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Author: David Bodapati
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Malaysian MotoGP cancelled
Sepang,19 August 2021: The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports regret to announce the cancellation of the Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, which was set to take place at Sepang International Circuit from the 22nd to the 24th of October. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting entry restrictions for Malaysia oblige the cancellation of the event.
The FIM MotoGP™ World Championship looks forward to returning to Sepang in 2022 to race in front of our dedicated Malaysian fans.
The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports are pleased to confirm that MotoGP™ will return to Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli from the 22nd to the 24th of October, the weekend previously scheduled for the Malaysian GP, for a second Grand Prix at the classic Italian track. The name of this event will be announced in due course.
The date for the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini remains unchanged.
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Flamboyant Kapil Dev, fastest Indian Karthikeyan star in glittering launch
Mumbai, 19 August 2021: A whiff of fresh air is expected to make Indian motorsports vibrant with the arrival of Formula Regional Indian Championship and Formula 4 Indian Championship announced through a glittering launch with promises to bring brand new Formula cars.
The good news, in these difficult times of COVID, can pump some high-octane upgrades into the dying motorsport machines in India. That requires loads of money and Indian motorsport should be thankful that the two ace Indian racing stars, Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim, found and roped in two other Good Samaritans. The arrival of these goodies from Europe as promised would be a historic milestone and a turning point in the history of Indian motorsports. We fervently hope, this partnership lasts long… without any hiccups and the duo seem keen to sort out the flaws that cropped up earlier.
INDIAinF1.com would like to present a simple gist of points given by respected senior motorsport journalist Vinayak Pande. The official press release follows:
Cricket’s legedendary fast bowler & `sixer’ Kapil Dev, left, and Narain Karthikeyan (India’s first F1 driver dubbed as the fastest Indian in the world) right, during the Press Conference of Formula Regional Indian Championship Launch in Mumbai. Popular sports anchor Suhail Chandhok, brother of Karun Chandhok, the only other F1 driver from India is next to Kapil. Vinayak Pande (Instgram) post: Oh I’m going to post more about this, you can take that to the bank. But for the time being, salient points which many would already know of.
– FIA (global motorsport’s governing body) sanctioned Regional F3 (not the same spec as FIA F3) and F4 championships to be held in India over five rounds from late February to late March of 2022.
– An FIA superlicense is the golden ticket for a driver to be eligible to race in Formula 1 (no guarantee of it). These two championships will give drivers the chance to score points towards that goal. Forty points over a period of three years gets you that FIA superlicense.
– Indian F4 superlicense points spread over the top seven places in the final points standings: 12, 10, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1.
– Formula Regional India superlicense points across the top nine places in the final points standings: 18, 14, 12, 10, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1.
– Cars for both championships built to FIA global standards for Formula Regional and Formula 4.
– F4 India champion gets free seat in Formula Regional India and F-Regional India champion gets a free seat in F3 Asia (same spec car as F-Regional India).
– Pre-season testing at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) near Greater Noida on February 23-24, 2022. Five round season starts on February 25-27 at the BIC, concludes at an FIA grade 2 street circuit in Hyderabad on 25-27 March.
– The majority of the drivers in Formula Regional India will be foreign drivers including from Europe while the majority of the grid in Formula 4 India will feature Indian drivers.
– More details to come soon, but so far it can be confirmed that the budget for Formula Regional India will be around 150,000 euros. (INR 1.3 crore)
I wish I can produce the speeds of this rubber with my cherry! Kapil seems to be thinking… before he reveals the car along with the co-mastermind of the whole show, Aditya Patel, at the Press Conference of Formula Regional Indian Championship Launch held at Taj lands End in Mumbai on 19th August 2021. Photo from IRL – Akhilesh Reddy and Navjeet Ghadoke are equal partners in Racing Promotions Private Limited, which will be promoter of the two series. Reddy said the commitment to the two series is for five years at least. Would be cool if it lasts even that long.
Official Press Release
Promoted by Navjeet Gadhoke of Roadway Solutions India Infra Ltd and Akhilesh Reddy of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd, RPPL plans to invest towards manufacturing cars, assets and street circuit infrastructure, along with the operational cost of the formula regional Indian championship and formula 4 Indian championship, and relaunching the city-based league as Indian Racing League.
The new innings of Racing Promotions herald the new era of long-term racing culture in India with races planned across the country. In the coming months, Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd would host Formula Regional Indian Championship and Formula 4 Indian Championship, certified by the FIA. RPPL is also looking forward to relaunching the city-based league as the “Indian Racing League” in Q1 2022. Also on the schedule is India’s First-Ever FIA Graded Street Circuit in Hyderabad!
