INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Mar Marquez cleared for return: Repson Honda

    Mar Marquez cleared for return: Repson Honda

    Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Márquez will finally get his 2021 title challenge under way at the Portuguese GP on April 18 after recovering from his arm injury.

    Here is all you need to know:

    – Márquez suffered a badly fractured arm in the 2020 season opener – which ruled him out for the year – and the Spaniard made a welcome step back to competitive racing when he completed a day around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on a RC213V-S in the middle of March.

    – Doctors could not give him the green light for the first two races of the 2021 season at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, however the 28-year-old has recovered enough to line up now at Portimão.

    – Márquez revealed on Twitter: “I’M VERY HAPPY! Yesterday I visited the doctors and they gave me the green light to return to competition. They have been 9 difficult months, with moments of uncertainties and ups and downs, and now, I will be able to enjoy my passion again! See you next week in Portimao!! “


    – His Repsol Honda team confirmed: “In the review carried out on Marc Márquez by the Hospital Ruber Internacional medical team, four months after surgery, led by Doctors Samuel Antuña and Ignacio Roger de Oña, and made up of Doctors De Miguel, Ibarzabal and García Villanueva, for an infected pseudoarthrosis of the right humerus, a very satisfactory clinical condition was found, with evident progress in the bone consolidation process. In the current situation, Márquez can return to competition, assuming the reasonable risk implicit in his sporting activity.”

    – Márquez, who also has one 125cc world title (2010) and one Moto2 crown (2012) to his name, will now feature alongside new teammate Pol Espargaró who has 11 points from the opening two races.

    – Frenchman Johann Zarco leads the 2021 standings after the Qatar GP and Doha GP on 40 points from compatriot Fabio Quartararo and Spaniard Maverick Viñales, who both lie four points behind.

    Repsol Honda Statement

    In the review carried out on Marc Marquez by the Hospital Ruber Internacional medical team, four months after surgery, led by Doctors Samuel Antuña and Ignacio Roger de Oña, and made up of Doctors De Miguel, Ibarzabal and García Villanueva, for an infected pseudoarthrosis of the right humerus, a very satisfactory clinical condition was found, with evident progress in the bone consolidation process. In the current situation, Marquez can return to competition, assuming the reasonable risk implicit in his sporting activity.

    I’M VERY HAPPY! Yesterday I visited the doctors and they gave me the green light to return to competition. They have been 9 difficult months, with moments of uncertainties and ups and downs, and now, I will be able to enjoy my passion again! See you next week in Portimao!! said Marquez on twitter.

    Note: Updated on 12 April 2021

  • Joining the Red Bull Junior team is an important milestone, says Jehan Daruvala

    Joining the Red Bull Junior team is an important milestone, says Jehan Daruvala

    Chasing the Formula 2 title with Carlin, Jehan Daruvala has lofty ambitions for the 2021 campaign, but how did he get here? We sat down with the Red Bull junior to find out the moments that made him.

    1. FORCE INDIA’S ‘ONE IN A BILLION HUNT’

    “The first moment would be from years ago, when I was chosen in the top three of the ‘One in a Billion hunt,’ which had been organised by the Force India Formula 1 team. Being chosen in the top three is what gave me the opportunity to come to Europe in the first place and start racing. That was back in 2011, it was a competition to find the next Indian racing talent.

    “Initially, only drivers between the ages of 14-18 could enter and I was only around 12 or 13 at the time. They later opened up a wildcard entry though, where they chose one person below the age of 14 and one above the age of 18. I was selected as the under 14 wildcard option because I did the fastest time in the whole of India in that age group.

    “I then went up against 100 people and this number was gradually cut down to 50, 25 and 10. Eventually, a final three were chosen. I finished in the top three and that kick started my career and got me to Europe.”

    2. A PIVOTAL KARTING TITLE WIN

    “Winning the Super 1 National KFJ Championship in 2013, which included drivers like Dan Ticktum. I faced George Russell the year before I won as well.

    “There was a lot of pressure on me at the time because I was with Racing Point and they wanted me to win the Championship in order to continue in the programme. Thankfully, I managed to deliver and retained my place at the time.”

    3. JOINING THE RED BULL JUNIOR TEAM

    “The biggest of the three moments would be getting chosen to join the Red Bull Junior Team. To have the opportunity to drive in Formula 2 under the Red Bull colours is a huge honour. It gives me the platform and the chance of getting a seat in Formula 1 if I perform.

    “The discussions initially started at the end of my Formula 3 season in 2019. I injured my knee not long after and this put the talks on hold, but once that healed, we opened up talks again and moved forward. It has been really good so far. I have benefitted loads, from prepping on their simulator to speaking to the people who work there, like the psychological coaches for example. It helps me so much.”

