Your basket is currently empty!
Author: INDIAinF1 Desk
-
Jorge Martin stars in rain; but Bagnaia takes 2nd, to bag 20 crucial points
Motegi, 1 October 2023: It was a day for nerves of steel at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, with the Championship on a knife edge before the race start and drops of drizzle becoming a flag-to-flag and then some serious rain. But on a day when faltering would likely have lived long in the memory, neither in the duel at the top of the standings did. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) overcame arguably his biggest test of late to put on a wet weather masterclass at the front, outpacing Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) to cut the gap to just three points. The test was also a huge one for Bagnaia, on the back foot in terms of momentum and faced with the toughest conditions of the season so far, but the reigning World Champion dug in, held on, and took the necessary 20 points needed to keep that lead.
As the top two in the Championship held their nerve, so did the rider in the centre of his own storm as rumours about the future swirl: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) got back on the Grand Prix podium for the first time in 2023, and on home turf for Honda.
On the grid the tyres were slicks and the skies were grey, with Martin getting the dream start to take the holeshot, while Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also got off the line superbly. The same can’t be said for reigning World Champion Bagnaia, who headed into Turn 1 in fourth as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), though the factory Ducati bit back on the exit of the second corner.
There was immediate disappointment for Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) who ended up in the gravel after contact with several riders going into Turn 1, while Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) went wide with him.
As the rain started to increase, pitlane was opened almost immediately for riders to swap bikes, something which the vast majority opted to do. Martin led them into pitlane, with Bagnaia, Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Marquez and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) following closely behind. Five opted to stay out: Fabio Quartararo (Moneter Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), Cal Crutchlow (Yamalube RS4GP Racing Team), Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda Castrol) and Michele Pirro (Ducati Lenovo Team) were the quintet of riders, and all of a sudden, Pirro led the Japanese Grand Prix.
From those who chose to change bikes, Martin led a large group out onto the track, with Espargaro, Miller, Bagnaia and Marquez next. At Turn 10, Espargaro challenged Martin for the lead of the group but the Pramac rider struck back. As we went to clock off another lap, Quartararo and Crutchlow then changed machines. Pirro, Bradl and Morbidelli did not.
It was an incredibly dramatic start to the race, and it showed no signs of slowing down as Martin went wide under pressure from Espargaro, dropping to P9 before Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) picked him off. A ballsy move around Turn 6 though returned the position to the title hopeful as he went up the inside of the Gresini machine.
By the end of Lap 3, the riders on wets caught Morbidelli as Marquez tried to battle past Espargaro at Turn 11, but couldn’t keep it pinned as he slipped back behind the Aprilia. A little further back, Martin was out to make amends from his earlier error and got through on Miller at Turn 3 for sixth, lining up behind title rivals Bezzecchi and Bagnaia.
Amid all that, Pirro, incredibly, still led the Grand Prix by 10 seconds, but he soon swapped bikes too, meaning we had a new race leader in the form of Aleix Espargaro, who had time to spare over Marquez in second. There were then further shifts in the pecking order, as Bagnaia and Martin both picked off Bezzecchi, before the Ducatis then flew past Marc Marquez by the end of the lap to move for the podium places.
Just five laps in, and we had enough drama to last a season… and it was far from over!
A look at the timing screens showed Aleix Espargaro out front, but his lead was cut to half a second over Bagnaia, with Martin completing the provisional podium paces. Bezzecchi picked off Marquez as the Repsol Honda began sliding the wrong way, with Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) the next to get the better of him. By this stage, the race lost Binder to a crash as he slid out at Turn 3, rider ok.
Back out front, Martin was on the march, battling past Bagnaia for second and then making light work of Espargaro for the lead, and the in form Spaniard opened up a cushion of seven tenths. 1.5 seconds behind the front two, Bezzecchi moved into third place at the expense of Aleix Espargaro, who seemed to lose all drive aboard his RS-GP with Oliveira and Marquez both coming through on him seconds later.
After nine laps, it looked like the race began to settle down after probably the most hectic start to a MotoGP™ race in recent memory. Martin’s lead was out to a second, with Bagnaia still holding his advantage over Bezzecchi. Oliveira was next in line, but the master of the wet in recent times couldn’t mount a podium challenge and then entered the pits to retire by the end of Lap 12, a lost chance.