With Navjeet Gadhoke and Akhilesh Reddy committed to investing in the long-term development of motorsports and creating a platform for aspiring racing drivers in India, the first season of racing would kick off on Feb-March 22 in New Delhi, Chennai, Coimbatore and Hyderabad, and attract global racing talents as well.Speaking about the Racing Promotions current endeavours Mr Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman, Racing Promotions stated “Monaco being a sovereign city-state has produced F1 drivers, and we as a country of a billion-plus now have the platform to give aspiring racing drivers the opportunity to compete with the best in the world and potentially a stepping stone to the apex of motorsports which is F1”
While Mr Navjeet Gadoke, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, RPPL added “Our investment will revolutionize Indian motorsports, and the objective is to build a world-class, holistic ecosystem for motorsports which will become a force to reckon with, not just for this sport, but Indian sports in general.”Present on the launch, Joint MD, RPPL, Armaan Ebrahim reflected “It is great to finally have world-class equipment and race cars on our home soil. We welcome Akhilesh and Navjeet to our company, and look forward to building a series of championships that enable Indian drivers to compete at the highest level globally and will make Indians a force to reckon with in the motorsport world.”
Commenting on the launch FMSCI, President said “The introduction of the Formula Regional India certified by the FIA to be followed by the F4 India certified by the FIA is certainly a landmark moment for Indian Motorsport, the FMSCI and the promoters, Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd. (RPPL). The FIA Single Seater Commission and the FIA World Motorsport Council approved the two championships last month. Not only will both these championships provide a truly International platform for Indian drivers who can now race at the International level competing against International drivers in their own country, but it also comes with a huge bonus package which is the FIA Driver points. The FMSCI would like to congratulate Mr. Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman RPPL, Mr Navjeet Gadhoke, Vice Chairman, RPPL and the entire Racing Promotions team for putting together such a phenomenal package which will take Indian Motorsport to much higher echelons.”Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd
(MEIL) is a 30-year behemoth in manufacturing and infrastructure, headquartered in Hyderabad, and operating in 8 other countries outside India. MEIL has an order book of ~$15Bn and net revenue of $3Bn. The organization has diversified to five other verticals namely Irrigation, Drinking Water, Power, Hydrocarbons, Transportation and General Infrastructure.
Roadway Solution India Infra Ltd (RSIPL) is part of the Gadhoke Group, an infrastructure conglomerate with over 50 years of experience and $1.5Bn Enterprise Value.
Racing Promotions Private Limited is the exclusive rights holder of 4W motorsports in India and launched a city-based league in 2019. -
Moto Racing National season begins at new-look MMSC
Chennai, 19 August 2021: A fully sanitised MMRT will witness another grand congregation of country’s top talent and two-wheeler manufacturers when the first round of the 2021 MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship commences on Friday, August 20, with over 100 entries in fray in a card of 19 races that will be held behind closed doors, while strictly complying with the Covid-19 safety protocols.
TVS, Honda, KTM and Yamaha will be competing in four categories of the National championships – the Pro-Stock 301-400cc, Pro-Stock 165cc, Novice (Stock 165cc) and Girls (Stock 165cc) – which also boasts of record 17 private teams. Also in the mix are the two One-Make Championships organised by MMSC for Honda and TVS.
Honda, as part of their highly-acclaimed Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, will again parade their Moto3-spec NSF 250R ridden by a clutch of talented teenagers, all under 19 years of age, besides races in the CBR 150 while Hornet 2.0 will be seen in action for the first time as a support event.
TVS will be showcasing their popular Apache RR 310 in the highly competitive Open class besides the RTR 200 in the Rookie (restricted to those below 19 years of age) which was earlier known as Novice, Girls and Media categories.
MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We again welcome the two-wheeler racing fraternity to the MMRT with all the Covid-19 safety protocols in place. In these troubling and uncertain times, it is extremely heartening that we have India’s top riders and the leading bike manufacturers competing after overcoming all the challenges. We are also very grateful to MRF Tyres who continue to support our championships which, as in the past, is expected to be a humdinger.”
The Pro-Stock 301-400cc class will headline the weekend programme. In the fray are several international riders led by National champion KY Ahamed, Jagan Kumar and Deepak Ravikumar (all TVS Racing), Anish Shetty (Race Concepts, KTM) and veteran Rajini Krishnan (RACR, Yamaha R3).
The popular Pro-Stock 165cc which is set to witness the return of Pacer Yamaha team after a long gap, boasts of a very competitive field. TVS Racing’s Ahamed, Jagan and Ravikumar will be up against Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu and Senthil Kumar, and Pacer Yamaha riders.
The Novice category (under-23) has yet again proved to be extremely popular with the organisers forced to close the entries ahead of schedule, while the Girls grid will be headed by defending champion Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing).
