to the changing conditions, but also puts the entire team to the test – particularly the mechanics. We have done a good job of switching from gravel to asphalt for the past two years, and have been successful in Spain. This year, we are obviously hoping to make it a hat-trick of wins. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila dominated on Corsica and travel to Spain brimming with confidence. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia were unfortunate at their home rally – it goes without saying that they are now hungry to bounce back with what would be their eighth win of the season. Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene have not yet given up on second place in the overall standings. It will certainly be exciting.”
New this year – 23 special stages, 51 per cent unfamiliar terrain
Asphalt, gravel, asphalt, asphalt – this sequence of road surfaces is what awaits the elite of the WRC on Thursday and the three subsequent days of rallying. And that is not the only challenge: the 51st staging of the Rally Spain features a total of 23 special stages – seven more than in 2014 – with 331.25 kilometres against the clock. The driver/co-driver crews must write new pace notes for 51 per cent of the route.
A wide range of challenges – the 2015 Rally Spain
The Rally Spain poses a wide range of challenges to the drivers and co-drivers. Like last year, the 3.2-kilometre “Barcelona” special stage will be held on Montjuïc on Thursday evening. The site of the International Exposition in 1929 and the 1992 Summer Olympics will attract spectators aplenty when the WRC elite open the Rally Spain on the narrow route in the Catalonian metropolis. In contrast, Friday is set to be a dusty affair, as the itinerary features the first of the gravel stages – all of which are covered with a fine layer of gravel, more of which will be swept off the road with every World Rally Car that passes. Typical: the “Terra Alta” special stage, with its five changes of surface and central asphalt section. At 35.68 kilometres, it is also the longest stage at the Rally Spain.
A lot of feeling and good line selection – the key to success at the Rally Spain
After giving the World Rally Cars a complete overhaul to switch to their asphalt set-up, the teams then face a total 199.45 kilometres against the clock on Saturday and Sunday. Parts of last year’s “Riudecanyes” stage will this time be tackled in the opposite direction on “Duesaigües”. The second running of this stage will also form the Power Stage, on which extra points towards the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship are up for grabs. The rally has made the two roundabouts on this stage famous throughout Spain. It goes without saying that the drivers must pull off a crowd-pleasing donut on one of these. Narrow, winding downhill sections also define this famous stage. The Rally Spain demands a lot of feel for the car on the gravel sections and a good sense for the perfect line on the winding asphalt roads, some of which are reminiscent of classic racetracks.
One-twos, titles, milestones – happy stomping ground in Spain
Two wins from two appearances, the first one-two in the history of the Polo R WRC, the Manufacturer’s title with one round to go in 2013, and the Drivers’/Co-Drivers’ Championships for Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia last year – the asphalt and gravel roads of the Rally Spain have proven to be a happy stomping ground for Volkswagen. Last year, Ogier/Ingrassia and Latvala/Anttila pulled off a spectacular tenth one-two with the 318-hp four-wheel drive car from Wolfsburg. Coming into this year’s Rally Spain, the three Volkswagen crews now have a total of 16 one-twos to their name.
* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.
