INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • MotoGP riders ready to take on Le Mans

    MotoGP riders ready to take on Le Mans

    The home heroes are joined by Aleix Espargaro, Bagnaia and Marc Marquez in the pre-event press conference as the SHARK Grand Prix de France fires up

    Le Mans, 12 May 2022: Bienvenue au Mans! The SHARK Grand Prix de France is ready to fire into action this weekend, and before track action gets underway it was time to talk shop. 

    The pre-event Press Conference saw Championship leader and home hero Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) joined by compatriot Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), second on points Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Jerez winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) as they looked ahead to another classic weekend of racing.

    How was the event with PSG?
    Fabio Quartararo: “It was already a really nice experience to be there this morning, to have the chance to ride the bike in the stadium and play with them. I think it was really great. Of course, it’s always super-special to be at a home GP, and I will give my best. Especially a home GP can make you more stressed and put more pressure on you, but I want to take this one like a normal one, enjoy the fans, and then enjoy the race.”

    Do you think this will be a rematch with Bagnaia after your Jerez battle??
    FQ20: “It’s difficult to know who’s going to be on top, fighting for the podium this weekend. It’s a different track to Jerez and the most important thing is to work as usual. We need to work well on Friday, try to already be secure for Q2, and find the great tyres for the race and our pace. Trying to have a good qualifying performance is super-important for us.”
    Aleix Espargaro: “This first part of the season has been great. I’ve been enjoying a lot riding the bike and obviously the potential of the bike this year is clearly better than in the past years. We are just seven points behind Fabio. It’s difficult to predict how the bike will work here because especially in the last seasons it has been quite strange regarding the weather conditions. We don’t have a lot of information but so far the bike has been quite competitive at every single track so I will try to work hard from FP1 and prepare the bikes as well as possible.

    On Aprilia progress:
    AE41: “Lorenzo Savadori was riding at the last two races as a wildcard with a ‘lab bike’. It had a lot of different things. We tried a lot of new things at the Monday Test. A couple of new things I will use in Mugello but the clutch, a carbon clutch, I will use for the first time this weekend, which is quite a good improvement. It’s lighter and better for the start, so Aprilia is working hard to try and reduce the gap in the places where we can improve. The start was one of those places and they’ve done a good job.”
    How confident are you of another run of fighting for victories after your Jerez win?
    Francesco Bagnaia: “It would be good to have the same trend as last year, but it’s different, so let’s see this weekend. Last year at Le Mans, I wasn’t competitive in the dry, so let’s see. It looks like the whole weekend will be dry apart from two o’clock on Sunday, when we start to race, but let’s see. It’s a track that I like, it’s a track where I got my first podium, and I love this place, but let’s see this weekend. I’m sure that Yamaha always is very competitive here, Johann was very competitive here last year, and Jack is always very competitive at this track, so let’s see what will happen!”

    Are you confident of being stronger than Indonesia if it’s wet?
    FB63: “Indonesia was a strange situation for me. Normally in the wet, we are strong and fast, but not there. I was very slow, the feeling with the bike was a bit strange. But in Portimao in the wet, we were competitive, and last year I finished fourth with two long laps, and I was well behind. But, in any case, every year is different, we have to understand everything better, but it’s difficult to predict now. It’s easier to predict the weekend after the first session of the weekend.”
    Johann Zarco: “I hope I will be able to use the bike well here. We should have some good sessions in the dry, so it will be great to find the right feeling early. After a disappointing race, the test was great to find something else and try to go faster. I hope this will continue here in Le Mans. There is the energy from the fan here. They’ve been waiting two years and both yesterday and today they are already here, ready to scream your name and that’s giving great energy. Let’s see then about the weather. It was planned to be fully dry for the weekend but maybe now it can change. So, we will adapt and see. All of them are pretty ready and strong to fight. Jack likes the track here and he will be there. I will do my job and see what I can do.

    “I think to catch two podiums already this year was great, it was a good sign of good speed. Overall, because we had many different guys on the podium, to be one of them that could repeat it is a good sign. But the two crashes from Argentina and in Spain doesn’t help to be good in the championship, so let’s find this consistency to repeat some podiums. I’m still running after that first victory. I hope if I can catch it soon, it will help to find even more confidence and consistency.”
    Did you and HRC find any breakthroughs in the Jerez post-race test? 
    Marc Marquez: “In the Jerez race, we did a small step in terms of performance, and we were able to be a little bit closer to the top guys, but not enough. Monday, I was able to test midday in a good way, and we tried a few things that were working not so bad. It’s true that there were some things we expected even more from but didn’t work like we thought. Let’s see here if all the new things we introduced helps a bit to be closer. I think they are not enough to fight for the victory, but the target is to improve every race.”

    You have a great record here but is it hard to predict where you will be on Sunday?
    MM93: “It’s impossible to predict, even for me. I don’t know what I can achieve on Sunday. For that reason, I start the weekend without any clear targets. I just want to try and understand on Friday how the bike is working, then on Saturday try to increase my speed a bit, and then on Sunday give everything. This was the strategy in Portimao, in Jerez, and it will be the same strategy here in Le Mans.
  • Many values can be learned from Karting, it is a good education for life: FIA Chief

    Many values can be learned from Karting, it is a good education for life: FIA Chief

    Bengaluru, 10 May 2022: Following the election last December of Emirati Mohammed Ben Sulayem to the position of FIA President, there have been a number of changes in the FIA Karting organisation chart. Felipe Massa left the CIK-FIA presidency, which he had held since 2018, to take up the post of FIA Drivers’ Commission President. Akbar Ebrahim from India is the new CIK-FIA President from February 4, 2022, with Britain’s John Ryan as Vice President. With Frenchman Alban Martinet succeeding Kay Oberheide as CIK-FIA Executive Secretary in October 2021, an entirely new team will take the reins for the 2022 season.

    At 58 years of age, Akbar Ebrahim combines a great deal of experience in motor sport and business. In an interview at the end of March, he revealed extensive knowledge of the many aspects of karting today and a longer-term vision of its evolution in close collaboration with the main stakeholders of the discipline.

    MR. PRESIDENT, COULD YOU START BY TELLING US ABOUT YOUR CAREER IN MOTOR SPORT?

    I have mainly raced single-seaters. I raced in Formula 3 in India for a number of years and then raced in Formula Asia and Formula Ford before competing in British F3 and some F2 events. I also did the occasional rally and touring car race in India. After that, it was time for me to focus on my professional business career.

    HAVE YOU STILL KEPT IN TOUCH WITH MOTOR SPORT?

    Yes, I have. I started to set up structures to support and develop young talent in my country. That’s when I became more interested in karting. There was a lack of training structures to provide them with the technical bases concerning chassis, engines and tyres. I got involved in the concept of an academy for young people, particularly with regard to organisational aspects. I had the opportunity to experience driving a kart because I wanted to understand the whole process. Thanks to karting, young people who wanted to progress in motor sport could familiarise themselves with driving, of course, but also with teamwork, collaboration with technicians and other drivers, everything that is important for the future. I am convinced that karting is also a good education for life and that many values can be learned from it. The projects carried out in India have greatly increased the visibility of the sport and encouraged parents to consider karting for their children.

    WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF KARTING COMPETITION TODAY?

    The top level of competition is concentrated in Europe with the FIA Karting events and some private series. The organisation is of a high quality, and the standard of competition is impressive among very professional teams. Events are well attended and the media coverage is interesting. The collaboration with the promoter RGMMC provides very good results. The current categories are well defined and their stability is geared towards success. It is a good platform for drivers who aspire to pursue their careers in motor sport. Of course, the question of budgets remains if there is to be an increase in the number of participants. The FIA Karting Academy Trophy plays an important role in this area and its success is only growing. We have also increased the number of karts of the Academy from 2022 with the agreement of our partners.

    It’s not a revelation to say that the lower echelons deserve our full attention. There is much to be done to broaden the base of the pyramid. The FIA has already started to invest in discovery and education programmes in countries without infrastructure on the African and Asian continents. I am convinced of the importance of these initiatives, whose success depends on the structuring of the programmes and their effectiveness on the ground.