The action was still coming thick and fast behind the leaders though, with Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) and Miller staging a spectacular battle for seventh before the Aussie lost out after running it wide at Turn 11, somewhat fortunate not to crash as he rejoined the chasing pack in 10th. That suddenly put the Constructors’ crown in reach for Ducati…
Conditions were worsening, with bikes spraying up water from the asphalt as the pace slowed, but that couldn’t stop Marquez from making moves as the eight-time World Champion went by Bezzecchi and onto the podium on the drive into Turn 11. He then began taking chunks out of Bagnaia’s advantage, and it looked like just a matter of time before he reeled him in…. but then the red flag waved. Riders returned to pitlane. Including Zarco who crashed moments before the red flag and wrote off his GP23, rider ok.
With 13 of 24 laps completed, a restart would happen if conditions were to improve, but that was a big if. It seemed that conditions had cleared enough for a restart, but before they could complete the warm up lap, the red flag was waved once again, and a race result was declared. As over 50% of the race had been completed, full points were awarded.
Martin’s nerves of steel in the face of a very different challenge see him confirmed the winner, with another 25 points putting him just three off Bagnaia. But to keep that lead, if he didn’t beat him and Martin won, Pecco had to follow him home. And that he did.
Bezzecchi missed the podium but collected 13 points ahead of Aleix Espargaro and Jack Miller in P5 and P6 respectively. Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) finished ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio for seventh, while Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) and Quartararo completed the top 10. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) came home in 11th in his home Grand Prix, with Mir, Crutchlow, Bradl and Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) completing the point-scoring places.
Perhaps it was a muted end, but it was simply a breathtaking, spectacular challenge and race at the Japanese Grand Prix. Now, we’ve got two weeks until the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia gets underway, which might just be as well, because it’s going to take some time to unpack this one.
-
Ducati seals Manufacturers’ Title with Bautista’s Race 1 win in Portimao
Portimao, 30 Sept. 2023: Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) showcased his Championship mettle in an electrifying Race 1 at Portimao, sealing a hard-fought victory to extend his lead in the standings by five points. It was Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) who initially grabbed the lead, with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) making a jaw-dropping recovery after a Turn 3 incident. However, Bautista’s unwavering determination led him to overtake and secure his 22nd win of the season, closing in on the all-time Ducati record held by Carl Fogarty. Ducati also celebrated as Bautista’s win guaranteed them the 2023 Manufacturers’ Title.
In the fierce battle for fourth place, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) emerged victorious ahead of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took the flag in seventh. The race also witnessed Andrea Locatelli’s (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) strong charge from the back of the grid to ninth place, setting the stage for an intriguing Tissot Superpole Race.
With his Race 1 win, Bautista further solidified his standing atop the Championship, now leading by 52 points.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“For sure, today has been a really good day for Ducati because they won the Manufacturers’ Title. I’m so happy to be part of this success. Congratulations to all the Ducati family! I’m also happy from my side because today was a very difficult day for me. In the Superpole, we made a small change to the bike that didn’t work, and I couldn’t set a good lap time. But, in any case, I was confident for the race. Certainly, track conditions were tricky with the strong wind. The wind was different on every lap, and for me, it was difficult to understand and find reference points. At the beginning, I enjoyed the battle with Jonathan and Toprak. I took the lead. It was challenging for me to maintain the same pace as yesterday afternoon or this morning because the wind was too strong. Maybe it’s because I’m light, and I feel it more, but I tried to understand it and not make any mistakes. Toprak was pushing hard, I was keeping an eye on the gap, and it remained constant. Congratulations to him because he made a big improvement between yesterday and today, and he was able to match my race pace. As for me, I tried not to make any mistakes, and today I could win again, so I’m very happy.”If Bautista wins both races on Sunday, Razgatlioglu must finish second to take the title fight to Jerez.
-
Jorge Martin wins Motegi sprint ahead of Brad Binder
Motegi, 30 Sept. 2023: If Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) wins the Grand Prix race at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) doesn’t follow him home, we’ll have a new Championship leader in MotoGP – such is the momentum carried by the number 89, who won the Tissot Sprint at Motegi in style. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was off like a shot to make a good run of it in the early stages, ultimately taking second for some more silverware, with Bagnaia completing the podium after going toe-to-toe in a spectacular duel against former teammate Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
The best start on the front row came from polesitter Martin as he shot forward for the holeshot, with Miller out-dragging Pecco for second as Binder then also managed to slot up the inside of the reigning Champion into third. As ever, the KTMs made it game on early doors.
