INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • fmsci Council members profiles: Just Sportz, Kolkata

    fmsci Council members profiles: Just Sportz, Kolkata

    Bengaluru, 24 Dec 2021: There are 12 Council members currently in the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) elected for a two-year term at the fmsci Annual General Meeting held on 12th October 2020 through Video conference. This Indian Motorsports website is starting to publish the profiles of the Council members starting with lesser-known members.

    Here is the Profile of Just Sportz, as per their Website.

    The current council members who were unanimously elected to Managing Committee of fmsci on 12 October 2020. The next AGM was held in Dec. 2021 but the proceedings are not yet in Public Domain, neither the Annual Report or the Audit report as of date.

    Six individuals with varied backgrounds but one common passion, MOTOR SPORTS, put their heads together to create JUST SPORTZ MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, a company which will promote JUST SPORTS!

    THE PASSIONATE SIX

    • SANJAY MAHESHWARI: A Chartered Accountant working as the CFO of a Hospitality company in Gurgaon. A very keen karter who has also organized numerous karting events at various levels. Involved in motor rallies as a participant and as an official.
    • SIDDHARTHA S. BOSE: A Chartered Shipbroker by profession, managing one of India’s largest shipping agency companies. A Past District Governor of Rotary International, currently a Member of Rotary International’s India National Polio Plus Committee and Treasurer of Bengal National Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Involved in motor sports since 1977 and a Senior Steward of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India [FMSCI].
    • SUBROTO KARR: Also a commerce graduate running his own business. An active Scout till recently. Represented both school and college in cricket and football and later involved in the administration of cricket clubs. A keen rallyist since 1996 and now involved in the organization of domestic and international motor sports events.
    • SUCHANDAN DAS: A commerce graduate running his own business. An ace marksman having bagged medals at the National level. Involved with motor sports for a long time, having successfully participated in motor rallies and thereafter as an organizer of both local and international events.
    • SUSOBHAN SARKAR: A science graduate with multiple business interests. Played table tennis and badminton as a student. Now actively involved as an organizer of numerous motor sports events at both the domestic and international level.
    • TAMAL GHOSAL: A graduate engineer with a First Class First in MBA to boot involved in real estate and infrastructure development. Successfully participated in various motor rallies and karting events on a pan-India basis and now involved as an organizer of similar events both locally and in the international arena. A Senior Steward of FMSCI and also a Sporting Steward and COC license holder of the racing commission and motor cross commission of FIM, the world body for two wheeler events.

    THE ROAD AHEAD
    Just Sportz will thrive to set a true example of Team work and deliver flawless ON TIME professionally managed event. Like minded people always make a difference to the alliance.

    It is but natural that the emphasis will be on MOTOR SPORTS

    Motor rallies of various kinds [in the city, in the state, in the country and across international borders] – Time Speed Distance [TSD], Stage Rallies, Motor cross, Gymkhanas, Drag races, Special events for ladies and the entire family. We hope to make the Car Rally for the Blind an annual event.

    As our name suggests, JUST SPORTZ MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED will give due attention to the promotion of other disciplines. Be it cricket, football, hockey, swimming, cycling, marathon ….you name it. Even LUDO if you please!

    BUILDING PASSIONS
    With the intention of involving more people in the exiting world of sports, JUST SPORTZ MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED is setting up the JUST SPORTZ ACADEMY.

    Membership in JUST SPORTZ ACADEMY will be of TWO categories – Life and Annual.Membership benefits:

    • Active association in our events
    • Participation in development & training programmes
    • Arranging and organizing workshops
    • Enjoying all other benefits of Just Sportz Academy

    JUST SPORTZ MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED has started it’s journey that will be further enhanced with a continuous process of COMMITTED EXCELENCE, TRANSPARENCY and TRUE SPORTSMANSHIP. Benchmarks that make an organization stay AHEAD!

    Editor’s Note: This profile is published as it is from the original source without any changes or editing except the intro para.

  • INRC 4w 2021 season curtailed to 3 rounds

    INRC 4w 2021 season curtailed to 3 rounds

    By David Bodapati, Indian Rally Historian (Check-out INRC Hall of Fame)

    Bengaluru, 23 Dec 2021: Many a rally lover might feel sad that there was no National rally in India in the year 2021, thanks to the second wave of Carona. But there appears to be a much worse killer virus that has been doing the rounds and, haunting the sport. However, the good news is that the fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for four-wheelers for the year 2021 will begin in the New Year (2022) but it will be restricted to three rounds. The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs (fmsci) in India is preparing to put out a “Statement” on the eve of Christmas, according to reliable sources.