    Bridges must then be put in place towards the top level. This will be one of the priorities of my mandate. There is no shortage of ideas, but we must focus on viable solutions. I am fortunate to be able to count on the experience of my Vice-President John Ryan and his in-depth knowledge of the subject.

    HOW WILL YOU START YOUR PRESIDENCY IN CONCRETE TERMS?

    It is essential in my position to go to the competitions and meet the key players. I plan to attend many FIA Karting events to see how they are run on the ground. I want to establish productive contacts with the manufacturers and teams. I am well aware that this cannot be done effectively during a race weekend. I have therefore planned additional trips to establish close relations with the karting industry in order to understand the various issues. I also need to familiarise myself with the workings of the CIK-FIA working groups and team in Geneva under the responsibility of Executive Secretary Alban Martinet.

    I am happy to have been chosen for this mission which includes many aspects. I am fortunate to take on this responsibility at a time when the FIA Karting is well structured with an excellent grasp of the top level and varied perspectives. It will be a significant support to diversify its actions towards new audiences.

  • We still have issues to sort out, says race winner Max

    We still have issues to sort out, says race winner Max

    Miami, 9 May 2022: Following drivers attended the post-race Press Conference on Sunday from right: Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing); Charles LECLERC (Ferrari); Carlos SAINZ (Ferrari)

    TRACK INTERVIEWS were conducted by Willy T Ribbs) 

    Q: Welcome to Miami. Thank you. Great job.

    Carlos SAINZ: Nice and warm.

    Q: How was the car? And the tyres? And how are you physically?

    CS: I’ve been better! Obviously after the crash from Friday, I still had a bit of neck pain going into the race, but I had to manage it and I fought through it, especially with Checo at the end on the Medium tyre, he was very difficult to keep him behind. But we managed to get the podium, which is a decent result.

    Q: I saw you could race. You could race him right down into the hole down there. And did you get what you wanted out of the tyres here, given the heat?

    CS: It wasn’t easy at all. It’s been a tough race with the tyres, with the heat. The car was moving and sliding a lot. But in the end, we got what we deserved, I think, which is a decent P3. And we can build it up from here.

    Q: Hey, this is the biggest event in the world right now. And you’re on the podium. Great job, baby.

    CS: Thank you. I want more, but it’s not bad.

    Q: Charles ‘Chuck’ Leclerc, you and Verstappen have been rumbling with each other since you were kids on go-karts. And you put on another great show here. How are you feeling physically? How’s the car, chassis-wise and tyres?

    Charles LECLERC: It was a very difficult race, physically. We struggled quite a bit with the Medium tyres, especially in the first stint and got overtaken there. And it made our race a bit more difficult from that moment onwards. On the hard we were very competitive and towards the end, I thought I could get Max at one point. But today they had the advantage in terms of pace. But it was fun. And it’s amazing to see so many people again, I kept saying it, but yeah, it’s great to have so many Ferrari fans too in the grandstand. So thank you for your support.

    Q: Well, you and Max are going to put on a show at every race in this World Championship. I can’t wait to see more. Put on a great show.

    CL: Yeah, I hope so too. I mean, we need to keep pushing. Upgrades will be very important throughout the year. And I hope now that we can do a step up but from next race onwards. But yeah, it’s been tight since the beginning of the season. And that’s what we’d like to see.

    Q: Awesome job, baby. Awesome job. All right, champ. Hey, Muhammad Ali told me that when you’re champ, Christmas Day is every day, so another Christmas. Welcome to Miami.

    Max VERSTAPPEN: Thank you very much. I mean, it was an incredible Grand Prix. Very physical as well, but I think we kept it exciting until the end.

    Q: Well, you’re strong. I mean, you went hard on the car. I mean, you kept the tyres underneath you, plus you’re in good shape son, you’re ready to get into the boxing ring?

    Max VERSTAPPEN: I think I’ll stick to racing but I appreciate a lot of course boxing. It felt a bit like it out there in terms of how we feel right now. But yeah, incredibly happy the winning here in Miami. It was an incredible Sunday for us.

    PRESS CONFERENCE

    Q: Welcome to the top three finishers of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. In third place, Carlos Sainz. In second place Charles Leclerc. And taking the 23rd win of his Formula 1 career and his third win of this 2022 campaign, our race winner, Max Verstappen. Max, very well done. That was a beautifully executed race from third on the grid. Given how the weekend started on Friday. How sweet does this victory feel?

    MV: Yeah, I mean, of course, it’s a very good comeback. I didn’t even do a start. So I didn’t know what to expect in the actual start. But we had a good launch. And I saw the opportunity to go around the outside in Turn 1 so I tried. And luckily, it worked, so then, I just tried to see the pace, of course, Charles in front of me, and I think already from the start, it was very close. I just couldn’t get into the DRS initially. But then, at one point, I think Charles started to struggle a bit more with the front tyres, and it seemed like our car was very good on the Medium compound. So once I got ahead, I think that basically made my race, because I opened up the gap. And basically, once we did the pit stop and put the hard tyre on we were actually very closely matched in pace. So yeah, that was very crucial, of course, to get that gap. But then, of course, I was not very happy with that Safety Car, but of course, fully understandable with what happened. And of course, I think you cannot be too disappointed about it. Because also in the past, I mean, it has benefited me in some other races. So I knew of course, it’s was going to be a tough one to the end already. Because it was quite physical out there. So I knew of course, well now the next 10 laps, I think it was, we have to be flat out, so on a track like this is not easy. I was struggling a bit initially with the tyre temps, like I was sliding around a bit too much for my liking, but then once the tires came back up to temperature, I think I had a little bit more pace and of course, pulled out of the DRS which was very crucial around here.

    Q: You got out of that DRS. But how much pressure was Charles putting you under in those closing laps?

    MV: He was trying everything to try and have a go. And it was not easy, of course, to stay ahead because it’s easy to make a mistake around here in certain places.

    Q: And can you just elaborate on the physical nature of this race? Is it comparable to let’s say the Singapore Grand Prix?

    MV: Yeah, pretty similar. It’s very hot in Sector 2 as well. And of course because this is a day race, with the sun out there, it makes it really hot. So I was very happy once we always got to the straight because that gave you a bit of air. Also in the Safety Car just clicking your visor one step up, you know to have a bit more air coming it was pretty nice.

    Q: It’s been a good race for you and your team in the Championship. Do you feel you’re on a bit of a roll now?

    MV: We’re still having a few issues we have to solve. I mean we are quick, but as you can see, my Friday was terrible, you know, which is not great if you want to have a good weekend. And also Checo had a few issues in the race, so we have to be on top of that, but clearly there is a lot of potential, we just need to make sure it’s reliable.

    Q: Charles, coming to you, a great race by you as well, you look very racy in those closing laps just how good was your car today?

    CL: It was good, especially on the Hard, I think we were we were strong. On the Medium, as Max said, we struggled a little bit after five, six laps with the front tyres and then… yeah, we struggled and basically lost the race on that stint, losing the lead and then losing quite a bit of race time there, because of the front degradation. We need to look at that and be on top of it for the next race. Apart from that, I think on the Hard, we were we were very competitive or at least as competitive as Max, and after the Safety Car I really thought that we will have a shot to actually take back the lead – but it wasn’t enough. But yeah, it’s like this again, I think we’ll have to analyse the end of the run on the Medium, which is the weak point of this race.

    Q: Aside from tyre degradation, what were the biggest differences between your cars today?

    MV: The colour!

    CL: Yeah, the colour. The straight-line speed also a little bit. But again, I think it’s just the characteristics of both cars. Red Bull are quite quick in a straight; we are quite quick in the medium and high speed – but today I have to say that I was quite surprised that we were struggling quite a bit more than them in the slow speed corners. So, that was also a weakness on the Medium tyres, and we need to look at that.

    Q: Charles, you’re still 19 points ahead of Max. But do you need to see a reaction from Ferrari now?

    CL: In a race we need to, especially on the softer compounds, on the Medium, Soft, it seems that it’s been already two races that in terms of race pace, they seem to be a bit stronger and managing those tyres better. Then, in qualifying, we always managed to put those tyres in the right window, which helps us but on the on the long runs, we struggle a bit more compared to them.