About Madras Motor Sports Club
Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved its racing activities from Sholavaram to its present location, the MMRT circuit in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. Parallelly, MMSC imported timing equipment specifically for Drag racing. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. MMSC also constructed a 500-capacity grand stand with provision for garages / storage below. In another upgrade, the MMSC purchased Digi flags from TAG Heuer Chronolec that will be positioned strategically around the track. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.
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Brad Binder heroics wins him a wet race on slicks
The South African gambles big and takes the house with a stunning wet win on slicks in Spielberg
Spielberg, 15 August 2021: Fortune favours the brave! That certainly rings true this Sunday but it takes more than bravery to wrestle a MotoGP™ bike around a wet track on slicks, with a race win on the line, in your factory’s home race. It also takes some serious skill and talent. But Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had the perfect mixture of each to take victory in the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, the South African disappearing down the start finish straight alone to hold his nerve as those around him peeled into pitlane in an all-time classic flag-to-flag. He somehow pulled it off for a second premier class win and the first for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team on home turf: Sunday rider, on many occasions, is the highest of compliments.
After the race Brad Binder said: “When I saw everyone tipping into the pits, I saw an opportunity and I decided I’d rather risk it and crash rather than maybe get top five. It’s a big Grand Prix for us, for KTM, for Red Bull. I’ve won here in Moto2 and I know what it’s like to win here at their home GP. To do it in MotoGP is an unbelievable feeling. Huge gamble, but I’m really glad it paid off.
“I knew when there were 3 laps to go, if I didn’t come in when they did I wasn’t going to come in at all. “
“(And yes,) that was really scary! When I saw the rain coming I was trying to work out how many seconds I could lose per lap and when the others went in I decided to take the gamble. I could push hard on the first lap but then the rear tire started to slide as the temperature cooled. Then I lost the carbon brakes! Wow, I think there was someone up there holding me up today because there were a couple of moments when I thought it was over. Here in front of the fans and the home race for KTM and Red Bull I felt like I had to take the gamble. And yeah, I made it to the end somehow! So happy, so happy this gamble paid off. To win today is insane.”
Fight for second: Behind the sheer daring of the man in the lead, the fight for second was instead an electrifying charge from those who made the opposite gamble. In the end, it was won by Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Italian put on a show that, on nearly any other Sunday, would have likely delivered him a maiden MotoGP™ win. And behind him, Styrian GP winner and rookie Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) found some more magic, another who switched to wets and charged through to make it work.
It started well for the Spaniard too and it was Martin took the holeshot, the rookie once again solid under the added pressure of pole, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) getting a little too close for comfort and heading wide – allowing Bagnaia through into second. And as the White Flag came out to show some spots of rain, meaning riders were allowed to change bikes, Bagnaia took over at the front and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) found himself the sole Honda in a Ducati armada at the front. Quartararo dropped down to sixth behind Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), although he did hit back as Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) watched on behind that duel.
Bagnaia pounded on at the front, with Martin trying to attack but losing out from the move. So Bagnaia it remained, with Quartararo charging back through into second and even taking the lead as the rain flags came out… again. But Bagnaia muscled back through at Turn 1, and Marc Marquez homed in on El Diablo to boot.
Bagnaia, Quartararo, Marquez, Martin and Zarco marched on, with Mir then battling past Miller to become the man on the chase. And soon enough the top three started to pull away, Mir reeled in the Pramac riders, and the Brad Binder Sunday charge was well underway as the South African homed in on Miller. From tenth on the grid, the number 33 was on the way.
Suddenly, drama then hit for a frontrunner as Zarco crashed out. Sliding off at Turn 9, the Frenchman’s Championship charge took a dent as he couldn’t get back on either. And not long after, Quartararo headed a little wide… allowing Marquez to get back on the chase after Bagnaia. And with 7 to go, the eight-time World Champion struck for the first time. Bagnaia hit back, but a few cards were on the table.
With five to go, and the rain flags still out, the first gamble: Miller and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) pitted, rolling their dice earlier than the rest as Bagnaia continued on at the front. But what had started to seem a clear trio was fast becoming a six-man freight train as Martin and Mir homed in, and the Jaws music could start to fade in: Binder was coming. The South African didn’t win on on one gamble.
With 4 to go, Binder was on the scene, Martin was already past Quartararo for third, and Bagnaia headed wide at Turn 1, giving Marc Marquez the lead. In the braking zone for Turn 3, Martin screeched up the inside of Bagnaia, and then Quartararo pulled off the perfect dance between madness and excellence to shoot past both, back into second. The shuffle continued, and the rain got heavier and heavier. By the time the six-rider train reached the pit entry, there was a clear decision for five of them: it was time to change. So Marquez, Bagnaia, Martin, Quartararo and Mir headed in to swap… and a lone KTM swept round the final corner and tucked in down the main straight. Binder was going all in.
