INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Vettel’s hometown ready for title no. 4

    The Indian Grand Prix next Sunday could see Sebastian Vettel being crowned four-time F1 World Champion. The first official “Sebastian Vettel Fan Club” invites all fans to outdoor screening to Heppenheim/Germany, Vettel’s hometown.
    Inside Grand Prix Web News available here (web-optimised mp4):

     

    http://www.news2use.tv/clip/vettels-hometown-ready-title-no-4

  • Mallya hopes Indian fans will inspire Force India to win big points

    Greater Noida, 21 Oct 2013: Sahara Force India gets ready for its home race at the Buddh International Circuit near Delhi but in the last seven races its main driver Paul di Resta failed to score points while Adrian Sutil managed just three. After a very good beginning to the season where the Indian outfit were ahead of even McLaren for quite some time, the tyre safety issues after the British race ruined the team and now they are in 6th place behind McLaren and during the same period Sauber, who were ahead of SFI last year managed a handful of points and are now just 17 points behind at 45 with a double finish in the last race at Japan. Sahara Force India F1 team has 65 points in the sixth place behind McLaren who have 83 points with four races to go.
    Liquor baron and team Principal Vijay Mallya hopes that the Indian fans will inspire the team back to scoring points.
    Brief excerpts from an interview released by the team:
    Dr Mallya, how is the mood in the team with just four races to go?
    The races after the summer break haven’t been very positive in terms of scoring points, but the morale in the team remains strong. Korea and Japan were not the easiest of weekends, but everyone in the team is working really hard to recapture our early form. It’s all a matter of finding the right balance with the car – when we do that, we will be back in the points.
    How do you see the battle with Sauber for sixth place?
    Sauber have been doing a very good job lately. They are the in-form team at the moment and they have been taking all the opportunities that were presented to them. It’s going to be a real fight in these last four races: we need to make a step forward to hold them off, because they can qualify well and they have strong race pace as well.
    Tell us about your emotions ahead of the Indian Grand Prix…
    Our home race is always a very proud weekend for everyone in the team: the atmosphere at the track is incredible and we always enjoy plenty of support. The track itself is one of the best in the world. It’s also a good one for us – in the last two years we scored points in both races, so a similar result would be a good target for the team.
     
    Paul on India
    Paul Di Resta gets set for the final part of the season and the team’s home race.
     
    Paul, this will be your third Indian Grand Prix. How important is this race for the team?
    This is always a massive event for us and comes at the end of a very busy week because we will be spending a few days in Delhi ahead of the race to meet the local media and fans. We come to India several times during the year and you can see the growing enthusiasm of the fans. It’s great that we get to spend time with them and show them the thrill of Formula One up close.
    What do you think of the track?
    I think the layout is one of the best from the new generation of tracks. Sector one stands out for me because it’s where you can really challenge somebody – it’s got long straights and big braking zones and can make for some exciting battles. The rest of the track has elevation changes and off-camber corners so it’s a challenging combination for the engineers as it’s important to have good mechanical grip.
    Have you set any expectations ahead of the weekend?
    We didn’t score points in Japan but we made some real progress with setting up the car, so going an extra step and getting in the top ten has got to be the goal this weekend. Friday is going to be crucial because this is one of those tracks where finding the right rhythm with a well-balanced car really pays you back with lap time.
    Adrian on India
    Adrian Sutil talks about the challenge of the Buddh International Circuit.
    Adrian, you’re coming back to India behind the wheel of a Sahara Force India. Does it feel extra special?
    It is special – it’s our home Grand Prix and to have the colours of the Indian flag on the side of the car makes it even more memorable. I remember the first race there two years ago – so many people came to the race, showing such strong support for our team. We were in the spotlight for the whole weekend and scoring points in the first Indian Grand Prix was very important for us.
    What are your chances of picking up points this year?
    I think scoring points will be a big task, but we will go there ready to fight. The last couple of races have not been easy for us and I’ve struggled to get the balance and consistency with the car. We are moving forward, however – we’ve learned a lot from the last two races so hopefully that will help us find a direction that gives me the confidence to push the car harder.
    And what about the track – what do you need from the car?

    It’s a very demanding track which requires stability and a good front end. There are some similarities with Korea with some long, flowing corners in the second and third sectors where the downforce is important. We will need to find a good balance to be able to exploit these characteristics.

    ends

    Sahara Force India team principal Vijay Mallya obliges fans at a race this year. File photo by Sahara Force India F1 team.
    Sahara Force India team principal Vijay Mallya obliges fans at a race this year. File photo by Sahara Force India F1 team.

  • MRF Challenge 2013, the only support race for Indian F1 at BIC

    Chennai, 21 Oct 2013:  The MRF Challenge 2013 season will kick-start this weekend with the first round at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida. The FIA sanctioned MRF Challenge will serve as the sole support race for the Formula One Indian Grand Prix. The four round calendar will include 14 races, and will see the leading single-seater racing category in India go international with two rounds to be held in Bahrain in November and December. The final round of the championship will be held in Chennai in February. MRF also confirmed a prize money of Rs. 6,500,000 for the winners of the Championship, a press release said here today.