    Q: Carlos. You mentioned something about your neck to Willy T Ribbs a little bit earlier. Are you okay?

    CS: Well, yeah. Obviously, I’m coming back from a pretty heavy crash on Friday. So, I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent today, but maybe also the fact that I haven’t done the last two races. So also, the neck feels that. And it’s a combination of those two things that maybe I was paying a bit the price and at some stages of the race I couldn’t push 100 per cent.

    Q: After these last couple of races, when you didn’t go racing lap, how much of a relief is this podium for you?

    CS: It’s not so much a relief – but it’s needed. I think I needed to complete a race distance, to get the body back to shape, and also get the feel for the car on used tyres, high fuel. I was still doing a couple of mistakes out there during the race, just because I was trying the car and trying myself out there. The important thing is that we got a full race in, but at some stages of the race I was pretty quick and also the battles and the feeling with the car in battle with Checo, you know what to do with the battery, with the tyres, I think it gave me a good understanding of what to do in the future.

    Q: Just tell us a little bit more about that battle with Checo? It looked pretty tight.

    CS: Yeah, I mean, on a new Medium, against me on a on a very used Hard, he had everything on the cards, you know, to pass me on, on the first two, three laps, in the warm-up phase of the tyre. And I was pretty sure that, once I got the tyres up to temperature, I could maybe stay, more or less, ahead. But yeah, I think we did a good job on defending, manage all the battery. They’re also pretty quick on the straight, which doesn’t help. I think it was a tough, tough defence, but it was good.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) The same question to Max and to Charles please. Could you just talk us through the rundown the pit straight where Max got ahead into T1? And Charles, in particular, was there anything you could have done maybe to defend a little bit harder there? Or is it just not worth it?

    CL: Well, it’s always worth it when you are fighting for the lead. To be honest with the experience I had from FP1, FP2, FP3, inside there, it was a disaster, the grip on Friday and Saturday. So, I did not expect Max to have that much grip. But actually, I think it was much better for the race today. So, looking back at the race, you can always do something better but I thought that, at that moment, it was the right thing to stay on the racing line and try to optimise the braking point, which I did – but it didn’t work out.

    MV: It’s just a decision that you make at the time, right? From both sides. I went right and Charles defends in the way he does. And then after the corner, you realise what is best, right? It could have worked for Charles; could have worked for me. It worked for me this time. It is just because… I mean we’re going at such high speed you have to make these decisions in like, milliseconds, so…

    Q: (Laurence Edmondson – ESPN) A question to all three drivers. Can I just get your thoughts on the event this weekend? How spectacular you found it. And also, to Max, does it mean anything more to win the first race in Miami?

    MV: I think it was an incredible atmosphere. I mean, it was really incredibly well organised. Really nice to see that. It’s not easy to put an event on like this. But yeah, they did an amazing job, and I had a lot of fun, driving around. I think track-wise, we can improve a few areas. But I have say in the race, I do think Sector 1 was quite fun. I do think Sector 2 can be maybe a bit…  would have been nice if it could have been a bit faster and flowing for an F1 car like we have right now. You know: super long, heavy, wide. The 14-15 chicane is a bit of a tricky combination. And if it means more, I mean it’s another 25 or 26 points, right? It’s a nice venue, that’s for sure, but still you know you have the same amount of points what you can gain.

    CL: Yeah, the atmosphere was incredible. And it’s great to see how much interest the sport has got in the last few years. And yeah, organisation was great. Loads of people, good weather. So yeah, it was amazing to be here.

    CS: I think it was a mega event, put together… not easy on the first event to put such a well-organised venue. So many people coming, so many people in the paddock… for me the paddock was incredibly full!

    MV: The helmet we had on the podium. We needed that in the paddock.

    CS: Yeah, it was crazy. So yeah, congrats. I look forward to coming back here in the future. And I think, between FIA and ourselves, we can do a better job with the tarmac, we can do a better job with some corner combinations, and we can put together an even better show in the future.

    Q: (Scott Mitchell – The Race) Max, you’ve talked a little bit about this but I guess this season has been a case of you either have high peaks or high frustrations.  At its most extreme it’s been you either win, or you haven’t finished. But this weekend, we’ve heard you talk a few times about things just not being quite right, need to make things a bit smoother. How urgent is that side of things? Because it’s obviously… the most dramatic element is the retirement issues but if you’re not having clean weekends, then obviously that’s going to add up if that continues.

    MV: Well, yeah, it’s both, right? I mean, of course, now my side, I had a lot of issues on Friday, which compromises your weekend, and especially yesterday. And I mean, of course, the day everything went well with the start but it also could have been the other way around. And then you of course again, can say like, well, fair enough, because if you missed almost whole Friday, what can you do about it? So we just have to nail down a really positive weekend without issues. I think of course, Imola, we had that, but it’s still a bit of a hit and miss too much. So we just have to make sure that we are more reliable and more on top of things. But as you can see the car is quick. I’m very happy about that, I mean, if you would be slow and reliable, that’s probably also not a good thing.

    Q: (Jesus Balseiro – Diaro AS) Carlos, did you consider changing the tyres at the last Safety Car? And if so, why did you stick with the used ones?

    CS: No, because I would have lost position to Checo and in general, you want to keep track position, especially during the podium. I think you want to keep that position. I knew Checo was going to pit because he had a new medium. Our alternative was I use of soft or a new hard which for me, both of them were not good enough for 10/12 laps to go like it was the case. So we were better off staying out on our used hard which I think it was the right call because in the end we managed to keep him behind. But it was tight, I think as I said before, he had all everything, all the cards to actually pass me and  yeah, a bit surprised that we stayed ahead because it was a tight, tight battle.

    Q: (Jeff Gluck – The Athletic) What should they do about the tarmac, for all three of you? Does it need to be resurfaced before you come back next year?

    MV:  I think offline can be a bit better. I think it was a bit nice today. I was a bit surprised… like in the start, you know, going around the outside of the expected grip, but then actually, during the race, it got worse and worse again. And we had good examples lately with new tracks where we had good tarmac like Saudi actually, it was pretty grippy. So yeah, we have to just look at that, first of all that you know, racing line… of course, the racing line has a bit more grip than offline. But I think the difference here is a bit too much in places. So yeah, we’ll see what we can do there and of course, besides that, I think like Carlos and myself mentioned, with the layout, I think we can make some bits also a bit more exciting, especially Sector 2.

    Q: (Safid Deen – USA Today) About the chicane under the highway do you guys feel like that was challenging from a race perspective? Or would you like to see that completely changed or adjusted moving forward?

    CS: I think it’s a chicane that we this generation of cars that are heavy, that are wide, just when you go around those two apex kerbs, it almost feels like you need a bit of luck to get around it and you sometimes get it on a weird angle and the car bounces a lot, then sometimes you nail it and you gain a tenth or two. It’s a corner that is just a bit unnatural and it’s a corner that I think it can be easily manipulated to look a bit different and create a better combination, you know. I think it’s still needed because there’s not a lot of space there and you need to be quite slow approaching 16 because there’s no runoff. So we need something slow, we need something tight. It’s just the nature of the two curves there, the way they’re put together which is no issue.  It’s a new track that you’re always going to go through these phases and we’re already in touch with FOM, with Ross and his team to actually sort it out and put together a better piece of circuit.

    MV: Yeah, I think if I would have been in a go kart, it would be a nice chicane to take, but not in an F1 car like we have at the moment. Like Carlos said, I think the kerb combination…I mean, I remember in the four laps I did on Friday, I almost knocked myself out because I hit the first kerb and your head just bounced from left to right, like at least five, six times, but really bad. If you just take it a tiny bit too much, just because it’s so long, so wide, so stiff and super heavy that little kerb what it is, it’s just not made for it to be honest. So maybe we have to change the kerb layout already, that it’s a bit more of a progressive ramp and it looks a bit nicer to go over. Maybe that helps already. But yeah, it’s so slow  and I think our cars look way better if it’s a bit more of a flowing combination.

    CL: I think I’m the only driver on the grid that actually liked this chicane.

    MV: And you liked the kerb?