Quotes ahead of the Rally Spain
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
“When I think of the Rally Spain, the success we have enjoyed for the last two years obviously springs to mind. In 2014, Julien and I won to secure our second Drivers’ title In 2013, we helped Volkswagen wrap up the Manufacturers’ Championship with one rally still to come. Those scenes of jubilation and the big smiles on the faces of everyone in the team – you simply don’t forget memories like that in a hurry. This year we want to have cause for celebration again. Especially after what was a disappointing Rally France for Julien and me. However, it will be far from easy. Over half of the special stages at the Rally Spain are new, so we are all starting from scratch. Then there is also the added challenge of the different surfaces on the three days of the rally. In 2014 it was a close battle between Jari-Matti Latvala and me. I expect that to be the case again this time. Although we have already won the World Championship, it goes without saying that we will still be pushing hard. I think that is what makes our team so special. Everyone gives 100 per cent and we are all hungry to win.”Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
“The Rally Spain is one of my favourite rallies. Last year Sébastien Ogier and I had a very close battle. I pushed hard right to the finish, and won the closing Power Stage. Unfortunately I missed out on victory by just over eleven seconds. I was not 100 per cent in gravel mode at the start of the rally. I had focussed more on the asphalt set-up, so won most of my special stages on the final day of the rally. However, you must also be set up for gravel on the opening day in Spain if you want to be right up there. I have learned from that: I now know how I need to set up the Polo and that I have to drive cleanly on these sections. The surface on the gravel stages is relatively hard, but it is covered by a fine, loose layer. Victory on Corsica has definitely given me plenty of confidence. There are just two rallies remaining this year – and I want to be in contention to win them both.”Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
“This year there are a few new special stages at the Rally Spain. That suits me. I like working out new sections, and have always been fast on them in the past. However, one thing has not changed at the Rally Spain: the first day will be on gravel – with the exception of the Barcelona stage on Thursday – and the remaining two days on asphalt. It is always tricky to adjust from gravel to asphalt within a day. Hopefully Ola and I will find our rhythm quickly. Last year a puncture on Saturday cost me over two minutes. Without that, I could have been on the podium. As it was, I had to settle for seventh. I am yet to get through the Rally Spain without making a mistake, so a flawless rally is definitely my goal for this year. A podium would be nice too, but it goes without saying that I would like to be in with a shout of winning. Jari-Matti Latvala’s victory on Corsica increased the gap to him and second place in the overall standings. There are still two rallies to come though, and I am obviously not going to give up. However, I will not put myself under any undue pressure or reflect too much on the situation. Ideally, I will finish ahead of him and get a good result.”Did you know …
… Carlos Sainz won his home rally twice? “El Matador” won in 1992 and 1995. At his side: Luís Moya, now a member of the Volkswagen Motorsport team.
… Sebastián Salvadó won the inaugural Rally Spain? The Spaniard was victorious at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo in 1957.
… the first time the Rally Spain was not won by a Spaniard was in 1983? The Italian pair of Adertico Vudafieri and Tiziano Siviero won in a Lancia Rally 037.
… the Rally Spain is being held for the 51st time this year, and the 23rd time as a round of the World Rally Championship? The event, which is run by the Reial Automòbil Club de Catalunya (RACC) first featured on the WRC calendar in 1991. Only once – in 1994 – did the Rally Spain only count towards the 2-Litre World Rally Cup.
… the Rally Spain was held on the Costa Brava between 1991 and 2004? Back then, the rally headquarters were in the party stronghold of Lloret de Mar. However, there has also been plenty on offer in the way of leisure activities since 2005: the headquarters, media centre and service park are housed in the grounds of the PortAventura Resort.
… France is the most successful nation at the Rally Spain? Since the rally first appeared on the WRC calendar, it has been won by a Frenchman on 16 occasions. Sébastien Loeb alone won eight times between 2005 and 2012. Volkswagen driver Sébastien Ogier contributed two victories to the French total in 2013 and 2014.
… the body shell of the Polo R WRC is made in Pamplona? Last year, 150 employees from the Volkswagen factory in Pamplona made the 400-kilometre journey to watch their three Polo R WRCs in action, courtesy of an invite from Volkswagen Spain.
The number for the Rally Spain: 4,044
The mechanics could produce a record-breaking performance at the Rally Spain. During the 75-minute service on Friday evening – the longest of the season – they will convert the Polo R WRC from its gravel configuration to the asphalt set-up. For an idea of the sheer effort required, look no further than the number of individual components that must be replaced. Per car, the mechanics must swap 13 modules, consisting of 1,348 individual parts – that is a total of 4,044 parts for all three Polo R WRC.
FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings Drivers’ Championship points 1. Sébastien Ogier 238 2. Jari-Matti Latvala 160 3. Andreas Mikkelsen 126 4. Mads Østberg 98 5. Thierry Neuville 86 6. Kris Meeke 83 7. Elfyn Evans 81 8. Hayden Paddon 66 9. Ott Tänak 63 10. Dani Sordo 62 11. Martin Prokop 33 12. Khalid Al Qassimi 9 13. Juho Hänninen 8 14. Yuriy Protasov 8 15. Robert Kubica 8 16. Nasser Al-Attiyah 7 17. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari 6 18. Sébastien Loeb 6 19. Esapekka Lappi 4 20. Diego Dominguez 4 21. Paolo Andreucci 4 22. Bryan Bouffier 4 23. Pontus Tidemand 2 24. Jan Kopecký 2 25. Nicolas Fuchs 2 26. Gustavo Saba 2 27. Stephane Sarrazin 2 28. Stéphane Lefebvre 1 29. Jari Ketomaa 1 30. Lorenzo Bertelli 1 Co-Drivers’ Championship points 1. Julien Ingrassia 238 2. Miikka Anttila 160 3. Ola Fløene 126 4. Jonas Andersson 98 5. Nicolas Gilsoul 86 6. Paul Nagle 83 7. Daniel Barritt 81 8. John Kennard 66 9. Raigo Mõlder 63 10. Marc Marti 62 11. Jan Tománek 33 12. Chris Patterson 9 13. Tomi Tuominen 8 14. Pavlo Cherepin 8 15. Maciek Szczepaniak 8 16. Matthieu Baumel 7 17. Marshall Clarke 6 18. Daniel Elena 6 19. Janne Ferm 4 20. Edgardo Galindo 4 21. Anna Andreussi 4 22. Thibault de la Haye 4 23. Emil Axelsson 2 24. Pavel Dresler 2 25. Jaques Julien Renucci 2 26. Fernando Musano 2 27. Diego Cagnotti 2 28. Stéphane Prevot 1 29. Kaj Lindström 1 30. Lorenzo Granai 1 Manufactures’ Championship points 1. Volkswagen Motorsport 369 2. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT 184 3. Hyundai Motorsport 183 4. M-Sport World Rally Team 170 5. Volkswagen Motorsport II 91 6. Hyundai Mobis World Rally Team 59 7. Jipocar Czech National Team 45 8. F.W.R.T. 9 -
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Mapfre Mahindra riders start weekend with strong pace at Phillip Island
Phillip Islands (Australia), 16 Oct 2015: Just five days after crossing the finish line in the Grand Prix of Japan the Mot
Guevara on Friday in Phillip Islands. A Mapfre Mahindra image 3 World Championship riders were back on their bikes today to begin the sixteenth round of the season at Phillip Island. The Australian Grand Prix kicked off in typically changeable weather conditions, with the first session taking place in the dry but the second session starting off in the damp after some intermittent showers. The riders opted to wait in their garages until the track dried, with some riders able to improve their lap times but many struggling to match their pace from the morning. Indeed, the fastest time of the first day here was set in the opening session by Miguel Oliveira.
MAPFRE Team Mahindra’s three riders made a solid start to the Australian Grand Prix. Juanfran Guevara built on his excellent feeling at this circuit in 2014, working to a similar plan today as he made improvements in the second session to lap eleventh fastest overall, a little over a second off the fastest rider today. Pecco Bagnaia was two positions further back, the Italian feeling satisfied with his bike but uncomfortable with the strong winds that were a constant feature today at Phillip Island. Jorge Martín also struggled with the conditions but otherwise adapted quickly to the circuit and he is confident of improving on eighteenth place ahead of qualifying tomorrow.
11th Juanfran Guevara 1.38.306 (28 laps): “We had a good race at Phillip Island last year so I was really looking forward to this weekend. We tried to start with the same plan of attack today. We worked well in the first session but this afternoon the conditions were strange and we could only ride for the final twenty minutes so we don’t know how much we could have improved. I am happy though, it was important to start the Grand Prix strongly and especially to see where we could improve. We have done a lot of laps on the same tyre today and that is positive for the race. We had a consistent pace this morning and dropped the lap time in the afternoon. The objective is to continue in the same way tomorrow.”