    In its second year, the MRF Challenge 2013 will feature 18 MRF Formula 2000 race cars, which have been made in India by JA Motorsport based in Coimbatore, in collaboration with Dallara, world’s largest racing car manufacturer and also Jayem Automotives Ltd, which is a strategic partner for Tata Motors Ltd. The Formula 3 style car has been built by JA Motorsport in technical collaboration with Dallara, and is considered to be the fastest of its kind in Asia. The MRF Formula 2000 is powered by a 2.0 litre 210 BHP Renault Sport Engine and will have a Hewland 6-Speed sequential gearbox. The race car has also been crash tested to FIA F3 safety standards and will race with MRF ZLO slick and wet tyres.

    Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Tyres, said: “We are extremely pleased to launch the second season of the MRF Challenge. After the resounding success in our inaugural season we are keen to build on it and further improve the show. We are proud of the fact that this is the first time that an Indian motorsport series will be held internationally. JA Motorsport has done an incredible job developing the MRF Formula 2000 race car and is constantly innovating to ensure the cars are world class. These cars are part of the most technologically advanced series of its type and one of the fastest in Asia.”

    Last year’s success has also led to the MRF Challenge 2013 having one of the strongest grids in Asia. Drivers from Formula Renault 3.5, British F3, European F3 will battle it out in this season’s MRF Challenge. Arthur Pic, FR 3.5 driver and brother of Caterham F1 driver Charles Pic, will race alongside Tio Ellinas, 2013 GP3 race winner, Harry Tincknell and Rupert Svendsen-Cook, British F3 multiple race winners, and Sam Brabham, son of Le Mans legend David Brabham and grandson of Jack Brabham. There will be four Indians on the grid with 2012 Formula Pilota Asian Champion Parth Ghorpade, former F2 racer Parthiva Sureshwaren, and 2013 MRF 1600 winner and runner-up Ashwin Sundar and Vikash Anand.

    Narain Karthikeyan, India’s first Formula One  driver, was impressed with the driver line up for this and was confident of another great season ahead. He commented, “The MRF Challenge 2013 promises to be the hottest championship in Asia this year with a great driver line-up. It is great to see the calibre of drivers committing to this series. Participation of drivers from across the globe is a testament to the credibility the series has built in just a year. MRF has done a great job in creating this world-class championship and I believe it will just get bigger in the years to come.”

    The MRF Challenge 2013 will continue to use the professional setup that worked well last time around as they get the best European engineers and mechanics who were associated with F3, GP3 and F1 championships and also we have got very experienced professionals like, Mr. Antony Heitt and Mr. Jos Claes, Technical Head, Dallara.

    J Anand, Managing Director, JA Motorsports, was pleased with the way everything was shaping up for the first race of the season. He commented, “When MRF first came to me with their vision of the MRF Challenge, I was excited to see the commitment from India’s largest tyre manufacturer towards motorsport. MRF was also very keen that we build everything in-house and put India on the motorsport map, as genuine experts in building Formula cars. In order to make this championship professional and transparent, we are bringing down F3 engineers and mechanics from Europe, and have a close association with Dallara and Renault Sport. We have developed the MRF tyres from last year and the test drivers have given us positive feedback with the new compounds. We are excited about a great season ahead.”

    The first round will feature two races as part of the Indian GP weekend at BIC this coming weekend. The second round will take place in Bahrain as the support race for the World Endurance Championship final race, the third round will also take place in Bahrain as part of the Gulf National Racing Festival and the final round will be held at the MMRT in Chennai. The second, third and fourth round will feature four races each.

    Last year’s MRF Challenge featured some of the top drivers in Europe. Race winners from last year have benefited from participation in this series. Race winner Jordan King won the British F3 title this year, while last year’s inaugural champion Conor Daly won races in GP3 in 2013 before making the switch to Indycar in the U.S. Jon Lancaster, another race winner, featured heavily in the GP2 championship winning two races along the way.

    Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Tyres, added, “It is heartening to see young international drivers wanting to drive in the India-based MRF Challenge 2013. To be support race at the Indian GP and World Endurance Championship round is an honour for us and speaks volumes of our commitment to promote motorsport not only nationally but internationally as well. I would like to thank all our partners for helping us create this exciting series.”

    MRF Challenge 2013 Calendar:

    Round 1: October 25-27, 2013, New Delhi, Buddh International Circuit (Formula One Support Race)

    Round 2: November 28-30, 2013, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (World Endurance Championship Support Race)

    Round 3: December 19-21, 2013, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (Gulf Racing Festival)

    Round 4: February 14-16, 2013, Chennai, Madras Motor Race Trust

    F2000-1 photo by Adrenna ends

  • Kimi will keep pushing while Romain is on a roll…

    Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus F1 team heads to India looking forward to the cuisine and hoping for a stronger qualifying position than of late… as the Indian GP, the 16th round of the 19-round FIA Formula One W

    File photo of Indian fans at the Indian GP. Photo by Lotus F1 team
    File photo of Indian fans at the Indian GP. Photo by Lotus F1 team

    orld Championship unfolds this week-end:

    What do you think of the Buddh International Circuit?