  • Aston Martin names Nico Hulkenberg as reserve driver

    Aston Martin names Nico Hulkenberg as reserve driver

    Silverstone, 8 April 2021: Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team is pleased to confirm that it has appointed Nico Hülkenberg as its official reserve and development driver for the 2021 season.
     The German driver already has extensive first-hand experience with the organisation, having raced for the team between 2012 and ’16. 
    He also contested two Grands Prix for Racing Point in 2020, deputising for Sergio Perez (Anniversary GP, at Silverstone) and Lance Stroll (Eifel GP, at Nürburgring).

    The team will also benefit from the 33-year-old’s considerable F1 pedigree – 176 race starts, including successful campaigns with Williams, Sauber and Renault, as well as his stints at Force India and Racing Point.
    Nico Hülkenberg said: “First of all, it’s great to get this deal signed up with plenty of notice – last year, I didn’t have quite as much time to prepare before jumping in the car! I’m really pleased to once again work with this team – with whom I have driven many times during my career. Obviously, I’m hoping that Sebastian and Lance enjoy uninterrupted seasons this year, but the team knows it can rely on me to step in and do an excellent job, and I’m fully prepared to take on that challenge. It will also be interesting to help develop the team through the season, and I’m really looking forward to pulling great lap-times out of my arm sleeve.”
    Otmar Szafnauer, CEO and Team Principal, said: “We’re delighted to be able to welcome Nico back to the team in an official capacity, as reserve and development driver for Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team. In these difficult times, the requirement for a capable and experienced reserve driver is especially important. Nico proved last year that he could jump in the car and perform superbly at a moment’s notice; now, with additional scope for preparation and integration, we know that we can rely on Nico to do an excellent job.”
  • Looking Forward to driving the Mercedes AMG GT3 in DTM, says Arjun Maini

    Looking Forward to driving the Mercedes AMG GT3 in DTM, says Arjun Maini

    Bengaluru/Virtual, 6 April 2021: Arjun Maini, who is set to become the first Indian to compete in DTM full-time, expressed his excitement about racing for the Mercedes-AMG Performance Team GetSpeed in the upcoming 2021 DTM season at the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 during a virtual media conference on Tuesday. The 23-year-old former Haas F1 Team Development Driver will be competing in eight rounds (16 races) in the series, which will be held across Europe from June 2021 to October 2021. 

    “Everyone knows how big the DTM championship is and I followed it a lot while growing up as well. And now to be a part of DTM as the Mercedes-AMG driver with the GetSpeed team is an absolute honour and pleasure for me. I just can’t wait to continue testing and I am really excited for what’s coming,” said Maini.  

    The racer further expressed that he is looking forward to being alone in a car once again, “I will be racing in a GT car for the first time. In a way, it’s going back to being alone in a car. I have been sharing a car in the last two years because I have been in Endurance Racing . So, it’s good to be on my own again and pushing for myself. But the competition is going to be really high and I am ready for it. I have to be on top of my game throughout the season, so I have to make sure that I am consistently performing at the highest level that I can deliver, and I think we should be alright.” 

    Stefan Wendl, Head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing, expressed that Arjun is exactly the type of driver the team was looking for, “We had been in discussion with all potential DTM drivers and then we came across a young Indian driver and we thought it would be interesting for him to join us. Then we put all our heads together along with the GetSpeed team and we made it work. He (Arjun) fits exactly the type of drivers we try to attract for this program. Now, among our seven contracted drivers, we will have a good mix of well experienced drivers and few very young, but talented drivers. We need to keep steeping up to be successful in the season.” 

    Steve Buschmann Team Manager, Getspeed Performance said that the team could see how motivated Arjun is to race in the DTM series from the moment they contacted him for the first time, “The DTM is a new start for every team in 2021 and it is giving new opportunities to drivers like Arjun. The DTM series will not have cockpit sharing and I think this was one of the reasons that Arjun was interested in joining DTM because there won’t be another person, who shares the cockpit with him. We got in contact with him, and his management and we could see how motivated he was to join the DTM and to join us. The more the discussions went on, the more we were convinced that this is the right man. Arjun is very motivated and very professional. We have enjoyed the partnership with him from the first minute we met him. We are absolutely looking forward to race with him this year.” 

    GT3 cars will feature in the DTM series for the first time in 2021. A race weekend will consist of two free practice sessions on Friday and then a qualifying and a one-hour race including a pit stop on both Saturday and Sunday.  

    The opening round of the season is set to take place from June 18 2021 – June 20 2021 in Monza, Italy. Thereafter, the series will be held at the Norisring from July 2 to 4, Lausitzring from July 23 to 25, Zolder from August 6 to 8, Nürburgring on August 20 to 22, Red Bull Ring from September 3 to 5, and Assen from September 17 to 19, before the Hockenheimring conducts the grand finale on October 1 2021 to October 3 2021. 

