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Author: David Bodapati
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Arjun Maini raring to go at Assen: DTM Series
Assen (The Netherlands), 17 Sept. 2021: Mercedes-AMG DTM star Arjun Maini is set to take part in the sixth round of the DTM championship at the Assen race track in Holland.
The Omega Seiki and J.K.Tyre backed driver has had a renaissance of sorts with the Indian turning a torrid run of luck into consistent points finishes over the course of the past two rounds. Coming off his best ever weekend in Germany’s premier racing series, with a sixth and seventh-place finish in Austria marking his best-ever return in the DTM Championship, Maini is filled with confidence as he looks to climb up the championship ladder.
The Assen race circuit will represent a unique challenge to the Indian as he has never raced competitively on the track.“While I haven’t raced competitively at the Assen race circuit, I do have testing experience at the track,” Maini stated.
“The last two weekends have been positive in terms of overall results and I’m confident about my chances heading into the weekend. It’s important to note that this is GetSpeed’s first year racing in DTM too, which means we don’t have too much data to draw from heading into the weekend.
“That being said, we have worked tirelessly to address our lack of experience at certain race circuits and I think we have made good progress through the season especially after hitting our nadir at Zolder.”
Having secured consecutive points finishes for the first time, Maini’s next objective will be a podium finish. While the competitive nature of the DTM championship makes this a lofty goal, the Indian’s consistent improvement and raw pace over the course of the season provides cause for hope, especially if his race strategy is executed to perfection.
The sessions can be watched on https://www.youtube.com/user/autocarindia1, with Race 1 taking place on September 18, and Race two flagging off on September 19. -
Jaden takes Round 4 honours in Junior class; Rohaan leads title fight with stunning Race 4 win
Bengaluru, 16 Sept. 2021: Talented Jaden R Pariat from Guwahati took the day’s honours and topped Round 4 as he pipped Rohaan Madesh by two points on Thursday but the Bengaluru school student took a fantastic victory in the final race today to take the fight into the final round and kept the lead in the Junior Championship table after four rounds in the Meco fmsci Indian National Karting Championship X30 Class which is poised for an interesting battle finale in the fifth and final round at Meco Kartopia on Saturday.
On Thursday, two races were also held in the Cadet class and championship leader Nikhilesh Raju and challenger Arafath Sheikh shared a race win each. The other two races of the penultimate Round 4 will be held on Friday, before the fifth and final round on Saturday and Sunday. All the four races of Juniors will decide the title on Saturday, while the Senior section final four races will be on Sunday.
Jaden, congratulated his rival after Rohaan posted a stunning win in Race 4, the last race of the day, after playing a wait-and-watch game, which was very much unlike his style. Through the day, with four races on the menu for the fourth round in Junior section, the talented duo fought tooth and nail displaying some fierce competition on the track. Rohaan, who is leading the championship, won the first race after starting on pole, but had to start P6 in the reverse order grid for Race 2 and retrieved 7 points with a second place as Jaden made no mistake and kept his position intact despite fortunes fluctuating either way for the 12-lap race. Ishaan, the younger of the Madesh brothers, who was leading second in the points table before the start of Round 4, did well to take the third place on the podium in Race 1.
With honours even, in the first two races, the top-three who all have a chance to go at the title, pushed the title fight into the final round with Jaden bagging Race 3. In the second corner of the first lap, Bengaluru karter Abhay M made contact, and both the Rohaan brothers spun and suffered loss of positions but with Abhay getting a 10-second penalty for “avoidable collision” Rohaan, managed a fourth place but lost two valuable points in the process.
File photo of Jaden R Pariat at the Meco Kartopia track. Photo by Shajahan In Race 4, Jaden by virtue of his second best time in the qualifier, took the pole and Rohaan started on P2 but played a brilliant game, patiently driving a consistent race for almost ten laps before overtaking ahead of the blind left and managed to keep at bay, a marauding Jaden to retrieve a victory and 10 points. Going into the final round on Saturday, both Jaden and Rohaan will be fighting for the title, with Ishaan Madesh eyeing for a rare outside chance.
Jaden clocked the fastest lap of the day posting a 56.506 to pip Rohaan (56.514) both in Race 4 for the Driver of the day honours on the 1.2km Meco Kartopia tarmac. With four races and 40 points on offer, Rohan is ahead by five points at 114 while Jaden has 109 points. Ishaan slipped to third place and has 96 points after four rounds.
“”Despite all the fight, it was a very good race, so I felt I have to congratulate him,” said a sportive Jaden, who wants to go with a clean mind and focus on the qualifying session. “I will take it race by race rather than think too much about the championship.” he added. “I am confident and well prepared for the final round and am eagerly looking forward to clinch the title,” said Rohaan.
Clerk of the Course and young open-wheel formula racer Sandeep Kumar, has been doing a professional job attracting some kind comments from the parents, and his words of caution in the drivers’ briefing stressing the safety aspects at the beginning of the week-end double-header, keeping in mind the incident in Round 3, seems to have brought some sanity at the track. Despite less number of karters, the intense competition has made the job of stewards tough, as usual, and Sanjeev Shah too had a word of advice to the young racers and their parents along with Pandey and Chidanand, the FMSCI Stewards. “Yes it has been a difficult two days and the parents’ peer-pressure makes it more difficult for the young drivers. We are only trying to make it an even-playing field and safe and intense racing for all with due respect to rules and safety,” said Shah, the former rallyist and current Hon. Secretary of Karnataka Motor Sports Club.
Round 4 (At 1.2km Meco Kartopia, Bengaluru)
Cadet Class:
Race 1 (10 laps): 1. #5 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (11:12.669); 2. #4 Nikhilesh Raju (Bengaluru) (11:14.490); 3. #2 Vedha Vishnu (Gujarat) (11:26.755) 4. #3 Anuj A (Madurai) (11:33.753); 5. #7 Rohaan Reddy (Gujarat) 11:43.738; 6. #1 Zarah Mishra (11:15.476 lapped)
Fastest lap: Arafath Sheikh 1:03.307; Grid 6 karters.
Race 2 (10 laps): 1. #4 Nikhilesh Raju (Bengaluru) (10:44.070); 2. #5 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (10:55.877); 3. #3 Anuj A (Madurai) (10:56.214); 4. #1 Zaarah Misra (Bengaluru) (11:09.769); 5. #2 Vedha Vishnu (Gujarat) (11:20.298) 6. #7 Rohaan Reddy (Gujarat) (11:40.651 including 10-sec penalty). Fastest Lap: 1:03.190 by Arafath Sheikh. Grid 6 karters.
Junior Class
Race 1 (12 laps): 1. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:29.203); 2. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (11:29.706); 3. #17 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:32.336); 4. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (11:39.308); 5. #11 Abhay M (Bengaluru) (11:41.020).
Fastest lap: Ishaan Madesh 56.777. Grid: 10.
Race 2 (12 laps): 1. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (12:00.062); 2. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (12:06.107); 3. #11 Abhay M (Bengaluru) (12:06.220); 4. #16 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (12:06.690); 5. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (12:07.252); 6. #17 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (12:09.806 including 3-sec penalty for false start);
Fastest lap: Jaden R Pariat 56.563. Grid: 10.
Race 3 (12 laps): 1. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (11:26.489); 2. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (11:30.846); 3. #16 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (11:32.354); 4. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:33.803); 5. #17 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:34.651);
Fastest lap: Jaden R Pariat 56.643. Grid: 10.
