INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Leela wins ITC National title

    Leela wins ITC National title

    Noida (New Delhi), 19 Sept 2013: N Leelakrishnan was crowned champion in the Indian Touring Cars (ITC) class in the fifth and final round of the National Racing Championship for cars at the Buddh International Circuit here Sunday.

    Leelakrishnan started on pole and convincingly led from start to finish. Arjun Balu starting second, also had a good start and was followed by Sivaramakrishnan and V Ramnarayan.

    Despite a hard chase from Sivaramkrishnan who was all over him, Balu stayed put in second place. Sivaramkrishnan made his move on the third lap and passed Arjun Balu with Ramnarayan also getting ahead of him in the next lap.

    Meanwhile, Leelakrishnan took the flag first and crosssed the finish line only to be slapped a penalty which pushed him down to third place. However, his third position in the race was good enough to clinch the National title in ITC class. Arjun Balu came second in the championship ahead of Ramnarayan in third.

    N. Leelakrishnan, also known as Leela in Indian motorsport circles, is a seven-time National Rally Champion and one time Formula 3(India) champion from Coimbatore.

  • IOC upgrades FIA to full recognition status as per Olympic Charter

    Paris, 16 Sept 2013: Following a two year period of provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the FIA’s status has been upgraded to full recognition in accordance with the sporting and governance standards of the Olympic Charter. The decision was taken by a meeting of the IOC Executive Board in Buenos Aires on 7-10 September 2013, FIA said in a press release.

    The IOC decision confirms that the statutes, practice and activities of the FIA are in full conformity with the Olympic Charter, including the adoption and implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code.  The announcement is a final step in the integration of the FIA into the international sports community, a process which was initiated by FIA President Jean Todt following a meeting with the IOC President Jacques Rogge in 2010. The FIA has since been admitted to SportAccord[1], ARSIF[2], and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

    FIA President Jean Todt said: “The IOC’s full recognition of the FIA’s leading role in the promotion and governance of motorsport is acknowledgement of the important reforms we have undertaken over recent years to meet the best international sporting, governance and ethical standards.”

    He continued, “This is important news for the 130 National Sporting Authorities the FIA represents. Through their membership of the FIA, they now have the backing of the IOC to engage fully in the work carried out by their local Olympic committee. This will raise the visibility and status of motorsport in their country, and should help inspire more people to get involved.”

     

    Ref:

    [1] The umbrella organisation for both Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations as well as organisers of international sporting events.

    [2] The association of non-Olympic international sports federations.

  • Lorenzo delivers for Yamaha; Mahindra riders finish in points

    San Marino, 15 Sept 2013: On a day when Lorenzo was in unbeatable form for Yamaha Factory Racing, Indian outfit Mahindra’s riders Miguel Oliveira and Efrén Vázquez finished seventh and 12th in Sunday’s San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix – both claiming more valuable championship points, but both disappointed to be denied better results by issues that spiked their guns.

    Meanwhile, Yamaha Factory Racing said on its site about the victory on Sunday : “Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo delivered a masterful performance today to win the San Marino Grand Prix in stunning form. The victory, his sixth successive Italian Grand Prix win, was delivered after a 28 lap race of inch perfect riding from t

    Rossi of Yamaha congratulates winner Lorenzo (right) on Sunday. Photo courtesy Yamaha Factory Racing.
    Rossi of Yamaha congratulates winner Lorenzo (right) on Sunday. Photo courtesy Yamaha Factory Racing.

    he reigning world champion.

    “Starting from second on the grid, Lorenzo out dragged championship rival and pole sitter Marc Marquez to the first corner, taking the hole shot into turn one. He proved immediately impossible to follow, opening up a gap of just over a second on the first lap and keeping the pressure up as the race wound on. He was quick to build a comfortable gap to the chasing pack that was unbroken to the line, allowing him to claim his fifth Grand Prix win of the season,” the Yamaha site added.

     

    A Mahindra press release said: Oliveira (18, from Portugal) was confident of a strong top five result as he held his place in a fierce group disputing fourth, holding his final attack in reserve for the closing stages of the 23-lap race round the 4.226-km Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. But even before the halfway stage he was stricken with painful arm-pump problems that made it an ordeal even to finish.

    Even so, he fought to the end, finishing seventh in a tight group of five riders. Although Luis Salom had edged away for fourth by just over half a second, fifth to eighth places were covered by six tenths.
    Spanish star Efrén Vázquez (27) had a harder job, after qualifying on the fifth row of the grid. He too was battling for inches in a big gang of Moto3™ riders, but a gear-shifting error meant he was also not able to fight to his maximum.
     
    The Mahindra MGP3O is in its first racing season, after being designed and developed in record time over the winter, and the 250cc single-cylinder four-stroke machine’s instant speed and reliability made it a serious contender even in first prototype form. Today’s result brings the only Indian marque in international motorcycle racing closer still to second overall in the Constructor Championship, only 14 points away from the well-established Kalex-KTM.
     
    It was the first outing also for customer Mahindra MGP3O machines, after Ambrogio Racing switched to Mahindra for this race. Brad Binder finished 18th, just out of the points, with team-mate Luca Amato 24th, one place ahead of Mahindra wild card Andrea Locatelli.
     
    Today’s race was won by KTM rider Alex Rins, his fourth in the 12-race-old season. The next round is at Aragon in Spain in two weeks.
     