    As already announced by the “erstwhile” Promoter, the season was scheduled to begin with the first round in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, from Dec 16 to 19 but the local city police chief, an IAS officer, played spoilsport and the lack of Police Permission to run on the “street roads” adjacent to the Bay of Bengal beaches forced the organisers to abruptly call off the rally, leaving all the 54 drivers who landed in the “City of Destiny’ on a forced vacation around the picturesque beaches, but with no joy.

    Vizag is a cosmopolitan city, with a culture similar to Bengaluru and unlike Hyderabad and Vijayawada, a commercial hub, the port city is a popular tourist destination. The planned stages were supposed to be held on the Vizag-Bheemli beach road, which saw many Hill Climbs and TSDs, that have been running here for over three decades, one of the main organisers two decades back being Kalinga Naval base. But with most of the riders and drivers moving to Cities, the local organisers became inactive. Near the beach road, there also existed an fmsci-approved Karting track that hosted the 2012 Nationals final round of Rotax Max event. It was washed away by the cyclone in 2017 and rendered useless as the tarmac became bumpy.

    Coming back to INRC, the remaining three rounds, the K1000 in January, the Rally of Coimbatore in February and the South India Rally in March are expected to take place on the same dates which were announced earlier and confirmed by the the Federation (FMSCI) calendar on Dec 21. Former Federation Presidents Bharath Vivek Chandhok of MMSC, Prithiviraj of CASC and current Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) President Gautam Shantappa, an F1 Marshal, confirmed that the clubs are ready to host the three rounds as scheduled. KMSC appears to be ready with the SR, as the route for this year’s rally is expected to be the same one that was prepared for last year’s K1000 (but not held). Supplementary Regulations are usually released one month before the event to facilitate smooth logistics for the participants. So the SR should be out in a day or two, if everything goes well.

    However, the finances are an issue but the Rally Commission for four-wheelers which met on Dec 22 seems to have addressed the issue. The clubs are likely to get Rs.8 lakhs each from the Federation, from the money that was paid by the Promoter to the Federation as INRC bidding fees. The Promoter has paid Rs.75 lakhs for the three-year contract which began in 2019, but the Federation exteneded the rights for one more year for all the Promoters of all the 12 National championships due to COVID 19. There is no clarity on how it works for those who have bid for five years like Madras Motor Sport Club, which is the promoter for three Nationals. The clubs are expected to fend for themselves and look for sponsors to raise the remaining money to organise one round of the Rally Nationals. Conservative estimates, experts feel, put the cost at around Rs.20 lakh to run one round of rally, while a decently-run rally with minimum facilities for all the participants and other stakeholders needs an amount of about Rs.30 lakhs, a former RallyCom member said.

    The cureent Rally commission is headed by chairman Farokh Commissariat. There are rumours that the Promoter has resigned after Rally de Vizag failed to take off while some claim that the Federation has used the termination clause. Either way, the INRC will be without a Promoter for 2021. The worst-ever Calendar year in the three-decade INRC history was the two-round 2012 season. Most of the years had five rounds while nine rounds were hosted in 1995 and 1996. Leelakrishnan, Gaurav Gill, Naren Kumar and Hari Singh and navigators Musa Sherif, Farooq Ahmed, Ram Kumar, are some of the most decorated stalwarts in INRC 33-year history. Many unsung heroes too had their occasional glory but suffered team orders or reasons beyond their control.

    Driver-friendly news?

    Whatever may be the situation, the good news is that the Promoter recommended to FMSCI that each participant who registered for Vizag rally be paid a compensation of Rs.1.5 lakh from the Rs.50 lakh which he claimed is with the Federation as the 2021 season is yet to start. It is a simple logic that all the monies a Sports Federation earns must be pumped back into the sport. It is time for all the stakeholders to realise that, ultimately it is the Sportpersons, who keep the sport alive. Not the Federation, not the organisers, not the former sportspersons, not the Media, et al. Will the Drivers and teams get back the money they spent on Rally de Vizag is a million-dollar question. All the drivers know and organisers know these answers.

    TIME TO RESPECT THE RIDERS AND DRIVERS! They have been taken for granted for too long. Only when this simple issue is sorted out, one will know who are the sinners, who are the saviours of Motorsports in India!

  • Aaron Mare replaces injured Caimi in Hero Dakar team

    Aaron Mare replaces injured Caimi in Hero Dakar team

    Bengaluru, 23 Dec 2021: Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, today announced a change in its rider line-up for the Dakar Rally 2022. However, there will no Indian riders from Hero as their main rider, CS Santosh, who suffered a crash in 2019, is yet to recover completely, a press release from Hero MotoSports said.

    The only Indian at the Dakar will be Harith Noah. Another privateer, Ashish rao Rane is yet to announce his decision. However, he has not taken part in the qualifier rally.