    CL: Yeah, I enjoyed it. But on the other hand, I agree that for racing action, I think we can do something better because following wasn’t easy on that part, also for visibility it’s quite difficult once you have a car in front because you need to be so precise on the kerbs, as mentioned already. That it makes it even more difficult to follow. But apart from that I actually quite enjoyed it.

    Q: (Alex Kalinuakas – Autosport) Max two questions actually:  first of all did you have any reliability dramas in the race,  any engine problems like Checo had? And also how important during those last few laps ahead of Charles after the safety car, was it you to get a good exit from the chicane after he closed up through the twisty bits?

    MV: No, I had no issues luckily. I mean, everything was running very smooth for me so that was very positive. I think I had all my bad luck on Friday. And yeah, during those laps, yeah, it was very tricky, I mean, I was struggling a lot with actually the cold tyres hitting the kerbs. So going through the chicane was not easy. I made a few mistakes there a few times. But yeah, so it was very important to get a good run out of the chicane and actually also turn 16 onto the straight but of course with the extra top speed we had today that of course also helps.

    Q: (Jerry Bonkowski – Autoweek) Charles, quick question. Do you like being the hunter or the hunted? You and Max obviously are so close together in the points right now, which do you prefer, being ahead of him or behind him?

    CL: Well, I think we have been in only one position since the beginning of the season, which means we are hunted for now. I quite like this position to be honest, because it means that you are doing something right. But it is also true that it’s two races that the gap is slowly closing down. But yeah, I don’t I don’t really mind to be honest whichever position I am in, I just want to be the most competitive out there. And at the moment, it seems that Red Bull has the upper hand in the in the races.

    Q: Max your thoughts?

    MV: I like the position I’m in at the moment, knowing that the car is quick. And for example, end of last year, of course, I was the one who was being hunted. And that was actually not a great position because I knew that we didn’t have the pace anymore. I knew it was going to be very tricky to the end. So yeah, just depends a bit of how competitive you are as well.

    Ends

  • Rugved Barguje wins a double, claims ‘Rider of the Day’ award

    Rugved Barguje wins a double, claims ‘Rider of the Day’ award

    Pune, 7 May 2022: Talented youngster Rugved Barguje of Petronas TVS Racing was in flowing form as he conquered both the motos to win the ‘Rider of Day’ trophy in the second round of the MRF MoGrip fmsci National Supercross Championship 2022 here on Saturday.

    In a huge achievement, popular privateer Arun D of Hassan achieved a double astride an Impulse. He won the prestigious Indian Experts class beating celebrated factory rider and former National champion Nataraj R and his teammate Sachin D of TVS Racing took third place. He won the Private Experts class too beating Shailesh Kumar and Yogesh P came third. All the riders were on Impulse bikes.

    Promoted by GodSpeed Racing with TVS Racing, Servo, Sidvin and FXR as sponsors, the Supercross Nationals are back with a bang in Nashik last Sunday attracting huge crowd after a two-year haitus due to COVID19. Pune too welcomed the popular sport with huge crowds gracing the artificial gallery for vantage spot and watched the riding daredevils in action. The daring feats, stunning jumps and the fast bikes did not disappoint them. The Freestyle Motocross riders and their stunts were a bonus for an evening of entertainment as many turned up with families.

    CD Jinan, who dominated the proceedings in the first round, had to play second fiddle to the local hero Rugved Barguje, who took the championship lead in the top Foreign Experts class, (the SX1 Group A upto 500cc bikes) from the Kerala master. Barguje, inherited the biking skills and talent from his father, Dhyaneswar, the senior Barguje, who was popular as Bala in his hey days. He also has brothers who raced bikes but with today’s riding it was Rugved, who hogged all the limelight with a dominating show. He took the hole shot in the first moto and by the end of the first lap, the 22-year old opened up a huge gap of over 20 bike-lengths and never looked back, making the victory look so cool.

    In the second moto too, Barguje was ahead into the first corner, a low right, but was boxed in by TK Prajwal, who took the hole shot and CD Jinan, who sneaked into second. Not the one to easily give up, the youngster launched an all out attack from the third position and near the third corner he sensed the chance and launched himself with clever use of the berm and overtook both Prajwal and Jinan, to regain the lead. Thereon, he shrewdly managed his lead, controlling his pace and jumps, and extended the gap for another comfortable win. With a straight back and balanced approach, hitting the whoops with his rear tyre at the same spot, Barguje seems to have gained the extra time managing the ten whoops to his advantage.

    Behind him it was the Satara youngster, Ikshaan, son of another former racing star, Shanbhag, who clinched a creditable second place in the second moto. Jinan, had a forgettable week-end as he fell in the second moto and injured his leg. But the rider running 50, puts to shame many youngsters with his fitness mantra. He got up and finished the moto, and only during the podium ceremony one could notice a slight limp. Jinan got a third in the other moto and kept himself at a striking distance in the title race. Watchout for the master blaster in the remaining rounds.

    “I am so thrilled. It is definitely a very big feeling to win in the home town. The effort and hard work I put in for the past two months had paid off. Now I got the championship lead and with more rounds to go, my focus is to be consistent and I will take it round by round,” said a beaming Rugved Barguje to INDIAinF1 from Pune.

    Coimbatore’s Manikandan K won the SX2 ahead of Bhumik Lalwani of Mount Abu and first round winner Ajay Srinivas of Bengaluru. Shillong’s rising star Banteilang Jerwa of TVS Racing, astride a RTR 200 won the Novice class again to take the championship lead. Teammate Sachin D came second ahead of Arun T. Jinendra Sangave of Kolhapur pocketed the Locals class while Shlok Ghorpade won the Junior SX1. Another home-town talent Akshat Hupale bagged the Junior SX2 and is leading the championship after two rounds.

    Results: Round 2 – 2022 (provisional):

    Rider of the Day: Rugved Barguje (Pune)

    1. Class 1 SX 1 (A&B) Group A Stroke 2/4 Upto 500CC (Foreign Experts Class) (2 motos):

    1. #9 Rugved Barguje (Pune); TVS RTR 300;

    2. #36 Ikshan Shanbhag (Satara) TVS RTR 300;

    3. #50 CD Jinnan (Thrissur); TVS RTR 300;

    2. Class 2 SX 2 (A&B) Group A: Stroke 2/4 Upto 500CC (2 motos):

    1.  # Manikandan K (Coimbatore) KX250;

    2. # Bhumik Lalwani (Mount Abu); KX250;

    3. #12 Ajay Srinivas (Bengaluru); KX250;

    3. Class 3 NOVICE Group C:  Stroke 2/4 Upto 260CC:

    1. #27 Banteilang Jerwa (TVS Racing – Shillong, Meghalaya) TVS RTR 200;

    2. #40 Sachin D (Petronas TVS Racing) (Bengaluru); TVS RTR 200;

    3. #73 Arun T (Hassan); Impulse;

    4. Class 4 LOCALS Group B: Stroke 2/4 Upto 260CC:

    1. #90 Jinendra S (Kolhapur) TVS RTR 200;

    2. # Rajesh Swami, Impulse;

    3. #6 Russel Jossy (Goa) Impulse;

    5. Class 5 INDIAN EXPERTS Group C: Stroke 2/4 Upto 260CC:

    1. #73 Arun T (Impulse) (Hassan); Impulse;

    2. # Nataraj R (Petronas TVS Racing – Bengaluru) TVS RTR 200;

    3. #40 Sachin D (Petronas TVS Racing- Bengaluru) TVS RTR 200;

    6. Class 6 PRIVATE EXPERTS Group C: Stroke 2/4 Upto 260CC:

    1. #73 Arun T (Impulse) (Hassan);

    2. # Shailesh Kumar; Impulse;

    3. # Yogesh P () Impulse;

    7. Class 7 JR SX 1 Group A: Stroke 2/4 Upto 250CC (2 motos):

    1. #33 Shlok Ghorpade (Satara) KTM 150;

    2. #97  Jinendra Sangave (Kolhapur) KX250;

    3. #52 Srujan J () KX100;

    8. Class 8 JR SX 2 Group A: Stroke 2/4 Upto 100CC (for riders under-12 years):

    1. #34 Akshat Hupale (Pune) KTM SX85;

    2. #5 Bhairav C () Husqvarna;

    3. # Srujan J () KTM SX65;

    Official results from GodSpeed Racing
  • Sarthak Chavan first Indian to get a podium at Thailand Talent Cup

    Sarthak Chavan first Indian to get a podium at Thailand Talent Cup

    Buriram, 8 May 2022: Pune’s 15-year old Sarthak Chavan became the first Indian Honda racer to take a podium at the Thailand Talent Cup. On Sunday, the young racer won a third place in the TTC, the Thailand Honda Talent Cup which was held as part of the larger Thailand’s most popular two-wheel championship, the OR BRIC Superbike Championship 2022 at the famous Chang International Circuit here on Sunday.