    MIGUEL OLIVEIRA – seventh place
     “I am quite disappointed. The bike was good, but my race was a real struggle. I suffered from arm-pump, with still 15 laps to go. The same thing happened to me last year at this track, but never anywhere else. At the start I could do a great lap time, and I was trying not to lose the second group fighting for third. One rider got away, but Salom in front was not pushing hard. I was stuck behind him for some laps, but when my arm stiffened I couldn’t defend myself or attack. If not for that, we should have finished fourth.”
    EFRÉN VÁZQUEZ – 12th place
    “That was the hardest race of the season for me, and it is a shame because the Mahindra and I had the pace for a better result, and to finish at least at the front of my group and in the top ten. What made it impossible was I made some mistakes shifting, and sometimes I arrived at a corner in the wrong gear, which was a bit dangerous. I tried my best, but I think we deserved better. It was really difficult to finish where we did.”
    MUFADDAL CHOONIA – CEO, Mahindra Racing
    “To be frank we are feeling slightly disappointed. Our real position is top five in every race. The difference between fourth and eighth was very small, nothing to choose. We lost two positions on the last two laps. Miguel developed a pain in his forearm as happened to him last year on this track, so he couldn’t push that last step. Now we look forward to the next race in Aragon.”
    About Mahindra Racing
    Mahindra Racing became the first Indian team to participate in the FIM MotoGP™ World Motorcycle Racing Championship in 2011 and the Italian National Motorcycle Racing Championship (CIV) in 2012.
    Racing in the Moto3™ class in MotoGP, Mahindra Racing entered the 2013 season with its own new 4-stroke, single-cylinder, 250cc motorcycle: the Mahindra MGP3O, developed with experienced Swiss firm Suter Racing Technology AG. Experienced Spanish rider Efrén Vázquez (27, from Bilbao) is teamed with exciting Portuguese teenager Miguel Oliveira (18, from Pragal near Lisbon). The team has been recording consistent Top 5 finishes and has already achieved a pole position and two circuit lap records in the first 8 rounds of the World Championship.
    At the opening round in Qatar, the Mahindra duo had a dream debut with a double Top 10 result for the only Indian team in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. In the Catalunya round, Vázquez crossed the line in fifth and Oliveira was sixth; this double Top 6 being the best result for Mahindra Racing so far, as a pair. Riding to perfection at the Assen Round, Oliveira was just inches from scoring the team’s historic first podium, when he crossed the line in fourth place just 0.096 seconds from third, and 0.378 behind the leader. In Sachsenring, the team scored another double top six finish. The team continues to be in the Top 3 in the Constructor’s rankings.
     
    In the 2012 CIV season, Mahindra Racing competed in the 125 GP Class and became the first team from India to win an international motorsport event, eventually recording six victories from eight races and securing the Constructors’ Title. In the 2013 CIV season, the team has entered the Moto3 (250cc – 4 stroke) class with talented riders Andrea Locatelli (16, from Alzano Lombardo) and Michael Rinaldi (17, Rimini, Emilia-Romagna). The Mahindra riders have already achieved 7 podium finishes in 8 Rounds so far in this season, with the best results being the double podiums with 1st and 2nd finishes at Round 5 in Misano and Round 7 in Imola. Mahindra Racing currently leads the Constructor’s standings with a wide margin.
    Mahindra’s bold decision to take on the world’s best at the highest level of motorcycle racing won the team prestigious awards such as the ‘ZigWheels Motorsport Award of the Year, 2012’, and the NDTV Car and Bike Awards ‘Mobil 1 Motorsport Award of the Year, 2012’.
    For further information please visit: www.mahindraracing.com.
     ends

  • It was a bit of a strange feeling… a bit of a last-minute frustration: Ogier

    Rally Australia Post-event FIA Press Conference
    Sunday 15 Sept 2013 
     Present:
    1st – Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Motorsport
    1st – Julien Ingrassia, Volkswagen Motorsport
    2nd – Thierry Neuville, Qatar World Rally Team
    2nd – Nicolas Gilsoul, Qatar World Rally Team
    3rd – Mikko Hirvonen, Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team
    3rd – Jarmo Lehtinen, Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team
    Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
     Q:
    Sébastien, so close but yet so far! The title was within your grasp until the final stage dramas. You have still taken the win but not the Championship title – disappointed?
    SO:
    To be honest, it was a bit of a strange feeling at the end of the last stage when we heard on the radio: “Congrats guys, you won the rally… but you have to wait for the Championship.” Then we said: “Oh ****.” We knew before the start that this could happen, even if we score maximum and win the Power Stage, we knew that Thierry could finish second and do that. In this case we would not be champion. But regarding that, all the weekend we were the virtual champion – at the last minute it was a frustration.
     Q:
    It must have been very frustrating…
    SO:
    Of course I was a little bit frustrated. It was a special day for me. I was relaxed for quiet long, but on the last loop I was more nervous and thinking more about things. I just wanted to reset my brain and do my job for this afternoon. I had such a good feeling all weekend, my Polo was perfect and we won almost all the stages.
     Q:
    Did you have any moments?
    SO:
    Honestly, it’s been really perfect, no real moments. It was okay. In this kind of rally when you start well with good qualification, then you have a good starting order. It looks easy when you see we are winning all the stages, but this is because we did a good job with Julien and all of the team. Okay, this is a small frustration, because we cannot write that we are world champions, but it’s almost there – and we are doing a great job for the Manufacturers [Championship] and I am very happy for that. Volkswagen deserves it and it’s my objective [to win Manufacturers’] as well.
     Q:
    You are just one point shy of the title now and the Championship moves to France. How much are you looking forward to your home event and of course the battle with Sébastien Loeb?
    SO:
    It’s quite easy – we go for the victory in France, nothing other than that.
     Q:
    Jost says you are free to fight in France…
    SO:
    I’m happy with that, yeah, I expected that… Of course I am happy with that. It’s frustrating for me, but quite soon I will look for the next target and that’s France rally. The competition will be interesting with Dani [Sordo] and Thierry – they are both quick, and, of course, Seb [Loeb] will be coming back and we know he will be on the pace.
     Q:
    What a crazy final stage – how do you feel?
    JI:
    We came to the end of the stage and we shake hands in the car and then the radio message came from the team. We have been relaxed until the last moment… These things can happen. Today, when you ask me, at one moment I was unable to try to imagine [being world champion] and now I will have to discover this in France.
    Q:
    Does this bring more pressure in France?
    JI:
    No, to be honest, all the others will have more pressure – I am just happy to be here. We are calm. We could concentrate here, but on our home [rally], now there are more demands around us on that event. There will be a big song around us, it will be big for sure… but we wait a long time for the big story around Seb. There’s only one target and that is the victory.
    Q:
    Thierry, you were third going into the final stage but ended in second after Mikko lost time. It has been a strong weekend for you, especially on your debut event in Australia!
    TN:
    Yes. I came to this event and I wanted to increase the gap between myself and Jari-Matti [Latvala], I didn’t think about wanting to stop him [Ogier] being champion. On the first day I was out of the rhythm, but it got better and finally it was a good result for us. We have scored good points for us and this is another step forward. I must be happy – we had a great rally with the Qatar M-Sport team, there were no problems on the car. I must be happy with the whole season and I am looking forward to the next two rallies. In France, I hope to fight with the two Sebs and I am sure Mikko and Jari-Matti will be in the fight as well.
    Q:
    On the opening morning you were not comfortable – why was that?
    TN:
    Coming from Germany and driving the car on tarmac I didn’t feel anything on the gravel. I know from the past that when I switch cars, it takes me too much time – the notes were too optimistic. We had to change a lot. I know I have to work on this. We see that I always lose time on the first day of a rally and then get stronger – we have to work on this.