Out of pitlane, the five were Marc Marquez leading Bagnaia – and both immediately hammering it – with Martin next up, Mir in fourth of the group and Quartararo losing out slightly at the rear of the train. But Bagnaia headed in hot at Turn 3 and lost out to Martin… and then Marc Marquez slid out. A lowside at Turn 1 saw the number 93 lose a shot at the podium, with Bagnaia leading Martin and both taking over in the fight back through. Mir and Quartararo also headed well wide, with the clock ticking and just under 2 laps to go.
When he made the decision to stay out, Binder had been a few of seconds ahead of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), who also gambled on slicks and was in second. By the time the number 33 crossed the line to start the penultimate lap, the South African was 7 clear. Starting the final lap, the gap was over 11.
Bagnaia and Martin, meanwhile, started that final lap in eighth and ninth. And by halfway round, the two were cutting through Binder’s fellow gamblers like there were two categories on track. Second and third were locked down well before the final corner, with the two pushing to perfection to cut the gap.
Ahead of them, though, arguably the wrong decision was turned into the perfect hand in the right hands. Binder’s final lap saw him suffer a couple of moments, but he had somehow pulled it off. In the rain, in KTM’s backyard, with the brakes suffering in the conditions and the tyres the opposite of the weather, the South African made a little more history. And this time around, it wasn’t a statistical milestone, it was pure, instant legend: add bravery and stir.
Behind Binder’s miracle ballet and Bagnaia and Martin’s charge to the podium, there was plenty to sort out. Mir made it home in a solid fourth place to make some good gains in the standings, with Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) making some magic for fifth place on slicks. Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) had been ahead of both and in podium contention but dropped to sixth, the Spaniard getting a little less reward for his earlier bravery than he likely hoped for, but he did hold off Quartararo as the Championship leader came home seventh.
Nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was in podium contention too before the final lap and he finished eighth, but some good points for the Doctor, who was also highly entertained by the shuffle and the challenge. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) took ninth, with Aleix Espargaro ultimately completing the top ten.
Miller’s early gamble didn’t pay off and he finished in P11, ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) by almost nothing. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was next up, with Rins a little further out of touch behind.
The final point went to Marc Marquez, who may have gambled and lost, but still very much didn’t give up.
And so a new legend is written into the history books, with another win on home turf for KTM and a second premier class victory for Binder. How they did it, and how the South African forced fortune to favour the brave, will be a long time in the memory of MotoGP™ fans, and likely a few of the number 33’s rivals.
Quartararo remains the points leader, Bagnaia gains ground and Zarco loses some… as Mir moves onto equal points with Pecco in second. What will Silverstone bring? We’ll find out in two weeks….
1 Brad Binder – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM – 40:43.928
2 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +12.991
3 Jorge Martin* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +14.570*Independent Team rider
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MRF Tyres’ Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen excel
Lahti, 15 August 2021: Team MRF Tyres took maximum points with the win in the Ralli SM (Finnish Rally Championship) and the Top Building Ralli in Lahti this weekend.
The driving team of Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen were strong over each of the nine stages and 110.45km of competitive action, finishing second overall but as the leading driver was not registered for points, it is a maximum haul for Team MRF Tyres.
The rally took place on dry gravel roads and it is important for Team MRF Tyres as the team came into the rally just two points off the lead in the Driver’s Championship.
The first three stages, Rapala (11.94km), Kukkolanmäki (11.54km) and Ylemmäinen (12.16km) took place on Friday afternoon and Lindholm/Hämäläinen took two stage wins and a second place to lead into the night’s service.
The Saturday running saw two loops of three stages, with two runs through the Porvola (14.78km), Neroskulma (10.34km) and Avus (13.17km) stages.
Lindholm and Hämäläinen were immediately on the pace again, always keeping inside the top five in the stage times.
With an eye on the Championship, it was more important to look to the likes of Mikko Heikkilä and Teemu Asunmaa and not Egon Kaur. Kaur had not registered for Finnish points while Lindholm Heikkilä and Asunmaa are engaged in a tight championship battle.
Though the day, Egon took the lead of the rally but Team MRF Tyres held onto the lead of the Finnish Championship beating their title rivals.
In the end, Lindholm and Hämäläinen finished the nine stages in 54:00.4 which was ensured that they beat their Championship rivals.
The weather became quite treacherous and it became a matter of managing the gap, knowing that second on the road would bring the Finnish Championship win. The management was done to perfection with Lindholm/ Hämäläinen taking the position by 0.6 second.
MRF Tyres were also found on customer entries. Juuso Metsälä/Matti Kangas won the SM6 class in their Ford Fiesta Rally3.
Jere Pensas and Jouni Saarijärvi were leading the SM4 class overnight but were forced to retire on Saturday.
With just one round to go of the Finnish Rally Championship, the points are tight. The best four of five scores count for the first five rounds.