Binder wasn’t for sitting behind teammate Miller for long though, taking over in second after a brutal but fair move and then tagging onto the rear wheel of Martin. Almost immediately, the two were creating a small but real gap, leaving Miller between that lead duo and another comprising Bagnaia and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team).
By third race distance, Martin and Binder were starting to pull the pin. Miller was then left looking over his shoulder as Bagnaia homed in, with Marquez also losing ground to the duo ahead of him – making it two duels at the front followed by what was becoming an increasingly close fight for fifth headed by an eight-time World Champion.
On Lap 6, there was a first real move in that fight as Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) attacked and passed Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), the young Italian then able to lock on to Marquez almost immediately. Bezzecchi feinted a couple of moves before committing to a lunge, but ultimately overcooked it and sent both of them wide, letting a fast-starting Zarco back through and allowing Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) to split the duo too.
Up ahead, Martin was on the march by the final few laps, with Binder in a secure second and Bagnaia still wrapped up behind Miller, keenly looking for a way past. He saw one and took it on Lap 9, but the Australian wasn’t having it. And so began a poetic and epic scrap to complete the Sprint podium, with both sideways, squiggly, and absolutely on the limit until a final and decisive move on the penultimate lap saw Miller forced to cede.
The Australian then watched the Ducati just edge out of reach, forced to settle for fourth and forced to keep it pinned thereafter too as a late charge from Zarco started to reel him in.
Just up the road, Martin managed to hold on to just over a second of breathing space ahead of Binder, with the two taking the top two steps on Saturday as Bagnaia came home third to complete the Sprint rostrum. Behind, Miller did manage to hold off Zarco’s late threat, with the Australian taking fourth by a tenth.
After his earlier ambition outweighed track limits when attacking Marquez, Bezzecchi had to get the hammer down get back past and stay ahead, with the eight-time World Champion right back on his rear wheel on the last two laps. A quality final tour ensured the Italian was just able to stay ahead, coming come P6 as Marquez took seventh.
Behind that battle but not by much, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) took his first Sprint points in P8, within a second of Marquez by the flag as his impressive Japanese GP continues. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) took the final Sprint point in P9. Teammate Aleix Espargaro, after fighting for fifth in the early stages, was forced to pull into pitlane and retire.
After all that, it’s just eight points in it at the top as Martin homes in. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a serious title fight! Tune in for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan Sunday showdown 15:00 (GMT +9)!
-
Lani Zena Fernandez win girls’ race; Rajiv Sethu disqualified
Chennai, 30 Sept. 2023: Bengaluru teenager Chiranth Vishwanath (Petronas TVS Racing) and Chennai veteran Prabhu Arunagiri (Pacer Yamaha) shared honours by winning a race apiece in the premier Pro-Stock 165cc Open category in the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.
Rajiv Sethu (RACR Castrol Power1) continued his unbeaten run in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open class and crossed the chequered flag first but was later disqualified from both his races in the 165cc class. Chiranth was promoted as winner in the Pro-stock 165cc Open Race 1 as Rajiv Sethu was disqualified due to technical infringement. In Race 2, Prabh Arunagiri made it double as Rajiv Sethu was once again disqualified in the post-race scrutiny of the 165cc Race 2.
Another Bengalurean, 22-year-old six-footer Manvith Reddy (RACR Castrol Power1), bided his time to win the Novice (Stock 165cc) race after a couple of front-runners, including pole-sitter Vignesh Goud, retired, while his team-mate Puducherry’s Lani Zena Fernandez made the best of pole position start to score a comfortable victory, her second win of the season, in the Girls (Stock 165cc) class of the National championship.
Chiranth, only 16, was impressive in winning Race-1 of the Pro-Stock 165cc Open category. He showed a big heart for a close fight to overcome championship leader Rajiv Sethu, who despite starting P12 after a disastrous qualifying session, led briefly. However, a loose footrest and then a broken gear lever saw Sethu pull out of his battle with Chiranth and was content to finish second. Earlier, pole-sitter Sarthak Chavan, the 16-year-old from Pune, retired after a high-side crash at Turn-1 in the very first lap, but walked away unhurt, clearing the way for Chiranth to hit the front.