Race 4 (12 laps): 1. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:30.530); 2. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (11:30.592); 3. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (11:32.287); 4. #16 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (11:32.731); 5. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) ( 11:33.854).
Fastest Lap: Jaden R Pariat 56.506. Grid: Ten karters.
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An island adventure for Team MRF Tyres in the ERC
San Miguel (Portugal), 16 Sept. 2021: Team MRF Tyres returns to the FIA European Rally Championship as the second half of the season gets underway with the Azores Rallye held in the Portuguese island of San Miguel.
WRC ace and multiple winner, Dani Sordo joins the team as the aggressive development push continues.
Cándido Carrera will sit beside Sordo in the MRF Tyres Hyundai i20 R5 for the first of the Portuguese rounds that takes place on the Azores archipelago, some two hours flying time off the Portuguese mainland.
The Azores Rallye sees the Championship return to gravel, and with the volcanic nature of the island, the surface will present a unique challenge to the crews.
With 13 stages and 201km of competitive action, the crews will face a series of long stages. To complicate matters, the weather on the Azores is notoriously fickle, where rain and fog can come and go at a moment’s notice.
The rally commences on Thursday with free practice and qualifying with a blast around the 3.12km Lagoa test, which will help determine the starting order for the Friday stages.
Friday takes the crews into the forest on the east of the island where the crews will face six stages and 111.90km of competitive action.
The drivers will have to concentrate from the first kilometres as a 24.03 km Graminhais test starts the rally. Immediately, the 21.89km Tronqueira 1 stage follows before the 15.96km Lagoa de São Brás completes the leg.
The first two stages are repeated in the afternoon loop but the final stage of the day is a run around the spectator super special stage of Grupo Marques.
Saturday is the final day of the 55th Azores Rallye and sees seven stages and 88.84km of competitive action. The day starts to the north of the Ponta Delgada service park with the 11.40km Coroa da Mata stage.
Feteiras follows at 7.46km before the legendary 24.01km Sete Cidades stage takes the crews around the edge of the volcano on the east of the island. A second run around the spectator super special stage ends the loop.
The final three stages are a repeat of the morning’s three stages, meaning that the rally will end on the spectacular Sete Cidades stage. Ending the rally on a 24.01km stage means that concentration is needed to the final metres.
Team MRF Tyres along with Sordo and Carrera will be looking for important data on this unique surface.
Fans on the Azores can spectate in a Covid-19 safe manor and those at home can follow each stage live on FIA ERC radio (www.fiaerc.com/live-radio).The pre-event press conference will be live-streamed on Thursday. Stages two and five will be streamed on Friday and stages nine and 13 will be streamed on Saturday. The FIA ERC will host their live streams on Facebook and YouTube.
You can follow Team MRF Tyres throughout the rally on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Quotes
Dani Sordo, Driver, Hyundai i20 R5“It is the first time that I am in the Azores and the first time I am with MRF Tyres. I have to say it looks amazing. I was happy with the conditions in testing and the MRF Tyres worked well.”
“I am happy to be here to help develop the tyres. They have a lot of potential and running here this weekend will gain a lot of data for the development.”
“Primarily we are here to develop the tyre but we also want to fight for a good result. I am looking forward to starting the rally.”
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Title protagonists collide and retire; Ricciardo rewarded
Daniel Ricciardo achieved his 8th career victory- his first since the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix, as Lando Norris finished in P2 to give McLaren their first 1-2 finish since 2012. Valtteri Bottas put in a sterling drive as he recovered to P3 from starting P19.
New Delhi, 13 Sept. 2021: Daniel Ricciardo claimed a dramatic victory ahead of teammate Lando Norris, in a race which saw title protagonists Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen collide and retire from the Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas did a solid recovery as he rounded out the podium, helping Mercedes extend their lead in the constructor’s championship over Red Bull. 2019 Italian GP winner Charles Leclerc finished in P4 as the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez had to settle for P5 due to a 5-second time penalty given for illegally overtaking the Monegasque. Carlos Sainz finished P6 to give home favorites Ferrari a double points finish ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in P7 and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso in P8. Williams’ George Russell crossed the line in P9- scoring points in the last three out of the four races, and Esteban Ocon rounded out the top 10.
Nicholas Latifi missed out on points as he finished P11 ahead of Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel. Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi failed to convert a top 10 start into points finish in consecutive races as he managed P13. Stand in teammate Robert Kubica was P14 and Mick Schumacher of Haas was the last finisher in P15. Both AlphaTauri’s of Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda did not figure in the race as the Frenchman retired on lap 3 and the rookie Japanese failed to start due to a problem with the braking system. Nikita Mazepin retired on lap 41.
Valterri Bottas, 3rd place, pats Ricciardo on his win on Sunday. McLaren photo Ricciardo got a superior launch off the line compared to Verstappen as the Australian was starting on the front row for the first time since the 2018 Mexican Grand Prix. Ricciardo assumed the lead of the race, meanwhile Hamilton starting P4- one place behind Norris, got superior traction exiting the first chicane and was already on the gearbox of Verstappen challenging for P2. Both title protagonists were side by side going into the second chicane, with the Dutchman on the inside. With not enough space to overtake on the outside Hamilton had to take the curbs ultimately falling back to P4 again behind Norris.
Meanwhile in the midfield, Leclerc maintained P5, with Giovinazzi wildly attempting to pass the Ferrari, then joining the track dangerously as the Ferrari of Sainz tagged the Italian spinning him due to which he lost his front wing. Giovinazzi duly got handed a 5 second time penalty.
Both McLarens held positions in the lead- courtesy of Ricciardo and Norris holding P3 ahead of fellow Brit Hamilton with both Mercedes and Red Bull unable to pass them. Behind them was Leclerc, Perez, Sainz, Stroll, Alonso and Latifi who completed the top 10.
For the leaders tyre performance started dropping on the medium tyres, the exception being Hamilton who started on the hard tyres and could go longer in the race. Ricciardo pitted on lap 22 for hard tyres, trying to avoid an undercut by Red Bull and Verstappen. The Dutchman followed suit one lap later, but a uncharacteristically slow stop by Red Bull meant he was stationary for 11.1s. Meanwhile, Hamilton passed Norris into the second chicane to assume the lead.
Mercedes saw an opportunity to capitalise on Verstappen’s slow pitstop and pitted Hamilton for Medium tyres. Hamilton too had a slightly slow pitstop of 4.2s. This meant Hamilton exited the pits just ahead of Verstappen. As they went into turn 1, the Red Bull was partially alongside Mercedes, but the gap closed going into turn 2. With Verstappen not backing out and there not being enough space for 2 cars, the RB16B hopped on the curbs and ended up on top of Hamilton’s W12, taking both drivers instantly out of the grand prix. Thankfully no one was hurt as the Halo once again highlighted its importance by protecting Hamilton’s head from the rear right tyre of Verstappen’s car.
A safety car was brought to recover the stricken cars with Leclerc, Perez and Bottas being able to pit under safety car and benefitting from it, particularly Leclerc who was now in P2 ahead of Norris.
As racing got underway, Ricciardo had the perfect restart as he led the race. Norris put a daring move on Leclerc, dipping a wheel off track and overtaking the Ferrari car. Behind Perez too got past Leclerc, but in the process cut the second chicane and did not concede back the position, as a result earning a 5 second time penalty. Bottas overtook Leclerc as well.