    Hero MotoSports rider Franco Caimi, a five-time Dakar participant, will not be able to compete in the 2022 edition of the Rally due to an injury that he suffered in Dubai recently. Initially expected to be fit in time for the Dakar, Franco has elected to sit out the rally to ensure full recovery ahead of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in March 2022. This would have been Franco’s first Dakar in Hero MotoSports colors. He joined the team in April 2021, adds the release.

    Replacing him for the Dakar Rally only will be Aaron Marè from South Africa. This will be his second appearance at the Rally. Aaron is an experienced rider and has been consistently demonstrating his skill and speed recently.

    Following an illustrious early career across Europe and the USA, Aaron has been racing in the deserts of Dubai since 2016. His career highlights include podiums and wins at the UAE Baja Championship, Dubai International Baja, and Emirates Desert Championship. He also won the Desert Storm Rally 2019 in Jaisalmer, India.

    Aaron has had a strong run in 2021, winning the UAE Desert Championship and finishing fourth at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, one place behind Joaquim Rodrigues, who will be his teammate for the Dakar.

    This will be the sixth time at the Dakar for Joaquim who finished fourth in the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. The duo of Joaquim and Aaron will take on the challenges of the Dakar astride the powerful Hero 450 Rally and an expert team beside them.

    Editor’s Note: Except the second para the Hero MotoSports Press Release is published without any editing.

  • Abdul Tanveer crowned overall National Champion 2021: 2w Rally

    Abdul Tanveer crowned overall National Champion 2021: 2w Rally

    TVS Racing wins four top glamorous classes of the 2021 National Rally Championship for two-wheelers in a dominant fashion at the final round in Nashik. For many years now, the Premier Racing Team in the country has been winning the Overall Championship and National titles in multiple categories. Defending champions Samuel Jacob and Aishwarya Pissay won the National titles in their respective classes with a round to spare while Pavan BK too won the Super Sport 165cc Group B with a huge margin in the penultimate round itself. However, it is World Cupper Miss Pissay, who dominated the season like no other, winning 150 out of 150 points.

    Abdul Wahid Tanveer wins 2w National Rally Championship

    Abdul Tanveer, the Overall Champion, for 2021.

    Nashik, 19 Dec. 2021: Mysore’s Abdul Wahid Tanveer of TVS Racing was crowned the National champion in the GodSpeed MRF Mogrip fmsci National Rally Championship 2021 for two-wheelers which concluded with the sixth and final round held here on the picturesque foothills of Sahayadri mountain ranges on Sunday Dec. 19, with a consistent show finishing all the six rallies.

    Champions All

    Abdul Wahid Tanveer, Asad Khan, Ajin Abraham, Pavan BK, Samuel Jacob, Sajeesh Reghunathan, Mohammed Zaheer, Karthik and Aishwarya were the National champions for 2021 in their respective classes from Class 1 for Super Bikes Pro-Expert to Class 8 Ladies category.

    Profiles of these 2021 champions will be published soon.

    Aishwarya’s stunning Record

    Champions All: The triumphant TVS team at Nashik on Dec 19. Photo from TVS

    Meanwhile, 2019 World Cup Baja winner, the only world champion in motorsports from India, Aishwarya Pissay, astride a TVS RTR200, continued her winning spree as she made a clean sweep of all the rounds and added one more National title to her glittering career.

    The Bengaluru rider who made her rally debut in the last round of 2016 season, decided to do both road racing and rallying from 2017 and promptly won both the Nationals. The 2021 title is her fifth consecutive National championship victory in Ladies Class. For record she has 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 INRC titles and 2021 National Rally Championship title. Apart from these five Nationals she is also the maiden National champion in Road Racing when the ladies class was accorded National status in 2017. She won the inaugural MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship Ladies Class in 2017.

    The rider supported by Hyperice and Scott, had a blemishless year and young Tanika Shanbagh was the only rider who put up a semblance of a fight but the Kannadiga from Satara, who was bothered by an injury to her leg. But Tanika bravely put up a fight, and deservedly finished second. She did clock some fast times, especially in the slush and muddy terrain, which vanquished many a rider. The talented rider, is focussed and her race craft and hardwork, with experience will surely take her places as she got her fundamentals right. Taking part in different rounds, 10 ladies entries, speak well for the Women in Motorsports, with Sprint Ladies champion 2021, Deeksha joining for the last round in Nashik. Apoorva B, despite taking part in only three rallies finished third in the championship.

