INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Reigning champion Grosjean and Kristensen back at Race of Champions (ROC) again; now in Barbados

    • ROC Champion of Champions Romain Grosjean and Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen are the first drivers lined up for this year’s Race Of Champions
    • French Formula 1 star Grosjean will now defend the title he won by defeating Denmark’s Kristensen in the ROC 2012 Grand Final in Bangkok
    • A host of driving legends from the major forms of motor sport will join the pair at the 2014 Race Of Champions to discover who’s the fastest of them all
    • Tickets are now available for ROC 2014, which will take place at the Bushy Park Circuit in Barbados on December 13-14 The 2014 Race Of Champions – to be held at the Bushy Park Circuit in Barbados on December 13-14 – will feature Romain Grosjean and Tom Kristensen, who battled for glory in the last ROC Grand Final.

      Grosjean made his Formula 1 debut in 2009 and has already secured nine podiums in motor sport’s highest echelon. But one of his finest hours came on a hot evening in Bangkok in 2012 when he took the ROC Champion of Champions crown. En route to his stunning victory over Kristensen, the Frenchman also defeated multiple F1 world champions Sebastian Vettel (quarter-final) and Michael Schumacher (semi-final).

      Denmark’s Kristensen is acknowledged as the finest endurance racer in motor sport history. He has a record nine wins at the Le Mans 24-Hours in addition to his record six wins at the Sebring 12-Hour race, an American Le Mans Series title and his first FIA World Endurance Championship title last year. Kristensen has also appeared at every Race Of Champions since 2001 – yet another record – and has reached the last two individual Grand Finals.

      Now Grosjean and Kristensen will bid for yet more glory at ROC 2014 in Barbados, with the rest of the field due to be announced in the run-up to the event. Drivers will pair up for the ROC Nations Cup on December 13 ahead of the individual Race Of Champions the next day.

    File photo from Race of Champions organisers.
    File photo from Race of Champions organisers.

    Grosjean said: “I’m very happy to be back at the Race Of Champions once more! It’s such a pleasant event where all the drivers race at 100 percent but we can also have a lot of fun off the track. Coming back this year is even more special to me as I won the ‘Champion of Champions’ title at the last race. I’m looking forward to racing in Barbados as I know they are huge fans of motor sport. This year we will also do all we can to win the ROC Nations Cup as it’s always special to race for your country.”

    Kristensen added: “I keep coming back to the Race Of Champions because it is such a special event and a unique chance to race such a wide range of drivers from all the different types of motor sport. We enjoy ourselves off the track but give everything on it – and it seems I’m getting closer to winning every year. No doubt we’ll all enjoy the warmth of Barbados so I’ll look forward to putting on a good show for all the race fans from the Caribbean and elsewhere. Who knows, maybe this will be my year…”

    ROC organiser Fredrik Johnsson said: “We’re delighted to begin our line-up for ROC 2014 with our top two from the last Race Of Champions. Romain showed his ability in Bangkok by beating Sebastian, Michael and Tom – three of the world’s greatest ever drivers – in quick succession to become Champion of Champions.

    “Of course Tom has an unmatched roll of honour in endurance racing and Le Mans but he is always a mean competitor at ROC too, as proved by his determined runs to the last two Grand Finals. No doubt both Romain and Tom will be giving everything to repeat their success so the rest of the field had better watch out. Now we hope to see a big crowd in Barbados savouring the chance to watch these greats in action.”

    The Race Of Champions, which has been held for over 25 years, brings together the world’s greatest drivers from motor sport’s major disciplines – including Formula 1, World Rally, Le Mans, MotoGP, Nascar, IndyCar, Touring Cars and the X-Games – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery on a unique tarmac track with two parallel lanes linked by a crossover bridge.

    Tickets for ROC 2014 are now available from http://www.bushyparkcircuitinc.com/roc-tickets.

    Race Of Champions on Facebook or @raceofchampions on Twitter.

    eom/RoC Press Release

  • Rossi tumbles records with a thrilling win at Misano MotoGP

    Misano Adriatico (Italy), 14 Sept 2014: The many thousand Valentino Rossi fans gathered at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli had their dreams come true today as their Movistar Yamaha MotoGP hero delivered a perfect race to take victory for the ‘Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini’. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo came home in second to make it a perfect Yamaha one-two finish.

    The Doctor made his intentions clear from the off with a flying start to move up from third to second into the first corner, tucked in behind teammate Lorenzo. An early attack by rival Marc Marquez was quickly dealt with and then with 25 laps to go he was able to pass Lorenzo to lead the race. Championship leader Marquez followed soon after and remained within half a second of Rossi until with 19 laps remaining he lost the front trying to keep up and crashed out, taking himself out of contention.

    From that point the Doctor was unstoppable, building a gap of over two seconds to his chasing teammate, he held command of the race to the finish line to take his first race win since Assen last year, and Yamaha’s first MotoGP win of the season.