13th Pecco Bagnaia 1.38.339 (28 laps): “Today was positive, I am happy with how the bike is working, it was just a shame that the wind was such a problem today. The feeling for the first day was really good and I was running in the top ten, it was just a shame that I got held up on my final lap by a rider on a slow lap. Anyway, I am happy with the result today. Tomorrow we have to try and improve and work on reducing the effect of the wind. It caused a few crashes in turn one today, it is not a nice thing for anybody. We will work on improving our performance tomorrow and maybe try lowering the front end a little so that it doesn’t get lifted quite so much.”
eom
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Mugello victory seals double CIV title for Mahindra Peugeot
Mugello, 13 October 2015: Top teenager Marco Bezzecchi (16) took another hard-fought victory in the final race of the five-round national Italian CIV championship at the classic Mugello circuit on October 11, to seal his first championship crown, and also secure the Constructors’ championship for Mahindra Peugeot.
Riding a Mahindra for Team Porto Maggiore, the 16-ye
Marco Bezzecchi (16) takes the victory. A Mahindra image ar-old from Rimini – the heartland of Italian motorcycle racing – triumphed by inches after a race-long battle with rival Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Bezzecchi’s Mahindra MGP3O was strikingly painted in the red, white and green of the Italian Tricolore, and he was draped in the national flag as he celebrated his race and championship win.
Bezzecchi and Giannantonio had exchanged the lead over and over again as they battled round the scenic circuit, venue for the prestigious Italian MotoGP race; but clever tactics and the sprinting power of his Mahindra gave Bezzecchi the crucial edge past the chequered flag, and the points he needed to confirm his championship title.
The Italian CIV national championship is an important series in Europe, and has been the springboard for many famous riders including Valentino Rossi, who hails from the countryside near Rimini.
Mahindra, the only Indian constructor in international championship racing, has forged strong links with Italy, with Mahindra Racing’s European headquarters in Varese.
Mahindra has taken part in the CIV series since 2012, when the machines were still 125cc two-strokes; winning the Constructors’ crown at the first attempt. Mahindra won it again in 2013, when the series was opened to Moto3, 250cc, machines.
The current Mahindra MGP3O ridden to victory by Bezzecchi is a 250cc four-stroke, as campaigned in the Moto3 World Championship.
Mufaddal Choonia: Mahindra Racing CEO
“That was a very exciting way for our young rider to win the championship, for himself and Mahindra Peugeot; and a very satisfying achievement for both. With our strong connection to the racing scene in Italy, this victory means a lot. This championship is important of course for our continuing development of our grand prix machine, but also a chance for Mahindra Peugeot to put something back by supporting young talent – and there is a lot of young talent in Italy. This is in line with the Mahindra Group’s Rise philosophy that strives to Drive Positive Change by using Alternative Thinking and Accepting No Limits. We believe Marco has a big future in racing.”
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Ricky Donison emerges National Champion; Shahan and Akash too win championship
Young Ruhaan Alva gives a tough fight to Aditya Swaminathan before overtaking him in the pre-finals on Sunday. A JK Tyre image Bangalore, 11 Oct
Ruhaan Alva (#10) gives a tough fight to the champion Shahan in the final race on Sunday. A JK Tyre image 2015: Ricky Donison emerged as the National champion in the Senior Max in the 2015 JK Tyre National Karting championship at the Meco Kartopia, near here, on Sunday to earn a well-deserved ride in the National Racing championship next year. Akash Gowda too will get a ride in the Racing Nationals next year as he conquered the Junior champinship despite finishing second and third in the pre and final races today.
Both Donison and Gowda are now eligible to participate in the World Karting Finals at Portugal later this year. Not just these two, the top three overall champions in the Junior Max and Senior Max category will be seen driving the JKFB02 cars in the JK Tyre Racing Championship 2016.
Shahan Ali Mohsin lifted the coveted Micro Max national championship thwarting aside the challenge of another upcoming karter Ruhaan Alva with a minor lead of 22 points. Shahan played safe today and did not stretch himself to avoid mistakes and finished second in both the pre-finals and finals which was enough for him to take the national title in the sub-junior category named as Micro Max.