    Consistent Tanveer is champ

    Astride a TVS RTR450, Tanveer, who joined TVS Racing in 2014, won only the third and fourth rounds, but finished all the other rounds in second place for valuable points and defeated teammate and 2019 champion Rajendra RE by a comfortable margin of 22 points. Rajendra, who began with a bang winning the opening round in Hampi, appeared to have taken a decisive lead winning Round 2 too, but the treacherous terrain and the slush killed his hope as he logged a DNF (Did Not Finish) in the next two rounds that virtually put paid to his hopes. The victory at the last round here is only a consolation as Tanveer proved that he could ride in any terrain. The old adage, for finishing first, first you have to finish the rally, proved true as Rajendra’s three wins went in vain.

    Tanveer, popular as Tanni in the TVS garage, made his international debut in 2017. He took part in the PanAfrica Rally 2018 at Morocco from September 8 to 15 for a creditable overall eighth position on debut. Moreover, he bagged the first place in Enduro Class in one of the stages and went on to do well in Morocco rally next year in 2019 winning the laurels for the country in his class.

    TVS brilliance continues – Samuel retains his class

    Samuel Jacob, Group B 260cc Class Champioin for 2021

    Defending overall champion, Samuel Shajan Jacob won the championship in the Group B 260cc class for the second year in a row, riding an Apache RTR200. The Udupi rider who joined TVS in 2018 has a Masters in Logistics and Supply Management and thus is a thinking rider, aware of his strengths. Though he lost to teammate Tanveer in overall class, he enjoyed a dominant run this season, with five wins in six rounds and excelled with brilliant riding skills and consistent performance, especially in the wet rounds. Just 28, he celebrated his birthday with a deserving win on Dec 4 with a victory in a tricky round.

    Samuel Jacob in action, all photos courtesy TVS

    Karthik keeps up the tempo till end

    Karthik Naidu clinched his maiden title, winning in the scooter class with a rally spec TVS Ntorq 125. He won the title by a margin of just 11sec, with the title coming down to the last loop of the rally. Though the Ntorqs dominated, the class he found some thrilling competition which brought alive the championship and kept it open till the end. It is the NTorq which stood him in good stead in all the obstacles he came across.

    Karthik Naidu, the scooter champion in action.
    Karthik Naidu

    B Selvaraj, Team Manager, TVS Racing, said, “It has been an incredible season for the TVS Racing team at the 2021 INRC.  I am thrilled with the performance of all the TVS Racing riders, and their hard work and dedication have paid off.Abdul Wahid Tanveer was consistent and flawless and won overall & Group A 450cc category championship. Samuel Jacob worked hard to put up a good show throughout the season and won the Group B 260cc class championship.Aishwarya completely dominated the ladies’ class of the season with six straight wins, and it is her 5th consecutive national title.  Karthik N also put up a staller show andemerged as champion in scooters class.

    “I would like to thank all the TVS Racing team crew for their relentless work and immense efforts in keeping the motorcycles and scooters at its best form.”

    “Not just the pandemic, the rains too created havoc. But we managed to complete the Championship on time and we are the only fourth Nationals after Karting and Sprint to finsih all rounds successfuly. Now it is Supercross in full swing,” said Shyam Kothari, a 7-time former National champion in three different disciplines of motorsports and the man behind the whole show. A biker known for his spectacular jumps he is the man behind the show for two Nationals, the MRF Mogrip rally and Supercross, promoting under GodSpeed Racing. The Supercross Nationals will begin next month from Indore.

    Final audited Results: (To be added)

    Champions: 2021 National* Rally Championship (two-wheeler)

    Class 1: Super Bike Pro-Expert Group A: Abdul Waheed Tanvir 122 points;

    Class 1A: Super Bike Expert Group A: Asad Khan, 94;

    Class 2: Super Sport 130 Group B: Ajin Abraham 110;

    Class 3: Super Sport 165 Group B: Pavan BK 136; (Won with 1 round to spare)

    Class 4: Super Sport 260 Group B: Samuel Jacob 143; (Won with 1 round to spare)

    Class 5: Super Sport 400 Group B: Sajeesh Reghunathan 133

    Class 6: Super Sport 550 Group B: Mohammed Zaheer 129;

    Class 7: S0 to S3 Scooter 210 Group B: Karthik 122;

     Class 8: Ladies Class Group B: Aishwarya Pissay 125 (Won with 1 round to spare);

    *Note: Till 2020 the Championship nomen clature was Indian National Rally Championship for 2w. From 2021 it is changed to National Rally Championship by FMSCI, the governing body for sport in India.

  • From karts to F1 world champion: the Max Verstappen story

    From karts to F1 world champion: the Max Verstappen story

    With Max Verstappen claiming the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship driver’s title following his dramatic win at the Abu Dhabi season finale, we explore how he has developed from a precociously talented young karter to sit at the very pinnacle of the motor-racing world. Here is all you need to know:

    Born to race

    – That Verstappen’s father, Jos, was also an F1 driver is well known; his career spanned much of the 1990s and he was a team-mate of Michael Schumacher. However, Max benefits from a double dose of racing DNA as his mother, Sophie Kumpen, enjoyed a successful karting career of her own, winning the Andrea Margutti Trophy in 1995.