Both McLarens held a 1-2 position for the team, while Perez was running in P3 and hot on his tail was Bottas running in P4. Even though Bottas had superior pace he was unable to overtake, though earning a podium due to Perez’s penalty. Bu the day belonged to Ricciardo and McLaren as he looked to overcome his early season struggles and take a memorable win and 1-2 for the team, incidentally first 1-2 of the season for any team this year.
Mercedes clearly had the dominant car in both qualifying and race trim. The silver arrows locked out the front row in qualifying and Bottas comfortably won the sprint race. This was a race of what could have been as mistakes from Hamilton meant he was unable to capitalise on the W12’s pace advantage, while the coming together of him and Verstappen meant neither could score points. Neither did Red Bull have the pace to challenge Mercedes especially in qualifying nor were they operationally smooth this weekend as bad starts and slow pitstop meant Verstappen’s chances for victory were all but over. Perez too had a dismal qualifying and his mistake meant Red Bull still have not appeared on a Monza podium in the turbo-hybrid era.
McLaren were best of the rest and a step ahead of their immediate rivals Ferrari. They may not have had the raw pace to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull, but once they got ahead, they had enough in hand to not be overtaken by the top two teams. This was down to two reason, first being McLaren had good top end speed owing to the Mercedes power unit and second Monza track characteristics are such that it is difficult to overtake cars. Ferrari had a much better result compared to last year as both cars finished in the top 6. This race showed they have made gains in the power unit department. Yet, they lost ground to McLaren due to them getting a 1-2 finish. AlphaTauri had the worst weekend of the season as both cars were out by lap 3 of the race. They were the only team this season to score points in all races. They were arguably faster in qualifying, as Gasly qualified ahead of the Ferrari’s but attrition and unreliability striking to some components meant they scored nil.
Alpine achieved another double points finish but admittedly lacked the pace to challenge for higher points. Their race pace competitive but struggled in qualifying as they were knocked out in Q2. Aston Martin had predicted Monza to be a struggle as the Silverstone based team had not developed a Monza specification aerodynamic package and carried too much drag on their car. Even so, an impressive result for Stroll who finished P7 and maximised the potential of the car. Williams struggled in qualifying as Russell barely made it out of Q1 and Latifi was knocked out. Their race pace was on the better side but the midfield being so tight, only Russell managed P9 while Latifi finished just outside the top 10 in P11.
Alfa Romeo showed impressive qualifying pace in the hands of Giovinazzi as he made it to Q3. They were unable to capitalise in the race as the Italian got spun on the first lap and Kubica- who stood in for the ill Kimi Raikkonen- is still yet to get completely comfortable with the car. Haas teammates Mazepin and Schumacher once again came together on track and the chance for scoring any points this year looks bleak.
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Double delight for Team MRF Tyres: Italian Gravel Rally
Chennai, 12 Sept 2021: Team MRF Tyres secured second and third places on the podium as MRF Tyres also won the Female Championship in the Italian Gravel Rally Championship (CIRT).
Team MRF Tyres continued its podium winning form in the Italian Gravel Rally Championship (CIRT) and the Rally dei Nuraghi e del Vermentino. The fifth round of the CIRT saw seven stages and 68.08km of competitive action with Paolo Andreucci/Rudy Briani in their Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, Simone Campedelli/Gianfrancesco Rappa in their VW Polo GTi R5 and Tamara Molinaro/Piercarlo Capolongo in their Citroën C3 Rally2 propelling Team MRF Tyres to podium finishes.
Going into the rally, the team was in a strong position after winning the previous round and had high expectations of a good result and gathering important tyre data.
The rally started well for Team MRF Tyres with the first two stages, Telti being run twice on Friday night. Campedelli/Rappa had won SS2, while Andreucci/Briani were equal leaders of the rally at the end of the day. Saturday had the bulk of the competitive action and the fight was intense.
Podium for Andreucci Paolo, left, and Briani Rudi, of Team MRF Tyres. Photo: INDIAinF1.com Andreucci/Briani pushed hard, winning SS4 Oschiri 1 and SS7 Monte Olia 3. Throughout the rally, they were inside the top three on every stage, ensuring they were in the mix. Campedelli/Rappa were also putting in a strong performance winning SS3 Monte Olia 1 and finishing second on the rest of the day’s stages.
These performances ensured that the gaps at the top of the timesheets were tight. Going into the final stage, the top three were separated by less than 10 seconds with Team MRF Tyres drivers fighting hard with Umberto Scandola/Danilo Fappani.
By the end of SS7, the final stage of the rally, Team MRF Tyres drivers fought to within 3.5 seconds of the win, with the top three being separated by incredibly small margins.
A technical problem for Campedelli/Rappa after the final stage saw them check-in to a time control late, taking a 20-second penalty in the process. However, the podium success for Team MRF Tyres could not be denied with Andreucci/Briani taking second and Campedelli/Rappa finishing third.
Paolo Andreucci, Driver, Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, “It was a great rally and I am happy to be able to take a podium position with Team MRF Tyres. The car worked well throughout the rally and we were always at the front. “We were able to take another podium position and get more data for the tyres. Thanks to the team for the weekend and I am looking forward to the final round of the season.”
Meanwhile, Molinaro/Capolongo ran a strong rally in their Citroën, maintaining their 100 percent winning form in the Female category. The result allowed the pair to take home the Female Championship, one round before the end of the season. Bringing the car home on every stage with consistent pace, they were able to finish inside the top 10 in the CIRT and, in addition, took fourth position in the Under 25 category. Tamara Molinaro, Driver, Citroën C3 Rally2, said “We had some technical issues during the rally so we lost time with that. It was a challenging rally but we gained a lot of experience and won the Female Championship with one rally to spare so that is fantastic. A big thanks must go to MRF Tyres this year as well! The tyres worked well through the rally and allowed us to get this result.”
One round remains in the CIRT with the 12th Liburna Terra Rally taking place on 5-6 November. Team MRF Tyres will be in action again this week with the fifth round of the 2021 FIA European Rally Championship as Dani Sordo and Cándido Carrera join Team MRF Tyres to drive the Hyundai i20 R5 in the Azores Rallye.
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Ricciardo promises Bottas, a shoey: Post-race press meet
DRIVERS who attended the post-race press conference on Sunday at Monza: 1 – Daniel RICCIARDO (McLaren); 2 – Lando NORRIS (McLaren); 3 – Valtteri BOTTAS (Mercedes).
TRACK INTERVIEWS: (Conducted by David Coulthard)
Q: Valtteri not a bad weekend for you, first in the sprint yesterday and third today from the back of the grid. Talk us through the race?
Valtteri BOTTAS: Yeah, starting from the back it’s never easy. I told the team that I was going to be on the podium today and that’s what we did. I’m glad that we got more points than Red Bull and yeah, otherwise we maximised from where I started. Obviously a shame with the crash between Lewis and Max, we lost some points there, but from my side it was good fun.
Q: You mention that crash. Did you see it at all on the big screens?
VB: I didn’t see really what happened.
Q: We’ve got a replay for you if you want to see it for the first time. Any initial comments?
VB: I don’t know. It’s unfortunate.
Q: I understand it takes time to digest. Ahead of the next race weekend I guess you now just focus on finishing out your career with Mercedes with the best possible results?
VB: Yeah, thanks. A strong weekend from my side, the pace has been good, so it will be nice to have one week of rest and then we’ll go again.
Q: Lando, big smile! A very important day for McLaren, and amazingly McLaren is the only team to get a one-two this season. I know you would have preferred that you were winning it but it’s a big moment for the team and your journey with them.