  • Quartararo carves his way to victory as Zarco and Martin duel to the line

    Quartararo carves his way to victory as Zarco and Martin duel to the line

    The first ever French 1-2 in the premier class, a rookie podium for Martin and a whole host of headlines: this was the Doha dogfight

    Losail (Qatar), 4 April 2021: Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) put in a stunner at the TISSOT Grand Prix of Doha, making 2021 a clean sweep for Yamaha so far and heading up the first ever French 1-2 in the premier class as he pulled clear of the chasing pack at the perfect time. Compatriot Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) took second as he duelled rookie teammate and polesitter Jorge Martin to the line, the Frenchman making history for his nation and waves in the standings as he takes over the Championship lead. Martin, meanwhile, makes his own waves as the rookie led much of the race from a spectacular start, coming home third for his first premier class podium only second time out. Behind the three, there was plenty of drama too… and it was the closest top 15 in history!

    Fabio Quartararo said: I have no words. This race win is different from the previous three MotoGP races I‘ve won so far. After the last race I was a bit disappointed in myself. During this race it was totally different. I was thinking so well, I played a lot with the map and the tyres. Nine or ten laps to the end I thought ’Right now is the moment to push and show our potential‘. It‘s great to finish in first position! I was so happy with FP4, because I felt like I was the only rider to do only high 1‘54s laps. So we made a plan, but the team also told me to play it by feeling, and I did that really well today. I was feeling so good. When I overtook Zarco, I also immediately overtook Martin. I was so scared when I hit the debris on track. I thought ’Not a puncture, please!‘, because it made a bad sound. My last lap didn‘t feel as fast as the earlier ones, but it was enough for the win. Singing the French anthem with Zarco today was the best moment I ever had.

    Martin kept his nerve off the line and shot off to lead around Turn 1, the Spaniard unaware that he’d actually be staying there for the majority of the race as his incredible Sunday began as it meant to go on. Behind him, Zarco slotted into second but Qatar GP winner Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) went backwards, and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) propelled himself from P12 to P4 in an absolutely stunning start. Both Suzukis got away very well too, as did third place Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) but it wasn’t a good start for the factory Ducati Lenovo Team riders or Quartararo. Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia even found themselves in the lower ends of the top 10…

    Martin held his nerve at the front though and a MotoGP™ freight train followed him over the line as Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) got the better of Oliveira to sit behind the leading Pramac duo. World Champion Joan Mir on the second Team Suzuki Ecstar machine then chucked it up the inside of Quartararo at Turn 6 as the riders got very close for comfort in the opening exchanges, with Viñales, Quartararo, Miller and Bagnaia scrapping for 7th with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), and Rins hounding Zarco further forward.

    The number 42 and Zarco kept interchanging P2, and just when Rins thought he’d got the job done, the Ducati blasted back by on the straight. Next up to try and carve through was Bagnaia as the Italian moved his way up into P5, soaring past Mir on the straight, with Miller soon following his teammate through by doing the exact same thing: wringing the neck of his GP21 on the front straight as Aleix Espargaro slipped to P7.

    Approaching half race distance, Martin was still leading, and looking as cool, calm and collected as ever. Just behind him though, tensions were starting to reach boiling point in the heat of the desert. Turn 10 saw Mir make a close move on Miller, contact made between the two, and the Ducati was wide. Rins, after a front end scare at Turn 9, then had another moment at the final corner before another flash between Miller and Mir grabbed the spotlight back. Coming onto the front straight, the two clashed – and plummeted as they lost drive. The incident was investigated, but no action taken.

    But Martin rolled on, and by now Quartararo was up to P4 behind the rookie in the lead, Zarco and Bagnaia. Rins almost found a way past the number 20 on Lap 15 but it wasn’t to be and with seven to go, it was still impossible to call. Miller was P6 with Viñales P7, Mir was trying to find a way past eighth place Aleix Espargaro and Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), Binder and Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) were gaining.

    With seven to go, Quartararo cut past Bagnaia at Turn 15 but the Italian bit straight back on the straight. At Turn 1 it came undone, however, as the Ducati headed well wide and dropped from third to seenth – as Pol Espargaro also overcooked it and sailed into the run off. Both were able to slot back in, and at least kept in touch as just nine seconds covered the top 18.

    The final five laps dawned and it remained the rookie steadfast in the lead, with Zarco on his tail. Just behind, Miller picked up Quartararo, but the Frenchman cut back to hold onto a vital third as the time to push was nigh. Viñales knew that too, slicing past Rins for fifth, but it was the number 20 Yamaha making up more ground this time around as Quartararo struck for second and dispatched Zarco, then soon past Martin and into the lead.