    – Speaking on the Beyond the Ordinary podcast, David Coulthard, an F1 contemporary of Verstappen Sr, explains: “The absolute commitment that was carried in his [Jos’s] DNA has been passed on to Max, and I think that what the Verstappen family has done is work very hard to give him the best grounding – through karting, into cars – make great choices and position him now in a very happy place.”

    An early start

    – At the point most of us are making our first wobbly attempts to ride a bike, young Max was getting a taste of motor racing. As Jos recalls, “He was four-and-a-half when we first put him in. He did it for one day and immediately we bought him a bigger go-kart.”

    – Was that a nerve-wracking experience for the watching parents? Jos adds, “Not really, because I think he was about two-and-a-half when he was [first] driving on a quad bike, so he had quite a lot of experience with speed, how to steer…”

    First race

    – By those standards, it must have seemed like an interminable wait for his first taste of competitive action. Max was the grand old age of seven by the time he was lining up on the grid for the first time.

    – Thankfully, the wait to experience the thrill of victory was not quite as long, as Max went straight out and won that first race. Jos recalls, “We’d prepared very well. He was racing against other mini juniors, who could be nine or 10 years old, so he was competing against a lot older boys.”

    Doing the hard yards

    – What followed over the next decade or so really laid the foundations for the world champion of today. Together, father and son devoted themselves to Max’s nascent career, travelling from race to race in their van and racking up victory after victory.

    – Jos explains, “I think every year we were racing, we were winning championships. You do a lot of races, but what I also really enjoyed was all the things around it. You know, the two of us together in the van, all the preparation you have to do before… I miss it now, but at that moment I really enjoyed it. We did about 80-100,00km a year, every year and we did that for 10 years. It was quite intense.”

    Making the jump to F3

    – It’s no exaggeration to say that Max made an immediate impact when he made the switch over to cars. Former Red Bull Racing teammate Alex Albon reveals, “Max was straight away quick when he joined the championship. He was aggressive back then as well. We didn’t have any altercations – we would never fight, there was always that mutual respect – but, at the same time, we were definitely rivals.”

    F1 comes calling

    – With 10 race victories and third place overall in his maiden F3 championship, it wasn’t long before Formula One teams started taking a look at the talented youngster, and in August 2014 Helmut Marko signed Max up to Red Bull Racing’s driver development programme.

    – We saw him in action during free practice at that season’s Japanese GP, but it was seven months later, at the season-opening Australian GP in Melbourne, that he first lined up in Toro Rosso colours in earnest. Aged just 17 years old, he was F1’s youngest-ever competitor.

    – Max recalls, “Some said, of course, that I was too young. At the time, I didn’t even have my driving licence. They knew of course that I was in Formula One, but the driving instructor, he was very strict, which was good. I had caps, t-shirts ready in case somebody needed to be bribed, but he didn’t take it!”

    From youngest driver to youngest winner

    – An outstanding first season brought not only plenty of championship points, but also awards for rookie of the year, personality of the year and action of the year for his stunning overtake at Belgium’s Spa circuit.

    – That meant it wasn’t long until Marko was on the phone again, and Max was promoted to drive for Red Bull Racing from the 2016 Spanish GP. As Coulthard explains, “It was a great opportunity. Helmut and Red Bull have shown an ability to back young talent and give them an opportunity.”

    – His impact, of course, was immediate and he held off Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen in the closing stages to become F1’s youngest race winner at 18 years and 228 days, making headlines around the world.

    – Max recalls the experience, “I started cramping a little bit with five laps to go because of the excitement and the focus. It was pretty crazy, I was literally counting the laps at the end, there was a lot of pressure. My dad was getting so excited at the end that his nose started bleeding.”

    Fine tuning his style

    – His debut win at Barcelona was just a taster for what was to come as Max picked up two victories in the 2017 season at Malaysia and Mexico to place sixth overall in the championship.

    – He needed to show some resolve at the start of the 2018 season following two frustrating retirements in Bahrain and Azerbaijan with his first Austrian victory lifting his spirits en route to another Mexican win and fourth in the championship.

    – He upped the ante in 2019 to score three wins with an Austrian repeat, German triumph and Brazilian victory to finally finish the season in the top three overall.

    – Two victories in the shortened 2020 season saw him place third overall again as he tightened up his driving style and looked to eliminate the occasional hot-headed error that had cost him before.