Lando NORRIS: Yeah, first of all big thanks to everyone, all the fans, all the team. We’ve had a pretty awesome weekend. I don’t know, what four years I joined the team and we’ve been working towards this and we got a one-two finally. A good step for us. I’m happy for Daniel getting the win and me in P2. Just happy for the team.
Q: That’s great, but you are a racer and we heard you on the radio giving Daniel the hurry-up. Was there a moment where you were hoping that maybe it could be like earlier in the year, in Imola, where Daniel moved to one side and could come through for the victory?
LN: Of course. You’ve been in that position before, where you want to go for it but I’m also here for the long-term, I’m here for the team. I don’t know, it could have ended up like the other two ended up. I’m just happy. I’m happy finishing second. I’m happy for Daniel in first place. I’ll have my chance in the future, It’s all good.
Q: Daniel Ricciardo, you’re a winner again?
Daniel RICCIARDO: Can I swear?
Q: No, you can’t.
DR: About [blank] time!
Q: This is crucial. This is where it really happened for you at the start. Talk us through it.
DR: Yeah, i mean obviously it worked well for me yesterday and I knew… To be honest, even if we got the start there was never a guarantee we would lead the whole race, but I was able to hold firm out front during the first stint. I wouldn’t say we had mega speed but it was enough to keep Max behind and then, I don’t know, there were safety cars and this and that. To lead literally from start to finish, I don’t think any of us expected that. But I don’t know, there was something in me on Friday. I knew something good was to come. Let’s just say that.
Q: Whatever that was that was in you on Friday, you want to keep some of that for the next events. This is a big day of celebration for you as a driver and for McLaren as a team on the way back. We’ve been waiting for you to show this kind of pace and performance. Put us in the car. The last couple of races have been strong for you.
DR: Yeah, I’ve just been sandbagging the whole year! You know, thirds, fourths, fifths, you might as well just win. That’s what I did! You know, honestly, the August break is good, just to reset. I’ve felt better the last three weekends. To not only win, but to get a one-two, it’s insane! For McLaren to be on the podium is huge, let alone a one-two. This is for team papaya. For once, I’m lost for words.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Huge congratulations Daniel, just give us an idea of what this means to you?
DR: Umm… It’s… Phew… Probably that! I don’t know. I’ve done a few interviews since the race and I probably said something different for each interview. Like, today was something but the whole year has been something. Something like a little foreign for me, something that’s been more challenging I think than I’ve had before. Obviously everyone sees. We’re an international sport so everyone has been aware of some of the struggles I’ve had this year. I think to come back from that, not only to win but as a team to get a one-two… I don’t know. It’s crazy. I think after Friday… even before Friday, but I knew after Friday that we had something this weekend. I think that’s why I was so kind of like just fired up because I knew it could have been a little bit better and I just didn’t want to waste that opportunity and obviously I haven’t had that many this year, or put myself in that position, so yeah, I think from that moment on it was pretty much on.
Q: How important is this win for you?
DR: It means everything. I definitely try not to, like, make or dictate my life happiness around the sport, because it’s been three and a half years since I won, so I’d be pretty miserable most of the time if I just based my happiness on winning races. I think, like, through it all and a lot has happened since Monaco 2018, so to be back here in this moment that’s why we love the sport. It makes all those crappier days worth it and it’s as simple as that. There’s a high that you get from this moment right now that… I’ll probably watch this interview in a few days and I’ll be like: ‘Oh, I actually said that?’ I’m still floating right now to be honest. That’s what it does. And that’s what draws you back. It’s wild.
VB: It’s the wine.
DR: Ha! Valtteri thinks it’s the bubbly. There is probably a bit of that. It’s just wild but I certainly… There have been lows this year but deep down I never lost faith or the belief. I think I also just needed to step back and I think that’s where having some time off in August helped. I truly think that helped this weekend get to this position.
Q: Tell us about the pace of the car in the race? How comfortable were you early on, in the lead, when all of the frontrunners were still in the race?
DR: I think once I knew Max was… There were some laps where he pushed up closer but I never really had to properly defend. He was there but I knew if I didn’t make a mistake it was going to be hard for him to… Unless he kind of sent a little bit of a Hail Mary, it was going to be tough for him to pass. I think where I felt I was a little vulnerable was at the end of that stint, where the tyres were going off, but I believe the others were suffering as well. So in my head I was thinking we were going to be vulnerable in that moment. I pitted and I think everyone else pitted as well, so I think we were all struggling at the same moment. And it was then, when we came back out in the lead, then I was like ‘alright, we’ve got this today’, like unless something unfortunate happens we can really win this race. From that moment on it was like… I think that’s when any last bit of belief you need you top it up and you’re like ‘alright, someone is going to have to take it from me today, because otherwise we’re winning this thing’.
Q: Very well done, Daniel, thank you. Lando, many congratulations. Your fifth podium ion Formula and your best result in F1 so far. Give us a flavour of what this means to you?
LN: I don’t know where to start. I think it is incredible. To be honest I don’t know what it means to me. The main thing it means to me is our resolve as a team. Whether I’m second, third or first, I think the best thing is having that one-two for the team and securing maximum points and it’s just such a cool feeling to be part of this. A bit lost for words in a way but I’m happy for myself, to be here again, to have executed the race the way we did, with the overtakes and the strategy and the defending. But yeah, happy for Daniel and the whole team because it’s a pretty awesome achievement for all of us.
Q: Well Lando, tell us about some of that defensive driving you had to do. Particularly against Lewis Hamilton early in the race.
LN: Yeah, I think I had a good warm-up for that yesterday with 18 laps trying to defend from him. I could figure him out quite quickly, where he was going to strong and weak and so on, and he was on the hard tyre, so for the majority of it, I could hold him off reasonably easily but the last two or three laps of the stint, the hard tyre started to come back to him quite a bit – or the mediums started to drop away so he actually got past me, he then boxed and we overcut him straight away. So, it was… just the whole race was stressful, not going to lie. There was not one moment where I thought I could relax and just chill-out a little bit. But that definitely makes it a bit more special, more worthwhile to kind of have to really work for it, and end up in this position to get past Charles as well on the restart, and so on. Yeah, definitely makes it more worthwhile, so a tough race, maybe made a little bit easier in the middle after the pitstops with what happened – but it still wasn’t easy with what happened but still wasn’t easy from that point on, we still had to work quite hard for it. Yeah.
Q: Lando, you say you’re hugely proud of the team result, and rightly so, but when you got the radio message to hold station, what was your reaction? Was there even a little bit of you thinking of disobeying that order?
LN: No. I got a bit closer on one lap and I just kinda… I don’t know why… I had a few flashes seeing the incident between Max and Lewis – because I saw it quite well in my mirrors, so when I thought maybe I’ll try, that was flashing up in my head and I thought naaah, maybe this isn’t the wisest decision! So, I would have loved to but, like I said, I’m just as happy in a way, like as much as I would have loved to go for the win, just finishing first and second, I’m just as happy with. The feeling I get for the win is the priority over my own feeling in a way. I’m here for many years, I hope, especially with McLaren and with the whole team, so I feel like I still have an opportunity in the future to try and go for it but in this moment and instance, I was happy just staying where I was.
Q: And Lando, you had your first experience of a shooey up there on the podium…
LN: …and, last. I hope.
…can you understand why it’s become a bit of a thing?
LN: No!