    Sebastian Ogier and co-driver Ingrassia of Volkswagen who won Rally Australia speak to the media from the podium. A Volkswagen photo
    Sebastian Ogier and co-driver Ingrassia of Volkswagen who won Rally Australia pose for the media from the podium. A Volkswagen photo

    Q:

    There are three rallies left; can we see a Neuville win?
    TN:
    Of course I’m going to try again, but it’s not easy – we give our best. There is another step for us to get on Seb’s pace, I know that but I know I have a little time to improve on this point. It’s also interesting for the Championship when there are a few more drivers fighting. But we do have another step [to take].
    Q:
    Nicolas, how tough a challenge has the recce for Australia been?
    NG:
    It was tough. There were a few stages when it took us time to switch from tarmac to gravel mode. It was also difficult to do the recce at 80 kph in the dust of the other cars. It was difficult. Okay we did it. Now we have learned new things and we are stronger for the future.
    Q:
    Your confidence must be growing?
    NG:
    Yes. We are even [spending] more time together than with our respective girlfriends, so the confidence improves on each stage.
    Q:
    Maybe the Wedding Bells stage was for you today..!
    TN:
    This was special for us…
    Q:
    Mikko, it has been a strong weekend and relatively drama free for you, until the final stage! What happened?
    MH:
    I don’t know. We don’t know what is the reason for the puncture. We were on a long straight then we have the big vibration and I knew we would lose the tyre sooner rather or later. It’s really disappointing. It was quite a good weekend until that – we were comfortable in second. These things happen, but this year it’s really often. It’s been a long year so far…
    Q:
    Were you happy with your pace across the weekend?
    MH:
    It’s been alright I think. It’s what we can do at the moment. Friday was good considering qualifying was bad and we did not have the ideal place on the road. The start of the rally was really good to get into second on the first day.
    Q:
    There are still three rallies left this year. What can you do?
    MH:
    Let’s see. Like Thierry said, it’s been a really nice season – there have been more drivers fighting and this makes it more exciting. I still have the chance to fight for second [in the Drivers’ Championship], but it’s going to be tough.
    Q:
    When did you realise you could not catch Seb?
    MH:
    It was probably on Saturday morning. I felt like he was playing with us – the splits were really close: I was ahead, then he was ahead. The pace was comfortable, but then if we pushed harder we could make mistakes. I knew by driving I couldn’t catch him on Saturday morning.
    Q:
    Jarmo, how frustrated are you?
    JL:
    We are not here for second place, but we have not lost second like this [before]. When you don’t know [what happened], it is frustrating. It’s so much easier when you hit the wall or something goes wrong with the car. But when you have this, it’s so frustrating. You know you start to fight with the tyre and then you have some moments. And then you see the split time and you can then say: “Okay, now we can stop fighting.”
    Q:
    When will we see you return to the pace we have seen before?
    JL:
    For me, the pace hasn’t been so far [away] all season. There have been some small mistakes and some issues with the car, it hasn’t been perfect this year. But this weekend everything was going like we planned but finally it didn’t work.
    Q:
    Jost, with all the drama on the final stage could the team quite believe what was happening?
    JC:
    It’s difficult to describe the feeling. Going into the final stage was very tense – everything can go wrong in the final stage. This happened with Jari-Matti and the same happened to Mikko, when they have the big vibration with no idea why. Seb was on the way to a very good time and that would have secured the title and then okay, these things happened. To start, this is not too bad, Mikko is still second, but then it changed. Okay, this increases our advantage in the Manufacturers’ by quite a margin. But I am not so happy for Seb and Julien. They have done an outstanding job and all of the company is very proud of them. But it is good for the Manufacturers’ and we are supporting them [Ogier and Ingrassia].
    Q:
    The Manufacturers’ Championship is getting close?
    JC:
    For Volkswagen, this is very important. At the start of the season we never thought we would be in a position to fight for one title, but now we are in this position and we want both. To get the lead with more than 40 points, this allows Seb to really fight in France. If the gap was smaller, we might have had some tough words [with Ogier], but now he can really go for it. I’m sure he’s happy for this.
    FIA WRC 2 CHAMPIONSHIP 
    Present:
    1st – Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari
    1st – Killian Duffy
    Q:
    Abdulaziz, congratulations on your third win this season! How do you feel?
    AA-K:
    This is a great feeling because it was not an easy rally to finish or win. The drivers here have been very fast drivers and I was not pushing to the max – especially on Friday, this was like a brain day where we have to use our brain. We were very cautious and looking to finish. Yesterday and today we pushed hard and won the rally. This was our third win and sixth podium. I am really happy also for Killian, who takes his first points in the World Rally Championship and this is his 25th event. Now we will be watching France on the laptop to see what Robert Kubica is doing. But we have to celebrate now.