    Eye on the title

    – After a successful off-season getting his mind and body in shape, Max powered off the grid quickly in 2021 with two wins and three second places in the first five races before a tyre blowout at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix cost him valuable points.

    – It was the British Grand Prix, though, that truly elevated the rivalry with Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s controversial move put Max into the tyre wall at a dangerous speed.

    – To Max’s credit, he bounced back with wins in Belgium and his home Dutch Grand Prix before the hotly debated moment in Germany when he clashed with Hamilton again forcing both out.

    – Since then, Max has managed to stay out of trouble with US and Mexican GP wins sandwiched by four second places as the title race headed down to the wire in the Middle East.

    – With his Abu Dhabi GP victory finally seeing him crowned Formula One world champion for the first time, the future is extremely bright for the 24-year-old and a Red Bull team eager to bank more titles next year.

    – As Coulthard, no stranger to title tussles himself, explains, “This is a classic period. When we’ve had these titanic battles in the past, they might come along once a decade or 20 years, but when it happens it’s a wonderful thing to be able to witness two greats go toe-to-toe.”

  • Santa comes to the rally stages with Team #MRFTyres!

    Santa comes to the rally stages with Team #MRFTyres!

    A little Christmas cheer for the fans in Italy as the Italian Rally Championship – Gravel champioin Andreucci Paolo and co-driver M Bimbi takes to the stages in this cool special Christmas livery!

    Team MRF Racing took to social media with these beautiful images as the team gets ready to rally in Italy,.

  • Kyle Kumaran makes India proud at World stage: Rotax Karting Grand Finals

    Kyle Kumaran makes India proud at World stage: Rotax Karting Grand Finals

    Sakhir (Bahrain), 16 Dec 2021: Peregrine Racing’s Kyle Aditya Kumaran made India proud winning the silver medal at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals, the annual Karting competition for National Rotax champions from 72 countries around the world, which concluded here at the Bahrain International Karting Circuit on Saturday.

    THE RACE

    RMCGF, Final DD2, Van Leeuwen precedes Kumaran
    Kumaran, Barbaroux, Van Leeuwen and Locmelis are the quartet that characterises this final since the beginning. Continuous changes do not allow those who follow to catch up with the leading group. A few laps to the finish line and van Leeuwen and Barbaroux manage to pull away about ten meters from Kumaran and Locmelis. The Dutchman closes the gaps and Barbaroux doesn’t manage to slip through. The chequered flag thus sanctions the victory of Van Leeuwen over Kumaran. While Barbaroux will find himself 11th after a 10″ penalty. Third place goes to Locmelis. Courtesy VroomKart.

    Kumaran loves Indian flag

    The 18-year-old Kyle Kumaran, took part in the DD2 category, a step higher than the Senior class, and finished third in the pre-finals to qualify for the 36-grid Finals where he was crowned vice-champion to make sure that the Indian flag flies at the F1 circuit in Bahrain.

    Kyle Kumaran, #401, on his way to become vice-champion from a field of 72 countries on Saturday. Photo credit: INDIAinF1 by special arrangement

    Kyle Kumaran, racing with Peregrine team, became the 2021 Senior National Karting Champion last month and booked his ticket for Grand Finals. Kumaran, races with Team DojoMoto internationally and is managed by Anjum Shaik. He finished the 21-lap Final race in third clocking 18minutes 41.392seconds and was promoted to second place as Antoine Barbaroux was slammed a ‘bumper penalty’. Thus Kumaran became the Vice-Champion in the DD2 shifter class. Martun van Leeuwen of the Netherlnads won the gold and Patriks Noels Locmelis came third. Starting from P4, Kyle was just 0.198sec behind the gold winner Martun’s time of 18:41.194.

    Kyle Aditya Kumaran with his mom Denys Kumaran at Sakhir track before the Finals. An INDIAinF1 photo courtesy Peregrine Racing.

    “Getting a silver medal at the Grand finals which is very competitive with National Rotax champions from 72 countries taking part is a fantastic achievement. Kyle Kumaran made India extremely proud. It is a proud moment for all of us at FMSCI. I congratulate the racer and his family,” said Akbar Ebrahim, President of the Federation of Motor Sports Club, the governing body for Motorsport in India. Ebrahim was the brain behind introducing Rotax Max karting Nationals in Indian in 2003. “This is the first time in the Indian history of Rotax Max that we are getting a medal at the World stage,” added the former racing champion.

    “A disciplined and talented driver, always had his head down and focused. It is a proud moment for India. He has a bright future and I wish him all the best,” said Shyam Kumar, the Chief Steward at the Rotax Max Indian National Karting Championship.

    Peregrine team Principal Madesh Lakshman was facilitated Kumaran’s participation and winning the Senior National championship said: “I am always confident with Kyle’s ability and his race craft. We were expecting a podium in the Grand Finals from the beginning. He is talented and his hard work and dedication brought laurels for India. It is a proud moment for all of us at Peregrine.”