Nikhil Bohra from Bangalore (Team Meco Racing), Mohhamed Nallwalla from Mumbai (Team Rayo Racing) and Bangalore boy Ricky Donison (Team BPC Racing) won the fifth and final Round of the 12th JK Tyre-FMSCI National Karting Championship which concluded at the Meco Kartopia here on Sunday.
Ricky Donison bagged two more trophies for securing the maximum number of wins and also for the maximum number of pole positions. Mohd Zain Ali bagged the Best Newcomer of the year award, Shahan Ali Mohsin was awarded the Best Driver of the Year award, Nirmal Umashanker got the Akbar Ebrahim trophy for the Most Improved Driver of the Year and Mira Erda bagged the Most Promising Female Driver of the year award.
At the end of Day 1 Shahan, Manav and Ricky were leading in the Micro, Junior and Senior Max categories respectively. Day 2 started off with the pre-finals & final races of each category.
A whole lot of excitement unfolded in the pre-final race of the Micro Max category. The leader Shahan started off from pole position and kept his lead for the first ten laps. However in the second last lap, Nikhil Bohra who was closely following Shahan made his move and took the lead in the last corner and eventually took the chequered flag. Shahan had to settle in for the second place. Aditya Swaminathan who started third, used his excellent maneuvering skills and made his way to the second position in the very second lap of the race. However in a matter of time the focused Shahan whose eyes were on Nikhil overtook him. There was an intense battle between Aditya, Chirag and Ruhaan who kept charging at each other throughout the 12 laps race. The fight for the third place was a sight to watch as an interesting battle was brewing between them. On multiple occasions, Chirag made his way past Ruhaan however Aditya kept up to his pace and manage a third place finish.
The final race of the Micro Max had an exciting closure. Nikhil and Shahan kept battling for the podium finish however Nikhil kept his lead and at the end of 15 laps, he finished first. Shahan tried his best to overtake but he knew that his championship title was safe even if he finished second and therefore took no chances and kept his second place secured. Ruhaan Alva extended his lead from Chirag who was constantly chasing him for the third place and ensured his third place on the podium. With this second place finish, Shahan sealed his championship title in the Micro Max category.
In the pre-final race of Junior Max, Nirmal Umashanker who started from the pole position maintained a comfortable lead from the start to finish. Following him closely was Bangalore lad Akash Gowda who ensured that he does not let go off his second place throughout the race. However, the current leader in the championship table Mohammed Nallwalla who was disqualified yesterday because of technical infringement started off in the seventh place and moved up to the third place. However in an effort to make a move on Akash Gowda, he fell behind by three positions. But he didn’t give up and after an intense battle with Yash Aradhya for third place, he overtook Yash on a tight corner in the last lap and took the third place.
In the last and final race of the Junior Max, Mohammed Nallwala was back in his form and sealed his leadership position by taking away the chequered flag ahead of everyone. Nirmal Umashanker, Akash Gowda, Manav Sharma and Yash Aradhya fought bumper to bumper for the second and third place finish. It was a clean race with no DNFs (did not finish) and at the end, Nirmal finished second and following him closely was Akash Gowda. With this third place finish, Akash Gowda sealed his championship title in the Junior Max category. As he lifted the trophy, he received a huge applause from his friends from his school who had come all the way to cheer for him.
The pre-finals of the Senior Max was closely fought. After a tough 18 laps race, Ricky Donison whose eyes were on the podium ensured he kept his lead from start to finish. The very experienced Vishnu Prasad was out of the track in corner 1 and after repeated attempts, his engine restarted and he was back in the race. With years of experience behind him, he not just managed to finish in the eighth place but also set the fastest lap of the race. Dhruv Mohite and Krishnaraj Mahadik had a close face off for second and third place till the end. When the chequered flag came out, Dhruv & Krishnaraj followed Ricky in the second and third place respectively. Ameya Bafna had a long battle for the third place but he eventually finished sixth as towards the end he lost speed.