    Q:
    Were there any dramas?
    AA-K:
    Of course driving in the World Championship is very difficult and there were some stages where we have some small moments, but nothing too big. We are driving very safe because we are coming to the event for the first time. We could trust the notes, but we had no big moments. I am happy to be on the safe side and to win the rally.
    Q:
    Are you surprised? Before the rally, you said you were coming here for experience…
    AA-K:
    Before the rally I said a top five result in the WRC 2 would mean that I would lead [the Championship], but that was not enough. This was what we needed, but it was unexpected, especially when Yazeed [Al-Rajhi] and other fast drivers were here with big experience of maybe seven or eight years. This is our first year. I am very happy.
    Q:
    When you got the big lead yesterday, could you relax?
    AA-K:
    No. We kept pushing until the last four or five kilometres of the last stage, when we could see the split times. Our times were improving on every stage. I’m really enjoying this WRC. Before my experience is only in the Middle East and really there is nothing to learn in the desert. Every rally I am learning more and more here. When I compare the times to Mexico, it is good. In Mexico, my time was five or six seconds to the WRC drivers and today I am only two seconds and that’s a big improvement for me in only five rallies.
    Q:
    Did you imagine you could be in the title fight?
    AA-K:
    No, not at all. Talking to my sponsor SeaShore and M-Sport and Mr Malcolm [Wilson] we say, if we can be in the top five with a lot of big names then that is good for us in the first year. We were not expecting to be leading – I hope we stay until GB.
    Q:
    Killian, congratulations – how tough has this been?
    KD:
    Very tough, the grip level changes all the time and it’s hard to read the road. I was here in 2011, but we superallied twice on that event. But this time there were no big dramas and we really enjoyed the event.
    Q:
    Could you relax?
    KD:
    Because we were making new notes and amending the notes on the first and second pass, it was difficult. On every event, the notes are improving and this is part of the process. We could go quicker on the first loop, but if we did that we probably wouldn’t be sitting here leading the Championship.
    Q:
    You’re getting quicker and quicker…
    KD:
    We are getting quicker for sure and every event we go to we feel these stages are the hardest in the world. When we get to Rally GB, I know this event, but I think he’ll find it very hard with the mud and the fog.
    Q:
    It could be a great fight in GB?
    KD:
    It could be and it’s only two hours on the ferry from Ireland, so I hope to get some great support.
    AA-K:
    I want say one more thing, I think we need to take more care of the WRC 2 drivers. We are not treated like WRC drivers and many of the stages are not safe for us. On Friday, on the last stage they [WRC crews] had four minutes and we had two. At the start, there were 10 WRC cars and we start with nine cars – it’s almost the same. We are a support championship, but everywhere we say the same thing, especially in Sardinia when we had one minute. You can’t imagine how not safe this is. We should have somebody to talk for us. In WRC 2, we say this all the time and nothing happens. I hope this stops. We should be treated like WRC drivers; we are all paying the money the same.
     ends

  • Raj Bharath finishes 5th in race 2 and 3: Formula Masters

    Kuala Lampur, 15 Sept 2013: Indian racing driver Raj Bharath rounded off a challenging Formula Masters outing at the Sepang International Circuit with a pair of fifth place finishes. The 5.5-kilometer venue also plays host to the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix and MotoGP rounds, a press release from Meco Motorsports said.

    Raj Bharath finishes 5th in Race 2 and 3 after a DNF in Race 1 at Sepang in the Formula Masters on Sunday. A Meco Motorsports photo
    Raj Bharath finishes 5th in Race 2 and 3 after a DNF in Race 1 at Sepang in the Formula Masters on Sunday. A Meco Motorsports photo

    Supported by Bangalore-based Embassy Group and driving for Meco Motorsport, the start of the weekend was far from ideal for the 19-year old as he was stuck with a misfiring engine in the opening session of the weekend. The issue took the entire day to work through and cost him several hours of track time before it could be successfully diagnosed and fixed.

    “I had done maybe three laps and the engine started to misfire and grew worse, so I pulled into the pits and that was the end of the day”, said Raj recounting his inauspicious start to the weekend.

    The reliability of the Volkswagen-powered Formula Masters car has been satisfactory throughout the season, but this particular outing proved to be a difficult one.

    After several hours of troubleshooting, the issue was finally traced to a faulty fuel injector (which was clogged) that was not supplying enough fuel to one of the cylinders, leading to the misfire and subsequent loss of power.

    The injector was duly replaced and the car finally fired up normally, but Raj,  a student of the Centre for Management Studies in Bangalore, India  had lost two hours of track time by then, which given the mixed conditions was a major setback for the rest of the weekend.