  • Mohammed Ben Sulayem from UAE elected President of FIA for four years

    Mohammed Ben Sulayem from UAE elected President of FIA for four years

    Paris, 17 Dec 2021: Former Rally driver Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been elected President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) following the FIA Annual General Assembly gathered here on Friday with overwhelming majority. 

    Ben Sulayem received 61,62% of the votes from FIA Member Clubs to Britain’s Graham Stoker’s 36,62% and abstenstions were 1,76%, and will therefore succeed Frenchman Jean Todt, who was President since 2009 and served the maximum three terms possible.

    Mohammed Ben Sulayem, 60, from United Arab Emirates, President of the Emirates Motorsports Organisation (EMSO) since 2005, was FIA World Motor Sport Council Vice-President for Middle East. He was 14-time FIA Middle East Rally Champion, winning 61 international events from 1983 to 2002. He campaigned under the banner “FIA for Members”, committing to double motor sport participation worldwide, strengthen diversity and inclusion and be a leading opinion-former on sustainable mobility.

    Elected for a four-year term, he appointed Carmelo Sanz de Barros as President of the Senate, Robert Reid as Deputy President for Sport and Tim Shearman as Deputy President for Mobility.

    Mohammed Ben Sulayem, new FIA President, said: “I am very honoured to have been elected FIA President at the conclusion of the Annual General Assembly in Paris today. I thank all the Member Clubs for their esteem and trust. I congratulate Graham for his campaign and his engagement to the Federation. I wish to express my infinite gratitude in the name of the FIA and that of its Members to Jean Todt for all that has been achieved over the past 12 years. I am committed to pursuing the important work and make motor sport and mobility take further steps forward.”

    Jean Todt, former FIA President, said: “A chapter has come to an end. We can be collectively satisfied of our achievements in motor sport and safe and sustainable mobility over the past 12 years. I would like to warmly thank my team, our administration and all our Member Clubs for their unwavering commitment, enthusiasm and resilience. I congratulate Mohammed on his election as FIA President and wish him, his team, and the Federation the best of success for the years to come.”

    The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation of the world’s leading mobility organisations. Founded in 1904, with headquarters in Paris and Geneva, the FIA is a non-profit organisation. It brings together 245 Member Organisations from 146 countries on five continents. Its Member Clubs represent over 80 million road users and their families

  • Deeksha, a techie biker wins Sprint Nationals on debut

    Deeksha, a techie biker wins Sprint Nationals on debut

    Deeksha Srivastava is an off-roader from Pune. The 27-year techie, is born in a middle class family in Allahabad, UP. Daughter of a government employee and a home-maker, the bubbly youngster convinced both her reluctant parents, as she took up riding, considered as a male domain, back home, in those early days. But the Software Engineer at Nagarro is a self-made motorsports athlete taking part in the FMSCI Nationals for the first time and did prove her to parents that she is better than many boys and slowly they started supporting her. It is indeed an achievement winning the Ladies Class in the Indian National Rally Sprint Championship which concluded in Goa on December 5 as it is her first experience in an FMSCI event.

    The rally rider is a bike lover who owns KTM Duke 250 and acquired a Hero Impulse for her motorsports exploits. “I used to go for off road trails and some basic off-road level training at a company called Pro Dirt Adventure. I utilised all the resources they provided to max and trained myself hard for the rally. From basic body positioning to fast trails and other minor riding techniques, I used practice everything. For around three months, I trained myself before the rally apart from keeping myself physically fit,” said the rider who qualified from the West Zone in Belgaum, Karnataka for the Sprint Finals held in Goa from Dec 3 to 5.

    Excerpts from an interview:

    Deeksha

    As a child what were you interested in? Did you parents support your interest in bikes?

    I always had a thing for bikes when I was a kid. My friends used to call me a Nerd and Tom Boy. My parents didn’t like , that I am developing interest towards the things that boys do , like playing cricket, riding bike, going out to places. But later on as they saw, I proved my capabilities, have started paying my own bills and taking responsibilities as an elder daughter, they let me persue whatever I wish for.

    When did you first start riding?

    I was placed in a multi-national company in Pune in 2017 through college placement. That’s when I came to a metro city and saw the city-lights and its culture. While commuting to and fro on my work, I would often see some girls riding bikes. I also developed an urge to buy my own bike and a year later I bought a KTM Duke 250 in 2019. I used to go off road trails on duke with 70/30 tyres installed.

    Later, I bought a Hero Impulse when I started following rally life on social media and wanted to pursue it. I prepared for the rally for about three months. I also learnt the techniques, and would then go on technical and enduro trails to understand the judgement.