    It’s quite an interesting track; one of the better ones from the modern circuits. It’s quite similar to Korea; long straights, not terribly challenging corners and hard braking. It’s not as technical as Korea which was another new track for me last year, but it’s good. It’s always nice to go to a new place like India. It’s certainly a good track to go fast with a strong car in front of all the others!

    How was your first – and only – race at the track so far?

    It was okay but it could have been better. We struggled for grip over the weekend last year and we made life difficult with the change of setup before qualifying. After that there was nothing really to do on Sunday. In the race itself we had enough speed to challenge for the top positions, but we got stuck behind slower cars and overtaking was impossible. I can remember spending a lot of the race trying to get past Felipe [Massa] so that wasn’t ideal.

    Did you get to see much of India?

    No, it was my first visit and I spent my time in the paddock and the hotel. We only come to race and India is a very big country! The thing I like is eating Indian food, which I really enjoy.

    Japan was quite a straightforward race for you?

    It was a pretty normal race I would say and it’s good that we got some points. I had a very poor start where I left the line with a lot of wheelspin and lost a few places. This wasn’t ideal and it meant I got stuck in traffic, but I managed to gain some places back later on.

    You spoke over the weekend of the car feeling more to your liking, which much be a positive looking to the remaining races of the season?

    The car felt pretty strong all weekend and we’ve made good progress with it recently. It’s still not exactly as I want it and we’re trying to get rid of some understeer which is something I don’t like. In Japan it was hard to show our real pace at the beginning of the race as I was stuck behind slower cars for quite a long time. After the final pit stop when I got a bit of free air the car was working much better. It ran well in the last half of the race and I was very happy with it.

    We saw some more great overtaking moves from you…

    Unfortunately when you don’t have an ideal qualifying it makes life a bit harder on Sunday. It’s not easy to overtake at Suzuka and we weren’t so fast in a straight line which made it more tricky, but I got past a few people which was important after the slow start. With Nico [Hulkenberg] I managed to get a good run on him leading up to the chicane which is what made the difference. We did what we could.

    What’s the target for India?

    Hopefully we finally get it right in qualifying as the last five qualifying sessions have not been that great for me. If we don’t, it’s going to be a difficult Sunday afternoon, although of course we’ll keep pushing. If we do get it right, then we can really go for it!

    Romain Grosjean: “I’m on a roll right now…”

    After a Japanese Grand Prix where he led for almost half of the race, Romain Grosjean heads into the remaining four rounds of the season determined to let the good times roll…

    Your performance in Japan was pretty fantastic; how are you feeling heading into the remaining four races of the season?

    I’m feeling really good with the car, my confidence is getting higher with every race and I’m very happy with the team, so I’ll keep working hard to improve the areas that need improving and we’ll keep pushing for top results right to the end of the season.

    How good was that race start in Japan?

    The start was fantastic; the clutch kicked in, I put my foot down and whoosh! It was superb to go past both the Red Bulls like that and it’ll be one of my best memories of the year. I saw Mark [Webber] in my mirrors and started to pull away which was a big surprise in itself, so I was screaming “come on baby, let’s go!” in the cockpit. After the first lap I honestly thought it was going to be my day, but that first win will come soon…

    How wide were you driving your car to try to keep the Red Bulls behind you?

    You never want to concede a place, but when you’re leading the race or fighting for a podium position you can find ways to make your car very wide! Sebastian [Vettel] had a lot more pace than me but we were able to fight a bit more in the battle with Mark [Webber]. It’s a shame we caught the back markers when we did as I think we’d have had an even stronger fight if it wasn’t for them.

    What are your thoughts on the Buddh International Circuit?

    I like it. I first visited the track as third driver for the team during the inaugural race weekend in 2011 and was really impressed by the facility, then of course I drove it for the first time last year. The layout includes a nice mix of corners with a bit of gradient change which is always a good thing. There are some decent straights with wide corners at the end of them to help with overtaking, although it’s still not the easiest place in the world to pass somebody. Then there’s the linked Turn 10 / 11 combination, which is a bit like Turn 8 in Turkey in that it seems to go on forever. It’s quite a fun track to drive.

    What are your expectations for the Indian Grand Prix?

    Our car is really performing well at the moment so I think we could be strong again. It’s fair to say we struggled there a little last year with finding grip and getting the right setup for the cars, so hopefully we can perform better this time. The tyre allocation was quite hard for the track in 2012, but this year it’s softer which should help us and make for better racing.

    What do you think of India as a country?

    It’s certainly a different experience from a lot of the places we visit and it’s great to see a different culture.

    Aside from racing what will you be interested in?

    I have a great love for cuisine so I’m always interested in local food, and there are so many interesting dishes, spices and ingredients in India.

    How much are you looking ahead to 2014?