In Race-2 of the same category in the evening, Prabhu Arunagiri fully capitalised on a set of new tyres to a run-away win, while behind him his Pacer Yamaha team-mate Mathana Kumar did well to hold up the traffic that included Sarthak Chavan, who eventually finished second ahead of KY Ahamed. Mathana, who had scored a double in the first round in June, came fourth.
Sarthak suffered yet another crash after coming together with his Petronas TVS Racing team-mate KY Ahamed in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open race, a little later. With the two out of contention, Sethu stormed into the lead and fought off Hyderabad’s Rahil Pillarisetty (KTM Gusto Racing) for his sixth consecutive win of the season.
Chiranth Vishwanath ended the day on a winning note by topping the Open (RR310) category of the Petronas TVS One-Make Championship.
Thailand’s Vorapong Malahuan clocked a blistering lap of one minute, 49.198secs for pole position in the inaugural TVS E-Invitation Race category, ahead of two Petronas TVS Racing factory riders KY Ahamed (01:50.666) and Jagan Kumar (01:50.681).
Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned): (before scrutiny)
National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open: 1. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (11mins, 21.000secs); 2. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad, KTM Gusto Racing) (11:22.194); 3. Alwin Sundar (Chennai, KTM Gusto Racing) (11:27.023).
Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-1): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (09:56.159); 2. Ahamed KY (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (10:03.002); 3. Race-2: 1. Prabhu Arunagiri (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (11:48.680); 2. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, Petronas TVS Racing) (11:52.473); 3. Ahamed KY (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11:52.859).
Novice (Stock 165cc): 1. Manvith Reddy K (Bengaluru, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (13:16.375); 2. Abdul Basim (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (13:16.375); 3. Tasmai Cariappa (Mysuru, Pacer Yamaha 1) (13:16.869).
Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Lani Zena Fernandes (Puducherry, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (11:10.327); 2. Jagathishree (Chennai, One Racing) (11:12.974); 3. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Axor Sparks Racing) (11:17.529). Qualifying (top 3, best lap): 1. Lani Zena Fernandez (02:12.592); 2. Ann Jennifer (Chennai, Alpha Racing) (02:13.274); 3. Ryhana Bee (02:16.213).
Support Race (301-400cc, Novice): 1. Rohit Lad (Bengaluru, Pvt) (12:50.702); 2. Aldrin Babu (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1) (12:53.293); 3. Vivek M (Bengaluru, Eminence Racing) (12:53.336).
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (NSF 250R) – Qualifying (top 3, best lap): 1. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (01:51.512); 2. Shyam Sundar (Chennai) (01:54.039); 3. AS James (Bengaluru) (01:55.017).
Petronas TVS One-Make Championship – Open (Apache RR 310): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (11:34.135); 2. Senthil Kumar C (Coimbatore) (11:38.154); 3. G Balaji (Chennai) (11:42.214).
Girls (Apache RTR 200, 5 laps): 1. Saimah Ajaz Baig (Pune) (11:19.600); 2. Nadine Faith Balaji (Chennai) (11:20.014); 3. Aisvariya V (Coimbatore) (11:34.185).
TVS E-Invitation Race – Qualifying / Practice (top 3, best lap): 1. Vorapong Malahuan (Thailand) (01:49.198); 2. KY Ahamed (Chennai) (01:50.666); 3. Jagan Kumar (Chennai) (01:50.681).
-
Bezzecchi wins; Bagnaia crashes; That’s enough to tighten up the title-fight
A stunning turn of speed, a shocking crash, two duels to the wire and four factories in the top five: India spices up the Championship in style.
New Delhi, 24 Sept. 2023: Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) made a statement and a half as he destroyed the field at the IndianOil Grand Prix of India at the Buddh International Circuit nere here on Sunday. The Italian put in a true masterclass to escape in the lead, coming home over eight seconds clear to scythe right back into the title-fight after some seriously hot pace.