The final race was filled with action as the young lads fought it out. Ricky was leading the race since the beginning. The real fight was between Vishnu, Nayan, Krishnaraj and Ameya who were battling it out on the track. Ricky maintaining his dominance finished the race first. Vishnu Prasad was back in his form and managed to retain his place at the second position throughout the race and clocked the second best time. Ameya who was in the third place as the race began eventually fell behind as Nayan took over and crossing the finish line third.
The winners of Round 5 were awarded in the podium ceremony held after the races. The overall champions of the 12th JK Tyre-FMSCI National Rotax Karting Championship were awarded in a glittering ceremony later in the evening. The 2015 season of JK Tyre-FMSCI National Rotax Karting Championship witnessed a lot of action and excitement and will be back next year for the 13th season of the championship.
While the action in the 2015 season of the championship concluded on a hot and sunny day here at the karting track named Meco Kartopia, the Prize Distribution ceremony was equally glittering at a city hotel in the late evening. The last and final day of the season was witnessed by a few hundreds of motorsport fans, mostly parents and near and dear of the karters, who came to cheer their favorite karters. To keep the audiences entertained, there was a special bike stunt show which left the onlookers asking for more. The excitement in the atmosphere was high as the drivers geared up to give it their best shot in the last set of races for this season.
Provisional Results
PRE-FINALS:
Micro Max (12 laps)
Nikhil Bohra – 11:57.711
Shahan Ali Mosin – 11:58.438
Aditya Swaminathan – 12:07.581
Junior Max (15 laps)
Nirmal Umashankar – 13:39.033
Akash Gowda – 13:42.624
Mohmmed Nallwalla – 13:44.390
Senior Max (18 laps)
Ricky Donison – 16:28.801
Dhruv Mohite – 16:31.150
Krishnaraj D Mahadik – 16:31.426
FINAL RACE RESULTSMicro Max (15 laps)
Nikhil Bohra – 14:59.428
Shahan Ali Mohsin – 15:02.508
Ruhaan Alva – 15:02.832
Junior Max (18 laps)
Mohammed Nallwala – 16:18.543
Nirmal Umashanker – 16:19.821
Akash Gowda – 16:25.426
Senior Max (20 laps)
Ricky Donison – 18:09.290
Vishnu Prasad – 18:17.966
Nayan Chatterjee – 18:22.488
Overall championship points:
Micro Max:
Shahan Ali Mohsin – 435 points
Ruhaan Alva – 413 points
Nikhil Bohra – 412 points
Junior Max:
Akash Gowda – 413 points
Mohammed Nallwalla – 406
Nirmal Umashanker – 396 points
Senior Max:
Ricky Donison – 424 points
Nayan Chatterjee – 411 points
Dhruv Mohite – 396 points
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Hamilton moves closer to title with a dominant Sochi win, his 42nd
Lewis Hamilton moved within touching distance of a third F1 drivers’ title as he took a dominant Russian Grand Prix victory ahead of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, while Hamilton’s team-mate Nico Rosberg retired from the race with a mechanical failure soon after the start of the race. Hamilton’s 42nd win also saw him surpass boyhood hero Ayrton Senna’s career wins total.
With Vettel second, Sergio Perez claimed his and Force India’s first podium finish of the year, the Mexican profiting from a final-lap collision involving Williams’ Valtteri Bottas and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.
Starting from pole, Rosberg held his advantage when the lights went out to signal the start of the race, despite determined pressure from Hamilton. Behind the front-row pair, Raikkonen made an excellent start from fifth place and made his way past Vettel and Bottas to claim third place.
Perez slotted into sixth behind Vettel but the Mexican’s team-mate Nico Hulkenberg was in trouble. Starting from seventh he spun in Turn 2 and as he slid across the track he collided with Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen and Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson. Verstappen sustained a pincyture and limped back to the pits for repairs but the race was over for Hulkenberg and Ericsson.