    Teammate Lorenzo flew from his pole position on the grid to grab the holeshot into turn one, with Rossi following right behind. Having opted for the harder front tyre option he was unable to make a break and hold off Rossi in the early laps. Having seen rival Marquez crash out in front of him he then delivered a trademarkLorenzo race of consistency, holding his lap times a little over two seconds behind Rossi whilst gradually building a gap to Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso battling for third behind him. He crossed the finish line over four seconds ahead of them to take his seventh podium of the season and complete the Yamaha one-two finish.

    Rossi’s 25 point score adds to his total to make him the first MotoGP rider ever to reach over 5,000 career championship points. He now sits on 214 in third position in the standings, just a single point behind Pedrosa in second. Lorenzo takes 20 points to bring him to a total of 177 in fourth position, 35 ahead of Dovizioso in fifth.

    Bridgestone report:
    Round 13: San Marino and Rimini MotoGP™ – Race
    Misano, Sunday September 14 2014
    Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)
    Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative)
    Weather:    Dry. Ambient 24-24°C; Track 36-37°C (Bridgestone measurement)
                    
    Valentino Rossi had the Italian fans rejoicing at Misano after the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP star won his first race of the season in an intriguing San Marino and Rimini Grand Prix.
    Starting from the front row, Rossi was engaged in a thrilling three-way battle for the lead in the early stages of the race with teammate Jorge Lorenzo and Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, with Rossi taking the race lead on the fourth lap. After fending off an attack from Marquez – who crashed at turn four while challenging for first place before re-joining the race – Rossi was able to build a gap over Lorenzo and ultimately crossed the finish line 1.578 seconds ahead of his teammate, with the pair ensuring a 1-2 finish for Yamaha. In third place at Misano was Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa, the Spaniard crossing the finish line another couple of seconds behind the leading pair.
    Today was the warmest day of the race weekend, although the peak track temperature of 37°C recorded during the race was just 3°C higher than yesterday’s peak. As a result, the race tyre choice was similar to what the riders used during race simulations in yesterday’s Free Practice 4 session. Front tyre choice was quite consistent throughout the twenty-three riders on the grid for the race, with all riders except Jorge Lorenzo selecting the medium compound front slick, with the Spaniard instead selecting the hard compound front. Rear tyre choice was split evenly across the grid, with twelve riders selecting the medium compound rear slick, and the other eleven riders selecting the soft compound rear slick.
    Although he only claimed a single point at Misano, Marquez still maintains a seventy-four point lead in the championship standings over teammate Pedrosa with five rounds remaining. Courtesy of his first win of the season Rossi closes the gap to Pedrosa to just two points as the battle for second place in the championship intensifies.
    Kyota Futami – General Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
    “Congratulations to Valentino on an amazing victory in front of his home crowd today and also to Yamaha for such a dominant performance resulting in a well-deserved double podium. It was unfortunate to see Marquez crash out during the race, but credit to him for fighting back to claim a valuable championship point and I am sure he will be challenging back at the front at the next round in Aragon. Today was a real special moment for MotoGP and has added yet another fascinating chapter to what has been a thrilling season. ”
    Shinichi Yamashita – General Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
    “As we expected the weather was warmer today, but the track temperatures weren’t high enough to influence a change in tyre strategy for the riders, with almost everyone selecting the same tyre combination that they used during their race simulations yesterday in FP4. I’m very happy with how our tyres performed today, with consistent pace over the twenty-eight laps and seven riders being able to set their quickest lap in the second half of the race.”
    Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – Race Winner
    “I’m very happy to win today, especially here at Misano in front of my fans, family and friends. During the practice sessions, our Yamaha and my team were working very well and I felt that we had a small advantage at Misano. Yesterday and today I felt very strong and knew I could fight for the victory, but realised it would be a tough fight with the other riders. I gave my maximum at the beginning of the race and knew that if I could resist the other riders I had a chance as my pace was good, and in the end I couldn’t want for anything more from today.”
    San Marino & Rimini MotoGP™: Top Ten Race Classification
    Pos
    Rider
    Team
    Race Time
    Gap
    Front spec
    Rear spec
    Tyres
    1
    		 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 44’14.586 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    2
    		 Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 44’16.164 1.578 Hard Medium
    Bridgestone
    3
    		 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 44’18.862 4.276 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    4
    		 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 44’20.096 5.510 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    5
    		 Andrea IANNONE Pramac Racing 44’26.357 11.771 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    6
    		 Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 44’33.585 18.999 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    7
    		 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 44’37.686 23.100 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    8
    		 Alvaro BAUTISTA GO&FUN Honda Gresini 44’51.044 36.458 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    9
    		 Cal CRUTCHLOW Ducati Team 44’53.066 38.480 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    10
    		 Yonny HERNANDEZ Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 45’00.464 45.878 Medium Soft
    Bridgestone
     eomRossi wins San Marino GP 14Sep2014 Yamaha pic

  • Thrilling win for Velentino Rossi as Italian fans rejoice at Misano; Marquez ends up with a lone point

    Misano Adriatico (Italy), 14 Sept 2014: The many thousand Valentino Rossi fans gathered at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli had their dreams come true today as their Movistar Yamaha MotoGP hero delivered a perfect race to take victory for the ‘Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini’. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo came home in second to make it a perfect Yamaha one-two finish.