    Right now I’m working on doing the very best I can at each remaining race in 2013 and I think that’s the best approach for now. As soon as the season’s over I’ll get a little rest and recharge my batteries, then we’re back to see the new cars launched and to start testing them. It will be a very interesting challenge with all the new rules that are coming in for next season. A new area is coming for the sport and that’s always very exciting.

    ends

  • Marquez slips; Lorenzo delivers stunning ride

    Phillip Island (Australia), 20 Oct 2013: Defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo delivered a stunning ride today to win the Australian Grand Prix in a thrilling spectacle filled with drama. Teammate Valentino Rossi delivered another exciting performance, fighting to take third on the podium.

    Following concerns over the safety of the Bridgestone tyres to last full race distance the race was changed to incorporate a bike change at the ten-lap mark, with the total laps reduced to 19, an Yamaha release said. Honda’s Marc Marquez, who failed to get into the pits for a bike change was black flagged for his second DNF which effectively reduced his championship lead to 18 points and made it wide open again.

    Jorge Lorenzo after winning the Australian GP on Sunday. An Yamaha photo
    Jorge Lorenzo after winning the Australian GP on Sunday. An Yamaha photo

    The start saw Lorenzo take the hole-shot from his pole position with riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa in hot pursuit. The reigning champion gave no quarter but was unable to pull away, the rivals staying within 0.5 of a second as they counted down to the pit stop. This itself turned into a bizarre event with potential consequences for the championship. Pedrosa pitted a lap early, Lorenzo pitted at the ten-lap mark and Marquez pitted a lap too late. As a result Marquez was given a black flag and disqualified and Pedrosa was forced to drop a position after crossing the white line on his pit lane exit.

    Further disaster was also narrowly avoided when Marquez exited the pits just as Lorenzo passed down the straight at high speed, the two making contact into turn one. Luckily both were able to stay upright and continue. Lorenzo kept the pressure on and held the top spot for the remaining nine laps to claim the race win.

    Rossi enjoyed yet another intense race long battle with rivals Cal Crutchlow and Alvaro Bautista. The three swapping positions in the fight for the last podium spot throughout the first ten laps and again in the following nine. Rossi completed a super fast pit stop, beating both out to gain two positions. As one of the most successful MotoGP riders of the modern era in Phillip Island it was never going to be easy for them to beat him, and they couldn’t. The Italian claimed third at the line to make it another double Yamaha podium.

    The result leaves Lorenzo now on 280 points, 18 behind Marquez as they head to Motegi for the final of the triple-headers. Rossi stays secure in fourth position on 214 points, 35 ahead of Crutchlow in fifth.

    Lorenzo said:  “I’m really happy with this win, we’ve also been lucky because Marc made this mistake. Without that he would have been second or first because he was really fast today. So we’ve been lucky but we were unlucky in the middle of the championship so today is a balance. When I was entering the first corner Marc was exiting the pit at exactly the same time, the situation was almost impossible to avoid. I was braking a little later to open the line and I don’t think he was looking so much entering the corner so it was both our fault. Now we have options, if Marc keeps constant on the podium then it is impossible to win the championship but there are a lot of laps to go so anything could happen. It’s unbelievable to have 50 Grand Prix victories at 26years old. It seems like only yesterday when I won in Brazil in 2003 but it’s been ten years. I’m very proud of it and hope to win some more in the future!”

    ends

  • The FMSCI President, Vicky Chandhok speaks!

    Vickey Chandhok (left), Karun Chandhok (2nd from left) and Vijay Mallya (right) at the British GP. File photo by Adrenna Communications.
    Vickey Chandhok (left), Karun Chandhok (2nd from left) and Vijay Mallya (right) at the British GP. File photo by Adrenna Communications.

    Letter from the President

    Chennai, 18 October 2013:

    We are in the midst of one of the busiest months in the year for motorsport in the country and it is great to see everything moving in the right direction. The entire motorsports industry is buzzing with excitement as we are less than a week away from India’s biggest sporting event. As I write this the team cargo is just arriving at the Buddh International Circuit. So let the games begin!!

    FIA

    Attending the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in Dubrovnik provided a great insight in to all the great work that is being done by the FIA across the world. This might get repetitive but I never get tired of saying how proud the entire Federation is of the Indian representations on the world bodies. It is fantastic to see how far we have come in the world of motorsport with so much presence in the various commissions. Shivu Shivappa represents the FMSCI on the FIA Rally Commission, Farhan Vohra on the Circuits Commission, Prabha Shankar on the Volunteers & Officials commission, B Vijayakumar, Balakrishnan & Anand Jayachandran on the Single Seater commission, Manjeev Bhalla on the Cross Country rally commission, Karun Chandhok on the Drivers commission, J Balamurugan on the Drag Racing commission, Anand Sashidharan on the FIM Legal commission, Roop Kumar on the FIM tech commission, Shyam Kothari the FIM representative and of course Vijay Mallya on the world council.

    With unconditional support from the FMSCI members and governing council the team is doing India proud! Personally, it’s a wonderful feeling. FIA also gives special focus to developing ASNs across the globe. It is structured around four key building blocks for the establishment and running of a successful ASN, highlighting the need for competent structure and event organization, solid licensing, training and sport development. The FMSCI will also work closely with the FIA in growing grassroots motorsports and making it more affordable for young driver.