The Mikko Heikkilä leads the Championship on 86 points (including the dropped score), from Lindholm on 85 points and Teemu Asunmaa on 79 points. The SM KokUA 60-v Juhlaralli will take place on the last weekend of September and it will be a winner-takes-all event.
Team MRF Tyres will be back in action next at the Czech Rally Zlin in the FIA European Championship on from 27-29 August.
Quotes
Emil Lindholm, Driver, Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo
“The last stages of the rally were clearly muddy after the rain, and it was somewhat difficult for us. The line left for us by the historic cars didn’t fit the Rally2 cars which made it challenging. I am very happy to have come out of the difficult conditions with maximum points for us and for Team MRF Tyres in the Finnish Championship.”“We once again took a lot of important data for MRF Tyres. We rallied in circumstances in which I haven’t driven before with MRF Tyres, and of course development has an important part for every rally.”
“Egon Kaur drove fast and all the credit to him for winning. For us, maximum points were more important this time. We saw his speed after the morning and we didn’t have any sense to go raise our own speed and increase the risk. In this rally we had more in the form of points and being the fastest in the Finnish Championship.”
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Lucas Di Grassi wins finale’s double-header opener
Victory for Lucas Di Grassi on Audi’s farewell weekend, a fighting drive by Edoardo Mortara, a non-score for Nyck de Vries and a race of two halves’ for DS Techeetah set the scene for a pulsating final day of the 2020/21 campaign…
Berlin, 14 August 2021: Lucas Di Grassi delivered Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler a sublime second victory of the 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Berlin today (14 August), as he stormed into title contention on the German manufacturer’s home soil.
From third on the grid around the Tempelhof Airport circuit, Di Grassi – a winner in the German capital two years ago – initially held station, closely shadowing fellow former champions Jean-Éric Vergne and António Félix da Costa ahead, with the DS TECHEETAH drivers trading places at mid-distance as the defending title-holder advanced to the front of the field.
No sooner had he conceded the top spot than qualifying pace-setter Vergne found himself under pressure from not just one but two Audis, with René Rast having scythed his way up the order in ATTACK MODE from 12th on the starting grid. The pair wasted little time in making their move as they relegated the Frenchman to fourth, but they were not done yet, and a peerless display of teamwork saw Di Grassi and Rast depose da Costa from the lead in one fell swoop.
Once Rast’s ATTACK MODE had run out, the German began slipping back down the order, but his team-mate was still very much on a mission and after relinquishing the initiative to ROKiT Venturi Racing duo Edoardo Mortara and Norman Nato when he activated his own ATTACK MODE, he swiftly set about reclaiming it.
As the top three pulled away from Rast, Di Grassi relived Nato of second place with 13 minutes remaining, before rapidly zeroing in on Mortara in the lead. It was not long before the 2016/17 champion was through, and despite a late counter-attack from his Swiss rival, he held on to secure his 12th career Formula E win – a result that has vaulted him up the order from 14th in the Drivers’ table to sixth with just one race remaining.
The runner-up spoils for Mortara have elevated the Venturi ace to second in the title standings, only three points adrift of the summit, while Mitch Evans similarly kept his own championship aspirations very much alive with a hard-fought third place for Jaguar Racing.
From seventh on the grid, the New Zealander immediately gained a position at the expense of Nissan e.dams’ Sébastien Buemi before continuing to move forward, pulling off an ultra-committed switchback pass on Nato through Turns Six and Seven to squeeze through to third. Thereafter, he drove a defensive line to keep the Frenchman at bay, as the Venturi rookie narrowly missed out on the rostrum but nonetheless celebrated the best result of his season to-date in fourth.
Jake Dennis was another to launch a late assault on the podium, the BMW i Andretti Motorsport man showcasing his excellent racecraft as he recovered from a slow start to wind up fifth and gain a spot to third in the championship chase. Behind the Briton, Vergne and da Costa ultimately faded to sixth and seventh, around a circuit where they had dominated only 12 months earlier.
Maximilian Günther in the second BMW i Andretti Motorsport entry and Rast were the remaining two drivers in the hunt for silverware in the closing stages – ultimately placing eighth and ninth, as the latter posted the race’s fastest lap – with André Lotterer taking the last point on offer in tenth.
Amongst the big names that failed to score, Sam Bird survived a first lap tag that sent him into a half-spin only for his Jaguar Racing machine to crawl to a halt on the start-finish straight just over ten minutes in, bringing out the safety car and spelling the British driver’s third straight retirement since briefly re-taking the championship lead in New York last month.
Having begun the E-Prix from the back of the grid, Stoffel Vandoorne (Mercedes-EQ) and Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing) could manage no better than 12th and 15th at the chequered flag, while Nyck de Vries in the sister Mercedes lost time due to a collision with Mahindra Racing’s Alex Lynn that necessitated a visit to the pits and left him a lap down.