    The Doctor made his intentions clear from the off with a flying start to move up from third to second into the first corner, tucked in behind teammate Lorenzo. An early attack by rival Marc Marquez was quickly dealt with and then with 25 laps to go he was able to pass Lorenzo to lead the race. Championship leader Marquez followed soon after and remained within half a second of Rossi until with 19 laps remaining he lost the front trying to keep up and crashed out, taking himself out of contention.

    From that point the Doctor was unstoppable, building a gap of over two seconds to his chasing teammate, he held command of the race to the finish line to take his first race win since Assen last year, and Yamaha’s first MotoGP win of the season.

    Teammate Lorenzo flew from his pole position on the grid to grab the holeshot into turn one, with Rossi following right behind. Having opted for the harder front tyre option he was unable to make a break and hold off Rossi in the early laps. Having seen rival Marquez crash out in front of him he then delivered a trademarkLorenzo race of consistency, holding his lap times a little over two seconds behind Rossi whilst gradually building a gap to Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso battling for third behind him. He crossed the finish line over four seconds ahead of them to take his seventh podium of the season and complete the Yamaha one-two finish.

    Rossi’s 25 point score adds to his total to make him the first MotoGP rider ever to reach over 5,000 career championship points. He now sits on 214 in third position in the standings, just a single point behind Pedrosa in second. Lorenzo takes 20 points to bring him to a total of 177 in fourth position, 35 ahead of Dovizioso in fifth.

    Bridgestone report:
    Round 13: San Marino and Rimini MotoGP™ – Race
    Misano, Sunday September 14 2014
    Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)
    Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative)
    Weather:    Dry. Ambient 24-24°C; Track 36-37°C (Bridgestone measurement)
                    
    Valentino Rossi had the Italian fans rejoicing at Misano after the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP star won his first race of the season in an intriguing San Marino and Rimini Grand Prix.
    Starting from the front row, Rossi was engaged in a thrilling three-way battle for the lead in the early stages of the race with teammate Jorge Lorenzo and Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, with Rossi taking the race lead on the fourth lap. After fending off an attack from Marquez – who crashed at turn four while challenging for first place before re-joining the race – Rossi was able to build a gap over Lorenzo and ultimately crossed the finish line 1.578 seconds ahead of his teammate, with the pair ensuring a 1-2 finish for Yamaha. In third place at Misano was Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa, the Spaniard crossing the finish line another couple of seconds behind the leading pair.
    Today was the warmest day of the race weekend, although the peak track temperature of 37°C recorded during the race was just 3°C higher than yesterday’s peak. As a result, the race tyre choice was similar to what the riders used during race simulations in yesterday’s Free Practice 4 session. Front tyre choice was quite consistent throughout the twenty-three riders on the grid for the race, with all riders except Jorge Lorenzo selecting the medium compound front slick, with the Spaniard instead selecting the hard compound front. Rear tyre choice was split evenly across the grid, with twelve riders selecting the medium compound rear slick, and the other eleven riders selecting the soft compound rear slick.
    Although he only claimed a single point at Misano, Marquez still maintains a seventy-four point lead in the championship standings over teammate Pedrosa with five rounds remaining. Courtesy of his first win of the season Rossi closes the gap to Pedrosa to just two points as the battle for second place in the championship intensifies.
    Kyota Futami – General Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
    “Congratulations to Valentino on an amazing victory in front of his home crowd today and also to Yamaha for such a dominant performance resulting in a well-deserved double podium. It was unfortunate to see Marquez crash out during the race, but credit to him for fighting back to claim a valuable championship point and I am sure he will be challenging back at the front at the next round in Aragon. Today was a real special moment for MotoGP and has added yet another fascinating chapter to what has been a thrilling season. ”
    Shinichi Yamashita – General Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
    “As we expected the weather was warmer today, but the track temperatures weren’t high enough to influence a change in tyre strategy for the riders, with almost everyone selecting the same tyre combination that they used during their race simulations yesterday in FP4. I’m very happy with how our tyres performed today, with consistent pace over the twenty-eight laps and seven riders being able to set their quickest lap in the second half of the race.”
    Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – Race Winner
    “I’m very happy to win today, especially here at Misano in front of my fans, family and friends. During the practice sessions, our Yamaha and my team were working very well and I felt that we had a small advantage at Misano. Yesterday and today I felt very strong and knew I could fight for the victory, but realised it would be a tough fight with the other riders. I gave my maximum at the beginning of the race and knew that if I could resist the other riders I had a chance as my pace was good, and in the end I couldn’t want for anything more from today.”
    San Marino & Rimini MotoGP™: Top Ten Race Classification
    Pos
    Rider
    Team
    Race Time
    Gap
    Front spec
    Rear spec
    Tyres
    1
    		 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 44’14.586 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    2
    		 Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 44’16.164 1.578 Hard Medium
    Bridgestone
    3
    		 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 44’18.862 4.276 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    4
    		 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 44’20.096 5.510 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    5
    		 Andrea IANNONE Pramac Racing 44’26.357 11.771 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    6
    		 Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 44’33.585 18.999 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    7
    		 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 44’37.686 23.100 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    8
    		 Alvaro BAUTISTA GO&FUN Honda Gresini 44’51.044 36.458 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    9
    		 Cal CRUTCHLOW Ducati Team 44’53.066 38.480 Medium Medium
    Bridgestone
    10
    		 Yonny HERNANDEZ Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 45’00.464 45.878 Medium Soft
    Bridgestone
     eomValentino-Rossi---Movistar-Yamaha-MotoGP---San-Marino-and-Rimini-MotoGP-race-winner-on-the-podium