    We were fortunate to have an informal international observer at the AVT South India Rally earlier this year. Based on this, the Head of our Rallying Commission Ashwin Pandit, at the Rallycom meeting in Johor Bahru, discussed the possibility of having an official observer for one of our rallies this year. I am glad to say that due to the efforts of the Rallycom, the Chikmagalur Rally will be officially observed so that our Indian events will now have the opportunity to be part of the FIA Asia Cup next year.

    The Technical commission led by K Krishnamurthy and Kamlesh Patel has been exceedingly busy in drafting and monitoring the technical regulations. Your FMSCI has now invested over Rs. 15 lakhs on the import and local purchase of equipment that will aid the technical delegates and scrutineers.

    It is with great pleasure that I announce 17 year old Akhil Rabindra as the Indian driver being chosen as the candidate for the FIA Institute Academy. Drivers from 11 countries across the Asia-Pacific region are set to take part in their regional selection event for the 2013/14 Young Driver Excellence Academy. Each FIA National Sporting Authority (ASN) in the region was asked to put forward their nomination, which was then assessed by the FIA Institute. To qualify, drivers had to meet a set of minimum criteria, as well as having demonstrated strong performance in competition so far. On the final shortlist are some of the top young drivers in motor racing and rallying across the Asia-Pacific region, including competitors from Australian Formula Ford, the Sri Lankan Supercross Championship, JK Tyre Racing Championship and the V8 Challenge Cup Championship.

    Rallying

    The K-1000 rally had to be postponed due to operational reasons but am glad to see everything is shaping up well for one of India’s oldest rallies. At the Rallycom meeting earlier this month we announced changes to the 2014 championship. There will be only 3 categories next year and most importantly we encourage the participation of foreign entrants. We hope to expand the grid and manufacturer list in the upcoming years. The 15th Raid de Himalaya was a success yet again and congratulations to Suresh Rana for emerging victorious for a record 9th time along with his co-driver Ashwin Naik. It is one of the most popular rallies in India and people have nothing but great things to say about the unique event. We were glad to finally kick off the 2013 Indian National TSD Rally Championship with the first round being held in Nashik. TSD rallying is picking up and next year looks good for the championship with ten rounds already being confirmed.

    4W Racing

    The BIC has been bustling with activity over the last month as the Indian GP approaches. The turnout for the 17th MMSC-FMSCI National Racing Championship & JK Tyre Racing Championship I must admit surprised me and is a clear sign that Indian motorsport is doing just fine. Both championships witnessed record numbers with over 20000 fans, which featured the top talent from the country.

    This year there will only be one support race for the Indian GP with the MRF Formula 2000 kicking off its championship at the BIC. All these cars have been made in India by an Indian team and is probably one of the fastest in the region. The grid will include top drivers from all across the globe.

    This weekend will also witness the final round of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Karting Championship in New Delhi with titles on the line in the Micro Max, Junior Max and Senior Max categories. This year we have had more than 10 young drivers moving up from Karting to Single-Seaters action and more importantly they have all made the transition with ease. This definitely means that our karting program is on the right track.

    2W Racing

    Round 3 of the FMSCI-MMSC took place at the BIC and created history of sorts as it was the first time that motorcycles had raced around the grand prix circuit. It was good to see full manufacturer support in the form of TVS, Honda and Yamaha blasting around the BIC.

    FMSCI team India rider K.Jagan was invited to particpate in the Asia Cup and did the country proud with a 3rd placed podium finish in Round 1. I am also personally thankful to Nasser at the QMMF for agreeing so spontaneously to a request to upgrade Rajni from the 600cc to a 1000cc bike at Losail for the weekend of the 5th October.

    International Drivers

    Gaurav Gill’s brilliant win in the Rally of Japan in his MRF Skoda Fabia means he is the favourite to win the APRC title with one more round to go. It was a fantastic effort in the Rally of Hokkaido by Gaurav Gill to take a comfortable win. Behind him Sanjay Takale won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) Production Cup title.

    Narain Karthikeyan continued his great form in the final round of Auto GP Championship to take his fifth win of the season. Karun Chandhok and Armaan Ebrahim did not have the best outing at the FIA GT Series with both drivers having to retire their cars. Another great achievement for Narain and Karun is that they have both been invited to represent India at the season ending Race of Champions. This is an invite only event for top drivers including Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Ogier, Sebastian Vettel, Jamie Whincup etc and it is a proud moment for Indian talent to be recognized with these great names.

    Aditya Patel had yet another top ten finish in the Audi R8 in the ADAC GT Masters. Young Indian racer Parth Ghorpade continues to be a top 10 finisher in the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps championship with a 6th place finish in Imola. Lastly and quite importantly a big congratulations to Jehan Daruvala as he became the first ever Indian to win the British Karting Championship albeit on a MSA licence. The young Indian driver, backed by Sahara Force India, had two podium finishes in the final round to seal the title.

    Motorsport has always been an unforgiving sport and I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest sympathies to the families of Maria De Villota and Sean Edwards, who both passed away over the last week. Maria was doing a lot of work for women in motorsport with the FIA and will be sorely missed. Sean was close to wrapping up the Porsche Supercup Championship and is a great loss to the motorsport world.