    The course of anyone vs Ducati down the main straight never did run smooth, however, and Martin sailed back past. The answer was always going to come quick though and Quartararo hit back at Turn 3, into the lead and with a little more time to try and break clear of the Borgo Panigale grunt. The lead was soon half a second, and Viñales was stuck duelling Rins as his teammate got the hammer down.

    As the last lap dawned, Quartararo’s lead was 0.7 seconds and it was El Diablo’s to lose, with Martin leading Zarco in the fight to complete the podium. Viñales ran wide at Turn 1, allowing Rins to slide on through in the battle for P4 too, so it looked like two Frenchmen and a rookie on the podium – but in what order?

    Quartararo kept it pitch perfect to hammer round Losail for the last time in 2021, pulling out a few more tenths to cross the line for his first factory Yamaha win by a second and a half. Behind him, it was war at Pramac, but a clean war. Martin held it onto the last lap but Zarco struck at Turn 15, muscling past and making it stick. The number 89 flashed out to have a look at the final corner, but the rookie thought against it and it went down to the drag to the line – decided by just 0.043. Zarco takes it and the Championship lead, and Martin is forced to settle for third, if delight at an incredible first premier class podium can be called settling.

    In the battle for fourth, Rins held on as he and Viñales tussled it out, the Spaniards separated by just 0.022 seconds at the flag. Bagnaia was a further half a second behind the Spanish duel, the Italian taking P6 after looking to threaten a little more earlier in the race. Mir eventually came home in P7 after a heated race, the reigning Champion losing out after the incident with Miller.

    Binder cemented a brilliant P8 for himself and KTM as the South African stalked his way up to the Austrian factory’s best result at Losail by some margin. Miller took a tougher P9 for the second race in a row at Losail. The Aussie also said he was suffering arm pump and that’s first on his post-Qatar agenda. Aleix Espargaro completes the top ten, which isn’t where he started but it’s still closer than Aprilia have been before to the front after another impressive race.

    Bastianini recovered from a more difficult qualifying to finish just 5.550 seconds adrift of the win in P11 in another memorable day from the reigning Moto2™ World Champion. He beat compatriot Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) by two tenths. Pol Espargaro, after his Turn 1 excursion, took P13 ahead of HRC test rider Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team). Oliveira slipped down the order to pick up the last point after his stunning start.

    And so, history is made. 8.928 second is the gap between winner Quartararo and 15th place Oliveira in the closest top 15 finish we’ve ever seen, with Doha delivering a stunner under the floodlights. Zarco heads to Europe with 40 points at the top of the standings, with Quartararo and Viñales on 36 points apiece but classified in that order. What will Portimao bring? We don’t have to wait long to find out.

    MotoGP Podium and top-10

    1 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 42:23.997
    2 Johann Zarco* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +1.457 *Independent Team rider
    3 Jorge Martin* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +1.500

    4. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 2.088

    5. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 2.110

    6. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 2.642

    7. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 4.868

    8. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 4.979

    9. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 5.365

    10. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 5.382

    All the action from MotoGP will continue on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD with the Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal. The qualifying race is on Saturday, 17th April and the main race is on Sunday, 18th April 2021. The same will be live streamed on discovery + app.

  • Pedro Acosta celebrates stunning maiden Moto3 victory

    Pedro Acosta celebrates stunning maiden Moto3 victory

    – Full Qatar ‘double’ win for Red Bull KTM Ajo in Moto3

    – Acosta wins second GP from a pitlane start and now leads the championship

    – Gardner and Fernandez fill 2nd and 3rd positions on Moto2 podium

    Losail (Qatar), 4 April 2021: Pedro Acosta starred for the KTM GP Academy at the second Grand Prix of 2021 to take place at a windy and challenging Losail International Circuit. The 16-year old 2020 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion recorded his first win in just his second GP start and after beginning the race from the pitlane. In Moto2 Remy Gardner was runner-up for the second Sunday in a row and rookie teammate Raul Fernandez made the box as well in 3rd.