    As a result, he went into qualifying with only a handful of laps under his belt, and found himself off the pace compared to the frontrunners who had driven and done setup work throughout the day.

    “We went into qualifying without a clue of what we needed to work on with the setup and so on, and we were almost two seconds off the pace, which is miles off”, he quipped.

    Luckily some other drivers had issues in qualifying as well, so Raj still managed to start seventh on the grid for race one. But lady luck had decided not to smile upon him yet and after a feisty few opening laps, Raj was tipped into an uncontrollable spin that ended his race in the gravel trap.

    “The car was feeling different somehow in the race, not just the balance but the way it was responding which was a bit inconsistent between right-handed and left-handed corners”, revealed Raj.

    “It was raining hard as well, so I just thought maybe it was the track surface, but having driven in the rain at Sepang before and won here, I knew something was amiss”, he elaborated.

    But he didn’t get much time to reflect on the issue as coming out of the long right-handed turn two, the car snapped into an uncontrollable spin and Raj was spitted into the gravel trap instantly.

    “I got some oversteer at the exit of turn 2, which is normal and I corrected it, but then the car just came around so fast – I had never experienced anything like that before”, said Raj describing the incident.

    The car was taken back to the pits and this time it was the left-rear damper that had given way, which had left the car with no compression damping when the car was loaded in right-hand corners. Given the torrential downpour, a complete loss of grip was imminent.

    With the component replaced for the next two races, Raj managed to finish fifth in both after starting towards the rear end of the grid.

    His pace improved significantly as well, as he effectively did his practice laps and setup work after the second race – the first hard laps he had done all weekend.

    “Driving the in race with other cars around I realised I was losing out a bit in the long corners, because we had excessive understeer. Stuff like this we usually do in practice but that’s how it is sometimes”, he remarked.

    With two fifth place finishes, Raj lies fourth in the championship with only the triple-header season finale at Shanghai International circuit remaining, the venue where he won in May earlier this year.

    Raj Bharath’s 2013 Formula Masters Stats:

    Rounds: 5
    Races:     15 (3 per round)
    Pole positions: 1
    Wins:     1
    Podium finishes:     5
    DNFs:     2
    Points: 118
    Championship standing: 4th

    About Raj Bharath:

    Born November 20, 1994 in Bangalore, Raj took his first steps in motorsport with karting in 2008 – like all aspiring F1 drivers. Then aged 14, he immediately showed glimpses of his potential in his debut year, winning the trophy for the ‘Most promising rookie of the year’ in the National Karting championship.

    He eventually won the title in 2010 and progressed to Formula BMW Asia in 2011 followed by the Ferrari Academy supported Formula Pilota in 2012.

    For 2013, Raj is participating in the Formula Masters China before moving to Europe in 2014, and getting closer to his aim of making it to Formula 1. He posted his first victory of the season at the Shanghai International Circuit in May.

    Raj Bharath Career Highlights:

    2008 Most promising rookie in the JK Rotax Karting championship.
    2009 Second runner-up in JK Rotax Max Karting championship.
    2010 Rotax Max Karting NATIONAL CHAMPION.
    2011 Debut in Formula BMW Asia Pacific – five top ten finishes.
    2012 Formula Pilota China – 10 podium finishes and three wins.

    Car Specifications:

    Chassis: Tatuus FA010, FIA F3 homologated
    Engine:     Volkswagen Formula EVO 2.0
    Gearbox: Six-speed sequential with LSD
    Power:     180 PS
    Torque:     200Nm
    Suspension: Double-wishbone with pushrod activation
    Brakes:     Four-pot Dixcel calipers
    Tyres:     Front – 180/550 R13
    Rear – 240/570 R13
    Weight:     540kg with driver

    Formula Masters China Calendar:

    Zhuhai (China)             10-12 May
    Shanghai (China)             24-26 May
    Ordos (China)                   05-07 July
    Inje (Korea)                     9-11 August
    Sepang (Malaysia)           13-15 Sep
    Shanghai (China)             25-27 Oct
    Macau Grand Prix              8-10 Nov

    ends

  • Vikash Anand wins his first-ever MRF 1600 race in style

    Buddh International Circuit, 15 Sept 2013: Indian driver Vikash Anand

    Vikash Anand wins his first-ever MRF 1600 race at BIC on Sunday. An Adrenna photo
    Vikash Anand wins his first-ever MRF 1600 race at BIC on Sunday. An Adrenna photo

    won his first ever MRF 1600 race in style of the season ahead of 15yr old Tarun Reddy at the final round of the MMSC-FMSCI National Racing Championship at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. M Sivaramakrishnan won the Indian Touring Car race after 2013 Champion and winner N Leelakrishnan was given a 15 second penalty for jumping the start. The BIC was bustling with 15000 fans present  for the MMSC NRC special weekend for both cars and bikes. MMSC prize money of over 60 lakhs for the 2013 MMSC NRC is the highest of its kind for Indian motorsport, a press release said.

    The opening race, the Toyota EMR Trophy had Diljith, who started on pole position, again lead from start to finish win with ease. Akhil Rabindra was again his main competition finishing in second place, 6.686 seconds behind the leader. Dean Mascarenhas finished in a distant third, 13.187 seconds behind the leader.    