The Dutchman still leads the championship, albeit now by a reduced margin, with the gloves set to come off tomorrow (Sunday, 15 August) for one final showdown on the streets of Berlin, when the 2020/21 FIA Formula E World Champion will be officially crowned. The 15th round of the season on the circuit’s reversed ‘NILREB’ layout will get underway at 15:34 CET
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Martin beats Quartararo to record-breaking Austria pole
Styria (Austria), 14 August 2021 : It’s back-to-back premier class pole positions for rookie sensation Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) as the Spaniard goes from Q1 to P1 with a new Red Bull Ring lap record. A scintillating 1:22.643 in Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich qualifying saw Martin oust World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) on his very last lap by just 0.034s, as Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) claims P3 for Sunday’s outing.
Q1 to P1: Martin produces yet more Saturday heroics
Ahead of the pole position shootout, Styrian GP winner Martin found himself in Q1 after a late crash in FP3 cost him a top 10 shot. The likes of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) were expecting to head into the Q2 fight, with FP4 second place finisher Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) also looking strong.
It all came down to the final flying laps for the top two places in Q1. Martin led Rins by 0.2s but Oliveira and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) were all setting red sector times, with the Portuguese rider eventually cementing P2 by just over a tenth from Rins, with Martin sailing through as the fastest rider with a 1:23.197.
Pitlane then fell silent, Queen rang around the Red Bull Ring speakers as we waited to see who the King of qualifying would be in Austria. Johann Zarco’s (Pramac Racing) 1:23.984 was the initial benchmark time but that would be beaten on the next set of laps, as teammate Martin launched his GP21 went P1 by over three tenths.
However, Quartararo was lighting up the timing screens and the Frenchman soared across the line to set a brand-new, blistering lap record: a 1:22.677. An unreal effort from El Diablo saw him hold a 0.360s advantage over Martin as the riders pitted for fresh Michelin rubber. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) went P3 with just over four minutes to go, before Bagnaia placed himself into P3 with his first accountable lap time of Q2.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) climbed to P4 on his last lap but attention then turned to the two Pramac Racing Ducatis: Zarco and Martin. The latter was clinging onto the coattails of his teammate and through Sector 3, the rookie sensation was 0.176s under Quartararo’s time. Zarco took the chequered flag first and moved ahead of Marquez to P4, but Saturday afternoon belonged to Martin once again in 2021 as the Martinator claimed pole and a new lap record by 0.034s. A magnificent effort from Martin to beat Quartararo, the two finishing well clear of Bagnaia in third.
How the other Q2 contenders finished
Zarco was smiling back in the garage and will launch from the spearhead of Row 2 in fourth place, the Frenchman is joined by 5th place Marc Marquez and sixth place Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team). World Champion Mir lines up in P7, 0.7s away from pole, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Oliveira complete Row 3. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) will be hoping to pull another Sunday masterclass out the hat from 10th, the Hondas of Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) will start from 11th and 12th respectively.
If Saturday is anything to go by, then Sunday’s MotoGP™ encounter is shaping up to be a stunner in the Styrian mountains. Can Martin make it two poles and two wins at the Red Bull Ring? Find out when Round 11 from Austria gets underway at 14:00 local time (GMT+2).Top 10: 1. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) – 1:22.6432. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.0343. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.4204. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.4775. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) + 0.5846. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.6777. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.7358. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 0.7809. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.85610. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.92
Action from MotoGP LIVE – MotoGP Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich Main Race will be LIVE on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD from 14:15 Hrs (02:15 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, 15th August, 2021. The same will be live streamed on discovery+ app.
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Arjun Maini forced out after a stellar start: DTM series
Zolder (Belgium), 9 August 2021: Mercedes-AMG DTM driver Arjun Maini had to end his weekend at the Zolder race circuit prematurely after suffering a damaged chassis through no fault of his own.
Maini, who is backed by Omega Seiki and J.K.Tyre, made a stellar start during the first race of the weekend in Belgium. The 23-year-old overtook four cars, moving up to 11th before ultimately becoming a victim of circumstance as the pack made their way into Turn 5.
The DTM rookie, who at the time was locked in a battle with title protagonist Liam Lawson, as well as experienced campaigner Daniel Juncadella, was battling for 10th place before Juncadella made an uncharacteristic error, missing his braking point and hitting Arjun from the rear .The cascading result meant that both Maini and Lawson were taken out too, with ensuing carnage forcing all three drivers to retire before they could complete a single lap.
To rub salt into Maini’s wounds the damage sustained to his chassis was deemed so severe that the Indian had to miss the second race of the weekend entirely. Despite Juncadella’s public apology, the Mercedes-AMG driver was left bitterly disappointed after suffering yet another DNF.
“I’m obviously very disappointed by the end result as it means my weekend ended before even it started,” a palpably upset Maini stated.