The fight for the podium behind, if possible, was even hotter. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) had to first contend with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the reigning Champion stalked and passed him, but there was a shocking crash out of second place for Pecco not long after, rider ok. There was then some drama as Martin lost time re-doing his leather suit after a Dashboard Message to do so after it was open… and by the end of the race, he was being absolutely hounded by Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™). The Pramac rider just held on after a stunning last lap duel, in doing so cutting Bagnaia’s Championship lead to just 13 points.
From left: Jorge Martin (2nd), Marco Bezzecchi (winner), Fabio Quartararo (3rd). The trio won the first Grand Prix of India at BIC on Sunday. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan Blink and you miss it
The top trio in the title fight led the way on Lap 1 as Martin and Bagnaia got lightning starts to jump polesitter Bezzecchi. Bagnaia was in full attack mode in to ensure Martin didn’t pull away.When Pecco went for a move on the brakes, Martin tried to resist but ran wide and dropped back, gifting Bagnaia the lead. Bezzecchi then saw his opportunity to make a move, and once he hit the front, he truly did not look back. As he put in searing lap after searing lap, the fight behind began to light up.
Martin made a lunge with 17 laps to go, and it was a brutal one – sitting up the Italian. But Bagnaia regrouped, and just behind them, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was trying all he could to put himself in the mix as he watched on from fourth place.
The first crash drama at the front hit for the number 93 though as he suffered an agonisingly slow off at Turn 1, getting straight back on but dropping right down out the points.
Next stop: more drama
In the fight for second, Martin tried all he could to break away but Bagnaia wasn’t going anywhere. The Italian made his move with eight laps to go with a poetic sweep past the number 89, but it wouldn’t last long.Soon after, the #1 machine suddenly slid out, with Pecco up and ok but remonstrating with himself in the gravel. And understandably so, with Bezzecchi leading Martin – the two closest in the title fight.
As the laps ticked down, Martin started to fade, lost time doing up his leathers, and then found himself right in the crosshairs of Quartararo on the last lap. The Frenchman struck and the battle was on, but Martin forced his way back past. Still, Quartararo tagged back onto the rear wheel and tried all he could to find a gap, running out of corners as the duo ultimately crossed the line split by almost nothing.
Last laps of the titans
We didn’t see much of the race leader Bezzecchi as he brought home an incredible victory, taking a 25-point chunk out of Bagnaia and his third win of the season. Behind, Martin held off Quartararo, and then came Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and another last lao scrap. He was embroiled in an epic battle with Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) for 4th place and the South African got the better of the Spaniard, or more didn’t enable Mir to get the better of him, after flying his way through the pack from 13th on the grid. For Mir, however, it’s still a best result by far with Honda, and a return to the top five for the factory.UP CM who gave all support to GP of India presenting the trophy to Bezzecchi on Sunday at the Buddh International Circuit. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) bagged P6 ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), the latter of whom was sent well wide at Turn 1 and had to dig in. Teammate Aleix Espargaro suffered a technical DNF.
On Marc Marquez watch, the number 93 made an incredible recovery to take ninth place, slicing back through the pack to finish seven seconds up the road from Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) who rounded out the top 10.
The Championship has been turned on its head once again in MotoGP™ as the first-ever IndianOil Grand Prix of India threw up an absolute treat. MotoGP™ now turns its attention to the Mobility Resort Motegi in Japan for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan from the 29th of September to the 1st of October. See you there!
A huge Sunday crowd of 1,11,762 boxed into the 98k capacity of the BIC. -
Max Verstappen powers Red Bull to Constructors’ title
Suzuka, 24 Sept. 2023: Max Verstappen powered to a dominant Japanese Grand Prix win at Suzuka to seal a sixth Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship title win for Red Bull Racing and to move one step closer to his third Drivers’ title in a row. McLaren’s Lando Norris finished second ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri, while Sergio Pérez in the other Red Bull was forced to retire from the race after two early collisions.
“Unbelievable guys, you deserve that,” Verstappen told his team over the radio after crossing the line. “You can all be very proud, here at the track and back at the factory. You have built a rocket ship of car, well done!”
Verstappen’s win puts him on 400 points and just a handful of points away from a third title. The Dutchman is now 177 ahead of the non-scoring Pérez with a maximum 180 points still on the table from the remaining six rounds. The Dutchman is now almost certain to take the crown at the next race in Qatar.