    In the ITC race, Leelakrishnan started on pole and convincingly led from start to finish. Arjun Balu startting in second, also had a good start and was followed by M Sivaramakrishnan and V Ramnarayan. Arjun managed to stay in second with Sivaramkrishnan all over him. On lap 3 Sivaramkrishnan made his move and passed Arjun with Ramnarayan also getting past a lap later. Leelakrishnan crossed the finish line in 1st place but was later given a 15 second penalty for jumping the start. He eventually finished in 3rd position while Sivaramakrishnan was adjudged the winner. Ramnarayan finished in third place to take the final step of the podium. Leelakrishnan was crowned 2013 ITC Champion with 2012 Champion Arjun Balu finishing in second and V Ramnarayan in third position in the overall championship standings. Newly crowned Indian Junior Touring Car champion Feroze Khan signed off in style with victory in the IJTC race. Charen Chandran finished in second place ahead of Race 1 winner Ananth Pitawala.

    The MRF 1600 race was up next with Japanese driver Kizuka Hirota on reverse-grid pole position. Vikash Anand had a great start from fourth on the grid and was upto second place after the first corner behind Hirota. Behind him Yudai Jinkawa, Advait Deodhar and Tarun Reddy followed. Tarun passed Advait on the long straight to move into 4th place behind Yudai. Vikash started putting pressure on Hirota and passed him on lap 2 with a brilliant move around the outside on Turn 4 at the end of the long straight. Tarun passed Hirota and Yudai over the next two laps to move into second place. At the front Vikash continued to put in fastest laps and pull away from the rest of the pack. He crossed the line in first place to take a well deserved win. tarun finished in second place with Hirota in third after Yudai suffered a puncture. 2013 Championship winner Ashwin Sundar did not race and was crowned MRF 1600 Champion in the last round. Vikash Anand finished in second place with Tarun Reddy in third place in the Championship.

    With the championship still on the line, the final race of the day was Race 4 of the Toyota EMR Trophy. Varun Anekar started on pole in the reverse grid race. Varun led from the start and took his first ever win ahead of Akshay Gupta and Binoy John Maddela. Diljith finished in 4th place but that was enough for him to be crowned the first ever Toyota EMR Trophy winner with Akshil Rabindra in second and Varun Anekar in third place in the standings. All the three will get the opportunity to race internationally in the Vios Cup that will take place in Thailand later this year, which is conducted by Toyota Racing Development (TRD) in Thailand.

    Results:

    Race 1, Toyota EMR

    1. Diljith
    2. Akhil Rabindra
    3. Dean Mascarenhas

    Race 2, ITC

    1. M Sivaramakrishnan
    2. V Ramnarayan
    3. N Leelakrishnan

    Race 2, Indian Junior Touring Cars

    1. Feroze Khan
    2. Charen Chandran
    3. Ananth Pitawala

    Race 3, MRF 1600

    1. Vikash Anand
    2. Tarun Reddy
    3. Kizuka Hirota

    Race 4, Toyota EMR

    1. Varun Anekar
    2. Akshay Gupta
    3. Binoy John Maddela

    National Racing Championship winners:

    INDIAN TOURING CARS

    1. N Leelakrishnan
    2. Arjun Balu
    3. V Ramnarayan

    INDIAN JUNIOR TOURING CARS

    1. Feroze Khan
    2. Charen Chandran
    3. VJ Senthil

    MRF 1600

    1. Ashwin Sundar
    2. Vikash Anand
    3. Tarun Reddy

    TOYOTA EMR TROPHY

    1. Diljith
    2. Akhil Rabindra
    3. Varun Anekar

    ends

  • Rajini Krishnan steals the show in Round 3 Moto Racing Nationals

    Buddh International Circuit, 15 Sept 2013: K Rajini Krishnan stole the show with a win and runner-up place at Round 3 of the 2013 Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the Buddh International Circuit on S

    Rajini leads the race in round 3 on Sunday at BIC. Photo by Adrenna Communications.
    Rajini leads the race in round 3 on Sunday at BIC. Photo by Adrenna Communications.

    unday. Both Honda CBR 250R and NRC Experts categories saw some close racing all weekend with a crowd of 15000 fans present in the grandstand at the BIC, according to an Adrenna press release.

    First race of the day saw the TVS-Apache RTR180 in action and Mathana Kumar took the honours with another convincing win to complete a perfect weekend for the young rider. The battle for second was a five-way scrap with Ananth Raj finishing in second just ahead of SK Prakash. Arvind Ganesh finished in 4th position ahead of Mizoram rider B Lalrutsanga.

    The second race of the day, the Yamaha-Y2F R15, saw Arun Muthukrishnan crossing the finish line ahead of Ramesh by a mere 0.448 seconds. Race 1 winner Shyam Shankar finished in 3rd place ahead of Vivek Pillai. The difference in time between 3rd position and 7th position was 3 tenths off a second as they crossed the finish line showing how close the racing was.

    The CBR 250R race once again was highlight of the day with 7 riders all in position to win for the entire race. There was frantic trading of places for the entire race. Sarath Kumar, who started on pole, lost out at the start to Race 1 winner K Rajini Krishnan. Rajini led for the first two laps with Sarath, Sumit Lucas Toppo, Harshit Rao, A Prabhu all following. Prabhu and Sarath took over the lead for a brief while before Rajini was back in front. Heading into the last lap Rajini led followed by Prabhu and Sarath. As they came out of the last corner Prabhu and Sarath collided with both crashing out of the race. Rajini held on for another great win with Sumit finishing in second and Harshit Rao in third place.