    Moto3: Fresh from his first victory for the Red Bull KTM Ajo team in the season-opening event the previous weekend, Jaume Masia rode strongly with his KTM RC4 to seal Pole Position on Saturday for the Tissot Grand Prix of Doha and third significant fixture at Losail after the official IRTA test and the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar. The Spaniard was then part of a relentless fifteen-rider chase for podium places and only two incidents in the pack on the final lap dropped him to 9th. Rookie Pedro Acosta faced the handicap of starting the Grand Prix from pitlane after receiving a penalty during Free Practice 2 on Friday. The teenager launched away with Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Deniz Öncü for company. He squashed a seven-second deficit by mid-race distance and then scythed through the field to sensationally take the lead on the last circulation and claim the checkered flag in exceptional circumstances. Elsewhere Öncü recovered to 18th as Red Bull Tech3 teammate Ayumu Sasaki captured 7th place. In total six KTM RC4s filled positions in the top ten with Niccolo Antonelli making the podium in 3rd. Acosta now has a 9-point advantage in the championship standings with Masia in 3rd spot. Pedro Acosta: “I don’t know how I did it! When you work with the best guys then it counts. Yesterday I saw everything a bit dark with the penalty but this morning I said to my assistant ‘I think we can do it’. With the lap-times I thought I could be in the group and finally we made it. I can only say thanks to my family, assistant and the team.”

  • Athira Murali tops Talent Hunt as CYC selects 10 Lady drivers for INRC

    Athira Murali tops Talent Hunt as CYC selects 10 Lady drivers for INRC

    Bengaluru, 31 March 2021: Athira Murali, a popular Malayalam Auto vlogger, who made her INRC debut at Coimbatore in January winning the ladies class and taking a well-deserved 5th among 12 INRC4 drivers, is expected to become a regular feature in the Indian National Rally Championship, thanks to promoters, who conducted a Drivers’ School and a selection camp to pick up talented lady drivers for the upcoming season beginning with the APRC round at Chennai from April 23.

    Soon after her topping the selection trials among 25, Athira was picked up by Team JK Tyre, and the Kottayam lass will be taking part in the first round of INRC in Yellow colours. “I am so glad to be sponsored by JK Tyre and excited to wear the yellow colours. I will give my best in the upcoming round in chennai,” said Athira.

    The Champions Yacht Club (CYC) FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021 will see over 10 women drivers and co-drivers line-up for the start for the first time after coming out on top in a nation-wide Talent Hunt conducted here at the Unite Off-Road Track.

    The one-of-a-kind selection and training programme was conducted by 2019 INRC champion Chetan Shivram. The Talent Hunt was supported by promoter Vamsi Merla.

    “We believe that Chetan Shivram Motorsports can be the architect and backbone of motorsports in the years to come, as long as we have support from promoters, the way Mr Vamcy Merla promotes and encourages talent. We would be happy to train and support enthusiasts entering motorsports irrespective of age or gender, as bringing more talent to the National level is our priority,” said Shivram.

    Twenty-five talented but unheralded women racers were shortlisted from across the country and were given beginners’ and advanced training in rally cars by ace rallyists Suhem Kabeer and Dhruva Chandrashekar before the ultimate shootout. The winners were judged on the basis of their lap timings in the final selection round which was supervised by an FMSCI jury team.

    Athira Murali of Kottayam emerged the winner and will be co-driven by her city mate George Varghese, with whom she made the debut in Coimbatore winning the Ladies Class. She would have also taken a podium in INRC4 but a slow car ahead of her prevented her from going further up.

    Renuka G of Andhra Pradesh who will have Chandni Kotian of Mumbai as co-driver came second in the selections with Ojasvi Mehta of Mumbai taking third place. Ojasvi along with Belgaum’s Isha Sharma are expected to make their debut in Chennai. Anupma Bindra of Gurgaon came fourth and she will go with co-driver Pallavi Yadav of Mumbai, and mother-daughter duo from Mumbai Shivani Parmar and Dr Vani Parmar will be the other ladies’ pair to get selected. Shivani came fifth in the selections.

    The will be accorded a fully-sponsored ride by the promoters of INRC which includes entry fee, rally-prepared car, rally tyres and accommodation.

    Renuka G, a software engineer from Vizag, stepped into rallying for the first time, thanks to the encouragement by Promoter Vamsi Merla. She first took part in the Ameo Cup in 2018 and has been a biker taking part in the Nationals. “It was a very exciting two days as I learned a lot about rallying. This is the first time for me in a rally car and it is very challenging to shift from tarmac to dirt tracks. I learnt a lot from handling the car to cornering from experienced drivers and it was a new driving style. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to the Chennai round,” said Renuka, who became freinds with Chandni Kotian and picked her up as co-driver. Renuka was all praise for Chetan, Dhruva and Suhem for the training and said that it was very useful to make the switch from racing to rallying.

    “I have experience in F4 cars and karting, but getting into a rally car is a new experience. I learnt many new things, the judgement when you take into corners and to handle the peculiar shifts… It was a new thrill for me to experience and all it happened because of Vamcy Merla,” said Chandni Kotian, a Mortgage Analyst from Mumbai.