    Where did you qualify for the grand finals?

    The Sprint Nationals 2021 is my debut and my first official rally as an FMSCI registered rider. I qualified from the West Zone which was held in Belgaum on 30-31st October. I bagged the podium at first place in Round 7 and 8. And again winning the championship in INRSC 2021 finals is a huge turn over for me. The feeling can’t be explained in words. I was immensely pleased and felt very much overwhelmed.

    How did you feel going into the first day of the finals?

    The day before the final two rounds, it started raining in Goa on Friday night. We were staying at Morjim around 15kms from the race location, Arambole. I was concerned about it and was wondering if there will more slush forcing me to be slower or what if I had a crash or a fall… I will lose time, these were some of the thoughts I was pre-occupied with. But I prepared myself mentally for the worst scenario, and buckled up for next day with confidence.

    How was the terrain and the recce?

    We reached the location in the morning and saw it was a little slushy and slippery. It was all red soil and so the rear tyres were slipping out. We needed to have ultimate control on the bike. We geared up around 11:30 for the Recce so that we can have a better idea of the track, the hurdles, sharp corners and the likes. I was making calculation in mind to visualise everything and to attain the fastest time.

    Saturday, the big day, how did it go?

    At around 2pm, I went for my lap, riding around 100 meters there was a tight right turn and it was deep dry slush where I took the bike smoothly and at a lesser speed. Throughout the race, my objective was to complete the race without having a fall or a crash. At many corners where it was slushy, I slowed down and lost some time on some of those corners. The track also had four MX (Motocross-type) jump bumps. As I did not have any experience on the MX jumps, I decided to go smooth over those bumps, and took a calculated risk losing some time. And in the end I felt good as things turned out and I was happy with my pace and my run. First day in the first of the two final rounds, I completed the lap in 16 minutes 00:771seconds and topped the Ladies category.

    And the final run for championship?

    Next day on Sunday, it was a sunny day. But we had to report early at around 8:30 am at the parc farme. The track was worse than the day before due to the mist and fog which made the red soil slippery. The rear tyre was washing out this time around. And it happened on the way to reach parc farme, too. The rally started at around 9 and I went for my lap at 9.29 am. I kept calculating in my mind as I started the race and knew that I needed to be fast in the corners and make some time. I tried to be on pace at every corner and did cut down my time, relatively to Saturday’s run. I also had a few jumps in between as there were two back-to-back table-top jumps midway on the track. And as I was proceeding there was a left tight turn, where my rear tyre slipped and I fell to the ground. Within a second I realised, it’s my only chance to have a go at the championship and hurriedly got up in less than 10 seconds, started the bike and shot ahead. I am glad that I completed the lap in 14:41:812 and stood third among the ladies. The two final round times were aggregated to decide the championship. I also had more points as I got overall 40 points, 25 for first on Saturday and 15 for third on Sunday. I won the championship by 4minutes 42 seconds.

    What next?

    This is my first rally and winning it is the best thing that happened in motorsports life. I am looking forward to more exploits and will take rallies seriously. There is much more to learn and there are more technicalities which needs to be practiced. I will continue to work on improving my riding skills.

    The petite champ, promised to be back in full throttle for the next rally. Watch out!

  • Musa Sherif-Mansoor Parol, 2nd in Al Thaid Rally Ro5

    Musa Sherif-Mansoor Parol, 2nd in Al Thaid Rally Ro5

    Al Thaid (UAE), 10 Dec 2021: Ace Indiannavigator who is inching towards his 30th consecutive year in rallying has teamed up with Mansoor Parol as Team Minti Motorsport and won the Overall second position in Round 5 of the 3rd Al Thaid Rally held here recently.

    Organised by Emirates Motorsports Club, the Indian duo driving the Mitsubishi Evo 10 car excelled in their class but had to be content with a second place. Thus, Musa Sherif, who bagged Overall third in the co-driver class, also bagged the FWD class championship for the fourth time with Saneem Sani. Earlier, he got the honours in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021, with 2020 being hit by the pandemic.

    Currently in Visakhapatnam for Rally de Vizag, the first round of the Indian National Rally Championship, the experienced navigator increased his kitty to 22 championship wins. The Kasargod rallyist will be entering his 30th year in 2022 and the Vizag leg happens to be his 299th rally, if held. Then it would be a grand homecoming for the K1000, where he is expected to complete 300 rallies, becoming the only navigator in Asia to complete a triple ton.

    Musa Sherif, who calls the pace notes for Gaurav Gill in Indian circuit, had made his debut way back in 1993 in the Karavali Mandovi rally and the then Mangalore, and got hooked to the sport, taking home many laurels in the last 30 years.