DR: It was delicious. Tell the fans what they want to hear. It was delicious! Make them envious…
LN: It was… yeah… tasted alright. Not a big fan of that kind of drink anyway, so I wouldn’t… when you have the addition of it coming out of a shoe. From Daniel. Where his sweaty foot’s been for the last two hours. That’s really not something I advise for other people to try ever, and I hope I never have to do it again. But I did say. I think we said, at the beginning of the year or sometime that if we were on the podium together I would do it, so I stood by it and was happy to do it. Zak did it as well. I think he really did love it. It was cool, a cool experience. It’s a good memory for everyone. As much as I hated it, I did enjoy it.
Q: Valtteri, no shooey for you up there on the podium?
DR: He’s done one before.
VB: No! Never done it! Always managed to dodge it.
LN: Sneaky guy.
DR: Didn’t you do it in Baku?
VB: No, I managed to…
DR: No way! I thought you’d done it! That’s why I didn’t give it to you.
VB: It’s not my thing!
DR: Ah c’mon, you’re dating an Australian now! You have to have some sort of…
VB: We don’t have shooey’s at home, y’know!
DR: Aw, I’m sorry.
VB: Don’t be sorry! I’m happy!
DR: Next time!
Q: Well Valtteri, that was a huge race for you. When was the last time you went from 19th to third?
VB: Never, I think. I think it was probably the most positions gained, maybe in my career. I don’t know, I’m not the best with statistics but yeah. And honestly, although some people might think it’s easy to overtake here in Monza but actually it isn’t. When there’s a few cars in a row it’s not that easy, so I’m happy at the progress we could make today and, of course, we did have a good car, good pace and good strategy, starting with the hard tyre in my case was definitely the right choice and could go along and take the opportunities and then, once we went to the medium it was time to attack and push. Just at the very end the medium started to push a bit but by then things started to stabilise but overall I did everything I could today and this weekend overall. So, for that, I’m happy.
Q: Was there ever a moment on the medium tyre where you thought the win was on?
VB: When I was progressing quite quickly, in the beginning of the medium and then I could see both of the McLarens were actually pretty close and I was catching. Then once I was behind Pérez and really in the train, of course I was trying everything I could – but of course the last few laps, the tyre started to drop and that was it. But I think it would have been tricky to get past the McLarens. Honestly, they’ve been strong all weekend and they have their strengths, especially on the straight line and, like yesterday, Lewis, he was trying everything he could but couldn’t get by so I honestly think it was the maximum today we could reach.
VIDEO CONFERENCE
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Daniel, first of all congratulations on the victory. First of all, at the start of the race, getting alongside Max, how good was that start, what was key to getting alongside the Red Bull. And also, the moment just after the Safety Car restart where the team asked you to increase your pace. What had you been doing before that? Was it just a case of trying to keep the tyres alive at that stage to ensure you made the finish?
DR: So the start, I mean obviously it worked well. I don’t want to say I did anything different. Obviously every start you do, you try to have the best start possible. I think I made a really good start yesterday and yeah, I guess I just took confidence from that. I tried not to think about Lewis’ bad start from P2 – because sometimes you do get a grid offset, like left side is better than right, or something – I just used everything I had yesterday and that knowledge of executing a good one. And it worked today. It didn’t feel that great off the line but I guess having the medium tyre today was maybe not as good as a soft yesterday so that was that, and I saw once I got momentum on Max it was crucial. From that point I wasn’t sure if I could keep him behind, or what. But just tried to settle into a rhythm. Then, like the race pace, yeah, we knew it was a one-stop. I think there were definitely laps where I was going too slow, so then I would pick it up and just try to find that balance. Because you… yeah… I’m not going to say any more. It was in control.
Q: (Alan Baldwin – Reuters) Daniel, I wanted to ask you about that number three car, that Dale Earnhardt car that Zak promised to let you drive if you got on the podium this season. How excited are you to be given that chance? Where are you going to do it? And do you get any bonus for actually winning rather than just being on the podium?
DR: I’m like, maybe he gives me the car? I think it was always a podium, I get to drive it. We never talked about a win, so I gave him my shoe that he drank out of, so maybe he gives me the car. It’s a good trade. Yeah, there’s like a couple of things today, like two heroes: Dale Earnhardt, big hero of mine, and to have a chance to get behind the wheel of one of his cars is crazy. That will certainly be a ‘pinch me’ moment. The other one… I’m sorry if I sound a bit self-absorbed now but when I think of McLaren I think of Senna. That’s the early memories and I’ve seen you know, like the trophies in the cabinet at the MTC and to have a winning trophy now with my name in pretty much the same cabinet is crazy. These are like two little things today that I certainly appreciate and they are two little surreal moments that I guess have hit me.
Q: (Edd Straw – The Race) Question for Daniel. Obviously you’ve talked about how hard this season has been, but have you cracked it with this car now? Is it coming properly naturally or is there still a little bit more to come and it still will vary a little bit by circuit? How far along are you in that process now?
DR: Closer. Definitely closer. I think there is still more to come. I don’t know if you will ever find anything but that’s obviously the way the sport is. The sport evolves and changes and you are trying to keep up with it. Just inside myself I’ve felt better since the second half of the season and that doesn’t always need to translate into lap times. It’s just me throwing the car round, feeling a bit more comfortable with it, that’s stuff I know. I don’t think all of it has translated yet into the stopwatch but there is certainly a bit more comfort and confidence that’s coming through from myself. I just look to keep building on that. I think we will get tracks that suit, some that don’t, but I would like to think the second half of the season there will be some more consistency and hopefully more of these type of results.
Q: (Scott Mitchell – The Race) Daniel, you talked a bit there about how beneficial this is and where it’s come from. Competitively as a driver, I just wondered what this performance and the win means for you personally because it’s obviously been a difficult first half of the season. I can imagine it must have been quite mentally and emotionally taxing at times. So how does it feel from that regard?
DR: Yeah. It feels… I don’t know what the word is. It feels not good… or it feels good, but it’s like… It’s reassuring, I think, for me and things like… I like believe in myself obviously. I think everyone does to get to this point, but I’ve certainly been challenged this year. The sport is like a tricky one, it’s not so black and white, I guess and sometimes you do struggle to find some answers but I think you have to like stay on course and stay true to the course and it’s like… you can easily get lost as well, but I think, you know, deep down I would have moments of frustration or moments of yeah, dropping my head, but I kind of made a point never to let that last. I also made a point to try and gain something from it and learn from it. Yeah, there’s been days this year where I’ve definitely haven’t loved it but I’ve had those days pretty much every year you know, like they happen. I think there’s probably just been more this year but that’s… I don’t resent those feelings either. I think like those things make you definitely appreciate the good days but also they make you understand some internal questions within yourself and how much you want it and how much it means to you. Yeah, for like moment you fall out of love with the sport but actually the clarity you get afterwards it kind of makes you realise how much you do love it and how much you want it. I think that’s been the biggest thing this weekend and you would have it…. To fight for a podium and yeah, like the want really kind of shone through and I that’s… when it gets to that point and that level it’s, yeah, I would back myself to the hilt.
Q: Various journalists have asked about Emma Raducanu’s victory in the US Open. She’s a Formula 1 fan and can we just get your thoughts on her achievement in New York, and perhaps Daniel we could start with you because she has gone on record as saying you’re her favourite Formula 1 driver?
DR: Thank you Emma. I feel very confident answering this question because I watched the whole game last night. I can say it now, I’m not going shy away from it. I went to bed at probably quarter to one because I couldn’t turn it off, it was awesome. I was like ‘ah, I’ll watch the start’ and then I watched it all, so it was amazing, it was phenomenal and it’s awesome that she’s a fan of the sport, I think more than anything. I appreciate the love for me Emma, but I think also like seeing her last night (she) was not like overwhelmed by the stage and just kind of taking it all in and like playing with aggression and I think just backing yourself, as I touched on before. That’s so powerful and it was cool. That’s why I’m a fan of sport, I love all types of sports because you can gain knowledge from it, you can learn from other sports and the mindset, whether it’s the way to play or… I don’t know. It’s pretty awesome, so congrats to you Emma. You killed it.
LN: I can also confirm I fell victim to a late night of staying up to watch the tennis. I would never have watched ever, a full game of tennis until last night. It was actually just a lot more enjoyable than I thought. It was pretty cool. I watched it from start to finish, maybe that’s why we had a good day, maybe we need to watch a tennis game, she has to play every Saturday night! I think she’s obviously done the country proud as well. I guess it’s relatable to me in a way from just my age, coming into Formula 1, for her age, going into the big stage of tennis. The confidence and ability she showed on that stage to perform and do such a job that she did against so many of the world’s greatest, I think, is a pretty incredible achievement from her, so congrats to her and I’m sure she’ll continue to create many more records.
VB: I haven’t seen the game. I didn’t actually know it was on, but it sounds good. Congrats.
DR: (Laughter) I love your honesty.
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Daniel, just what you said earlier about the feeling you have with the car after qualifying on Friday night. I know you said you were internally frustrated to miss third place but what did feel so good? Why did you think the package was strong and why did you think something really good was possible?
DR: I guess a combination of factors. I think this circuit seems to suit the McLaren well. It did last year. I wasn’t driving it last year but I obviously witnessed the result the team had. So I knew that we could come into the weekend with some confidence with that alone and then probably two things with me, like just loving the circuit. I’ve always loved this track, it’s always been a fun one, it’s one that I typically gelled well with and then that combined with feeling better, you know, with the car, more recently and feeling a bit more comfortable and confident with it, so kind of all these things created that and then yeah, I think with Friday being so close… I don’t know, sometimes I just get angry, like it’s top three was so close and I think my lap was OK but there’s always parts where you’re like I could have done better. I don’t know. Sometimes I just flip. I certainly have a bit of rage and as I said at the time, I think it will be a blessing in disguise and I think I used it to my advantage for the rest of the weekend.
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Delightful win for Ricciardo after 3 years; McLaren’s first win since 2010
Monza, 12 Sept 2021: Daniel Ricciardo took his first Formula 1 in more than three years and McLaren’s first since 2012 at the end of a dramatic Italian Grand in which a collision involving Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton saw both title contenders exit the race. With Lando Norris following Ricciardo home to hand McLaren it’s first one-two finish since 2010, Valtteroi Bottas claimed third after a battling driver from the back of the grid.
The pre-race script had front-row starter Ricciardo as a character actor in the drama to be played out between pole sitter and championship leader Max Verstappen and title rival Lewis Hamilton who was starting from fifth.
But as soon as the lights went out at the start Ricciardo rose to a starring role. Verstappen got a poor getaway and Ricciardo surged forward to claim the lead as the field went into the first chicane. Verstappen slotted into second and Hamilton, who had made a good start, took third place.
As the leaders streamed towards the second chicane the Mercedes driver and the Red Bull were side by side. But in the tight confines of the corner both were forced wide. And while Verstappen managed to keep second, Hamilton cut the corner and conceded third place to Norris.
Behind them a collision between Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz brought out the Virtual Safety Car. Sainz managed to hold sixth place but as Giovinazzi limped back to the pit lane Sergio Perez climbed to seventh.
The Mexican soon began to pressure his Spanish rival and on lap 9 he got close enough to plot a move. As the pair approached the Variante della Roggia he pulled across and drew alongside the Ferrari. He managed to get a nose in front on the entry to the corner and emerged with sixth place in the bag.
At the front, despite applying intense pressure neither Verstappen nor Hamilton could get past the McLarens, both of which were running in clear air, and on lap 18 Verstappen was still a second back from Ricciardo and five seconds clear of Norris who had a second in hand over Hamilton.
With his tyres fading, Ricciardo dived for the pits at the end of lap 22. Verstappen was released into the lead and clean air but with his tyres also wearing out the Dutchman headed for the pit lane at the end of the following lap.
And there the championship leader’s race began to quickly unravel. A problem with the front-right wheel saw the Red Bull driver sit in his pit box for almost 11 seconds and he emerged in ninth position, behind Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.
Behind him, Hamilton managed to get past Norris and took the race lead. The Mercedes driver then made his first p[it stop, but bizarrely the Briton also suffered a slow stop and when he emerged from the pit lane it was into the path of Verstappen.
The title contenders went into the first chicane almost side by side and just as with their lap one clash neither backed out. This time though the battle resulted in a collision as V erstappen hit the kerbs and then the driven left wheel of Hamilton’s car. The Red Bull was launched into the air and landed on top of the Mercedes, with the result that both ended up in the gravel and out of the race.
The Safety Car was released and that resulted in a flood of cars heading for the pit lane for a free stop. Perez was among those taking on new tyres and he emerged in fourth place behind race leader Ricciardo, Norris and Leclerc.
When racing resumed and the McLaren’s held the top two spots Perez went on the attack and on lap 34 he muscled past the Ferrari as they went through the first chicane. He got the job done by rattling across the kerbs, however, and was soon handed a five-second time penalty for gaining a lasting advantage. Behind the Mexican, Bottas also passed Leclerc and began to apply pressure on the Red Bull. Perez defended well, however, and managed to hold on to the place.
At the front, Ricciardo marched on and after 53 laps he took a surprise but well-earned win ahead of McLaren team-mate Lando Norris. Checo crossed the line third but with his time penalty applied he dropped to fifth behind third-placed Bottas and Leclerc. Sixth place went to Sainz, with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll seventh ahead of Alpine’s Fernando Alonso, Williams’ George Russell and the second Alpine of Esteban Ocon.
2021 FIA Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix – Race
1 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren
2 Lando Norris McLaren 1.747
3 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 4.921
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 7.309
5 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 8.723
6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 10.535
7 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 15.804
8 Fernando Alonso Alpine 17.201
9 George Russell Williams 19.742
10 Esteban Ocon Alpine 20.868
11 Nicholas Latifi Williams 23.743
12 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 24.621
13 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 27.216
14 Robert Kubica Alfa Romeo 29.769
15 Mick Schumacher Haas 51.088
Nikita Mazepin Haas
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri
Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri -
Bagnaia battles Marquez for stunning maiden win at MotorLand
Aragon, 12 Sept 2021: He’s been close before, but Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) is now a MotoGP race winner. In a true all-time classic at the Gran Premio TISSOT de Aragon, the Italian went toe-to-toe with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in a stunner of a duel, finding an answer for every attack as the eight-time World Champion tried, tried and tried again. Repelling the final assault as the number 93 headed through but wide, Bagnaia was able to cross the line with just over half a second in hand to take his first premier class win in impeccable style. Marquez nevertheless got back on the podium for the second time this year and gave us an incredible show, with reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) locking out the rostrum in third.
As the lights went out, polesitter Bagnaia got away well and held on for the holeshot, with teammate Jack Miller going in a bit deep at Turn 1 and that allowing Marc Marquez to grab P2 after a lightning start for the number 93. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was up to P4, with Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) losing out and down to fifth 5th. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) then crashed at Turn 5, rider ok.
As Bagnaia and Marc Marquez led the train away, Quartararo was struggling. Both Mir and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) passed the Frenchman next as he slipped towards the clutches of eighth place Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), but nobody in the early stages was showing their cards, with only 2.2 seconds covering the top six.
Just outside that top six remained Quartararo, however. By now, the Frenchman had the rapid starting Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) climbing all over him, and at the end of Lap 6, the number 27 was through. A couple of laps later, another KTM was ahead as Binder followed Lecuona after the Spaniard had despatched him too, and Quartararo was suddenly down to P9.
With eight laps gone, the cards were beginning to appear on the table. Bagnaia and Marquez were just over a second clear of Miller in third, and that advantage was soon up to nearly two with 13 to go. Miller headed wide at Turn 16 not long after too, allowing Aleix Espargaro and Mir to cut through. The reigning World Champion then managed to despatch the Aprilia to take over in third, but the gap to Pecco and Marquez was now nearly three and a half seconds.
To compound the gap, the pace was far from slowing. The two leaders were exchanging 1:48s lap after lap, with the rest in the 1:49s and below. They’d carved out a 4.3s lead over Mir and Aleix Espargaro with nine laps to go, but then it was into tyre life territory. Would that play a role? With five to go though, there was no change, with both riders still in the 1:48s… and it seemed it was going to the finish.
With four laps left, the pressure from Marquez was ramping up. Getting closer and closer until he was glued on, a lap later the first move finally came. The Honda rider went for a lunge into Turn 5, but he was in a little hot and slightly wide, Pecco replying unflustered to get back into the lead. So Marquez next shoved his RC213V up the inside at Turn 15, but again, the Italian got the cutback and held P1. Two down, how many to go?
On the penultimate lap, another. An exact copy and paste at Turn 5, Marquez again lunged late and again got a quick reply. The exact same thing happened at Turn 15 too, and again, Bagnaia carved back past. And so it was going down to some final lap fireworks…
This time, Marquez tried his luck at Turn 1, but that didn’t stick either. So, of course, Turn 5 saw another lunge for the third lap in a row, with the exact same result. That made six attempts from the number 93, each of which had been on to try but each of which had been greeted with a swift reply.
Marquez is Marquez though, so a seventh attempt then came at Turn 12. The number 93 got a great run out of his own namesake Marc Marquez Corner and was up the inside at the downhill left-hander, not a move he’d tried yet but ultimately one that wasn’t going to work either. Struggling to get it hooked up to the apex, Marquez was wide and onto the green, and Pecco needed no second invitation to sweep back past, keep it pinned and finally gain a few metres of breathing space.
From there the Italian made no mistake and crossed the line to complete a perfect weekend: pole position to maiden MotoGP™ victory, the eighth winner of 2021, defeating Marc Marquez on his home turf. His victory is also the 250th for Italy in the premier class, adding Francesco Bagnaia next to a little chapter of a rich history. Emotional in parc ferme, Bagnaia was just sublime on Sunday at Aragon.
Marquez threw absolutely everything at it as he sought that seventh win at MotorLand though, coming up just six tenths short. Still, it’s another podium and a leading role in an all-time classic, as well 20 points to add to his tally – and he’ll likely sleep rather well knowing he left it all out there, seven times.
Behind, Mir kept it tidy in third to take his fifth rostrum of 2021, in some space alone as he escaped Aleix Espargaro but couldn’t get onto terms with Bagnaia and Marquez. Aleix Espargaro’s P4 is another excellent ride from the Spaniard though, and he’s the top Independent Team rider. Miller couldn’t recover ground later on and finished a lonely fifth.
Reigning Moto2™ World Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) claims sixth for his best premier class result, putting the cherry on top of an impressive weekend. The rookie beat Binder by just 0.3s, and both escaped Quartararo by a good margin. A tricky day at the office for the World Championship leader and his second worst result of the season sees his lead cut, but it’s still a healthy 53 points with five races to go.
Martin took P9 less than a tenth behind Quartararo too, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) 10th in the same pack as Bastianini, an earlier sparring partner, was able to break away from the Japanese rider. Lecuona made a mistake with a handful of laps to go that saw the Spaniard slip outside the top 10, but it was nevertheless a great ride from the 21-year-old and a stunning early charge.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) pocketed P12 from P20 on the grid, gaining some ground, and it was a quieter day for Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) in P13, just ahead of Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and 15th place Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing).
Cal Crutchlow (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) were P16 and P17 respectively, with Maverick Viñales taking P18 on his Aprilia Racing Team Gresini debut. Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) were the final finishers, with Jake Dixon (Petronas Yamaha SRT) joining Alex Marquez in the DNFs, crashing out on Lap 2 and rider also ok.
RESULTS
So, a magnificent MotorLand battle sees Bagnaia finally claim that illustrious first MotoGP™ win. Next up: his home race at Misano. Remember that time he disappeared in the lead and then crashed? The Italian will be looking for a replay of the first half, and has never seemed less likely to recreate the second… save the date as MotoGP™ gets ready to take on the Riviera di Rimini.MotoGP Top-3:
1 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 41:44.422
2 Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda – +0.673
3 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +3.911
Top Independent Team rider
4 Aleix Espargaro – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini – Aprilia – +9.269 -
Anish Shetty, Deepak Ravikumar post maiden wins
Chennai, 12 Sept 2021: Bengaluru-based Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts) pulled off a well-deserved win, if a bit fortuitous, his first of the season in the premier Prostock 301-400cc category as the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 concluded at the MMRT, here on Sunday.
Also scoring his maiden win of the 2021 season was Deepak Ravikumar who led a 1-2 finish for TVS Racing with championship leader Jagan Kumar in tow ahead of Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Senthil Kumar. The lead Honda rider, Rajiv Sethu, who was eyeing a possible win, crashed after making contact with Senthil in the last lap and eventually finished a distant ninth which fetched him one point.
Earlier, Chennai’s Ryhana Bee (RACR) and Thrissur lad Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing) won in the Girls and Novice (Stock 165cc) categories, respectively.
The Prostock 301-400cc race was action-packed. With several front-runners, including championship leader Rajini Krishnan (RACR) crashing out in the latter part of the eight-lap race, the door was open for Anish Shetty, astride a KTM RC390, to seize the opportunity to win from TVS Racing’s KY Ahamed, the defending champion, and Hyderabad’s Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing).
Rajini, winner of three consecutive races, crashed at the last corner on the sixth lap soon after surviving a contact on the back sweep with TVS Racing’s Deepak Ravikumar whose challenge thus ended.
Despite the poor result, Rajini continues to occupy the top spot in the championship stakes with 75 points while Anish Shetty (63) moved to second position, followed by Rahil Shetty (58).
The expected TVS vs Honda battle in the Prostock 165cc race flickered for a while with Jagan, Rajiv and Ravikumar swapping lead. The trio was bunched close together with Senthil lurking in their shadow. With a couple of the eight laps left, Ravikumar forged ahead while behind him, Rajiv and Senthil tangled which took out the former, leaving Jagan to snatch P2 while Senthil completed the podium.
The result still left Jagan in the championship lead with a tally of 93 points, well clear of Ravikumar (67) and Rajiv Sethu (56).
Earlier, Ryhana Bee chalked up her second consecutive win in the Girls category, while pushing front-runner Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing) from Puducherry to second place. Mumbai’s Jagruthi Penkar (Sparks Racing) completed the podium. Defending champion Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing), who had won all four races last season, crashed again as she did in last month’s first round and is still to open her account.
Meanwhile, Chennai riders Kavin Quintal (NSF 250R) and Kevin Kannan (Hornet 2.0) notched their fourth straight win while Bokaro Steel City’s Prakash Kamath (Honda CBR 150) achieved a double in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup One-make Championship organised by the MMSC.
Kolhapur’s 12-year old Jinendra Kiran Sangave also recorded his fourth consecutive win in the TVS Rookie category.
The results (Provisional – all 6 laps unless mentioned):
National Championship:
Prostock 301-400cc (Race-2 – 8 laps): 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts, Bengaluru) (15mins, 09.769secs); 2. Ahmed KY (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:10.171); 3. Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (15:10.310).
Pro-Stock 165cc (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:51.435); 2. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:51.828); 3. Senthil Kumar (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (16:10.248, incl 15-sec penalty for jump start).
Novice (Stock 165cc) Race-2: 1. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing, Thrissur) (13:01.182); 2. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (13:01.218); 3. Anfal Akdhar (Rockstar Racing, Thrissur) (13:03.516).
Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (RACR, Chennai) (10:58.929); 2. Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing, Puducherry) (11:01.217); 3. Jagruti Penkar (Sparks Racing, Mumbai) (11:18.622).
One-Make Championship organized by Madras Motor Sports Club:
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250R (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (14:52.563); 2. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (15:01.558); 3. Geoffrey Reviven Emmanuel (Chennai) (15:08.141).
CBR 150 (Race-2): 1. Prakash Kamath (Bokaro Steel City) (13:15.766); 2. Johann Reeves Emmanuel (Chennai) (13:28.042); 3. Theopaul Leander (Chennai) (13:28.204).
Hornet 2.0 (Race-2): 1. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (13:28.694); 2. Balaji G (Chennai) (13:29.169); 3. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (13:29.435).
TVS Apache Open (RR310, Race-2): 1. Amarnath Menon (Calicut) (11:51.317); 2. Navaneeth Kumar (Puducherry) (11:51.778); 3. KK Anandhu (Chennai) (11:52.872).
Rookie (RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:56.019); 2. Vignesh Gowd (Hyderabad) (13:02.618); 3. Jagathishree (Chennai) (13:02.922).
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F2 leader Piastri takes his first Sunday win; Jehan Daruvala 5th
Monza, 12 Sept 2021: Oscar Piastri clinched a dominant first Feature Race win, beating Guanyu Zhou at Monza to extend his Championship lead. The duo were sparred a late battle with the rapid Dan Ticktum on fresh soft tyres as the race ended under Safety Car conditions, with the Carlin in third.
“Eventful race, ended up P5. I didn’t get off the line well but had the pace to stay in the fight. Some hard battles & a couple of trips to the gravel made it pretty difficult to maintain the tyres. Thanks for the support,” said Jehan Daruvala after the race.
Piastri had been unable to convert pole in the previous round at Silverstone, losing out to Zhou when the lights went out but looked to have learned from the experience and completed the opening lap at the front. Jumping from third to second off the line, Zhou kept the pressure on throughout the race but was unable to find a way past his title rival.
As the highest placed driver on the alternate strategy, Ticktum was handed a shot at victory by a Safety Car with five laps to go. Eight overtakes on the option tyre followed, before he was stopped by Bernd Mayländer’s Mercedes, brought out after a collision between David Beckmann and Bent Viscaal.
Sprint Race 1 and 2 winners Théo Pourchaire and Jehan Daruvala missed out on another podium, settling for the final two places in the top five.
AS IT HAPPENED
Piastri enjoyed a strong getaway from pole, but Daruvala was sluggish from second and got mugged by both Zhou and Liam Lawson. The field weren’t able to all make it through to the second lap as Guilherme Samaia spun to a stop at the back and brought out a Safety Car.
Action resumed with 25 of the 30 laps to go and Piastri darted back off into the distance, as Lawson sprung an eye-catching move on Zhou at the chicane to steal second from the unsuspecting UNI-Virtuosi racer.
Jüri Vips’ race was run by Lap 8. The Estonian appeared slow at the chicane and was bopped by Dan Ticktum, before pulling over and clambering out of his Hitech Grand Prix.
The Safety Car returned to get rid of the Hitech and gave those on the options a chance to make their mandatory stop. This handed the lead to Ticktum – on the alternate strategy – who seemed to have avoided any damage from his ding with Vips.
Lawson lost track position in the pits, returning ninth, behind Piastri, Zhou and Daruvala. The Virtuosi and the Carlin started squabbling when racing resumed, with both drivers forced to cut the chicane on successive laps and arguing on the radio that they were forced wide. The Stewards took a look but decided that it was six of one, half a dozen of the other.
Drugovich was dumped at the back of the pack after a tangle with alternate strategy runner Alessio Deledda left him needing a new front wing.
Pourchaire robbed Lawson of sixth and pulled up into the rear-view mirror of Daruvala. The Carlin driver held him off for several laps but eventually surrendered the position with eight laps to go.
Things got worse for Lawson as his Hitech ground to a halt down the main straight after his fire extinguisher went off, which brought out a third Safety Car and handed those on the alternate strategy a golden opportunity to change to fresh soft rubber.
Ticktum snatched at the chance and returned in 11th with pace to burn. The Carlin cleared all three of Ralph Boschung, Jake Hughes and Richard Verschoor when racing resumed, but then skidded off the road at the second chicane after a tag from the Campos driver.
The Briton composed himself and sent it past Roy Nissany for sixth, before locking in on Shwartzman, who was powerless to prevent the Carlin from taking P5.
Back at the front and Zhou was attempting a bold move on the racer leader, going side-by-side with the Australian at the second chicane, but Piastri clung on to P1.Ticktum wasn’t relenting and a move on his teammate followed at the first turn, with a podium firmly insight on Lap 28 of 30. Pourchaire couldn’t stop the Carlin from passing on the following lap before a fourth Safety Car entered proceedings. Contact between David Beckmann and Bent Viscaal had left them both stranded on opposite sides of the chicane.
Ticktum put in a request on the radio “can we ask them really nicely if they can add a couple of laps?” The answer was of course no, and the Briton had to settle for P3 as Piastri crossed the line ahead of Zhou. Pourchaire and Daruvala completed the top five, followed by Shwartzman, Verschoor and Zendeli. Nissany and Marcus Armstrong claimed the final points places, in ninth and 10th.
KEY QUOTE – OSCAR PIASTRI (PREMA RACING)
“I couldn’t be happier. It was a very tricky race with a few Safety Cars. I had a lock-up at the end that nearly undone all of my hard work, but we held on, and our pace was really good besides that.
“A big thank you to the team. We made some good improvements from yesterday and our pace was really strong. It feels awesome. It’s another box ticked off in my rookie year, so I am very happy.”
THE CHAMPIONSHIP VIEW
Piastri now holds a 15-point advantage over Zhou with three rounds of the season to go, sitting first with 149 points. Shwartzman is third with 113, ahead of Ticktum on 104 and Pourchaire on 94.
In the Teams’ title race, PREMA have 262 ahead of UNI-Virtuosi on 193 and Carlin on 185. Hitech are fourth with 162 and ART fifth with 132.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The title fight will continue in just under two weeks at Sochi, where Piastri and Zhou will look to pick up their battle from the front.