    Well versed with the Moto3 spec machine NSF250R after taking part in the National races at Chennai, Sarthak confidently took on the best of the Talent in the Asian region and came out with flying colours in the first race on Sunday. “I am delighted to get this podium and thrilled to learn that this is the first by an Indian in the Thailand Cup. I thank Honda India for the bike as I really enjoyed racing here. I am blessed with the support from family and the team and all my mechs,” said a beaming Sarthak, to INDIAinF1 from Buriram.

    Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India congratulated the racer and celebrated his victory in their social media handles acclaiming the podium as “A proud moment for Honda Racing India. Sarthak Chavan wins the first ever Indian podium in Thailand Talent Cup.” The other rider from India who took part inthe competition was Kavin Quintal from Chennai.

    Sarthak Chavan with his trophy after becoming the first Indian to win at theThailand Talent Cup on Sunday. Photo by Chavan for INDIAinF1.com

    Earlier in March, as the season of International racing resumed after two years of enforced inactivity, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India announced its international racing team for the 2022 season. Along with the team for Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC), two riders were also selected for the Thailand Talent Cup (TTC). The experienced rider Rajiv Sethu and 20-year-old rider Senthil Kumar, were named for another road racing championship in Asia. For Thailand Talent Cup, Honda pitched 16-year-old Kavin Quintal from Chennai and Sarthak Chavan.

    For the 2022 Thailand Talent Cup, Honda has pinned hopes on the racing duo of 2021 Honda India Talent Cup winner Kavin Quintal, and 2020 Honda India Talent Cup champion, Sarthak Chavan. Both riders are well versed with the Moto3 spec machine NSF250R and are confident of taking on the best of the Talent in the Asian region.

  • KY Ahamed wins SS1 Pro class: BRIC Superbikes at Buriram

    KY Ahamed wins SS1 Pro class: BRIC Superbikes at Buriram

    Buriram (Thailand), 8 May 2022: Indian racing star KY Ahamed from TVS Racing brought laurels to India winning his class at the Thailand’s most popular two-wheel championship, the OR BRIC Superbike Championship 2022 at the famous Chang International Circuit here on Sunday.

    Touching speeds of 216.3 kmph, at the famed circuit KY Ahamed came third in the combined grid but clinched a gold in his class, the SS1 Pro event. In the 7-lap race, he garnered 15 points clocking 12minn 56.087 seconds in a strong grid of 15 riders. The event is the first round of the BRIC Superbike championship. For the record, Watcharin Tubtim-On of Thailand won the SS1 honours class in 1:48.554.

    Jagan Kumar, left, and KY Ahamed, who finished 1-2 in the SS1 Pro class on Sunday.

    While Ahamed won the Super Sport 300 to 400cc Pro (SS1 Pro) class ahead of teammate Jagan Kumar in a strong field with a certain level of fun, intensity and excitement amid periodic rain, the Indian finished third in a combined grid held for classes SS1 Pro, SS1 and SS2. He clocked his best lap of 1min, 49.746 seconds in the second lap. Starting from P4 on the grid, the Chennai rider kept his calm and managed to keep pace with the front runners and managed to shoot ahead as #44 Ratthapon crashed in front of him. Thereon, he rode a steady race to take the overall third and first in his class, SS1 Pro. Behind him, Indian National champion Jagan Kumar, who started on P7, finished sixth overall and second in his class.

    “I have made some mistakes at the start but later I picked up pace and managed to stay the course. I thank TVS Racing and my engineers for all the support and I am happy to finish third and top my class,” said KY Ahamed, talking to INDIAinF1.com after the race from Buriram.

    Nexzter Moritech AVRP Racing provided the tech support for the Indian riders.

  • Michael Jordan is super inspiring, says Gasly after a dinner with the giant

    Michael Jordan is super inspiring, says Gasly after a dinner with the giant

    DRIVER GROUP 1 – Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes), Pierre GASLY (AlphaTauri), Alex ALBON (Williams), Sergio PÉREZ (Red Bull), Lance STROLL (Aston Martin)

    Q: Lewis, you’re up first of all. How’s Miami been so far for you?

    Lewis HAMILTON: It’s been great. The weather is incredible. And we’ve had such a warm welcome here. So just been happy to be out here and, yeah, been out on the water. Great training. And yeah, the ambience in the town is incredible.

    Q: …bit of golf as well.

    LH: I did something with Tom [Brady]. Yeah, but I’m not really very good!

    Q: Lewis, let’s quickly talk from a performance point of view, what can we expect from you and Mercedes this weekend?

    LH: You can expect that we’ll begin giving it our all, and trying our best. There’s been a huge amount of work going on in the background. Everyone working as hard as they can; you can see we got to a new rear wing, for example. So, I’m just grateful for everyone continue to keep their heads down. And for the amazing, hard work that everyone is putting in.

    Q: Do you think you’ll be closer to the pace?

    LH: I don’t anticipate much change in that sense.

    Q: Pierre, coming to you now. Well, first up, how was dinner with Michael Jordan?

    Pierre GASLY: Well, it was by far the best dinner I ever had really. Honestly, super, super inspiring. Really special evening, just to learn, you know, like the experience and to be able to hear from such a successful guy. I don’t think there was anyone else that inspired me more since I was a kid. And yeah, I mean, it was very, very special.

    Q: You even managed to get him to try your helmet on?

    PG: Yeah, I did. He did. Yeah, we exchanged. So, I gave him one of one of my helmets and gave me a pair of Jordans. So that was pretty cool. But no, mainly just to hear his experience, his career, the mentality, the leadership that he has. Even at his age, he’s so competitive and it was just an amazing, amazing evening.

    Q: Let’s talk on track quickly. Slightly disappointing race for you last time out in Imola. Although you did have a good battle with the man on your right, Lewis Hamilton. Where is the pace of the AlphaTauri at the minute, relative to the opposition?

    PG: Well, we’re still trying to figure out, obviously from track to track it changes.  Imola, we got it wrong from qualifying onwards and we were involved in a crash in the sprint, started from the back and, as we saw, was impossible to overtake. So, clearly fighting with Lewis was not for the positions we like, but I think there is more than that. And now we’ll find out in Miami what we can do. But yeah, we can clearly fight for the top 10. I’m confident for that. And that’s what we will push for.

    Q: Alex coming to you now. Tell us about your experiences in Miami so far this week.

    Alex ALBON: I arrived pretty late. So I haven’t seen too much of the place but it’s been pretty good. It’s hot, very humid. And yeah, my girlfriend was competing maybe two hours away in Fort Myers, so I was out a little bit earlier, watching her play but that was that was about it.

    Q: Quick trip to the hair salon by the looks of things…

    AA: Yeah, it looks red on the on the camera there. Yeah, we got it dyed before Melbourne and we finished 10th and then as the dye faded away, we finished 11th In Imola. So it started to affect the performance! So, we re-dyed it, hoping for more points!

    Q: Well, you finished 11th In Imola, but it was actually still have a great race by you. What can we expect this weekend from Williams?

    AA: Yeah, it was a great race in Imola, and I think we’re fighting at the heels for points. It’s been two good races where we started out of position just with some issues or with a disqualification from Melbourne. So hopefully we can have a bit more of a smoother weekend this time around, especially for the qualifying, and we’ll see. It seems like a very tricky circuit. I do believe that being a new circuit, there’s a bit more opportunity in that. Hopefully we can hit the ground running and be ahead of a few others.

    Q: Sergio, coming to you now. What chance of you making a full-time switch to the Miami Marlins baseball team?