The incident brought out the safety car and Lotus’ Romain Grosjean pitted to check his front wing, as he too had been caught up in the Turn 2 drama, and he also switched from super soft tyres to soft.
When the race restarted on lap four, Bottas made his way past Raikkonen to reclaim P3. At the front, however, Rosberg was in difficulty, telling his team that he was having problems with the throttle of his car.
Hamilton closed in and on lap seven Rosberg, clearly struggling with his car, went wide through Turn 2 and Hamilton swept past to take the lead. Rosberg pitted at the end of the lap and eventually retired from the race.
Hamilton now led by just over two seconds from Bottas, with Raikkonen third ahead of Vettel. Perez was three seconds behind Vettel in fifth place, with Daniil Kvyat sixth ahead of Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo. Sauber’s Felipe Nasr was eighth, just 0.7s ahead of Felipe Massa who had climbed to ninth from 15th on the grid and 10th-placed Pastor Maldonado.
The safety car was deployed again on lap 12 as Lotus’ Romain Gropsjean, in P13 lost control on the way through Turn 3. The Frenchman went side on into the barriers destroying his car. He quickly clambered out of the wreckage, however, and was uninjured in the incident.
During the safety car period Perez and Ricciardo pitted on lap 13, with both shedding their starting supersofts for soft tyres. That left Hamilton in the lead from Bottas, Raikkonen and Vettel, while Kvyat was now up to fifth ahead of Nasr, Massa and Maldonado, who had both started on soft tyres, Perez and Ricciardo.
The re-start, on lap 17, was action-packed. Bottas was told that Hamilton was struggling with tyre temperatures behind the safety car and sensing an opportunity the Finn attacked in earnest as the safety car left the circuit. Hamilton held firm to stay in the lead, however.
Behind them, Vettel attempted to muscle past Raikkonen through Turn 2, with the Finn forced off track, but Raikkonen too held his nerve and stayed in second place. Vettel hadn’t given up, however, and a couple of corners later the German passed his team-mate on the inside to take P3.
Further back Perez passed Maldonado to move into P8 and Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz, who had been passed clear to race following a heavy crash in FP3 on Saturday, got by Ricciardo to claim P10, though the Red Bull Racing driver would reclaim the spot on the next lap.
At the front, Hamilton was now striding away and by the start of lap 23 he had 6.3s in hand over Bottas and was running almost a second per lap quicker than the Finn.
Bottas pitted from P2 on lap 27. He took on soft tyresd and emerged into traffic behind Sainz in P11.
Veetl was the next of the frontrunners to stop, on lap 31. His stop for soft tyres was 2.2 seconds and he emerged ahead of Bottas. Massa too pitted on the same lap, shedding his opening soft tyres for supersofts. Raikkonen made his stop for soft rubber at the end of the following tour.
He rejoined alongside Bottas and the Williams driver battled hard to hold position, despite a strong challenger from his fellow Finn
It was then Hamilton’s turn to pit, which left Kvyat, on lap 33, leading his home race. He didn’t have much time to enjoy the moment, however, or to have his lead officially recorded as he pitted at the end of the lap. He rejoined in P9 ahead of the McLarens.
Nasr was the last to stop, and once the Brazilian had rejoined the order saw Hamilton leading by 13 seconds from Vettel. Perez had profited from his stop under the second safety car and the Mexican was now third on soft tyres with fellow early stopper Ricciardo in fourth. Bottas was now fifth and engaged in a toe-to-toe battle with Raikkonen, while Sainz was seventh ahead of Kvyat, Massa and Button.
Both Perez and Ricciardo were now battling to keep their older tyres alive under pressure from the quicker cars of Bottas and Raikkonen. On lap 43, however, Ricciardo fell into DRS range of fifth-placed Bottas, while third-placed Perez was visibly struggling with front tyre wear.
On lap 45 Ricciardo could hold out no more and Bottas went past the Australian in Turn 2. Ricciardo defended hard against the next assault from Raikkonen but eventually the Finn got past under DRS on the main straight. Ricciardo’s hard work proved in vain as he exited the race just a lap later. The Australian reported that something was “broken on the car, suspension or something” and he stopped his Red Bull at Turn 8.