Starting from pole in Suzuka, Verstappen seized the lead of the line. And though his progress was briefly slowed by an early Safety Car, once he had calmly navigated the re-start, the championship leader simply drove away from the rest of the field to eventually beat Norris to the flag by 19.3 seconds.
When the lights went out for the start, Verstappen got away well and despite pressure from Piastri to his right, the Dutchman placed his car well to block the McLaren. That left Piastri vulnerable, and spotting the opportunity, Norris powered through to steal P2 from his team-mate.
Behind the top three, Pérez got a poor start from fifth place on the grid and on the approach to Turn 1 he was squeezed by the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Forced left, Pérez made contact with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and dropped back to seventh as Sainz slipped through to P5 and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso roared up the inside from 10th to sixth.
Further back again, there was another incident, with Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu moving into the path of Williams’ Alex Albon. The Williams driver ran over the rear left of the Alfa Romeo and while both managed to keep going, substantial amounts of debris were left on track and the Safety Car was deployed.
Behind the Safety Car Pérez pitted at the end of lap 2 for a new nose cone. But the Mexican driver’s race unravelled further there as he rejoined incorrectly behind the Safety Car and was handed a five-second time penalty. It would only get worse for the Red Bull driver.
When the Safety Car left the track Verstappen controlled the re-start well to hold his lead ahead of Norris and Piastri, with Leclerc in fourth ahead of Sainz and Alonso.
Pérez was soon on the march and over the following half dozen laps he carved his way from 18th place to 12th, behind the Haas of Kevin Magnussen. However, on lap 13, the Red Bull driver was sent plummeting down the order again when an attempt to pass the Dane at the hairpin went wrong. “I’ve got front wing damage again,” he lamented after locking up and sliding into the side of the Haas.
Pérez returned to the pit lane again, serving his penalty and taking on a new nose cone. But almost as soon as he was back on track he reported that his car “did not feel right” and he returned to the pit lane and the garage. He was also handed a second penalty for causing the collision with Magnussen.
At the front, the leaders began to pit. Piastri sparked the stops, boxing under the VSC deployed for the Pérez and attempting to undercut the drivers ahead. Verstappen then made his first stop, taking on another set of Medium tyres and Leclerc, Norris and Sainz all followed soon after. Verstappen soon returned to the lead, ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, who had yet to stop, and Piastri, who had managed to undercut Norris thanks to his stop under the VSC.
At the front Verstappen was striding away from the chasing pack and at half distance the Red Bull driver was 12 seconds ahead of Piastri. McLaren were on the radio to the Australian, however, telling him that Norris was running faster and on lap 27 Piastri backed off the let his team-mate through to P2.
Leclerc made his second stop, from fifth, at the end of lap 35, quickly followed by sixth-placed Hamilton, and both driver took on Hard tyres. Third-placed Piastri followed suit at the end of the next lap with Norris coming in a lap later and then at the end of lap 37 Max made is final stop of the racing, fitting a set of Hard tyres for the last 16 laps of the race.
Pérez, seeking to shake off his penalty in case it carried over to Qatar went back out on lap 40 before steering back to the garage a lap later.
Ahead, Verstappen led Norris by more than 15 seconds, with Piastri in third and Leclerc fourth. And over the final 15 dozen laps the gap only grew and when he eventually crossed the line to take his 13th win of the season and to secure the 2023 Constructors’ World Championship title for the Team he was over 19 seconds clear of Norris, with Piastri a further 17 seconds back in third.
Fourth place went to Leclerc with Hamilton in fifth ahead of Sainz. Russell, who made a single pit stop during the race, came home in seventh place, with Alonso in eighth ahead of the Alpine of Esteban Ocon, and the final point on offer went to Pierre Gasly in the second Alpine.