    The last race of the day saw the NRC Experts 165cc take to the track. If the previous race was close the NRC Experts category provided even more action with some great wheel-to-wheel racing. Rajini was once again in the thick of things as he led from the start followed by K Jagan and Sumit Lucas Toppo. Right behind them was Deepak R and Vivek Pillai with all 6 riders in with a chance to win. In the end Jagan overtook race leader Rajini on the final lap to finish 0.183 seconds behind. Deepak R finished in 3rd place, 0.265 seconds behind. The top 5 were separate by 0.765 seconds at the end of the race.

    ends

     

  • Sebastien Ogier, Julien Ingrassia win but fail to clinch World Rally title

    Coffs Harbour (NSW), 15 Sept 2013: The Volkswagen Motorsport crew of Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia came within moments of sealing the FIA World Rally Championship title in Australia today, denied the crown as Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul climbed into second position in the final stage when Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen had a puncture and dropped to third, providing one of the most thrilling finishes this season, an FIA release said.

    Sebastian Ogier - Ingrassia win Rally Australia on Sunday. An FIA photo
    Sebastian Ogier – Ingrassia win Rally Australia on Sunday. An FIA photo

    In the FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers, Ogier has missed claiming the title by just one point, setting the scene for an epic battle on the next round in France when fellow countryman and reigning World Champion Sébastien Loeb will be back in the seat of the Citroën DS3 WRC. The fight for the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers also continues but Volkswagen Motorsport has increased its lead over the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team following the retirement of Kris Meeke after the final stage this afternoon.
    Today’s competition took in two identical loops of three stages covering 125.14 competitive kilometres, the final run through ‘Shipmans’ counting as the Power Stage where additional Championship points are awarded to the fastest three drivers in this single stage. And it was here that the drama unfolded, and it was Neuville’s second position in the rally as well as the Power Stage that denied Ogier of his first world title. The Frenchman nevertheless claimed his 13th World Rally victory and sixth this season. Behind the dramatic turn of events in the final stage, fourth was claimed by Jari-Matti Latvala, the Finn also losing time with a puncture in the final stage, and fifth was taken by Mads Østberg, the Norwegian moving ahead of Andreas Mikkelsen in the first stage of the day. Evgeny Novikov finished seventh ahead of local hero Nathan Quinn. Kris Meeke, who rolled on Saturday, restarted this morning under Rally 2 regulations but damaged rear suspension in the final stage saw him ultimately unable to return to the finish in Coffs Harbour.
    The 11th round of the FIA World Rally Championship takes the contenders back to Europe for Rallye de France Alsace (3-6 October). Here, nine-time World Rally Champions Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena will re-join the series for their final outing in the Championship.
    Rally Australia – Final Unofficial Classification (subject to scrutineering)
    1.   Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia
    2.   Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul
    3.   Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen
    4.   Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila
    5.   Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson
    6.   Andreas Mikkelsen/Paul Nagle
    7.   Evgeny Novikov/Ilka Minor
    8.   Nathan Quinn/Glenn MacNeall
    9.   Khalid Al Qassimi/Scott Martin
    10. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari/Killian Duffy
    Volkswagen Polo R WRC
    Ford Fiesta RS WRC
    Citroën DS3 WRC
    Volkswagen Polo R WRC
    Ford Fiesta RS WRC
    Volkswagen Polo R WRC
    Ford Fiesta RS WRC
    MINI John Cooper Works WRC
    Citroën DS3 WRC
    Ford Fiesta RRC
    3hr 19 min 55.0sec
    3hr 21 min 27.1sec
    3hr 21 min 57.1sec
    3hr 22 min 52.4sec
    3hr 23 min 12.2sec
    3hr 23 min 32.6sec
    3hr 27 min 26.2sec
    3hr 33 min 05.2sec
    3hr 35 min 12.6sec
    3hr 37 min 22.7sec

    FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers (after 10 of 13 rounds)

    Sébastien Ogier (FRA)
    Thierry Neuville (BEL)
    Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN)
    Mikko Hirvonen (FIN)
    Dani Sordo (ESP)
    Mads Østberg (NOR)
    Sébastien Loeb (FRA)
    Martin Prokop (CZE)
    Evgeny Novikov (RUS)
    Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)
    Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)
    Elfyn Evans (GBR)
    Robert Kubica (POL)
    Bryan Bouffier (FRA)
    Juho Hänninen (FIN)
    Chris Atkinson (AUS)
    Michal Kosciuszko (POL)
    Ken Block (USA)
    Jari Ketomaa (FIN)
    Khalid Al Qassimi (ARE)
    Hayden Paddon (NZL)
    Sepp Weigand (DEU)
    Per-Gunnar Andersson (SWE)
    Henning Solberg (NOR)
    Benito Guerra (MEX)
    Nathan Quinn (AUS)
    Olivier Burri (CHE)
    Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)
    Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU)
    Esapekka Lappi (FIN)
    212 points
    129 points
    110 points
    103 points
    96 points
    7 points
    68 points
    49 points
    47 points
    34 points
    30 points
    16 points
    14 points
    10 points
    8 points
    8 points
    7 points
    6 points
    6 points
    5 points
    4 points
    4 points
    4 points
    4 points
    4 points
    4 points
    2 points
    1 point
    1 point
    1 point

    FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers (after 10 of 13 rounds)

    Volkswagen Motorsport
    Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team
    Qatar World Rally Team
    Qatar M-Sport World Rally Team
    Jipocar Czech National Team
    Abu Dhabi Citroën Total World Rally Team
    Volkswagen Motorsport II
    Lotos WRC Team
    299 points
    251 points
    145 points
    142 points
    51 points
    41 points
    34 points
    20 points

     

  • Leelakrishnan dominates ITC; Jinkawa wins thrilling MRF 1600 race

    Buddh International Circuit, 14 Sept 2013: Japanese driver Yudai Jinkawa won a thrilling MRF 1600 race ahead of Vikash Anand and Tarun Reddy (later given a jumpstart penalty) with the top 3 being separated by 3 tenths off a second at the chequered flag. The final round of the MMSC-FMSCI National Racing Championship took place at the Buddh International Circuit at Greater Noida with most drivers driving here for the first time. N Leelakrishnan held off reigning champion Arjun Balu to win by 3.030seconds in the Indian Touring Car category while Ananth Pitawala claimed his first ever win in the Indian Junior Touring Car category. Diljith won Race 1 while youngster Akhil Rabindra won Race 2 of the Toyota EMR Trophy.