  • Ruhaan Alva gets on to the podium twice in S1 British Karting Championship

    Northampton, September 14: Bangalore boy Ruhaan Alva bagged the second spot in both races in the novice IAME Club category, the support races for the S1 British Karting Championship, here on Sunday. The eight-year-old was eighth and seventh overall in the two races held at the PF International Circuit.

    The heats were conducted late on Saturday night and Ruhaan qualified seventh and eighth in the first two heats respectively. Points are given for the positions in the heats and as a result of the seventh and eighth positions, Ruhaan got the eighth position on the starting grid.

    It was a normal first race without any incidents in the first race but in the second, another karter spun off and Ruhaan had to brake. This pushed him down to the last position. However, the third standard student of NPS (Koramangala) fought back and clinched the seventh place overall.

    “I would have liked to finish first. But it is okay, you win some and you lose some,” he said.

    ends

  • Ogier wins Aussie leg: Volkswagen sweeps podium to clinch Manufacturers’ title

    3..2..1, World Champion*! Volkswagen wrapped up the title in the Manufacturers’ Championship of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) with a one-two-three at the Rally Australia. With three rallies still remaining this season, the best result in the history of the team means Volkswagen can no longer be caught at the top of the overall standings. Winners in Australia, Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila, who finished runner-up down under, successfully defended the title in record time. This is the earliest in a season that a World Championship title has been won for 25 years. Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N) finished third in the final Polo R WRC to round off a perfect team result. The three Volkswagen crews also top the standings in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship. Ogier/Ingrassia and Latvala/Anttila will battle it out between themselves at the remaining three rallies to see who is crowned World Champion at the end of the season.
    The Sign of Three: Polo R WRC claims its first one-two-three down under

    All good things come in threes – especially when it comes to popping champagne corks: Volkswagen’s one-two-three at the Rally Australia was the first in the team’s history in the World Rally Championship. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia claimed the 19th victory for the Polo R WRC in only its 23rd outing. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila added podium number 35 to the 315-hp World Rally Car from Wolfsburg’s impressive record since making its debut at the 2013 Rally Monte Carlo. Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene secured podium number 36, for good measure.

    The route to the historic success was anything but a stroll in the park: the Rally Australia put both man and machine to the test with its very technical, winding rollercoaster sections through the forests of New South Wales on the one hand, and high-speed passages over open land on the other. Constantly varying gravel surfaces – from rough, coarse grit to smooth, clayey, loamy ground – and the relentless switching between light and shadow made life difficult for the drivers and co-drivers. Over the course of the 20 special stages, the World Rally Cars completed 302.26 kilometres against the clock. The longest and most distinctive stage was “Nambucca”, which took the crews on a marathon 48.92-kilometre route through forests with steep uphill sections, across farmland and over small wooden bridges.

    The Sign of Three: Successful title defence in record time
    World Champion* after just three quarters of the season – only once in the history of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) has a manufacturer wrapped up the Manufacturers’ Championship sooner than Volkswagen in 2014. With nine of ten possible victories to its name – six of them one-twos – Volkswagen has already successfully defended its title. Ogier and Latvala also spearheaded the team that took the Manufacturers’ title to Wolfsburg in 2013 – with the biggest winning margin in the history of the WRC (145 points). Volkswagen goes into the remaining three rallies of the season – in France, Spain and Great Britain – with a lead of 194 points.

    And then there were two: All-Volkswagen duel in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship
    Even before the Rally Australia it was already certain that the battle for the title in the WRC Drivers’ Championship would be played out between the three Volkswagen drivers – Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen. After the result down under, the three-way battle has now been whittled down to a duel. Although Andreas Mikkelsen was able to significantly increase his advantage over fourth place, he can no longer have a say in the destination of the Drivers’ title. And so it is that the duel that has dominated the season will also determine who wins the World Championship: Sébastien Ogier vs. Jari-Matti Latvala. This duel has already produced three of the top ten closest finishes in the World Rally Championship. Ogier defeated Latvala by just 0.2 seconds in Jordan in 2011, while Latvala finished a mere 2.4 seconds ahead of Ogier in New Zealand in 2010. The closest finish since the two drivers have been in Volkswagen colours came at this year’s Rally Finland, when Latvala came home just 3.6 seconds ahead of Ogier to win his home event. In Australia, 6.8 seconds was all that separated the champion and his challenger.