    “The training and experience on the dirt track was awesome. It is the first time I ever stepped into a rally car  and am really happy to grab the great knowledge as a co-driver under the guidance of ace rallyists Suhem Kabeer and Dhruva Chandrashekar. I am looking forward to the INRC round, waiting for that moment to come. This is a great initiative by the FMSCI as women never get much opportunities to rally. I thank Vamsi Merla for bringing more talented women into Indian Rallying and I really enjoyed the two-day training under champion Chethan Shivram,” said Isha Sharma. She will pair up with Ojasvi. “It is a wonderful opportunity to take part in the Women in Motorsport Talent Hunt as I could meet 25 amazing women. The 2-day training and shootout were exceptional and life changing too. So glad to finish 3rd and get a shot at the INRC. From track-walk to understanding the basics of the car, I don’t think I could have got a better experience…, thanks to Vamsy Sir for giving us a chance to showcase ourselves and a huge shootout to Chetan Sir, Dhruva and Suhem for teaching us from the basics. Eagerly waiting for the first round to begin,” said Ojasvi Mehta, a 23-year MBA student from Mumbai.

     “My commitment towards supporting existing and upcoming `Women in Motorsports’ made me launch this initiative.  We had planned this last year as well but unfortunately due to the pandemic we could not go ahead with the camp. But with normalcy finally getting restored in the country we finally conducted the Talent Hunt this year and now here we are with 10 talented women finally getting the platform and the support they deserve,” Vamsi Merla said.

    Last year, the promoter paid the entry fee for six Lady drivers and also helped provide 50 per cent subsidy for transport of cars to over 15 drivers who needed it. “This is the first event of its kind in INRC and we have plans to make it a yearly affair. I am really looking forward to seeing these ladies on the track and hopefully this will mark a new beginning for women in Indian Motorsports,” Vamsi signed off.

    The first round of the INRC kicks-off with the South India Rally on April 23-25 in Chennai which also doubles up as the Asia round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).

    Note: Updated with driver quotes on April 7, at 1.42pm.

  • Pramac delight as rookie Martin storms to maiden MotoGP pole

    Pramac delight as rookie Martin storms to maiden MotoGP pole

    Doha, 4 April, 2021: The Losail International Circuit hosted yet another mesmerising MotoGP qualifying session and coming out on top, in just his second-ever premier class qualifying session, was rookie sensation Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing). The Spaniard set a 1:53.106 to beat teammate Johann Zarco by 0.157s who in turn edges out third place Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) by 0.004s. An incredible Q2 dogfight in the desert.

    Ahead of Q2 in Doha, a nail-biting Q1 session got underway and for the second time in two weeks, reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was involved. After the first runs, Mir was three tenths clear of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), but the second set of flying laps saw some real changes. Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Esponsorama) sat P2 as red splits lit up everywhere, but the Italian would lose out to Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) by just 0.008s, as Mir improved his time to safely make it through to Q2 by a couple of tenths. Job done by the Suzuki star in a brilliant Q1 session.

    The Losail International Circuit then fell silent for a handful of minutes, before the 12 fastest premier class riders so far this weekend rumbled out of pitlane for the eagerly anticipated pole position shootout. Confident rookie Martin was the fastest rider from the get-go and set a 1:53.892 straight out the traps, immense from the Spaniard. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) leapt up to P1 but once again, shadowing Mir, Martin was back on top of the pile. Now, his time was a 1:53.597 as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) slotted himself into P2, just 0.017s behind Martin’s early benchmark.

    After the first couple of flying laps, Martin, Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was the provisional front row. Morbidelli and the Ducati Lenovo Team duo of Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller were on the second row with just over five minutes remaining, with World Championship leader Viñales nine tenths off in P9 – just behind Mir in P8.

    Pushing hard, Viñales came out for his second run with the grit between his teeth. A couple of moments didn’t hamper the number 12’s lap time and Viñales went P9 to P1 with under two minutes to go. And then, Viñales was over a quarter of a second up on his next flying lap. Viñales nailed Sector 2, then nailed Sector 3 and taking the chequered flag, Viñales extended his advantage to 0.330s.

    Now, attentions turned to a rookie on fire. Martin was up by 0.015s in Sector 2 on his final flying lap, with every other rider setting orange sectors. What came next was utterly sensational. Out of nowhere, Zarco gained over two tenths in the last split to snatch provisional pole by an absolute whisker – 0.004s. However, step up Martin. Doing it all on his own without a tow, the MotoGP™ new boy stormed across the line and went P1 by a tenth and a half. Incredible scenes! It wasn’t quite over yet though because Miller and Quartararo had clocked red sectors. Firing their way to the chequered flag, neither penetrated the front row but both improved their times to grab P4 and P5 respectively, but the headlines went the way of Martin.