    Sergio PÉREZ: I don’t think so!  I think I’ll stick with what I’m doing for now!  There was not much talent!

    Yeah, but was it fun? Just tell it tell us about the whole experience.

    SP: It’s obviously a very nice experience, to be there with the players learning from another sport. There were a few fans there. So, it’s always nice to learn from other sports.

    Q: It was another strong performance for you at Imola last time out. Do you see any reason why you and Red Bull can’t be the pace-setters this weekend?

    SP: I think we were pretty confident we’re going to be in fight, but it obviously depends on many factors. I think none of us have been used to these track temperatures. We haven’t driven under these track temperatures that we are expecting. So, it will be interesting how the tyres cope with it, and to see which team are able to adapt the best.

    Q: Lance coming to you now. What’s been the highlight of your stay in Miami so far?

    Lance STROLL: Oh, just you know, it’s great to be here, the sunshine. Yeah, it’s a fun city and I always enjoy coming to Miami. Yeah, I’ve got some friends around this week. Yeah, now it’s time to go racing. So really looking forward to it.

    Q: What is the mood in the camp? Because it was a much better race for Aston Martin last time out. Is everyone very buoyed by what happened at Imola?

    LS: It was great to get both cars in the points in Imola. I think it was a big boost for the team. We have to see how we go this weekend. I mean, we’re going to be, you know, pushing hard and coming up with some ideas, setting up the car and try to find some more pace and see how we go.

    QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

    Q: (Jordan Bianchi – The Athletic) This is for all five drivers. Impressions of the track so far, during the track walk, and if you guys have done any sim work, and what you’ve taken away from that?

    LS: Well, it looks fun, it looks challenging. It’s tight, a lot of walls, a combination of high-, low-speed corners with some long straights. So hopefully, we see some good racing. I think there’s some good overtaking opportunities, into 17, into the hairpin. I’m sure it’ll be fun to drive and be a good show on Sunday.

    SP: I think it will be a nice track to drive. It will be interesting to see the grip level, the asphalt looks a bit different. Some places, it looks like it’s already opening up. But other than that, I think it’s going to be a great race. The circuit really has long straights, so for racing, should be a good a good circuit for racing. And yeah, we should give a good, fun race for the fans.

    AA: It was a tricky one, I found. I felt like it was one of the… it took me one of the longest circuits to get up to speed, at least on the on the simulator. It seems very technical. And just doing the track walk yesterday, the kerbs seem to be different to what we’re used to. Sometimes there are no curbs at all. So, I think track limits are going to be a big topic this weekend. But I’m excited. I feel like it’s obviously a good track. And I think it favours the racing, especially. The racing should be good.

    PG: Yeah, I think it’s going to be a cool track. Similar comments to the guys:  very, very long straight, so I guess, good for overtaking, should be quite a lot of action on Sunday. And yeah, quite interesting. This very high-speeds first section, very tight second section, so they will be a compromise to find but all in all, I think they came up with a great track design.

    LH: Yeah, not much more to add to these guys. It looks great.

    Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) For you Lewis. The FIA seems to be continuing with its clampdown on jewellery. You said before that you’ll continue to wear it.  I just wanted to know whether you’ll stand by that. And if it gets to a position where they say oh, you can’t race if you’re wearing the jewellery would you still race? And also, do you feel like you’re being singled out a bit by the FIA, given you’re the driver who probably wears probably the most jewellery on the grid?

    LH: I definitely do wear…  I couldn’t get any more jewellery on today. I mean, I don’t really have a lot more to add than what I already said the last time I was in front of you guys, and we spoke about it. It’s… I feel like it’s almost like a step backwards if you think of the steps we’re taking as a sport, and the more important issues and causes that we need to be focused on and really pushing. I think we made such great strides as a sport. Look, we’re here in Miami, this is such a small thing. I’ve been using… I’ve been in the sport 16 years, I’ve been wearing jewellery for 16 years, in the car only I only ever have my earrings on, and my nose ring, which I can’t even remove. So, it seems unnecessary for us to get into this spat. And so, I’ll try to communicate and work with Mohammed. I think, you know, I’m here to be an ally of the sport,  of Mohammad and Formula 1. And as I said, I think we’ve got bigger, bigger fish to fry,  bigger things to do more impact to have. So, I think that’s really where the focus should be.

    Q: (Chris Medland – Racer) For all the drivers. From next year, we’ll have three races in the US. Knowing the kind of home support you guys have enjoyed in your own home races, what do you think an American driver on the grid would do for the sport over here? And are you guys surprised that over the last 20 years, we maybe haven’t had more get close, or get on to the grid?

    LH: It doesn’t really surprise me: I think it’s perhaps more a cultural thing. You know, here in the States. It’s the NFL, it’s NBA. It’s NASCAR, IndyCar. And I mean, in my 16 years of coming over here, it’s been such a slow build, trying to bring awareness of the sport. Unfortunately, the Americans have to wake up at odd times in order to watch a grand prix. But I think this new step that’s been taken, into bringing awareness, the Netflix show, has really just brought in that amazing fan base, a sport fan base that we have, that there is here in the US. And maybe now’s the time to start focusing on how we can include more people here, because it’s such a diverse country. I’m sure there’s some amazing drivers here somewhere, as they’ve got so many great sporting talents. So, it’d be a good mission for us to find the next one.

    PG: I agree with what Lewis said. I think the culture is the main difference. Coming here four or five years ago, I remember all the fans knew about NASCAR, not many knew about Formula 1. I think to see the evolution, the exposure we got as a sport over the last two, three years, it’s been very impressive and now the fan base is just growing massively. And we can feel it, as drivers, when we see Austin last year: 450,000 people coming over the weekend was a very, very special and unique atmosphere. So now very excited to come back here more often with Miami, with Vegas. I’m sure with that exposure we’re getting now, more and more people are going to get into the sport and yeah, hopefully we will see more of them in the future.

    AA: Yeah, I think same comments as the two of my right. I guess it’s Alexander Rossi was maybe the last one in Formula 1? It seems like, for now at least, a lot of the drivers who’ve got close have come towards the European side to learn how to race, in terms of Formula 3, Formula 2 and that side of things. I see it now with Logan [Sargeant] in the Williams young driver programme. He’s going that way as well. But it seems like right now, it’s a great catalyst for everything to start happening over here. And I’m sure once nce that level starts to help… I think there’s just going to be more people arriving, more younger kids interested in Formula 1, and that’s just going to help everything. And then the talent is going to come.

    SP: Yeah, I think, in my case, for example, coming from this part of the world, it’s definitely harder for us because you have to go at a very young age to Europe, I think. Otherwise, it’s just harder, because you have to grow up with the best drivers in the world at a very young age, and just develop throughout. In the circuits, with the tyres with the racing. I think they have a lot of talent over here. Hopefully soon we can have an American-based driver because it will be good for the sport. But it’s certainly quite hard to do that, because just by being on this side of the world.

    LS: Yeah, it would be great to see an American driver in the sport. I think it would definitely expand the American audience. But, like Checo said, the ladder to Formula 1 is more simple when you race in Europe, come from Europe. If you’re over on the side of the world, we got to move over to Europe to compete in Formula 3 and all that that stuff, and it’s not so simple. But yeah, there’s definitely a lot of talent here, and be great to see an American driver in the future.

    Q: (Jenna Fryer – Associated Press) For Lewis. You manifested this race back in 2017, I guess. You love the US. I’m wondering, has the atmosphere and the event lived up to what you manifested? And what do you think of that marina?

    LH: It definitely is what I expected from Miami. Already, just going through the city, seeing events everywhere. The buzz… I was just in New York, and I would just remember just walking through the streets, and I heard someone talking about ‘hey, you going to Miami?’ and they didn’t know I was there. There’s just talk on the streets: this race, and the excitement. I’ve been to a couple of Super Bowls. This kind of feels like a similar vibe. And what a great place for us to have it, y’know, and around this incredible stadium. I think it’s gonna be an amazing spectacle. And also really cool for people across in Europe, and around the rest of the world to see just how great Miami is.

    Q: And the Marina?

    LH:  It’s stunning! Like Monaco, not as many yachts I don’t think I’ve seen, but I was out there yesterday, just catching the sun and doing some jet surfing, which was pretty awesome. I saw some dolphins, which is nice.