    Bonus points for the leading two on the Power Stage: Latvala ahead of Ogier
    Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila won the Power Stage, on which bonus points are up for grabs for the first three crews, to pick up an extra three points towards the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship. Second place, and with it two World Championship points, went to their Volkswagen team-mates Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia. Over the last two years in the World Championship, Volkswagen duos have won 16 of 22 Power Stages, bagging extra points on 39 occasions in total.

    Facts and figures from the Rally Australia
    20 special stages, 17 stage wins – Volkswagen enhanced the already impressive record of the Polo R WRC at the Rally Australia. Since the World Rally Car made its first competitive outing at the 2013 Rally Monte Carlo, the four-wheel drive powerhouse has won a remarkable 297 of 428 stages. It has also ended special stages in the top three on 679 occasions. The Rally Australia’s 20 special stages yielded a further 42 top-three results for the Volkswagen drivers.

    Quotes after day three of the Rally Australia
    Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
    “Absolutely fantastic. I am made up for our team! They really deserve this success so much. It is hard to put this feeling into words. The fact that we have wrapped up the World Championship title with the first ever all-Volkswagen podium is an incredible success. We can really be proud of ourselves today, here at the other end of the world. Julien and I tried to control our slender advantage over my team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala right through to the finish – and it worked out. I think we put on an exciting duel at the top for the fans. It is awesome that Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene rounded off this triumph for the team. A win would be enough for me to secure the Drivers’ title now. It would be magnificent to pull it off in France.”

    Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
    “A fantastic success. I am delighted for the entire team. The Manufacturers’ title is a great recognition of the fact that everyone at Volkswagen has been utterly committed to being successful, and also shows that the Polo is the best rally car around. We also produced some first-class racing again – Miikka and I tried to put Sébastien and Julien under pressure right up until the finish, but they were unbeatable. Congratulations on a deserved win. I am very happy with my own performance. Unfortunately we lost crucial seconds with the wrong tyre selection, which probably cost us the win. In any case, it is phenomenal to stand here on the podium with all three Polos. There can be no better way to win a World Championship title.”

    Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
    “What an incredible result for the entire team. World Champions, and with the team’s very first one-two-three to boot. I am delighted for all the mechanics, engineers and helpers who have made this possible, here in Australia and throughout the entire season. We had a huge lead over fourth place going into the final six special stages, but we could not do much in the way of catching the two cars ahead of us. Caught in no man’s land, our priority was to control our pace so that we did not make any mistakes and brought the result home. My goal ahead of the rally was to defend my advantage over fourth place in the World Championship. We have actually managed to increase it. I am absolutely delighted with my fourth podium of the year. Today is just a fantastic day.”

    Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
    “What a way to put the icing on the cake at the end of such an impressive season! Winning the Manufacturers’ title with a one-two-three – it doesn’t get any better. Last year we surpassed all expectations, particularly our own. Even then, everyone in the team consistently pushed themselves to their limits to win the World Championship. It is always more difficult to successfully defend the World Championship title than it is to win it in the first place. What the team has achieved this season, and the extent to which it has improved, demands my utmost respect. A chain is only ever as strong as its weakest link, as they say. With us, every link is as strong as the next. I would like to thank my colleagues. Volkswagen is proud of them. And this title is for everyone at Volkswagen around the world, whose support has been magnificent.”

    * Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.

    And then there was …
    … the perfect parking place. To welcome the new champions, the Volkswagen mechanics unrolled brand-new service awnings for the three Polo R WRCs. At the closing service, ahead of the podium ceremony, the three World Rally Cars from Wolfsburg were parked in their own places as usual, where the sign above them read: “Champions Parking Only”.