    To earn pole position in your second MotoGP™ qualifying session, his first in Q2, is unreal. The ‘Martinator’ shows us exactly why he’s nicknamed that as he reigns on Saturday in Doha, with Zarco making it Saturday Night Fever for Pramac Racing. Viñales once again lines up P3 at Losail, he’ll be praying the Ducatis get a rare bad start but as we saw last Sunday, dropping a couple of positions isn’t the end of the world now for Viñales.

    Spearheading Row 2 is Miller who, at the end of the session inside the box, didn’t look best pleased. The Australian will of course have been aiming for the front row at least but seeing two Ducati rivals ahead of him on grid will hurt. Nevertheless, it’s one better than last week and Miller has every chance of stealing the holeshot from P4. Quartararo’s fifth place was less than the Frenchman would have expected too, but it’s far from a disaster. Like Viñales, he’ll be worried about the Ducatis off the line though.

    One of those will be last week’s polesitter Bagnaia. P6 is the best the Italian could manage this time around at Losail, however, that front holeshot device could work wonders again and see him sail forward from the off. An interesting start awaits for the leading six riders, it’s a Ducati vs Yamaha affair from the front couple of rows.

    Leading the third row is Aleix Espargaro after another fantastic performance. With the Yamahas and Ducatis looking strong in Qatar, starting P7 – one place higher than last week – is yet another job well done for the Noale factory. Joining the Aprilia star on Row 3 is a couple of Suzukis. Alex Rins sits 0.040s ahead of Team Suzuki Ecstar teammate Mir as the GSX-RR duo finish 0.6s shy from pole position. Not bad from the Suzuki riders, especially with Mir navigating his way through Q1, but there’s again work to do at the start of the race on Sunday. They’re in the mix though, and that’s what counts.

    Rounding out the top 10 was Morbidelli, the Italian was just 0.009s from the third row in a quiet session, as leading Honda rider Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) and fastest KTM Oliveira complete the Q2 results in P11 and P12 respectively.

    What a qualifying session, and what a day for Jorge Martin. We don’t see things like this happen very often, but now his and Pramac Racing’s attention will quickly turn to focusing on how to convert pole position into a great Sunday result. If Martin gets anything like the start he did last Sunday, then he’ll be into Turn 1 way ahead of the pack. Zarco looks set for another awesome Sunday, but Viñales is lurking on the Yamaha. In short, it’s going to be an unmissable MotoGP™ race in Doha.

    Q2 results:

    1. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) – 1:53.106

    2. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.157

    3. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.161

    4. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.197

    5. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 0.363

    6. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.548

    7. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 0.599

    8. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.639

    9. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.679

    10. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 0.688

    11. Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) + 1.118

    12. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 1.990

    Action from  MotoGP Tissot Grand Prix of Doha Main Race will be LIVE on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD from 19:15 Hrs (07:15 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, 4th April 2021. The same will be live streamed on discovery + app.

  • Regular points-finishes would be more important, says Jehan Daruvala

    Regular points-finishes would be more important, says Jehan Daruvala

    Carlin’s Jehan Daruvala cited Guanyu Zhou’s lead of the Drivers’ Championship as proof the new Formula 2 format works, after the UNI-Virtuosi racer qualified on pole and took the opening Feature Race win. And while it may not have benefited the Red Bull junior as much in Sakhir, he believes it bodes well for his own title bid in the long-term.

    Taking second, fourth and sixth in the opening weekend of the new-look championship, Daruvala departed Round 1 in third place in the Standings, as one of the most consistent drivers in the opener.

    While he didn’t leave with a win for his efforts, the Indian feels that regular points’ finishes will be more important over the course of the season than an extra victory or two.

    “If you qualify at the front, then you have the best chance of scoring the most points. It is pretty simple and Zhou showed that,” Daruvala said. “There’s no need to try and qualify in eighth or ninth or play tactics like that: Zhou qualified at the front, won the Feature Race and left in (first place).

    “Before the weekend, I would have taken this as a good starting point. There are always places where you can improve, and for me, it is all about qualifying – getting into the top five and then scoring points consistently.

    Jehan Daruvala photo by Getty images

    “That isn’t easy in Formula 2 because the level is really, really high. But, if you are consistently in the top five or six, like I was this weekend, then I think in the end you’ll be in the fight for the championship.”

    He may have finished the Feature Race where he started it, but Daruvala had to work for sixth place after a Safety Car ruined his attempts of an undercut.

    Pitting two laps earlier than most on the hard-soft strategy, the Indian came out ahead of everyone except Zhou, before the arrival of the Safety Car gifted Richard Verschoor and Liam Lawson a free pitstop and track position.

    “It was a very eventful race, which to be fair is normal for Formula 2 race. They’re all exciting” he continued. “I started on the hards and then changed to the softs, which seemed better overall. Things were going quite well, and everything was going to plan.