    Q: (Tom Cary – Daily Telegraph) Lewis, another one for you. Just to follow up on Phil’s question earlier. Sorry, apologies is going back to something that you’ve spoken about a lot. But if the FIA really insists on this issue with the jewellery, what is the solution? I mean, you say you can’t take it off. They say you have to: what was the end game here?

    LH: I really don’t know. As I said, I can’t remove at least two of them. One, I can’t really explain where it is. And, what I can say is that it’s platinum that I have, so it’s not magnetic. It’s never been a safety issue in the past. I’ve had, in 16 years, so many MRI scans and not had to take out the platinum, for example, because it’s not been an issue. So yeah. I mean, if they stopped me, then so be it. We got a spare driver, so we’re ready and prepped for the weekend. There’s lots of doing the city anyway, so I’ll be good either way.

    Q: (Giles Richards – The Guardian) Another one for you, Lewis. You said this season is for your toughest since 2009, in terms of the car. Just wondering if you could tell us, in difficult times like these, could you share who you take inspiration from: people, friends, family, team members or people outside the sport: where you where you draw inspiration to carry on?

    LH: I wouldn’t say there was one individual during this time that I I’m focused on. I think I look all around me, and I see I tried to ignore the negative that I see. I’m not really watching the news a lot, but there’s so many inspiring characters out there. And I think just continuously proving that you never give up, you keep pushing. And I love working with this team. Being in a team is such a privilege and working with so many people towards a common goal. And everyone lifted each other up. I’ve had amazing conversations with my team mates in this past week. Incredible how supportive everyone has been through the difficult times, and then we’ve had the most incredible times together. So, you know, a couple of bad races is not going to stop us in our tracks. This is where we unite: this is where we learn more about ourselves as individuals; this is where we, we grow the most. And it makes that eventual success – which I have no doubts we will eventually get to – taste even better.

    Q: (Nathan Brown – USA Today) Lewis, at the start of your Formula 1 career, the US Grand Prix took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Now, from what we’ve seen, from Miami, what we expect to see at Vegas next year, do you feel like a track in a venue that was really built around the history rather than the spectacle of the event, would have a fit on the Formula 1 calendar down the road?

    LH: Look I’m a bit old school. So of course, I love the history, particularly in certain circuits. But the older I get, the more I realise it’s about the people. We could go to the middle of nowhere that has very few people, not great accommodation, not great community and for us, as individuals, driving on a track that’s historic is cool – but it’s about the people. And the people really do make… we’ve experienced with pandemic, no one being in there and that’s just no atmosphere. It was like a test day. It was not enjoyable. And now we’re seeing hundreds of thousands of people turn up to the race, energised, excited, keen to learn more. And so, I think the fans are at the heart of what this sport is about, they create it. So for me, it’s, I think, being in cities where we can really engage in communities and actually also have an impact. When you go to those… I love Nürburgring, for example, but there’s not a diverse community there. We’re not actually impacting the place there. Here, we can do something. Yesterday, I met a bunch of kids from diverse backgrounds, who now want to get into engineering and STEM subjects and so, it’s way cooler for me.

    Q: (David Wilson – Miami Herald)  For Lewis, kind of following up on what you were just saying. Everyone’s saying Miami, but really we’re in Miami Gardens, which is the largest majority black city in Florida. Does that have any significance to you? To race in a city like this?

    LH: It definitely does have a significance. I think just, as I said, just like in my 16 years… The first five or 10, maybe five years or so, I didn’t see many people of colour in the grandstands. When I was on stage, very, very few people of colour, you know, not as diverse as I’d hoped. And as I said, yesterday, I was standing on stage and I’m seeing I’m seeing the crowd as… it couldn’t be any more diverse. And that’s amazing for me, to not be the only one there, which is nice to see. And it’s just it’s just great to be seeing that we’re tapping into those different cultures, those different communities who perhaps once didn’t think it was for them because they didn’t see someone that looked like them in the sport, maybe. And I think that’s the super encouraging. And as I said, there’s more to do in terms of encouraging these young kids not only to be NFL players or basketball players but… education is key and STEM subjects can lead to so many different avenues. And you can be a racing driver, also. So it’s pretty neat.

    Q: (Ian Parkes – New York Times) To the other for drivers, aside from Lewis, do you guys have any sympathy for Lewis’s position with regard to the piercings debate? Is he right? Are there bigger fish to fry? And just to conclude with yourself, Lewis, we’re assuming you’ve made your position clear to the FIA, regarding your piercings, and if so, what was their response? Thank you.

    PG: I do understand. I do, I do believe there are bigger, bigger things to focus on. And I appreciate FIA are looking after our safety. That’s also their priority and our priority. My personal case, I have also religious item that I wear with me, when I’m racing, which are important to me, which I don’t feel comfortable not having was me driving the car. And I do feel it’s a little bit personal. We should have the freedom to do what feels right for us. At the end of the day, we have the responsibility to go out there put our life at risk. And I do feel it should be a personal choice, but I respect the FIA and their will to always improve the safety. But I’ll appreciate a talk with them, to see if we can find a better solution than such a strict decisions as they made. So we’ll see what we can do.

    AA: I think Pierre sums it up well.  There’s not really much to add to that. I still agree with Lewis’s comments, I understand. It’s our bodies at the same time as well. Like everything when you’re older, you’re prepared to have those consequences if, you want to do what you want to do, then so be it. You have a freedom for yourself. So yeah, that’s all.

    SP: I fully agree with Pierre and Alex in this case is good, from the FIA point of view to look after our safety because at the end of the day, it’s for us. But as Lewis said, he’s been in this sport for so many years, and he’s been doing it, and he already has them with him, so it’s, it’s not like that easy to remove them. So I think it would be good to find a compromise, to work together with them. And, and yeah, just make sure that we are all in the same line and not against each other. And I think that will be the important thing.

    LS: Nothing more to add, really. I think it’s great that the FIA is looking out for our safety but little things like a little piece of jewellery and stuff, I think it’s our own responsibility, as well to just accept the risk of something happening, wearing a bracelet or ring or whatever that might be. I get the big picture. But, I think there’s other things to focus on. Definitely bigger fish to fry,

    Q: Lewis, anything you want to add about your discussions with the FIA?

    LH: I’m willing to sign a waiver to take the responsibility away from them in that respect if I need to. But I think, Iike Pierre was just saying, it’s about individuality and being who you are. And I did try  Mohammad for example this morning, but I’m sure he was super busy. But I sent him a message, just reassuring him that I want to be an ally, I don’t want to fight with you guys over this. This is very silly: let’s have great weekend. But I’ve not heard back yet. So, maybe he’s texted me. I don’t know. But I try and speak to him before the race.

    Q: (Luke Smith – Autosport) Lewis after the race in Imola, Helmut Marko said, when you were lapped by Max, he said maybe Lewis thought he should have stopped last year. The day after, I think you put up a post on Instagram saying ‘I’m working on a masterpiece – it’s up to me when I’m finished’. When you hear comments like that from Helmut, does that motivate you even more just to fight back and get further up the order and back to the top of the game?

    LH: I mean, I don’t listen to those silly comments to be honest. Ultimately, I mean, there’s a… it’s been interesting to see there’s quite a lot of disrespectful comments that I’ve seen over time, but it’s to be expected. And yeah, I just keep my head down. I know who I am. I know what I do. I love what I do. Going through a tough time. We didn’t come out of the starting blocks the way we wanted, but we’re fighters. And if you don’t know that about me, then you just don’t know me and that’s totally fine. I’ll doing my best to huddle up and group up with the team and fight as hard as we can.

  • MotoGP enters exclusive strategic deal with Indian giant Tata Communications

    MotoGP enters exclusive strategic deal with Indian giant Tata Communications

    Bengaluru, 4 May 2022: Tata Communications, a global digital ecosystem enabler, and Dorna Sports, the exclusive commercial and television rights holder of the FIM MotoGP World Championship, today renew and strengthen their exclusive multi-year strategic collaboration – bringing the spectacle of MotoGP’s close racing and incredible competition to nearly half a billion homes worldwide.