    Volkswagen team poses after clinching the Constructors' Championship title in Australia on Sunday. A VW image
    Volkswagen team poses after clinching the Constructors’ Championship title in Australia on Sunday. A VW image
    FIA Rally World Championship (WRC),
    Rally Australia – Final Results
    1. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen 2h 53m 18.0s
    2. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen + 6.8s
    3. Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N), Volkswagen + 1m 18.0s
    4. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL), Citroën + 1m 44.0s
    5. Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN/FIN), Ford + 1m 53.6s
    6. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai + 2m 56.2s
    7. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai + 4m 28.2s
    8. Elfyn Evans/Daniel Barritt (GB/GB), Ford + 5m 10.0s
    9. Robert Kubica/Maciej Szczepaniak (PL/PL), Ford + 6m 39.8s
    10. Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot (AUS/B), Hyundai + 9m 29.4s
    FIA Rally World Championship (WRC),
    Rally Australia – Power Stage Results
    1. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen 5m 20.7s
    2. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen + 1.2s
    3. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL), Citroën + 3.8s
    FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings
    Drivers’ Championship
    points
    1. Sébastien Ogier 214
    2. Jari-Matti Latvala 164
    3. Andreas Mikkelsen 125
    4. Mikko Hirvonen 83
    5. Thierry Neuville 79
    6. Mads Østberg 74
    7. Kris Meeke 67
    8. Elfyn Evans 61
    9. Martin Prokop 37
    10. Henning Solberg 26
    11. Juho Hänninen 20
    12. Bryan Bouffier 18
    13. Dani Sordo 18
    14. Hayden Paddon 16
    15. Robert Kubica 14
    16. Ott Tänak 11
    17. Benito Guerra 8
    18. Chris Atkinson 7
    19. Pontus Tidemand 6
    20. Jaroslav Melichárek 4
    21. Dennis Kuipers 4
    22. Nasser Al-Attiyah 3
    23. Lorenzo Bertelli 2
    24. Matteo Gamba 2
    25. Craig Breen 2
    26. Yuriy Protasov 2
    27. Jari Ketomaa 1
    28. Karl Kruuda 1
    29. Khalid Al-Qassimi 1
    30. Julien Maurin 0
    Manufacturers’ Championship
    points
    1. Volkswagen Motorsport 348
    2. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT 154
    3. M-Sport 146
    4. Hyundai Motorsport 141
    5. Volkswagen Motorsport II 109
    6. Jipocar Czech National Team 40
    7. RK M-Sport WRT 25
    8. Hyundai Motorsport N 22

  • World Motor Sport Council approves the proposal of Historic Motor Sport Commission

    On the proposal of the Historic Motor Sport Commission, the World Motor Sport Council approved the eligibility of cars from Period J2 for the 2015 FIA European Historic Sporting Rally Championship. These cars dating from 1986 to 1990 will be part of Category 4. Cars with a supercharged engine from Period J2 will need to have restrictors of 36 or 38 mm, depending on whether they are entered in Group N or Group A. The nominal cylinder capacity of cars up to and including Period J1 with a supercharged engine will be multiplied by a coefficient of 1.4 and that of Period J2 cars by a coefficient of 1.7.

    This same Category 4 will also include two new classes – E7 and E8 – for Group N cars under and over 1600 cm3.

    For the FIA European Historic Sporting Rally Championship itself, the system of coefficients (1, 2 or 3) applied to competitions will be abandoned and replaced by a calendar divided up into three sections. The first section, called “A”, will include the first five competitions of the season; section “B” will comprise the following five and section “C” will comprise all remaining rallies. To be classified in the Championship, each driver or co-driver must have taken part in at least two competitions of each section, i.e. six rallies in total. He will be allowed to count a maximum of three results per section, i.e. a maximum of nine scores. The 2015 Championship calendar will be revealed at the next World Council meeting, on 3 December 2014.

    For the FIA Historic Regularity Rally Trophy, it was decided to open the competition to Period I cars (1977-1981). Cars of Periods J1 and J2 will be allowed to participate, but without scoring points in the Trophy.

    From 2015, the FIA Historic Hill Climb Championship will be open to Period J2 cars. The 2015 calendar will be split into two sections and the drivers will retain all their results obtained in each section, less one.

    Four amendments to Appendix VII to Appendix K were approved and concern the Lotus Elan, Lancia Stratos and Morgan (ROPS for each of them) and the Opel Kadett C GT/E of Period H1 (radiator). To see the updated version of Appendix K, click  http://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/regulation/file/2014_Appendix%20K_WEB%20%28140918%29.pdf

     