    “I was looking forward to the last 10/12 laps, but the Safety Car hindered me a little bit, and Richard and Liam ended upcoming out ahead of me. I was then left to fight with Théo (Pourchaire) and had a big lock-up on my front right tyre.

    “Still, I am pleased to have finished in P6 after a difficult race. I think it’s positive. We have the test in Barcelona next where we can make improvements before Round 2 in Monaco.”

  • Miller heads Ducati armada in Doha

    Miller heads Ducati armada in Doha

    The Australian bounced back in style to top the timesheets on Friday, ahead of teammate Bagnaia and top Independent Team rider Zarco

    Doha, 2 April 2021: Day 1 of the TISSOT Grand Prix of Doha saw one marque very much lay down a marker, with four Ducatis ending the day in the top five, in the second round of the MotoGP World Championships here on Friday.

    The fastest was Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Australian bounced back from a more difficult first race of the season to top the timesheets, putting in a 1:53.145 to pull three tenths ahead of teammate Francesco Bagnaia in second. Third went to Qatar GP podium finisher Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), with the Frenchman less than a tenth further back and top Independent Team rider. His rookie teammate Jorge Martin impressed in fifth to make it that four out of five for Ducati, with only Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) able to spoil the Borgo Panigale party as he took fourth.

    With conditions likely to make improvements difficult in the afternoon heat of FP3, gaining automatic entry to Q2 was the name of the game and that led to a classic last dash shootout at the end of FP2. First though, there was setup work to be done and after a couple of faster efforts from Bagnaia and Martin, most settled into working for the race. With just under 20 minutes to go, however, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) shot first as the Japanese rider started making moves on brand-new rubber, taking over in P2 and less than a tenth away from Bagnaia.

    Martin, not looking like a rookie at all on the GP21, then moved back into P3 with 15 minutes to go and it was game on for time attacks. The Spanish rookie then put in another impressive lap and improved his time to go P1, but the Pramac rider’s time at the summit lasted about five seconds as Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) then landed the first 1:53 of the day and we strapped in for a barnstorming final 13 or so minutes of action on Friday evening.

    Second week running, Bagnaia was second quickest in the Ducati 1-2. A MotoGP image

    Quartararo soon demoted Rins to P2 before Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) moved the goalposts, a 1:53.646 putting the RS-GP rider nearly three tenths clear of the pack. Despite two mechanical issues in FP1, Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) next slotted himself into P2 before Miller, who was on a quick lap, stole the spotlight. Not for all the right reasons though, as the Australian was up with red sectors before having a huge moment out of Turn 14 that rattled him out the seat. He stayed on but headed into pitlane, down in P19 with only five minutes to go.

    The turnaround was quick, however, and once back out Miller was firing on all cylinders. Half way around his flying lap, the number 43 was four tenths up and looking to lay down a serious benchmark, with the advantage only getting bigger in the latter half of the lap as Miller put himself 0.501s clear with a minute to go, luckily just avoiding the yellow flags waved for a Nakagami crash at Turn 7.

    The final flying laps then saw plenty of movement, but none of it would be in front of Miller. Bagnaia, Zarco and Martin propelled themselves into the top five as the two Qatar podium finishers also avoided the yellow flags, this time for an Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) crash at the final corner. Further back on the road there was bad news for World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) too, with both needing to find time to break into the top 10… and both failing to find enough.

    At the end of the shuffle then, it’s advantage Ducati with Miller, Bagnaia and Zarco at the top, with Jorge Martin hanging on to an impressive fifth. Quartararo slips into P4 as top Yamaha, with FP1 pacesetter Aleix Espargaro taking sixth despite not heading out for a final time attack, that first flier enough.

    Morbidelli enjoyed a better evening to end up P7, and there were no issues for the Italian in FP2 as he got in some smoother sailing. Just 0.014 behind the Petronas Yamaha SRT rider is Rins, with the top eight covered by half a second. 

    World Championship leader Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) only just squeezed into the top 10 in P9 with a late effort, with Marc Marquez’s replacement – and Honda test rider – Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) doing another fine job in P10 to break some hearts, not least those of Mir and Rossi. The reigning World Champion is P13, and Rossi exactly a tenth behind him in P14 as Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) slotted into 11th and 12th respectively.

    With Saturday afternoon conditions likely to make a laptime harder to find, the likes of Mir and Rossi face a challenging Day 2 in Doha. Will they be heading through to Q1? Tune into MotoGP™ FP3 at 15:15 local time (GMT+3) to see if anyone is able to find improvements, before the fight for pole position gets underway at 20:00 local time.

    MotoGP – Top-5 on Friday:

    1 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 1:53.145
    2 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +0.313
    3 Johann Zarco* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.392
    4 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.438
    5 Jorge Martin* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.448
    *Independent Team rider