“I made a great start and was able to make my way up to 11th, if it wasn’t for the incident, I’m sure I could have scored my first points of the season as I clearly had momentum on my side.
“Fair play to Daniel Juncadella for apologizing both privately and publicly. We all make errors at some point and it was unfortunate that I was caught up in an incident that had very little to do with me.
“There really isn’t much else to say and I’m looking forward to racing at the Nürburgring.”
Maini’s debut in DTM has proved to be anything but smooth. The Indian driver has shown flashes of pace but has simultaneously had a large helping of bad luck thrown his way during the races so far.
The latest incident has to hurt the most as the Mercedes-AMG driver will leave Belgium without even having completed a lap of racing. However, with more than half a season of racing to go, Maini is more than capable of securing a few strong results to round out his championship.
The next race of the 2021 season is scheduled to take place at the legendary Nürburgring circuit in Germany on August 20-22.
Note: Updated 14 Aug 2021
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Martin reigns the Red Bull Ring for magnificent maiden win
The wait is over for Pramac Racing as the rookie puts in a stunner for his first premier class win and the team’s first with Ducati
Spielberg, 8 August 2021: On Sunday MotoGP saw a new winner! From injury to pole position to top step of the podium, comeback stories don’t get much better than Jorge Martin’s (Pramac Racing) first weekend back from the summer break. The Spaniard broke the lap record for pole on Saturday and then put in an imperious performance to outpace reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on Sunday, taking his first premier class win and becoming the first Independent Team rider on a Ducati to win a MotoGP™ race. And for Pramac Racing, the wait is over as that victory with Ducati finally comes their way.
Mir took second and his best result of the season so far, with Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the rostrum to do some impressive damage control in the standings at a tougher venue for Yamaha.
The first race start of two saw Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) take the holeshot as Mir and Martin slotted in behind, but it wasn’t long before a huge moment of drama would interrupt proceedings. A couple of laps later, MotoGP™ Legend and wildcard Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) slid off out of Turn 3 – and his bike was then struck by Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini). Both riders were up and ok after the crash, but the bikes burst into flames and the Red Flag came out immediately – leaving a clean-up job to do.
Savadori headed for a check up and was found to have fractured his right malleolis, therefore out of the restart – but Pedrosa was able to get back out. After a considerable wait for the track to get cleaned and race ready, a new distance of 27 laps was set and the grid lined up again.
But again, more drama hit – this time for Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as the number 12 couldn’t get away on the Warm Up lap and was forced into pitlane. That left a gap on the grid, and the lights then finally went out for the second time.
This time around, Martin took the holeshot but Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) struck at Turn 3, with Mir slotted into third and a gap back behind the trio already. Quartararo was on the chase, with another – after the same in the first start – moment between Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) slightly shuffling the pack just behind as El Diablo took the inside line and the room ran out.
At the front though, Miller led Martin led Mir, but Quartararo was homing in – and closest Championship challenger Zarco was the last man going with the front group. Bagnaia, meanwhile, had dropped behind both LCR Honda Castrol’s Alex Marquez and LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami. Another rider of note was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), as the South African started to ignite his Sunday charge, up into ninth and looking like little would stop further progress.
Up ahead, by the braking zone for Turn 3, Martin was into the lead and past Miller though, and Quartararo and Zarco switched and switched back. Mir then got past Miller to get on the chase for victory, and a gap started to open up behind the leading duo. By 21 to go, Quartararo moved past the Australian too, and Miller responded at Turn 4 before El Diablo elbowed his way back through. With that, the gap to the lead duo only grew…
Quartararo managed to hold on in third, but then more drama hit behind him to assure it. Martin and Mir had disappeared in the distance and Miller was starting to put the pressure on the number 20 in the fight for the podium, but disaster hit for the Australian with 10 laps to go. Suddenly sliding out at Turn 7, his rostrum hopes were over and the Yamaha ahead was released into some solid breathing space.
From there on out, the key question became: Martin or Mir? But as the laps ticked down, the answer became clearer. The number 89 was edging away, and then a mistake from Mir at Turn 3 just took the gap over a second… and that was that. If Martin could keep it clean, his first premier class win was there for the taking.
Keep it clean he did. Mir did too from there on out, but it wasn’t quite enough as the Pramac Racing rider in the lead just pounded on. Over the line, the comeback fairytale was complete and Martin took the flag with a second and a half in hand, making some incredible history with an emotional victory, from a pole position lap record no less. Mir was forced to settle for second but was right back in the hunt – and moved up to third in the standings – with Quartararo a distant but valuable third as Ducati territory didn’t play out that way for his closest challengers in the points.
Fourth place, meanwhile, looked set for much of the race. But Brad Binder had other ideas, and the South African absolutely smashed the final lap. Beginning it behind both Nakagami and Zarco, the KTM rider wanted more than sixth and that’s exactly what he got. Dispatching the Japanese rider AND the Frenchman in just one lap, the number 33 took fourth and the honour of top KTM on home turf. Sunday rider can also be a compliment!