  • Yamaha’s Lorenzo takes pole position: San Marino and Rimini MotoGP

    Jorge-Lorenzo---Movistar-Yamaha-MotoGP---San-Marino-and-Rimini-MotoGP-QP2Round 13: San Marino and Rimini MotoGP™ – Qualifying Practice
    Misano: 13 Sept 2014:
    Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)
    Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative)
    Weather:   FP3 – Dry. Ambient 18-20°C; Track 24-24°C (Bridgestone measurement)
                     FP4/QP – Dry. Ambient 22-23°C; Track 33-34°C (Bridgestone measurement)
    Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo emphatically displayed his intent to win a fourth consecutive San Marino and Rimini Grand Prix by securing his first pole position of the season on Saturday at Misano. The San Marino and Rimini MotoGP race, the Round 13 of the the MotoGP World Championship today, and consequently his first ever premier-class pole position at the Italian circuit.
    After showing impressive pace in the Free Practice 4 session, Lorenzo extracted even more performance from his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine in Qualifying Practice 2 to post a 1’33.238 on his final lap to finish 0.051 seconds ahead of Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone who was the second best qualifier. On the other Movistar Yamaha MotoGP machine, Valentino Rossi rounded out the podium in third place with a best lap time of 1’33.302 to finish just 0.013 seconds behind Iannone. Today’s QP2 session was fiercely competitive with the riders on the first two rows of the grid ultimately being separated by less than two-tenths of a second. All riders on the front row used the medium compound front slick to set their best lap time during the time attack in QP2, but whereas Lorenzo and Rossi used the medium compound rear slick, Iannone took advantage of the soft compound rear slick available to the Ducati and Open-class riders at Misano to clock his quickest time.
    Yesterday’s cool and wet weather gave way to dry and warm conditions today, with a peak track temperature of 34°C recorded at the end of QP2. With this morning’s FP1 session presenting the first dry track time, the majority of riders initially used the soft compound front slick paired with their softer rear slick option; medium compound for the Factory Honda and Yamaha riders, and soft compound for the Ducati and Open-class riders, to get a feel for the Misano tarmac. Although the Ducati and Open-class riders experimented with their two rear slick compound options during the two Free Practice sessions, the Factory and Yamaha riders stuck to using just their softer option, medium compound rear slick for the entire day, with the hard compound rear slick remaining untested. For the front tyres, the majority of riders preferred the medium compound front slick in today’s sessions, although all three front slick options; the soft, medium and hard compound front slick were utilised and all of these options could feature in tomorrow’s race.
    Even warmer conditions are forecast for tomorrow’s twenty-eight lap San Marino and Rimini Grand Prix which starts at 1400 local time (GMT +2). The twenty-minute morning Warm Up session starts at 0940 and will be an important session as riders look to use every second of dry track time before deciding on their race tyre choice.
    Shinichi Yamashita – General Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
    “After the poor weather conditions yesterday, today was a very busy day for the teams, riders and our engineers as there were just two sessions available to work on bike setup and slick tyre choice before the qualifying sessions. Despite this the riders got to evaluate a few different tyre options, and particularly for the front slick a lot of testing was done to see what worked best on this circuit which demands a lot of cornering and braking stability. I am pleased with the performance of our tyres today, the lap times were very quick and the first two rows of the grid for tomorrow’s race were separated by just two-tenths of a second and our tyre allocation for this weekend is working well for all the manufacturers. Conditions will be even warmer tomorrow, so the morning Warm Up session will also be important for the riders to help them decide what tyre combination to use for the race.”
    San Marino and Rimini MotoGP™ QP2 times – Riders that qualified from QP1 shaded in gray
    Pos Rider Team QP2 Time Gap
    1
    		 Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’33.238
    2
    		 Andrea IANNONE Pramac Racing 1’33.289
    0.051
    3
    		 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’33.302
    0.064
    4
    		 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1’33.360
    0.122
    5
    		 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1’33.418
    0.180
    6
    		 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 1’33.439
    0.201
    7
    		 Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’33.557
    0.319
    8
    		 Aleix ESPARGARO NGM Forward Racing 1’33.713
    0.475
    9
    		 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’33.761
    0.523
    10
    		 Stefan BRADL LCR Honda MotoGP 1’33.995
    0.757
    11
    		 Yonny HERNANDEZ Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 1’34.283
    1.045
    12
    		 Alvaro BAUTISTA GO&FUN Honda Gresini 1’34.283
    1.402

     

  • Ogier-Ingrassia take lead as Volkswagen continues to dominate: WRC Australia

    • Internal duel for the lead at the Rally Australia: Champ Ogier leads Latvala
    • Game of chance: Tyre selection crucial in tricky conditions
    • Mikkelsen defends third place in thrilling duel

    The threat of rain, drying roads and marathon stages – Volkswagen defended its one-two-three at the top of the overall standings in tricky conditions at the Rally Australia. After 212.64 of a total 302.26 kilometres and 14 of 20 special stages, Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) hold an 11.8-second lead over Volkswagen team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN). Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N) are currently third after two thirds of round ten of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).

    The business of tyre selection proved to be particularly difficult on Saturday afternoon. As it turns out, the harder compound of Michelin’s competition tyres would have been the right choice for the second running of the 48.92-kilometre “Nambucca” stage. Sébastien Ogier opted to head out onto the route armed with three hard tyres and two of the softer compound. Jari-Matti Latvala set off with four softs and two hards, while Andreas Mikkelsen took four hards and two soft tyres with him. These individual decisions were ultimately instrumental in the lead changing hands: Ogier moved ahead of Latvala on “Nambucca”. The margins were equally small in the duel between Andreas Mikkelsen and Kris Meeke (Citroën) on day two of the rally. They swapped positions on two occasions, with Mikkelsen eventually opening up a narrow lead of 1.5 seconds on the closing spectator stages.

    Volkswagen remains on title course: in order to wrap up the Manufacturers’ Championship down under, with three rallies remaining, Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala must ensure that the team leave Australia at least 129 points ahead of their closest rivals. Coming into the rally, their commanding lead stood at 167 points.

    Quotes after day two of the Rally Australia
    Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
    “That was another good run for us. I made a few mistakes and lost a bit of time in the morning, but the afternoon was good again. Making the right tyre selection played more of a role than usual today in determining who led at the end of the leg. I did not get my selection spot on, but my decision was better than that of my team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala. That allowed Julien and me to open up a lead over our rivals on the 50-kilometre ‘Nambucca’ stage. However, we still have a long day with six special stages ahead of us. I obviously want to win, but, with one eye on the Drivers’ Championship, will not take any unnecessary risks.”

    Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
    “We had a perfect morning. Miikka and I had a very good rhythm, really enjoyed the stages and moved into the lead. During the midday service we had to make our tyre selection for the afternoon – and unfortunately we got it wrong. It did not rain as expected. Instead it stayed dry. We had no chance of defending our lead on soft tyres that were overheating on the hard roads and no longer offered us any decent grip. But so be it, we have not lost yet and will push hard again on Sunday’s 89.62 kilometres of special stage.”

    Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
    “As we predicted yesterday, we are having a really good and tight battle with Kris Meeke. Little mistakes could make all the difference between third and fourth place. We have not made a mistake all rally – with one small exception. We nearly span in a right-hander after a crest on stage twelve. I had to correct to avoid spinning and got the following left-hand bend a bit wrong. That cost two seconds. However, we regained the position we lost on the closing two spectator stages. Third place is obviously what I would prefer to see in front of my nametomorrow. However, we have a long way to go before then.”

    Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
    “We are well on course to achieve our goal of winning the title in the Manufacturers’ World Championship with rallies to spare here in Australia. First, second and third is a dream result at this stage of the rally. Although we have achieved a lot, we still haven’t won anything. That is why everyone in the team is fully focussed on doing a flawless job. Our drivers and the entire team deserve utmost respect – they have put this plan into action perfectly over the first two thirds of the Rally Australia. We now want to continue to do a perfect job for the rest of the rally.”

    And then there were …
    … Ed and Cal. Best friends in private, team-mates in the World Rally Championship, and bitter rivals as rugby fans. Edward Smith is a New Zealander, Callum Colquhoun an Australian. Kiwi Ed works on Jari-Matti Latvala’s Polo R WRC during WRC Rallies, while Cal, who comes from southern Australia, is part of the team responsible for Sébastien Ogier’s car.

    And then there was also …
    … a special surfboard. Sébastien Ogier’s fastest accumulated time over the four spectator stages in Coffs Harbour earned him more than just recognition. “Julien and I have already picked up a nice present here. I probably won’t try it out in Australia though – I have too much respect for the sharks.”

    Sébastien OgierJulien Ingrassia (FF) take lead in a Volkswagen Polo R WRC in Australia. A VW image
    Sébastien OgierJulien Ingrassia (FF) take lead in a Volkswagen Polo R WRC in Australia. A VW image

     

  • Formula E makes history with spectacular first ePrix; Lucas Di Grassi first winner

    Lucas Di Grassi, first winner of the e-prix at Beijing on 13th Sept 2014. An FIA image
    Lucas Di Grassi, first winner of the e-prix at Beijing on 13th Sept 2014. An FIA image

    History was made this weekend as the world’s first ever fully-electric single-seater race took place in Beijing, marking the successful season opener of the FIA Formula E Championship.

    Beijing, 13 Sept 2014: The race, or Beijing Evergrande ePrix, was held on a spectacular temporary race track built around the city’s iconic Olympic ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium and was won by Audi Sport ABT’s Lucas di Grassi.

    Some 40 million are believed to have watched the race worldwide on television with 75,000 attending on site and one billion social interactions recorded around the race.

    Brazilian Di Grassi stole victory after race-leader Nicolas Prost (e.dams-Renault) and Venturi’s Nick Heidfeld touched on the final corner of the final lap in the battle for the lead, sending Heidfeld into a spectacular crash which he walked away from unharmed.

    Andretti driver Franck Montagny finished runner-up nearly three seconds adrift of di Grassi with team-mate Daniel Abt crossing the line third, only to later have it taken away from him after failing short of the required 28kw power consumption usage. Virgin Racing’s Sam Bird was eventually promoted to claim the final place on the podium.

    Lucas di Grassi said: “Firstly, I’m happy Nick [Heidfeld] is ok and it shows how safe these cars are. I didn’t see what happened myself but it’s like a dream come true. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. The team did a great job all through practice and qualifying, yes we made a few mistakes but overall I’m extremely happy to be the first ever winner of a Formula E race.”

    Round two of the new Formula E series takes place in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on November 22 2014.

  • FIA FORMULA ONE 2015 Calendar

    The 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar is confirmed as follows:

    15 March                    Grand Prix of Australia

    29 March                    Grand Prix of Malaysia

    5 April                        Grand Prix of Bahrain

    19 April                      Grand Prix of China

    10 May                      Grand Prix of Spain

    24 May                      Grand Prix of Monaco

    7 June                       Grand Prix of Canada

    21 June                     Grand Prix of Austria

    5 July                        Grand Prix of Great Britain

    19 July                      Grand Prix of Germany

    26 July                      Grand Prix of Hungary

    23 August                  Grand Prix of Belgium

    6 September              Grand Prix of Italy

    20 September            Grand Prix of Singapore

    27 September            Grand Prix of Japan

    11 October                Grand Prix of Russia (Sochi)

    25 October                Grand Prix of USA (Austin)

    1 November               Grand Prix of Mexico

    15 November             Grand Prix of Brazil

    29 November             Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi