INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Lewis Hamilton fastest in FP1 as F1 back at Zandvoort

    Lewis Hamilton fastest in FP1 as F1 back at Zandvoort

    Zandvoort (The Netherlands), 3 Sept 2021: FIA Formula One World Championship leader Lewis Hamilton went quickest in an opening practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix that was heavily disrupted by suspected engine failure for Sebastian Vettel. Local hero Max Verstappen took second place on the timesheet ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

    Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc established an early lead with a hard-tyre time of 1:17.919 but he was swiftly usurped as drivers began to get to grips with the unfamiliar circuit, which is returning to the schedule for the first time since 1985.

    AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly lowered the benchmark to 1:15.301 before McLaren’s Lando Norris stole P1 with a lap of 1:13.751. Verstappen then delighted the packed grandstands by taking top spot with a hard-tyre lap of 1:13.045. He was briefly dislodged by Mercedes’ Valterri Bottas but returned to P1 with the a lap of 1:12.850. Norris then restaked his claim to supremacy thanks to a lap of 1:12.679 just before Vettel brought running to a halt when his Aston Martin expired at the pit exit with a suspected power unit failure.

    The German driver has reported a problem on his installation laps and had returned to the pits for checks. But when he emerged again he again hit trouble on his first timed lap and pulled over at the pit exit.

    Vettel quickly climbed out of his car and fetched a fire extinguisher but after struggling to activate it he sought help from a track marshal who also appeared to have difficulty with the equipment. Eventually the extinguishers were engaged but Vettel’s car seeming to be in an electrically unsafe state there was a long delay as it was made safe.

    The delay meant that when the green flags were shown there were just six minutes left in the session.

    Leclerc posted a lap of 1:12.288 to take top spot but he was quickly ousted by Sainz and Bottas. Hamilton then powered past all of his rivals with a lap of 1:11.500. Verstappen got closest to the Briton with a lap of 1:11.597, 0.097s off Hamilton’s best time. slower than his title rival – the Dutch driver having to dodge traffic at several points after setting what was at that stage the fastest time in the first sector.

    Sainz took third 0.101s behind Hamilton with Leclerc fourth ahead of Bottas and the Alpine cars of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon. Antonio Giovinazzi was eighth ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and the final top-10 place went to Gasly.

    There was trouble for the Frenchman’s AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda. however.

    The Japanese driver completed just three laps in the opening phase of the championship after he spun getting at Turn 10. He returned to the pit lane but took no further part int hr session.

    2021 Dutch Grand Prix – Free Practice 1
    1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:11.500 17 214.439
    2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 1:11.597 0.097 18 214.148
    3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:11.601 0.101 19 214.136
    4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.623 0.123 18 214.070
    5 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:11.738 0.238 18 213.727
    6 Fernando Alonso Alpine/Renault 1:12.158 0.658 18 212.483
    7 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:12.231 0.731 17 212.268
    8 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:12.359 0.859 18 211.893
    9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:12.431 0.931 18 211.682
    10 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 1:12.515 1.015 19 211.437
    11 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:12.679 1.179 18 210.960
    12 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 1:12.907 1.407 16 210.300
    13 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:13.053 1.553 20 209.880
    14 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren/Mercedes 1:13.081 1.581 18 209.800
    15 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 1:13.181 1.681 15 209.513
    16 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda 1:13.328 1.828 18 209.093
    17 Nikita Mazepin Haas/Ferrari 1:13.516 2.016 14 208.558
    18 Mick Schumacher Haas/Ferrari 1:13.847 2.347 17 207.623
    19 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:15.984 4.484 6 201.784
         Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda  3

    Graphic courtesy Twitter @CFmagIndia

  • Arjun Maini raring to go at the Red Bull ring in Styria

    Arjun Maini raring to go at the Red Bull ring in Styria

    Spielberg (Austria) 3 Sept. 2021: Mercedes-AMG driver Arjun Maini will enter the fifth round with confidence after his good performance at the Nürburgring, where he got into the points for the first time scoring two valuable points in the 2021 DTM Championship after suffering initial hiccups which are not under his control. 

    After enduring a difficult start to his campaign, due in part to a series of o-track incidents, the Omega Seiki and JKTyre-backed Bengaluru driver finally broke his points-scoring duck with a stellar performance at the legendary Nürburgring race circuit. 

    Racing for the all-new GetSpeed DTM team, Arjun, the elder of the two Maini brothers, managed to bring his Mercedes GT3 racecar home in 10th at the conclusion of Race 1, in turn becoming the first Indian to score points in Germany’s apex racing championship. 

    “The last two races were fantastic and were an accurate reflection of my pace,” Maini said.

    “I haven’t had the cleanest of weekends up until that point so it was good to finally have an incident-free weekend where I was able to bring home a solid amount of points. This marked GetSpeed’s first points in the series as well so it definitely was a memorable affair.

    “Looking ahead I have fond memories of the Red Bull Ring and I hope I can build on my previous weekend and experience by bringing home some more points. The circuit’s undulations will be tricky to master but I’m confident about the preparation both the team and I have made in the lead up to this weekend,” he said about the circuit at Styria.

    After a few years’ absence, the DTM is making its comeback in Styria in 2021. The Red Bull Ring is located in Spielberg in the beautiful Murtal valley. The track is following the topography of the landscape, so that there is a lot of undulation. From the hotel located on the hill above the track, there is an unparalleled view, not only of the race track, but over the wide valley! The entire circuit facility is state-of-the-art and very nice, significantly contributing to the positive overall experience for visitors. Fascinating race cars are on display in the large welcome building, exclusive merchandise items can be purchased in the shop. Of course, in typical Styrian hospitality tradition, a wide variety of food is available, too, from tasty Leberkäse rolls via Wiener Schnitzel up a to delicious Kaiserschmarrn.

    The weekend will get underway this Friday, August 3rd with the two practice sessions, with Qualifying 1 and Race 1 taking place on Saturday, August 4th, and Qualifying 2 and Race 2 concluding the weekend on Sunday, August 5th.

    The full schedule can be viewed below and the qualifying sessions and races can be viewed live on Autocar India’s YouTube channel here. 

    Saturday Sept 4”
    Qualy 1: 1.50 pm IST
    Race `1: 5.00 pm IST
    Sunday Sept 5th
    Qualy 2: 1.50 pm IST
    Race 2: 5.00 pm IST

  • Washed out Belgian GP shows the importance of qualies

    Washed out Belgian GP shows the importance of qualies

    By Malhaar Khaladkar

    Max Verstappen was classified first in a washed out Belgian Grand Prix, which was the shortest race in the history of Formula 1. George Russell achieved his maiden podium finish in P2 while Lewis Hamilton retrieved 7.5 points coming third. Three laps took place behind the safety car as torrential rain made the track undrivable and only half points were awarded as the race distance was less than 75%.

    London, 30 August 2021: Rain was forecasted for the Grand Prix, but no one expected it to be a washout. Drama ensued before the race as Sergio Perez went into the barrier on his way to the grid ruling him out of the race. Instead of the lights going out, two formation laps took place behind the safety car. Drivers complained on the radio about aquaplaning and zero visibility, hence, the race was red flagged by the FIA.

    After a wait of more than three hours FIA notified that the race would resume at 18:17 local time (race start was at 15:00 local time). With the grid bunched up behind the safety car, the drivers ventured out for another couple of laps before returning to the pits. FIA declared that the race won’t resume, and half points will be awarded to the top 10 finishers.

    This race showed the importance of qualifying. Due to a red flag the finishing order was exactly similar as to qualifying, barring Perez who crashed out and had to start from the pitlane, if the race had started. Verstappen closed the gap on championship rival to Hamilton while a stunning Saturday qualifying lap by Russell meant he kept his 2nd place.

    The 2021 season got back underway in a less than ideal way as if the summer break was extended for another week. Weather is one of the few elements that is out of control of the organizers and the FIA, and safety being paramount it was deemed unsafe to race in such dire conditions. Onto Zandvoort, hoping for some racing action there!

    Saturday Qualifying results were:

    P1: Max Verstappen- 33 (Red Bull)P2: George Russell- 63 (Williams)
    P3: Lewis Hamilton- 44 (Mercedes)P4: Daniel Ricciardo- 3 (McLaren)
    P5: Sebastian Vettel- 5 (Aston Martin)P6: Pierre Gasly- 10 (AlphaTauri)
    P7: Sergio Perez- 11 (Red Bull)P8: Valtteri Bottas- 77 (Mercedes)
    P9: Esteban Ocon- 31 (Alpine)P10: Lando Norris- 4 (McLaren)
    P11: Charles Leclerc- 16 (Ferrari)P12: Nicholas Latifi- 6 (Williams)
    P13: Carlos Sainz- 55 (Ferrari)P14: Fernando Alonso- 14 (Alpine)
    P15: Lance Stroll- 18 (Aston Martin)P16: Antonio Giovinazzi- 99 (Alfa Romeo)
    P17: Yuki Tsunoda- 22 (AlphaTauri)P18: Mick Schumacher- 47 (Haas)
    P19: Kimi Raikkonen- 7 (Alfa Romeo)P20: Nikita Mazepin- 9 (Haas)

    Note: Bottas and Stroll penalised five grid places for causing a collision at the previous round. Norris penalised five grid places for an unscheduled gearbox change. Raikkonen required to start from the pit lane, as car modified whilst under Parc Ferme conditions.

  • Verstappen takes 12.5 points to Hami’s 7.5 in Spa washout: F1

    Verstappen takes 12.5 points to Hami’s 7.5 in Spa washout: F1

    Spa-Francorchamps, 29 August 2021: Max Verstappen scored his first Belgian Grand Prix victory after the race at the Spa-Francorchamps was red flagged after just three laps behind the safety car due to heavy rain that had delayed the race start for more than three hours. Williams’ George Russell took the first podium finish of his career with second place, while3 Lewis Hamilton finished third for Mercedes.

    With downpours regularly falling across the Ardennes circuit throughout the morning, conditions in the build-up to the were extremely difficult. The treacherous nature of the track were fully revealed when Sergio Pérez lost control of his RB16B at Les Combes on his reconnaissance lap to the grid. The Mexican’s car slid into the barriers on the right side of the track breaking the suspension on the front right of the car. His Red Bull was recovered to the pits and it appeared as if he would take no further part in proceedings.

    With rain continuing to fall ahead of the scheduled start at 3pm local time, the formation lap was delayed for 25 minutes. When it eventually got underway the red flags were swiftly shown as drivers throughout the order declared the conditions to be undriveable. 

    There followed an almost three-hour delay as FIA race officials monitored conditions for any sign of improvement. During the race suspension Red Bull Racing consulted officials who confirmed that if the team could repair the Mexican’s car he would be allowed to start the race from the pit lane. After furious work in the Red Bull garage Pérez’s car was in the end readied well ahead of the race start at 6.18pm.

    Cars flowed out of the pit lane to follow the safety car around but with the rain beginning to fall more heavily it quickly became apparent that red flags were once again necessary and the cars steered back to the pit lane where 19 minutes later Race Control issued the message that the race would not be resumed. 

    The abandonment of the race means it goes down as the shortest in Formula 1 history. The record was previously held by the 1991 Australian Grand Prix at 14 laps. 

    The last time F1 had a half points race was in 2009 at the end of a Malaysian Grand Prix also halted by rain. Verstappen was declared the winner, scoring 12.5 points, with George Russell being awarded nine points and his first F1 podium finish. Lewis Hamilton was classified third, scoring 7.5 points. Max therefore closes the gap to Hamilton to just three, with the Red Bull driver now on 199.5 points. The Team now sits on 303.5 points, seven behind Mercedes. 

    Meanwhile, the FIA released the following statement:

    Following the significant weather disruption to the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA and Formula 1 are disappointed for all the fans at the track and at home that today’s race could not go to full distance, but the safety of the drivers, marshals and spectators must always be the priority. The Decision of the Stewards to extend the window in which the race could take place gave every possible opportunity to maximise the day’s running, but the weather conditions unfortunately did not improve sufficiently to complete more laps.

    2021 FIA Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix – Race
    1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 1 3’27.071
    2 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 1 3’29.066 1.995
    3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1 3’29.672 2.601
    4 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren/Mercedes 1 3’31.567 4.496
    5 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin/Mercedes 1 3’34.550 7.479
    6 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 1 3’37.248 10.177
    7 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1 3’38.650 11.579
    8 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1 3’39.679 12.60
    9 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 1 3’42.555 15.484
    10 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1 3’43.237 16.166
    11 Fernando Alonso Alpine/Renault 1 3’47.661 20.590
    12 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1 3’49.485 22.414
    13 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1 3’51.234 24.163
    14 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1 3’54.180 27.109
    15 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda 1 3’55.400 28.329
    16 Mick Schumacher Haas/Ferrari 1 3’56.578 29.507
    17 Nikita Mazepin Haas/Ferrari 1 3’59.064 31.993
    18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1 4’01.179 34.108
    19 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1 4’03.125 36.054
    20 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda 1 4’05.276 38.205

  • Facile win for Quartararo at British GP: MotoGP

    Facile win for Quartararo at British GP: MotoGP

    Silverstone (Britain), 29th August, 2021: For the fifth time in 2021, Sunday belonged to Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as the Frenchman claimed a comfortable victory at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix, a 25-point haul that sees his lead in the title race extend to 65 points. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) produced a cracking ride to earn his first podium of the year with a second place, as Aleix Espargaro hands Aprilia Racing Team Gresini a dream first MotoGP rostrum in third.

    Quartararo brilliant in a historic British GP

    Polesitter Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) got the launch he would have been looking for as the number 44 dived into Turn 1 as the race leader, with Quartararo grabbing P2 ahead of Franceso Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). Pol Espargaro nailed the first sector but plenty of movement and drama would unfold behind, as Bagnaia – who had slipped to P4 – got two for the price of one at Stowe corner. There was contact at the same corner between Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), as Aleix Espargaro grabbed P2 off Pecco.

    Then, drama. Marc Marquez and Martin crashed after more contact at Turn 9, and both riders were out of the race on Lap 1 – riders ok. Bagnaia and Aleix Espargaro were busy scrapping for second on the opening lap, before the Aprilia ride made it stick at Brooklands. On Lap 2, Quartararo picked off Pecco for P3 at Turn 13, and on the next lap, Quartararo was past Aleix Esapargaro at Turn 14. Now, Pol Espargaro – the race leader – was being hunted and at the ferociously quick Turn 12, on Lap 5, Quartararo carved his way into the lead.

    Immediately, the factory Yamaha star got the hammer down. Half a lap went by and the lead way stretched to 0.6s, as Quartararo set a 2:00.098 to pull out a 1.3s advantage at the beginning of Lap 7. Aleix Espargaro was back up to P2 and briefly dropping to P4, with Pecco making a mistake at Stowe to lose out to a pair of Team Suzuki Ecstar riders. Rins was charging and picked off Pol Espargaro to take P3, with reigning World Champion Joan Mir sitting P5.

    At the halfway point, Quartararo was three seconds clear of Aleix Espargaro. The latter had Rins and Pol Espargaro for close company, with Mir a second off the fourth place Repsol Honda in P5. With nine laps to go, there was a change for P2. Aleix Espargaro ran wide at Stowe to allow Rins an easy pass into second place, but further down the road, second in the Championship Bagnaia was struggling. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) got the better of the Italian with eight to go, with Pecco now 8th.

    The man to watch in the final seven laps was Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team). The Australian was a good half a second faster than Rins and the Espargaros ahead of him, and Miller took advantage of a Pol Espargaro mistake at Stowe to grab P4 with six laps remaining.

    Three to go then, and it was as you were: Quartararo charging towards the 25 points, with Rins leading Aleix Espargaro and Miller. Pol Espargaro was now 1.9s away from the podium fight, with older brother Aleix still holding onto that dream first podium with Aprilia.

    Last lap time. Quartararo was 3.4s up the road with Rins, Aleix Espargaro and Miller split by less than a second. Through the opening two sectors, it was as you were. Miller then dived up the inside at Turn 13, but he was slightly wide. Miller had the inside line though for Turn 14 but the tight entry allowed Aleix Espargaro to get the cutback heading onto the Wellington Straight. Going defensive, Aleix Espargaro was able to fend off Miller’s late attack and after Quartararo and Rins had taken the chequered flag, Aleix Espargaro claimed P3 for Aprilia’s first podium.

    Quartararo was dominant for his fifth victory of 2021, a huge day for the Frenchman and his title aspirations. Rins produced a wonderful race to earn P2 from P10 on the grid – his first rostrum of the year, with Miller just missing out on a return to the podium by 0.149s. The Australian was by far the quickest Ducati on Sunday afternoon at Silverstone.

    A troublesome day for Quartararo’s main title rivals

    Pol Espargaro didn’t quite have the pace to stick with the podium fight in the latter stages of the race but nevertheless, it’s the Spaniard’s best result with Honda. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) made great progress in the second half of the British GP to take P6, making it a magnificent six manufacturers in the top six – the first time ever that’s happened in MotoGP™. After picking up a MotoGP™-best result in Austria last time out, Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) claimed a fantastic P7 to continue his recent good run of form. The Spaniard was able to get the better of compatriot Alex Marquez, the double World Champion finished P8 ahead of Mir in ninth.

    It was a difficult day for the number 36, both he and Pecco selected the soft front tyre and it seems like it could have been the wrong decision. Mir is now second in the title race, but the gap to Quartararo is 65 points. Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) bagged a morale boosting top 10, the Italian beat Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) by 0.052s, the Frenchman taking a quiet and disappointing P11 away from Silverstone.

    Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) grabbed P12 with under the weather Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) taking P13, 2.6s ahead of Bagnaia. The soft front tyre option selected looks to have ruined Pecco’s Sunday at the British GP, 14th certainly no where near what he and Ducati would have been aiming for. Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Avintia) picked up the final point in P15.

    Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – still struggling with his injury from Styria – took P16, a second clear of 17th place and home hero Cal Crutchlow (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Valentino Rossi’s final British GP ended with a P18 finish, The Doctor slipping back down the order after a good start, with Britain’s Jake Dixon (Petronas Yamaha SRT) finishing his first MotoGP™ race in P19.

    It’s a significant blow to Quartararo’s title challengers at Silverstone. El Diablo takes a 65-point lead into MotorLand Aragon and is riding the crest of a wave in 2021. Can he be stopped?

    Top 10:

    1. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP)

    2. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 2.663

    3. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 4.105

    4. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 4.254

    5. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) + 8.462

    6. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 12.189

    7. Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) + 13.560

    8. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) + 14.044

    9. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 16.226

    10. Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) + 16.287

  • Advait Deodhar shunted out in the very first lap, retires

    Advait Deodhar shunted out in the very first lap, retires

    Most (Czech Republic), 28 August 2021: Ace Indian driver Advait Deodhar who won a silver in the Euro Whelen Series NASCAR2 races on Saturday was bumped out of the race on the very first lapl and was forced to the go to the back of the pack and ended a successful weekend in disappointment at the Autodrom Most here on Sunday.

    “I started Race 2 on P3 and in the very first lap, I fired it down the inside of a corner, and was clearly alongside but unfortunately car # 27 (Pierluigi Veronesi of Italy) didn’t see me and just turned in. My # 56 suffered too much damage to continue… It was a real shame as the car had the pace and we were gunning for gold,” said the London-based Mumbaiker supported by TJS Yachts. Veronesi unwittingly forced both the cars virtually out of reckoning.

    A Press Release adds:

    Earlier, it was a perfect weekend for Tobias Dauenhauer: the German scored a dominant win in EuroNASCAR 2 Round 6 at the wheel of the #50 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang. The 23-year-old led all 14 laps of an action-packed race at Autodrom Most. After a perfect start Dauenhauer pulled away from his competitors while several hot battles in the midfield delighted the fans.

    With his third win of the season, Dauenhauer extended his Championship lead and kept the red Whelen banner on the #50 Mustang. With three wins, six top-5 results and two poles, the German made a statement on his way to win the EuroNASCAR 2 Championship at the halfway point of the 2021 season. With three events to go, the Hendriks Motorsport driver still needs to stay focused as the other competitors are hungry to enter the battle for the title and anything can happen in the second part of the season.

    “I’m very happy at the moment and it was just a perfect weekend”, smiled the Most double winner. “As a team we showed such a great performance the whole weekend long – in the dry and in the wet. The car was just perfect, the Hendriks Motorsport team did a phenomenal job. I just gave my best and I have no words left to say but that it was a perfect weekend.”

    Francesco Garisto said before the race that he wanted to stay out of trouble and that proved to be the best strategy on his way to second place. The 42 Racing driver avoided chaos in a wild opening portion of the race to settle in second and finish on the podium for the first time in the 2021 NWES season.

    “I didn’t expect to step on the podium in this race,” said after the race Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport’s Vladimiros Tziortzis, who was third under the checkered flag with another solid performance.

    DF1 Racing’s Justin Kunz followed in fourth place after an exciting race for the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series veteran. The German was right in the battle for fourth, when Tziortzis and Paolo Valeri got together. While Tziortzis and Kunz continued, Valeri spun and collected Naveh Talor and both were shuffled down the order, while Tziortzis took over third and Kunz fourth.

    EuroNASCAR 2 returnee Gil Linster also avoided any contact when the Italian and the Israeli spun ahead of him to take over fifth and score a strong top-5 finish for DF1 Racing. Talor recovered and limited the damage by ending up sixth. DF1 Racing’s Ian Eric Waden crossed the finish line in seventh and won the Legend Trophy ahead of CAAL Racing’s Max Lanza.

    Marko Stipp Motorsport driver Miguel Gomes not only scored his first ever top-10 but also won the Rookie Trophy for the first time and ended up third on the Legend Trophy podium. CAAL Racing driver Arianna Casoli rounded out the top-10 edging Alina Loibnegger, who spun on lap 6 but came back on her #12 Solaris Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro to finish eleventh.

    Several top drivers were involved in incidents during the 14-lap race: Lanza lost almost half of his bodywork but made it to the finish. Local hero Martin Doubek had to retire due to a broken axle, while Pierluigi Veronesi and Advait Deodhar made contact that forced both to stop their cars early. Thomas Krasonis went from 20th to tenth in 4 laps but also had to park his car. Yevgen Sokolovskiy missed the braking point and collected Panebianco and almost his teammate Gomes. The Ukrainian also had to retire.

  • Czech dream ends early for Team MRF Tyres: ERC

    Czech dream ends early for Team MRF Tyres: ERC

    Zlin (Czech Republic), 29 August 2021: Team MRF Tyres’ visit to the FIA European Rally Championship’s  Barum Czech Rally Zlin ended early after showing good pace.

    The rally got to a good start for Jari Huttunen and Mikko Lukka in the Team MRF Tyres Hyundai i20 R5 by taking fifth spot in the qualifying session.

    The duo would take the fifth starting position and drove safely through the first night stage in the streets of Zlin.

    The event was able to welcome spectators to both the stages and the service park, providing a carnival atmosphere.

    Saturday’s stages started well, with the tyre development program front of mind. The potential of the tyres was shown through top six stage times.

    However, the rally came to an end on Stage 7, the 18.86 Hošťálková stage. An off damaged the rear side on the driver’s side. It also damaged the engine, and that was too great to repair onsite within the timeframe allowed.

    Team MRF Tyres will be back in action in the FIA European Rally Championship with the Azores Rallye from September 16-18.

    Quote
    Jari Huttunen, Driver, Hyundai i20 R5
    “We were enjoying the Barum Czech Rally Zlin for Team MRF Tyres. We were going through our plan to get more data for the tyre. Unfortunately, we crashed on SS7 and the damage was too great to repair on site and we have to retire. Both Mikko and I are ok and want to get back behind the wheel. I feel bad for the team. The MRF Tyre was performing well to that point.”

  • Stunning drive gets Advait Deodhar a silver: NASCAR2

    Stunning drive gets Advait Deodhar a silver: NASCAR2

    Czech Republic, 28 August 2021: Indian racing maestro Advait Deodhar of CAAL Racing team looks to have found his wonted form and indulged himself in another stunning drive in wet conditions to take Silver after starting from a disadvantage of a P5, but had a good get away and kept his calm displaying his driving skills to take another podium and valuable points in the Round 5 of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Nascar2 class here on Saturday. He clocked 21min, 01.214sec for the 14 laps of 4.2 km Autodrom Most, just 7.2 sec behind leader Tobias Dauenhauer.

    The London-based Indian’s journey from a Yachtsman to NASCAR racing brings pride to India on the eve of the National Sports Day, which celerates the legendary hockey wizard Dhyan Chand’s birth anniversary. The ace Indian racing star jumped to third in the rankings with 159 points behind Tobias and Doubek Martin and has one gold, one silver among his four points finish in top-10. Advait dedicated his trophy to his brother Akshay Deodhar, a sportsman mad about F1 and MotoGP and used to take part in Regatta races of Yachting Association of India in Mumbai. Unfortunately, I lost him last month,'' said the Mumbaikar talking to INDIAinF1.com after the race about his 36-year old elder brother. “Racing for you, my beautiful brother. This one is for you big bro. I could sense you by my side in the car,” Advait’s words after he put his TJB SuperYachts-sponsored Mustang #56 in second place for a silver. In this bereavement, all his fans are with him as he races along to bring more laurels for the country. Ace Indian rally co-driver Musa Sherif, who was nominated for Arjuna Award by the Indian Federatin this year, is the first to congratulate Advaith and by Motoport Seena, who circulated his live video links to thousands of motorsports fans in Bengaluru on Friday.

    After graduating as an Automobile Designer from Turin, Italy, Advait Deodhar took part in domestic races at MMRT Chennai winning the Formula LGB 4 National Championship as a rookie in 2012 and became the vice-champion of Formula Ford 1600 Indian National Championship in 2015. Inbetween, he won a round of the Toyota Etios Cup as a guest driver and also got a drive in the MRF Challenge in Bahrain among other races. Then he says, “I took a one-way ticket to London in 2015 to take my motorsport career forward,” the late-starter, at age 22, is a quick bloomer though, winning the European NASCAR Elite Club Championship in his debut year 2018. Last month, he got his first major career victory at the prestigeous NASCAR2 at the coveted Brands Hatch circuit.

    Rain was falling before the start of EuroNASCAR 2 Round 5 so all drivers had rain tires mounted for the race. At the end of the 14 scheduled laps, Tobias Dauenhauer scored his second win of the season after he already visited Victory Lane at Brands Hatch. Making it two in a row, the German led from flag to flag at the wheel of his #50 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang and extended his Championship lead.

    It was far from an easy race for Dauenhauer though. He went off track at the first chican, but managed to recover and keep the lead despite the incident. Afterwards, he opened the gap on Advait Deodhar, who settled in second after a wild start. Dauenhauer never allowed the other competitors to catch up on him and therefore he grabbed the win in dominant fashion.

    Racing for you my beautiful brother, says Advait, who lost his brother Akshay last month.
    London based Mumbaikar, Advait Deodhar (2nd) gets a podium again and makes sure that Indian flag flies high on Saturday. A NASCAR Whelen Euro series image.

    “The conditions were pretty difficult out there and it was quite slippery”, said the EuroNASCAR 2 Championship leader. “I made a small mistake in the beginning but I managed to open the gap on the second placed car. I’m very happy and really want to thank the Hendriks team for such a great car. It was tons of fun and I’m really looking forward to racing again tomorrow.”

    Deodhar was coming from fifth on the grid but took over second place in the very first lap. The Indian, who scored his first NASCAR Whelen Euro Series win at Brands Hatch, was put under pressure by local hero Martin Doubek, who was trying his best to take over second place. Deodhar defended his position and crossed the finish line in second, while Doubek completed the overall EuroNASCAR 2 podium.

    DF1 Racing rookie Leevi Lintukantu had an amazing run at the wheel of the #23 Iceboys Chevrolet Camaro and stormed to victory in the Rookie Trophy classification in fourth. His teammate Simon Pilate rounded out the overall top-5 after falling through the order from 2nd on the grid. Francesco Garisto was sixth ahead of Max Lanza, who topped the Legend Trophy classification at the wheel of his #88 Caal Racing Camaro.

    His fierce Legend Trophy competitor Yevgen Sokolovskiy finished right behind him in eighth claiming second place in the special classification. Paolo Valeri ended up ninth – and second in the Rookie Trophy standings as well as third in the Legend Trophy classification. Alberto Panebianco not only closed the top-10 but also completed the Rookie Trophy podium. Solaris Motorsport’s Alina Loibnegger edged Arianna Casoli in the battle for the Lady Trophy win.

    Due to the difficult conditions, several drivers were involved in incidents at the 4.1 kilometer long track. On lap 1, DF1 Racing drivers Justin Kunz and Ian Eric Waden spun out. On lap 3, Naveh Talor, who started from 5th, collected heavy damage to his front bumper, while Vladimiros Tziortzis first spun and then had to retire early.

    EuroNASCAR 2 will be back in action on Sunday: EuroNASCAR 2 Round 6 will start at 1:55 pm IST. All races will be broadcasted live on EuroNASCAR’s platforms – YouTube, NWES App, Facebook, Twitch – and Motorsport.tv.

    EURONASCAR 2 ROUND 05 RESULTS

  • Espargaro heads a front row covered by just 0.036

    Espargaro heads a front row covered by just 0.036

    The Repsol Honda rider pips Bagnaia and Quartararo as hundredths split the top three over nearly 6km of Silverstone
    Silverstone, 28 August 2021:     Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) is back in business! After a tougher time of late, the Spaniard has hooked it up so far at Silverstone and in Q2, the number 44 hit a landmark run to take his first pole position since joining the Repsol Honda Team. It was incredibly close at the top, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) just 0.022 back and Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) locking out a top three split by just 0.036. Over a near 6km lap, it could hardly be any closer.

    Q1
    Q1 had a few fast faces looking to move through, not least of all 2019 Silverstone winner Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). But after the first runs it was Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) leading the way, with a couple of tenths in hand over Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing).

    The key drama then also came from Bastianini as the Italian, on another hot lap, lost the rear but somehow didn’t quite highside, nevertheless sliding out and that bringing out the Yellow Flags – cancelling the laps of Rins and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol). Bastianini was up and ok and the track went green again, leaving one final push for those behind to try and oust the Italian.

    Zarco and Rins did just that, the Suzuki taking over on top first before the Pramac rider pipped him, both leapfrogging Bastianini’s best to deny him a place in Q2. 

    Q2
    After the first runs, Quartararo led Bagnaia led Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), but there was some drama left in the tank. The first rider setting red sectors was Pol Espargaro and he took over on top, but Martin was on an absolute stunner – and shaved nine tenths off the number 44’s best in one fell swoop. But gaining over a second in one sector seemed a lot, even for the rookie sensation, and it turned out to be too much: Martin had cut the track, and the laptime was cancelled. So Pol Espargaro completed his impressive weekend so far with a first pole position at Repsol Honda, bouncing back in style from a difficult two weekends in Austria to pip ‘Pecco’ by just 0.022.

    Bagnaia was bumped back up to second as Martin’s lap was cancelled, with Quartararo completing the front row after losing a little ground on Run 2, not able to find the grip he was expecting but still within an infinitesimal 0.036 of pole. Martin, nevertheless, takes fourth – and is therefore also top Independent Team rider. 

    The Grid 
    Pol Espargaro, Bagnaia and Championship leader Quartararo head up the grid, putting ‘Pecco’, the closest challenger, in a good position to try and deny El Diablo on Sunday. Martin heads up Row 2 ahead of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), the eight-time World Champion beaten to it by just 0.012. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completes the third row.

    Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) had a tougher qualifying to line up seventh, 0.479 off the top, and the Aussie will be looking to make gains on Sunday. He’s joined by Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) as the Doctor continues a good vein of form at Silverstone, taking P8, with Johann Zarco forced to settle for ninth.

    That leaves Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins and Joan Mir down in P10 and P11, respectively, with the 2019 Silverstone winner and the reigning Champion looking for a classic quick comeback into the podium fight tomorrow. Austrian GP winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KM Factory Racing) is P12.

    Then come Bastianini, Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in 15th.

    FULL RESULTS

    That’s all she wrote on Saturday at Silverstone, all that’s left to do now is race. Tune in at the earlier time of 13:00 (GMT +1) on Sunday as MotoGP™ does battle in the Monster Energy British Grand Prix. Is it Quartararo’s to lose? Or does someone have something more up their sleeve?
    MotoGP™ front row
    1 Pol Espargaro – Repsol Honda Team – Honda – 1:58.889    
    2 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +0.022
    3 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.036

    Top Independent Team rider
    4 Jorge Martin – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.185
  • Max Verstappen on pole; Hami p3 at Spa

    Max Verstappen on pole; Hami p3 at Spa

    Spa Francorchamps, 28 August 2021: Max Verstappen claimed his ninth career pole position in a rain-affected Belgain Grand qualifying session ahead of surprise front-row starter George Russell of Williams and third-placed Lewis Hamilton. Sergio Pérez will meanwhile start from seventh on the grid.

    After a short delay due to heavy rain in the run-up to Qualifying, Q1 got underway on a wet track and most teams sent their drivers out on full wet Pirelli tyres. The exception was Williams which sent George Russell and Nicholas Latifi out on intermediate tyres.

    Initially the times set on the two compounds were comparable but when Verstappen took P1 with a time of 2:07.574 and was quickly beaten by Russell to the tune of five full seconds it became clear that intermediates were the right choice. Drivers immediately returned to the pits to switch to the green-banded tyres and with the conditions improving but rain forecast, the session then became one of endurance as drivers stayed out to try to catch the best of the conditions.

    In the end it was Lando Norris who made the most of the intermediate tyres in Q1. The McLaren driver crossed the line after the chequered flag to take top spot with a lap of 1:58.301. Verstappen eased through to Q2 in second place with a lap of 1:58.717.

    Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi was the first driver eliminated, in P16, and the Italian was followed out of the session by AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, Haas’ Mick Schumacher, the second Alfa of Kimi Räikkönen and the second Haas of Nikita Mazepin.

    Though rain was forecast for Q2, the track stayed dry and the remaining drivers took to the track on inters. That meant progress was relatively straightforward for the Bulls, with Max posting a lap of 1:56.559 to secure fifth place at the flag. Checo, meanwhile, went through in seventh place.

    Mercedes made heavy work of claiming Q3 berths, however. The team sent Hamilton and Bottas out on old intermediates but neither driver could make them work and they abandoned their runs to pit for new green-banded tyres. Again both struggled and a final set was called for.

    In the drop zone in the closing moments Hamilton and Bottas needed big laps to jump to safety and both delivered. Hamilton jumped to P2 with a lap of 1:56.229 and Bottas erased any worries in the Mercedes camp by claiming P3 with a tour of 1:56.295.

    The final moments weren’t as kind to Ferrari, however. Charles Leclerc was eliminated in P11, with team-mate Carlos Sainz exiting in P13. The man in the Ferrari sandwich was Williams’ Nicholas Latifi, while Alpine’s Fernando Alonso was ruled out in P14 ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.

    The expected rain began to fall in the minutes leading up to the start of Q3 and by the time the lights went green conditions had substantially deteriorated. The risk became clear when Norris lost control of his McLaren at the start of his first push lap of the segment and crashed heavily at Raidillon. The red flags were immediately displayed.

    A long delay followed and when the final eight minutes of the session got underway rain was still falling. Red Bull opted for intermediate tyres and after his first lap Verstappen was in P2 but a second off provisional pole sitter Hamilton.

    The conditions were improving rapidly, however, as evidenced by Russell suddenly putting in purple sector times. The Williams driver’s timing was good and his final lap was enough to put him ahead of Lewis Hamilton by 0.013s.

    Verstappen’s timing was marginally better, however, and when the Dutch driver crossed the line he was the only man to dip below the two-minute mark with a lap of 1:59.765 that secured him his ninth career pole and Red Bull’s first at this circuit since 2011.

    Behind the top three McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo will start fourth ahead of Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel. Pierre Gasly quaklified sixth and Checo secured seventh place on the grid. Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas placed eighth but will take a five-place grid penalty tomorrow. Esteban Ocon qualified ninth for Alpine with Norris tenth after failing to set a time.

    2021 FIA Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix – Qualifying
    1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 1:59.765  6 210.532
    2 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 2:00.086 0.321 0.268 7 209.969
    3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 2:00.099 0.334 0.279 6 209.946
    4 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren/Mercedes 2:00.864 1.099 0.918 6 208.617
    5 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin/Mercedes 2:00.935 1.170 0.977 7 208.495
    6 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 2:01.164 1.399 1.168 6 208.101
    7 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda 2:02.112 2.347 1.960 6 206.485
    8 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 2:02.502 2.737 2.285 6 205.828
    9 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 2:03.513 3.748 3.129 7 204.143
    – 4 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes  2
    11 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:57.721 1.696 1.462 8 214.187
    12 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 1:58.056 2.031 1.750 8 213.579
    13 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:58.137 2.112 1.820 7 213.433
    14 Fernando Alonso Alpine/Renault 1:58.205 2.180 1.879 8 213.310
    15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:58.231 2.206 1.901 7 213.263
    16 Antionio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 2:02.306 4.005 3.385 9 206.158
    17 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda 2:02.413 4.112 3.476 9 205.978
    18 Mick Schumacher Haas/Ferrari 2:03.973 5.672 4.795 9 203.386
    19 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 2:04.452 6.151 5.199 9 202.603
    20 Nikita Mazepin Haas/Ferrari 2:04.939 6.638 5.611 8 201.813