2013 FIA Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 53 1:30’58.421
2 Lando Norris McLaren 53 1:31’17.808 19.387
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren 53 1:31’34.915 36.494
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 53 1:31’42.419 43.998
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 53 1:31’47.797 49.376
6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 53 1:31’48.642 50.221
7 George Russell Mercedes 53 1:31’56.080 57.659
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 53 1:32’13.146 1’14.725
9 Esteban Ocon Alpine 53 1:32’18.099 1’19.678
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 53 1:32’21.576 1’23.155
11 Liam Lawson AlphaTauri 52 1:31’01.510 1 lap /3.089
12 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 52 1:31’02.395 1 lap /3.974
13 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 52 1:31’04.761 1 lap /6.340
14 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 52 1:31’08.019 1 lap /9.598
15 Kevin Magnussen Haas 52 1:31’27.991 1 lap /29.570
Alexander Albon Williams 26 48’31.077 Retirement
Logan Sargeant Williams 22 42’29.573 Accident damage
Lance Stroll Aston Martin 20 37’53.303 Wing
Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 15 1:13’07.893 Retirement
Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 7 17’03.533 Accident damage -
Title defender Bautista bounces back with a Race 2 win: WorldSBK
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) bounced back spectacularly from his Race 1 disaster to seize victory in Race 2. The Spaniard, now third in the all-time winners’ list, showed his mettle by notching up his 53rd WorldSBK career win. Behind him, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) tried to keep his championship hopes alive with a determined second-place finish. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who previously won Race 1, secured the final spot on the podium, confirming a strong form in the latter stages of the season.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who started with a strong lead but couldn’t maintain his front position, fought hard to secure fourth place. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) put in a solid performance to clinch fifth place. The Italian rider got off to a promising start, steadily gaining positions, and managed to hold his ground amidst the competition, finishing just a second behind Rea. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) rounded out the top six.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was a prominent figure in WorldSBK Race 2 at Aragon. He made a significant impact by storming into second place early in the race. Unfortunately, his race took an unexpected turn due to a technical issue, which forced him to drop out of contention.
Alvaro Bautista roared back to form with a commanding victory in Race 2 at Aragon, reminding everyone of his title aspirations. His Championship lead is now of 47 points over Razgatlioglu.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“I am so happy to get two victories on Sunday. Since Misano, I haven’t won two races on a Sunday! I’m happy, especially today, because I can reset from yesterday. We started from zero from the feeling I had and in Warm Up, I felt very good. In the Superpole Race, it was amazing with Jonathan, Toprak and myself. We did a great race with three different rear tyres, so the level was really high. I felt good as the pace was so fast and, in the end, I was able to overtake them both on the last lap. I thought I could fight for the victory and I just tried, without thinking about anything else. I’m happy as I did my best.
In the afternoon, the conditions were very critical as it was very hot and it wasn’t easy for the tyres – life or the performance. From the first lap, I felt the rear spinning a lot and I didn’t have good traction. I tried to not push the rear a lot and I forced the front more and after mid-race, I felt a drop on the front and in many corners, I felt like it was closing. Fortunately, I had a good gap and I could manage the distance. In two very different races, we were able to be competitive. It’s not been an easy weekend but it’s been good for the feeling of the bike and we have to keep fighting; we can’t make more mistakes. This weekend, I’ve learnt that even if a track fits well to me and the bike, you can’t be confident 100%. In the races, everything is possible and anything can happen. I think we need more humility and try to stay focussed and not to relax.“ -
Kawasaki secures fifth WorldSSP300 Manufacturers’ Title
With Jeffrey Buis’ (MTM Kawasaki) victory in Race 2 at MotorLand Aragon, Kawasaki has once again asserted its dominance in the WorldSSP300 class by securing its fifth Manufacturers’ Title. With an outstanding performance throughout the year, amassing a remarkable total of 306 points, Kawasaki reaffirmed its dominance in the motorcycle racing arena.A key factor in Kawasaki’s remarkable success this season has been the outstanding contributions from several key riders, who consistently delivered exceptional results. 2020 WorldSSP300 Champion and current Championship leader Jeffrey Buis, teammate Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki), Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki), Misano’s Wildcard Burno Ieraci (ProDina Kawasaki Racing), Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) and Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) all scored crucial points for the manufacturer, contributing significantly to Kawasaki’s title.
Steve Guttridge – Race Planning Manager – Kawasaki Motors Europe, expressed their pride in this achievement, stating “There are multiple reasons for Kawasaki and fans to celebrate our fifth manufacturer title within the WorldSSP300 Championship. Four rider championships since the series was inaugurated is something we are very proud of plus over one hundred and fifty podium places. Perhaps the two things we are proudest of are the facts that WorldSSP300 is a widely recognised feeder route for riders to aspire to a Superbike ride and that this series is so closely related to the Ninja machines that fans can buy in any Kawasaki dealership. Now our goal is manufacturer title number six!”