    According to a press release received here today, with its world-leading, digital-first suite of media offerings, Tata Communications empowers the world’s premier motorcycle racing series to deliver an innovative and transformed viewing experience to its fans worldwide. Tata Communications media edge services will allow MotoGP to continue to ensure excellent video quality, coupled with tremendous speed, delivering the race live from the track to the viewers’ screens in just a few tenths of a second. 

    Tata Communications and Dorna teams will also boost migration from an onsite traditional media production to a remote production that will culminate in a future cloud-based model, increasing the number of video signals from 60 to 110 – some in ultra-low latency – providing more content to the viewers, and enabling the innovation of remotely produced immersive sound.

    These remote production capabilities, combined with the global video content delivery network, will also enable increased remote broadcasting of live track action, supporting the increased sustainability and long-term environmental objectives of MotoGP and Dorna Sports as both continue to work together on world-leading and world-changing technological solutions. 

    Tata Communications and Dorna have also been working together to leverage Private LTE deployment at race tracks to manage wireless camera feeds in low latency and the highest quality possible, bringing even more incredible content to viewers around the world.

    Dhaval Ponda, Global Head of Media & Entertainment Services, Tata Communications: “MotoGP represents the best in global motorsports today. Fuelled by our deep broadcast experience, video engineering pedigree and passion for technological advancements, we’re proud to extend this relationship to further accelerate the fan experience. Together, we’ll continue to co-create and elevate the viewing experiences for the legions of passionate motorcycle racing fans globally.”

    Manel Arroyo, Chief Commercial Officer, Dorna Sports: “Tata Communications has been  pivotal in enabling us to bring immersive live race action to our millions of fans around the world. Together, we’ve pushed the boundaries of innovation in sports broadcasting, increasingly bringing our global fans closer to their favourite sport. With this renewed collaboration, we trust Tata Communications to help us take the fan experience even further, using cutting edge technology to deliver an incredible experience for fans at home, which is as enthralling as watching the races on tracks.”

    Tata Communications enables some of the world’s foremost sports and entertainment federations. The company’s media, cloud and connectivity services are underpinned by the world’s largest subsea fibre network of its kind, creating a fully-converged, end-to-end solution for fast-paced sports like MotoGP. Since 2017, Tata Communications has played a key role of enabling MotoGP to continually push boundaries and create world-leading broadcasts of the world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championship. This successful relationship has been built on Tata Communications end-to-end managed service capabilities and advanced proof of concepts (POCs) by deploying bonded cellular private LTE services, ultimately enhancing the viewer experience.

  • Quartararo fends off Ducati for top honours on Friday

    Quartararo fends off Ducati for top honours on Friday

    The reigning Champion tops Day 1 at one of his signature tracks despite a crash, with Bastianini, Bagnaia and Martin on the chase

    Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), 29 April, 2022: Reigning Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) is the rider to beat so far at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España! The Championship leader pulled two tenths clear on Friday to hold off the hard-charging Ducati trio of Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), with the Frenchman finding a late 1:37.071 in FP2 to sit top of the pile despite a crash earlier in the day.

    FP1
    2020 Champion Joan MIr (Team Suzuki Ecstar) topped FP1, the Spaniard’s penultimate lap good enough to hold off a last lap charge from teammate Alex Rins, who ended up just 0.025 behind in second. LCR Castrol’s Honda’s Alex Marquez slotted into third, but there was some headline stealing from Quartararo in a different way to start the day.

    The Frenchman was sitting pretty at the top of the timesheets before a wet patch caught him out at the final corner, and the crash left him wincing as the rear wheel of his Yamaha flicked him in the groin. No harm done once he’d had a few minutes to recover, but there were two further moments as well: The first came under braking at Turn 9, before he was then forced to straight line it through the gravel trap at Turn 5. Despite all of that, the number 20 closed out the opening session in fifth, just behind Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing).
    FP2
    Quartararo was able to pull out those two tenths to take back to the top, but he had competition from Ducati. Looking at the opening day of action, it’s the Bologna factory who may well be his closest challengers on Sunday after Bastianini, Bagnaia and Martin all impressed. The ‘Beast’ jumped ahead of his factory counterpart with the chequered flag out to take second spot late on, but after Bagnaia had earlier led the session too. The number 63 appeared to be back to his brilliant best as he threw in a handful of fast laps, with his best placing him third overall and a quarter of a second adrift of his 2021 title rival.

    Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), meanwhile, suffered two crashes. The first off was at Turn 6, before quickly picking up the bike and rejoining. Whilst heading back to the pitlane, however, the eight-time World Champion was cruising off the racing line at Turn 9 and touched a damp patch that remained from Thursday’s rain. Down went the Spaniard again but former teammate and now KTM test rider Dani Pedrosa was on hand for a taxi back. 

    Provisional Q2 places
    Behind the Quartararo-Ducati caravan in the top four then, it’s Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) who ends Friday as top Honda in fifth. It was close though, the Japanese rider edging out Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) by just 0.004, and the gap didn’t get much bigger thereafter either, with Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro in seventh and only another 0.005 off.

    Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins was eighth and the only rider in the top ten from FP1’s top three, and Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales finished Friday in ninth. 2021 winner Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) is currently the last set to move through, the Australian in P10 on Day 1.

    That leaves the likes of Marquez, Aleix Espargaro and Mir looking for more on Saturday morning, with FP3 underway at 9:55 (GMT +2). Then, it’s time to decide the grid for another stunning Gran Premio Red Bull de España, so make sure to tune in for qualifying –  on track from 14:10!

  • Jehan misses victory but moves to third in title-hunt

    Jehan misses victory but moves to third in title-hunt

    Imola, 23 April 2022: India’s Jehan Daruvala only just missed out on victory on Saturday, with the Red Bull-backed racer coming away with a second-placed finish in the Sprint race of the Formula 2 championship’s Imola round. 

    The 23-year-old, who started third, rocketed off the line to slot into second behind Marcus Armstrong, who took the lead.

    Jehan kept the position through an early safety car and then a subsequent Virtual Safety Car period before unleashing his pace.

    Overtaking proved to be tricky on the narrow Imola track, Jehan crossed the line 1.4 seconds behind the Hitech driver. His Prema team mate Dennis Hauger was third, completing a double podium for the Italian team on home soil.

    His second-place in Imola was Jehan’s third podium from as many rounds this season and 10th overall in Formula 2. It also lifted him to third in the overall drivers’ standings.

    Jehan said about Race 1, “Firstly, I got off the line better than the guys at the front but because I had to avoid Logan I lost some momentum and couldn’t get Marcus. But after that the race wasn’t easy. I was trying to put him under a lot of pressure early on in the race but it was really hard to follow especially in the middle sector. I had DRS but I was never quite close enough to mount an attack. I tried to cool down and give it a go at the end but again when I got closer I really struggled to follow. All in all we had great pace but couldn’t really use it much.”

    Jehan followed up his podium with a points-paying finish in the Feature race, with the Red Bull-backed racer showing blistering pace to bounce back from an ill-timed safety car. Despite the safety car misfortune, Jehan remained unfazed and proved he had the pace to win.

    Having started eighth, Jehan moved into the lead on lap 9, reeling off a series of consecutive fastest laps. He stayed in the lead for more than half the race and charged back up to ninth, after his pitstop had dropped him down to 14th. He also had the fastest lap of the race.

    Jehan is the only driver to have to have finished on the podium in every round this season, and is also the lead Red Bull Junior in the standings.

    The fourth round of the Formula 2 championship will be held at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from May 20th to May 22nd, alongside the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix.

    About Jehan Daruvala

    Jehan Daruvala is a racing driver from Mumbai, India. He began karting at the age of 10 in 2009. Two years later, he was picked as one of the three winners of Force India’s ‘One From a Billion’ talent hunt. In 2013, he became the first Asian to win the British KF3 karting championship. A proven winner, Jehan has won in every category he has competed in. He is currently racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, which is a feeder series to Formula 1 and takes place on the same weekends. Already a multiple winner in the category, Jehan’s goal for the 2022 season is to claim the title which would boost his chances of becoming only the third Indian on the Formula One grid.

    Picture credits – Prema Racing