    All members of the FMSCI have been working on overtime in order to try to better the sport in India and I would like to thank them all for making my task easier. Hope everyone has a great time at the Indian GP!

    Yours sincerely,

    Vicky Chandhok

     

  • Giving up was never an option: Monisha Kaltenborn

    Hinwil, 16 Oct 2013: The first half of the 2013 season was anything but satisfying for the Sauber F1 Team. Seven World Championship points after ten races was a modest harvest. Nevertheless, since the Italian Grand Prix the team has shown a significant improvement: the Swiss outfit scored no less than 38 points in the last four races. This puts the Sauber F1 Team into a solid seventh place in the constructors’ championship. Team Principal Monisha Kaltenborn explains how the team was able to turn the tide. The Indian-born Austrian, became the first woman Team Principal in F1 in Jan, 2010.

    File photo of Monisha Kaltenborn at the first Indian GP in 2011. Photo by Sauber F1 team.
    File photo of Monisha Kaltenborn at the first Indian GP in 2011. Photo by Sauber F1 team.

    The Sauber F1 Team had a fantastic season in 2012. However, at the beginning of 2013 it was quite a different story. What happened?
    Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal: “After the concept of the side exhaust system was very successful last year, our engineers decided to go with a different concept for the C32, that in theory had even more potential. In practice, however, it looked different. We realised that in Melbourne where we brought an update to the car that didn’t work as we expected it to. It then took some time for our engineers to understand the problem.”

    What was the problem?
    MK: “The aero balance of the car was not stable, especially during braking and turning in. Apart from the measurable implications, the side effect was that the drivers had less confidence in the C32. In addition, we didn’t have the resources to quickly modify the car. Instead, this process happened step by step. The largest update we brought was in Hungary, where we implemented a modified exhaust concept. We already saw a significant improvement back then, but, of course, it took some time until we were able to get the most out of that. In addition, our understanding of the car improved, which translated to a better set-up. Furthermore, we were able to maintain the high level of quality producing the parts back at the factory. The whole team, in the factory and at the track, did an outstanding job.”

    Did the ‘new’ tyres, that came into effect in Hungary, also suit your car?
    MK: “It’s not easy to pinpoint that as we brought our largest update at the exact same time. However, I believe in general the tyres helped, which was the opposite last year.”

    Early in the season some people said the team should stop the development of the current car and fully concentrate on the 2014 car.
    MK: “Giving up was never an option, because we wanted to make progress with the current car, in order to improve in the constructors’ championship. In addition the insight we are getting now will help with the development of the new car.”

    Let’s be honest: Did you think it was possible to improve like that in the current season?
    MK: “It would have been presumptuous to expect such a big improvement. Nevertheless we said very early on that we would be able to improve during the second half of the season. We were certain of this, based on the knowledge we gained. In addition everything came together during the last few races, including some competitors not being able to use their opportunities in the best possible way. But we didn’t expect to be able to score double digit points in three out of four races.”

    The Sauber F1 Team now has 45 points, Toro Rosso 31 and Force India 62. Are you looking ahead or behind?
    MK: “In general we are always looking ahead. If we continue to be as focused without making any mistakes, then there is still a lot to gain. We know however, that it won’t be easy to claim sixth place. And, of course, we will check the rear mirror in order to avoid a nasty surprise.”

    How satisfied are you with the drivers?
    MK: “Both drivers have shown a very good performance. Nico delivers what we expected from him. He is fast, consistent and very efficient. He has gained a lot of points through his fighting spirit, but he also knows how to seize and use chances if they present themselves to him during a race. Esteban had a tough start. In addition, the car was not as good at the beginning of the season as it is today, which didn’t help. Nevertheless he worked hard and improved continuously. It was only a question of time for everything to slot into place, as we could see last weekend. Looking at his times, he was often very close to Nico, but, because the competition in the middle field is so tight, sometimes it was a couple of positions away, which, at a first glance, doesn’t look good. However, he also did an outstanding job when, for example, giving feedback regarding the set-up of the car, which took the team forward.”

    ends

  • Caterham launches Asian motorsport arm; Supersport series comes to KL

    Kuala Lumpur, 14 Oct 2013: Caterham has launched Caterham Motorsport Asia with a view to replicating its hugely successful European one-make racing ‘ladder’ in the Far East.

    Based in Malaysia, Caterham Motorsport Asia will be headed up by Campbell Tupling and will initially introduce the acclaimed Supersport series to the region, with further championships also being considered for roll-out in future, including Caterham’s kart series for 13-16 year olds, a press release from Caterham said.Caterham pic 14oct2013 Supersport series

    Caterham Group Chairman, Tony Fernandes, identified South East Asia as the single most important growth market for the brand as it continues to expand its international reach and product range.

    The Caterham Motorsport family of single-make championships is both famously accessible and affordable as well as being renowned for some of the closest, most exciting racing on the domestic spectrum.

    In the UK, the Caterham racing ‘ladder’ comprises series for Superlight R300, Supersport, Tracksport and Roadsport plus Caterham’s grassroots Academy, which has created hundreds of new racing drivers since its inception in 1995.

    While Caterham Motorsport Asia will focus initially on the 140bhp, 1.6-litre Ford Sigma-powered Supersport category in Malaysia alone, Tupling hopes for a range of championships across several countries, mirroring the operation in Europe.

    Tupling said: “The core philosophy of Caterham has always been about making a thrilling driving experience accessible to all. With Caterham’s road car range expanding rapidly in the coming years, it makes sense to also cater to the growing Asian appetite for motorsport so that a new audience can be awoken to affordable thrills on both road and track.”

    The new Supersport championship will be a 10-round series, held over five race weekends at Malaysian Grand Prix circuit, Sepang International. Limited modifications will ensure a truly level playing field and professional team support, including factory-trained mechanics, will also be available to participants.

    ends

  • Narain, Karun re-unite as Team India for Race of Champions 2013

    Chennai, 14 Oct 2013: India will be represented in the Race Of Champions for the second time after Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan signed up for ROC 2013, to be held at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium on the weekend of December 14-15. 2012 marked the first year that Team India made an appearance at the ROC and this was backed by a solid performance by both drivers which saw India being crowned ROC Asia Champions, an Adrenna release said.

    The two drivers joined forces for Team India at last year’s inaugural ROC Asia. They duly topped the group stages with four wins out of six against their competitors from China, Japan and host nation Thailand before defeating the Japanese duo in the final to take the title. That performance has now earned Chandhok and Karthikeyan an invitation to return to the scene of their triumph in Bangkok for ROC 2013.

    Narain Karthikeyan was excited at the prospect of going head-to-head with elite list of world champions that compete in the ROC. He added: “It will be a great privilege to represent India again at the Race Of Champions. We had a great time at our first attempt when we won ROC Asia but it is always a challenge to jump into different cars and adapt quickly. However, with the experience of the 2012 event behind us, we feel more confident and better prepared this time. As always, going head to head with world champions like Michael Schumacher and Sébastian Ogier is something we’re looking forward to.”

    Karun Chandhok was excited to return to the ROC and his happy to be back with more experience in hand. He said: “I’m very excited to be going back to Bangkok for the Race Of Champions. Narain and I had a great time together last year and it was fantastic to be the first ROC Asia winners. ROC is a unique event from a competitive and social perspective and it’s something that every driver looks forward to. It was really nice to drive such a variety of cars and we both have more experience this year and know a bit more about how it all works. The chance to spend time with such a great mix of drivers from a huge variety of championships around the world is a lot of fun and I hope we once again get a good crowd at the stadium.”

    Chandhok and Karthikeyan are the only Indian drivers ever to have competed in F1 and both have extensive racing pedigrees elsewhere too. Chandhok is a race-winner in GP2 and has since turned his hand to endurance racing with strong finishes in the last two Le Mans 24-Hour races. Karthikeyan has taken victories in everything from British F3 to A1GP and Superleague Formula before enjoying considerable success this year in AutoGP including a haul of five wins.

    Held every year since 1988, the Race Of Champions brings together the world’s greatest drivers from motor sport’s main 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.

    ROC 2013 will take place on a specially constructed tarmac track with two parallel lanes winding their way round Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium. Drivers pair up for the ROC Nations Cup, this year scheduled for Saturday 14 December, ahead of the individual Race Of Champions on Sunday 15 December.

    ROC features stars from all over the world: seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher, nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen and newly-crowned World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier have already signed up and the rest of the 2013 field will be announced in the run-up to December’s event.

    Race organiser Fredrik Johnsson said: “We’re really happy to have Karun and Narain back at the Race Of Champions again. They raced very well last year on their way to victory in ROC Asia and their performance generated plenty of headlines among the burgeoning ranks of motor sport fans in India. So we hope to see many of their fellow countrymen making the short trip to Bangkok this time to cheer them on.”

    Ticket details will be released shortly. For further information, media accreditation and access to high-resolution imagery please visit www.raceofchampions.com. Sign up for all the latest updates at www.raceofchampions.com, via Race Of Champions on Facebook or @raceofchampions and the hashtag #BangROC on Twitter.

    endsROC Narain and Karun to form Team India 2013

  • Red Bull domination continues as Vettel takes his 9th win this year

    Suzuka, 13 Oct 2013: Sebastian Vettel won a close tactical battle with team-mate Mark Webber to land his ninth victory of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix, the 15th round of the Formula One World Championship here on Sunday. The result edged the German ever closer to his fourth title as chief championship rival Fernando Alonso finished fourth behind Romain Grosjean. Meanwhile, Red Bull

    Podium photo at the Japanese Grand Prix by Lotus F1 team.
    Podium photo at the Japanese Grand Prix by Lotus F1 team.

    Both Vettel, starting second, and pole position man Webber made poor getaways when the lights went out. After initially trying to defend, Webber took a wide line into turn one, avoiding problems. Vettel though was in trouble. Lewis Hamilton and Grosjean passed on either side but as they funnelled into turn one, Vettel’s front wing clipped the right rear of Hamilton’s car.