    The opening race, the Toyota EMR Trophy had Diljith, who started on pole position, lead from start to finish to take a dominant win. Akhil Rabindra managed to hold off Abhinay Bikkani to finish in second place, 7.716 seconds behind the leader. Varun Anekar finished in 4th place after a race long battle with Akhil and Abhinay.  

    In the ITC race, Leelakrishnan started on pole and had a good start off the line. Arjun Balu started slow but just managed to hold off a charging M Sivaramakrishnan behind him. Leelakrishnan pulled a 2 second lead in the first two laps and managed to keep the gap for the rest of the race. Arjun went faster as the race went on setting his fastest lap off the race on the second last lap. Sivaramakrishnan had a lonely race in third as he finished 13.317 seconds behind the leader.

    The next race was the most exciting with the MRF 1600 on track. Yudai, starting on pole, had a great start and went into the lead with Tarun and Vikash right behind him. Tarun and Vikash had a great battle for the first 3 laps with the latter finally getting past in the mid-sector. Vikash then started to reel Yudai in bringing Tarun with him and was right on his tail with three laps to go. Vikash drove brilliantly and tried to pass Yudai several times but could not find a way past. The top three finally finished within a mere 0.307 seconds separating them. Tarun was later given a penalty for jumping the start and ended up in 5th place with Advait Deodhar moving up to the final podium spot. Adavit, Kizuka Hirota and Masaki Fujimura had their own battle trading places throughout the race.

    The final race of the day was Race 2 of the Toyota EMR Trophy with Akhil Rabindra taking his first victory. It was the closest Toyota race with 1 second separating the top 4 at the chequered flag. Akhil and Diljith started in 7th & 8th position and worked their way through field. Akhil had a better start and was upto 4th position by lap 3. He then passed Varun Aneakr to move into 2nd place before passing Farhan Ahmed to take the lead. Diljith moved up to 3rd position and tried hard to pass Farhan for 2nd place but ran out of laps.

    Results: Race 1, Toyota EMR: 1. Diljith; 2. Akhil Rabindra; 3. Varun Anekar.

    Race 2, ITC: 1. N Leelakrishnan; 2. Arjun Balu; 3. M Sivaramakrishnan.

    Race 3, Indian Junior Touring Cars: 1. Ananth Pitawala; 2. VJ Senthil; 3. Charen Chandran.

    Race 4, MRF 1600: 1. Yudai Jinkawa; 2. Vikash Anand; 3. Advait Deodhar.

    Race 5, Toyota EMR: 1. Akhil Rabindra; 2. Farhan Ahmed; 3. Diljith.

    ends

    Leelakrishnan wins ITC race at BIC on Saturday. An Adrenna photo
    Leelakrishnan wins ITC race at BIC on Saturday. An Adrenna photo

  • Rajini pips Sarath in the final corner

    Buddh International Circuit (Greater Noida), 14 Sept 2013: India’s top two riders Sarath Kumar and K Rajini Krishnan in the Honda CBR 250 category fought tooth and nail in the 3rd Round of the 2013 Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship which kicked off at the Buddh International Circuit here on Saturday. Four4 races were held today.

    Rajini got past Sarath on the final corner in the final lap to win by 0.0157 seconds.

    The National championship created history by becoming the first-ever competitive bike championship to race at the BIC with leading motorcycle manufacturers Honda, Yamaha and TVS participating.

    First race of the day saw the TVS-Apache RTR180 in action and Mathana Kumar took the honours with a convincing win. He was followed across the finish line by Ananth P Raj, who finished 5.898 seconds behind. The battle for third went down to the wire with a three-way-battle between Arvind Ganesh, SK Prakash and Alwyn Jebaz. Arvind came out in front to take the final step of the podium.

    The second race of the day, the Yamaha-Y2F R15, provided some more nail biting action with Shyam Shankar and Vivek Pillai trading placed all through the race. Shyam and Vivek came out of the last corner side-by-side with Shyam just edging ahead as they crossed the finish line 0.083 seconds ahead.

    The action resumed with the CBR 250R with India’s two top riders Sarath Kumar & Rajini Krishnan going head-to-head once again. Last time out in Chennai both collided and it looked like it might happen again but both riders put on a scintillating performance to show their class. Sarath, who started on pole, led off the line followed by Abhishek V and Rajini. Rajini soon passed Abhishek and had a race long battle with Sarath. At the start of the last lap it looked like Sarath had done enough but Rajini came hard at him and they were side-by-side coming into the fast corner. Rajini dived down the inside of Sarath and made the move stick and crossed the line in first place ahead of Sarath. Abhishek V finished in the third place.

    The last race of the day saw the NRC Experts 165cc take to the track. K Jagan took a victory ahead of Harry Sylvester and Deepak R. Jagan started well and led from start to finish easily. Harry and Deepak behind him battled each other the whole race with almost nothing between them.

    Races will resume Sunday morning at 10

    K Rajini wins the first race at BIC on Saturday in the National Championship. Photo by Adrenna Communications
    K Rajini wins the first race at BIC on Saturday in the National Championship. Photo by Adrenna Communications

    am. 

    ends