Nakagami then snatched fifth and Zarco was forced to settle for sixth, losing out some ground to Quartararo. Alex Rins slotted into seventh, with Marc Marquez able to salvage eighth after some dramas for the number 93 on Sunday. Alex Marquez faded in the latter stages to ninth but still took a valuable top ten… as did Pedrosa, in the end. Bagnaia was given a time penalty for not taking a Long Lap – he exceeded track limits – and that puts the number 26 back into the top ten in Grand Prix racing. An impressive achievement for any rider, but especially more than two years after retirement.
Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) took P12 and managed to stay ahead of Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT), who in turn held off Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia). Iker Lecuona (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing), after a stronger start, completed the points in P15.
So that’s all for Styria… but not for the Red Bull Ring, the stunning venue welcomes MotoGP back for more next weekend for the Austrian Grand Prix, and there’ll be a new premier class winner lining up: Jorge Martin. Will the deck shuffle again or can he go back to back? We’ll start to see some answers on Friday!
MotoGP Podium:
1 Jorge Martin – Pramac Racing – Ducati – 38:07.879
2 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +1.548
3 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +9.362*Independent Team rider
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Hemanth Muddappa claims feature race: Drag Nationals
Chennai, 8 August 2021: Riders from Bengaluru, spearheaded by reigning champion Hemanth Muddappa of Mantra Racing swept the honours in the first round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship which concluded at the MMRT, here on Sunday amidst strict Covid safety protocols.
Muddappa, 31, astride his Suzuki Hayabusa, was the quickest of all riders, clocking 07.882 seconds over 302-metres strip while winning the featured Super Sport Above 1051cc category ahead of fellow-Bengalureans Hafizullah Khan (08.116) and Harish Naik (08.538). Muddappa currently holds the National Drag record at 7.783 which he set here on 10th October in the 2020 first round last year.
Hemanth Muddappa (centre), winner of the Above 1051cc class, flanked by second-placed Havizullah Khan (left) and third placed Harish Naik in the 2021 Drag Nationals Round 1 at MMRT, Chennai on 8 Aug 2021. Despite the comfortable win, Muddappa said due to the high track temperature, the timing was a tad slower than he wanted. “The track temperature affected all the riders and we all posted slower timings. We were much quicker in January during the final round of the 2020 championship,” said Muddappa.
Another Bengalurean, Mohd Riyaz (08.026) topped the time sheets in the Super Sport 851-1050cc class, followed by Muddappa (08.116), who was a bit slow off the mark, and debutant NV Satyanarayana Raju (08.191) from Hyderabad.
On Saturday, Chennai riders swept the podium spots in the Girls (4-stroke, up to 165cc) category with Lani Zena Fernandez, Nivetha Jessica and Soundari Sindy finishing in that order.
The results:
Lani Zena Fernandez (centre), winner of the Girls race, flanked by second-placed Nivetha Jessica (left) and third-placed Soundari (Sindy) on Saturday. Photos by AB Photography Super Sport (Above 1051cc): 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (07.882secs); 2. Hafizullah Khan (Bengaluru) (08.116); 3. Harish Naik (Bengaluru) (08.538). 851-1050cc: 1. Mohd Riyaz (Bengaluru) (08.026); 2. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.116); 3. NV Satyanarayana Raju (Hyderabad) (08.191).
Super Sport Indian – 361-550cc: 1. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (12.568); 2. Zuheeb Ahmed (Bengaluru) (12.860); 3. D Annish Samson (Speed Up Racing, Bengaluru) (12.942). 226-360cc: 1. Bharath Raj (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (12.602); 2. Yogeshwaran (Speed Up Racing, Chennai) (12.798); 3. D Annish Samson (Speed Up Racing, Bengaluru) (13.050). Up to 165cc: 1. Kevin Kannan (RACR Castro Power, Chennai) (14.573); 2. Anand R (Chennai) (14.824); 3. Chandrashekar (Bengaluru) (14.910).
GIRLS (4-Stroke, up to 165cc): 1. Lani Zena Fernandez (Chennai) (16.591); 2. Nivetha Jessica (Chennai) (16.640); 3. Soundari Sindy (Chennai) (16.794).
2-Stroke Up to 130cc: 1. Mujahid Pasha (Bengaluru) (13:547); 2. Prashanth (Chennai) (13.682); 3. Mohd Rafiq (Bengaluru) (13.733). 131-165cc: 1. Mohd Rafiq (Bengaluru) (12.818); 2. Husain Khan (Mumbai) (13.002); 3. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (13.047).
Note: All photos published are taken by Shameem Fahath for `Aditya Bedre photography’