Further back Sainz in P9 was in trouble with his brakes and he following one spin he had another more terminal one at Turn 13 where he slid backwards into the barriers and out of the race.
By lap 50 Bottas was inside DRS range of Perez but was struggling to get past the Mercedes-powered Force India man. Bottas was brave however and on one lap from home he braked late and pushed past the Mexican in Turn 13. Raikkonen seized the opportunity too and now the battle for third was between the Williams and Ferrari drivers.
Raikkonen closed in and attempted a riskt overtake in Turn 4 of the final lap. The attempt failed and he collided with the Williams, taking Bottas out of the race.
With his own car damaged Raikkonen was forced to slow. Perez, despite his struggles, swept past and after Hamilton had crossed the line to claim his ninth victory of the season and Vettel took second, the Force India driver grabbed the fifth podium finish of his career and his first since the Bahrain GP of 2014.
Raikkonen was also passed by Massa and with the Ferrari driver fifth, sixth place went to Kvyat, with Nasr seventh ahead of Maldonado, Button and Alonso.
2015 Russian Grand Prix – Race
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:37:11.024
2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari +5.953
3 Sergio Perez Force India +28.918
4 Felipe Massa Williams +38.831
5 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari +42.358
6 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing +47.566
7 Felipe Nasr Sauber +56.508
8 Pastor Maldonado Team Lotus +1:01.088
9 Jenson Button McLaren +1:19.467
10 Fernando Alonso McLaren +1:26.210
11 Max Verstappen Toro Rosso +1:28.424
12 Valtteri Bottas Williams +1 lap
13 Roberto Merhi Manor +1 lap
14 Will Stevens Manor +2 laps
15 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing +6 laps
R Carlos Sainz Jr. Toro Rosso Brakes
R Romain Grosjean Team Lotus Spun off
R Nico Rosberg Mercedes Throttle
R Nico Hulkenberg Force India Collision
R Marcus Ericsson Sauber Collisioneom/FIA press release
Hamilton celebrates after Sochi win. An FIA image -
Sergio Perez takes third place for Sahara Force India: Russian Grand Prix
Sochi, 11 October 2015: Mexican Sergio Perez brought cheers with a highly-deserved podium for Sahara Force India as he overcame last-minute jitters and degrading tyres to take the third place in the 15th round of the Formula One World Championship here on Sunday. For the record Lewis Hamilton took his 42nd win to overtake the number of wins by his childhood hero Ayrton Senna and also equalled the record of Sebastian Vettel, who finished third for Ferrari today.
“A lot of things were going on in my mind (after the overtake). But I gave it may all. So I am very happy to be here,” Perez said on podium.
Trailing the Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes and the Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari , Perez saw his third place vanish when both Valtteri Bottas of Williams and Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari overtook him at the same corner with a lap to go. However, Bottas made contact with Raikkonen after he appeared to come into the line of the Red car and crashed out of the race. Though Raikkonen rejoined to finish the race in fifth place, the incident will be judged by the stewards before the result is confirmed.
Meanwhile, Perez who managed to save his front right tyre was back in the third place for his first podium this year. His last podium came in the Bahrain race in 2014, a third-place finish. Teammate Nico Hulkenberg retired early in the race with mechanical problems.
“It’s a fantastic podium for finish from Checo Perez at Sochi. Valuable 15 points to consolidate 5th position in the constructors championship. He deserves it and I am proud of the team,” said Vijay Mallya, team principal, after the race.
Sergio Perez stands ninth in the championship with 57 points while Force India stays at fifth place with 92 points.
eom/david
Sergio Perez on way to a third place in Sochi on Sunday. A Sahara Force India image
for tomorrow and we are ready to fight for the podium and hopefully the victory tomorrow. However we must wait and see what happens, because here every day is different; it can be sunny but then all of a sudden clouds can appear, and the key will be interpreting how the track conditions are, in order to have a good race.”