    The Mercedes driver was forced to pit with a puncture and later had to retire from the race as a result of the incident.

    Vettel, though, escaped intact, but down in third place behind Webber and leader Grosjean. The situation led to a re-evaluation of his race strategy and Vettel was then told to back off from pursuit of Webber to save his tyres for a slightly longer first stint. Webber meanwhile, would soon move to a three-stop race in a bid to find pace at the end.

    The Australian made his way to the pit lane after 11 laps and was followed a lap later by Grosjean, but Vettel stayed out until lap 14 before taking on the hard tyre and beginning a long stint designed to push him ahead of his rivals.

    Behind the leading trio, Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo, one of only two drivers to start on prime hard tyre, rose to fourth after the others had stopped and was soon backing up the field behind. That played into the hands of Alonso who, after starting eighth, passed team-mate Felipe Massa and closed on Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg before Ricciardo made his way to the pit lane. A drive-through penalty for fifth-placed Nico Rosberg following an unsafe release from his pit stop also helped Alonso.

    Ahead, though, Vettel was patiently stalking leader Grosjean and second-placed Webber.

    And when Webber made his second stop on lap 25, Vettel pounced. He upped his pace and began to close on Grosjean and when the Frenchman made his second stop on lap 29, Vettel swept past into the lead.

    Webber, though, was on fresher tyres and with Grosjean now third, the Australian began to close the gap to his Red Bull team-mate. A 12-second deficit dropped to seven by lap 37 when Vettel made his second stop and it looked like Webber might make a fight of it.

    Vettel though was sensing victory. Third on the road after his stop he chased down Grosjean and passed the Lotus on lap 40. And when leader Webber made his third stop on lap 42, Vettel reclaimed the lead and powered towards the flag.

    His team-mate attempted to respond with the better pace of his fresh medium tyres but a sequence of slow laps behind a defensive Grosjean on old tyres put paid to Webber’s chances and he was forced to settle for second behind his team-mate.

    “We started already to go longer than Romain and Mark in the first stint,” said Vettel after taking his fourth career win in Suzuka. “We took into account that we were a second a lap slower for two or three laps compared to them in order to get the range in the next stint and then tried to extend that to really put them under pressure towards the end. That was, let’s say, the game plan.

    “Obviously after the first pitstop, Mark decided to go for the three-stop which wasn’t far off. Before the race I think we targeted more towards two stop but the tyres weren’t holding up as well as probably we thought,” he added. “I really tried to manage the gaps in the beginning of the stint and then close the gap, which worked brilliantly, especially with Romain. The end of the second stint I was just on his tail when he pitted, able to stay out another couple of laps and then I had more or less fresh tyres when I was able to pass him, so, yeah, great strategy.”

    For Webber it was a bitter sweet occasion, satisfying to be on the podium in his final visit to Suzuka in an F1 car but disappointing to have missed out on victory.

    “I would have liked one more step on the podium but there were different strategies going on,” said Webber. “Seb went longer in the first stint and then it unloaded his race a bit better than mine at the end. So, in general, pretty happy with second but you always want a bit more but we got the best out of it today.

    “Both of us had very poor starts, which put us on the back foot a little bit and then after that it was just really trying to pace the car again on the tyres and making sure they survived to do the sort of strategy we wanted to.”

    Alonso, meanwhile, passed Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg on lap 45 to claim a fourth place that at least keeps the Drivers’ Championship battle alive for another race. The Spaniard now has 207 points, 90 adrift of Vettel.

    Behind the Ferrari driver, Kimi Raikkonen also found a way past Hulkenberg to take fifth place. It was still a good weekend for the improving Sauber team, however, as Hulkenberg claimed eight points with sixth place and team-mate Esteban Gutierrez claimed the first six points of his F1 career with seventh place. Jenson Button finished ninth for McLaren and the final point was taken by Ferrari’s Felipe Massa.

    2013 Japanese Grand Prix – Race Result

    1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 53 1:26:49.301 25
    2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 53 +7.1 secs 18
    3 Romain Grosjean Lotus 53 +9.9 secs 15
    4 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 53 +45.6 secs 12
    5 Kimi Räikkönen Lotus 53 +47.3 secs 10
    6 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber 53 +51.6 secs 8
    7 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 53 +71.6 secs 6
    8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 53 +72.0 secs 4
    9 Jenson Button McLaren 53 +80.8 secs 2
    10 Felipe Massa Ferrari 53 +89.2 secs 1
    11 Paul di Resta Force India 53 +98.5 secs
    12 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 52 +1 Lap
    13 Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 52 +1 Lap
    14 Adrian Sutil Force India 52 +1 Lap
    15 Sergio Perez McLaren 52 +1 Lap
    16 Pastor Maldonado Williams 52 +1 Lap
    17 Valtteri Bottas Williams 52 +1 Lap
    18 Charles Pic Caterham 52 +1 Lap
    19 Max Chilton Marussia 52 +1 Lap
    Ret Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 7 Puncture damage
    Ret Giedo van der Garde Caterham 0 Accident
    Ret Jules Bianchi Marussia 0 Accident

    ends