-
Easy win for Bezzecchi at Grand Prix of India
New Delhi, 24 Sept. 2023: Marco Bezzecchi of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team won the Indian Oil Grand Prix of India, ahead of Prima Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin with Yamaha Racing’s Fabio Quartararo coming in third.
At the start of the race, Ducati Lenovo Team’s Baganaia took off at the front of the pack, with Marco Bezzecchi second but in a trice, Bezzecchi hit the front with Prima Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin being in the third place. Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez was fourth with Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo in the fifth place.
In the sixth lap, Marquez had a crash at the tricky Turn 1 but managed to rejoin the race.
Soon, Martin got ahead of Bagnaia and moved up to the second place. But all the while Bezzecchi had built a lead of about four seconds for himself, ahead of Martin.
Disaster struck later with Bagnaia crashing out of the race. This pushed Quartararo up to the third place. In the last few corners, Quartararo and Martin had a scrap and exchanged places but in the end, it was Martin who retained his second place with Bezzecchi winning.
Later, Martin was hit by the heat and was unable to attend the post-race press conference.
“I am very happy and it was a tough race and my bike was fantastic. My friend passed away a few days ago, so Filipo, this is for you,” said Bezzecchi.
“It was not easy for me. The heat had its effect.
“I started well and tried to stay calm and push, while trying to manage the tyres as well. I liked all parts of the track,” he added.
In reply to another question, he said: “I am not thinking about the championship I just want to enjoy the day. I like India and my heart goes out to the fans.”
Bagnaia has 292 points and leads the riders’ championship, while Martin has 279 and Bezzecchi has 248.
The start of the Moto2 race was a disaster with about five riders piling up and being involved in a crash at the treacherous first corner. Initially, the race was yellow flagged but then it was red flagged. The race restarted after about 15 minutes. There were a few crash incidents but in the end, Pedro Acosta of Red Bull KTM Ajo won the race from Tony Abrolino of the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team, while Joe Roberts of the Italtrans Racing Team clinched the third spot.
“It was a hard race. The bike was good and this is one more for the pocket. Thanks to everybody,” said Acosta.
The Moto3 race was a pretty straightforward one with Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) leading the proceedings from almost the beginning. Colin Veijer, who was running second, crashed out just two corners before the chequered flag, with Masia taking the honours. Kaita Toba of SIC58 Squadra Corse finished second, while Ayumu Sasaki of the Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP team finished third in the race. Masia is second in the championship, with Daniel Holgado leading the championship with 174 points. Masia is on 174 points but is second.
Bollywood actors John Abraham and Ranveer Singh, Indian cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Yuvraj Singh visited the circuit and praised the facilities and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also paid a visit to the Buddh International Circuit and watched the proceedings.
If rumours are to be believed, the organisers have already confirmed the race for 2024.
The total attendance at the Grand Prix on Sunday was 1,11,762.
-
Sandeep Kumar begins F2000 with a victory; Arjun Balu campaign short-circuited
Chennai, 23 Sept 2023: Chennai’s Sandeep Kumar, an advocate by profession, snatched a close win in the premier MRF Formula 2000 race while another local ace Angad Matharoo scripted his fourth win in a row in the MRF Saloon Cars category in the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.
While Sandeep Kumar, starting from P3, had to work hard for his success, holding off Bengaluru’s Anand Swaminathan and pole-sitter Arya Singh (Kolkata), the experienced Matharoo scored a lights-to-flag win from pole position. Another Bengalurean, Chetan Surineni topped in the MRF Formula 1600 category almost unchallenged.
Among the other big winners of the day was Mumbai’s Biren Pithawalla (Team N1 Racing) who took the honours in the Race-1 of Indian Touring Cars category after pole-sitter and defending champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) retired when leading due to an electrical malfunction. Further, Pithawalla gained a spot after race winner Ritesh Rai slipped to second as he was docked 15-second penalty following an incident involving Gurunath Meiyappan (Race Concepts) who came in third. Balu decided to pack up for the weekend, skipping the remaining two races.
Later, Meiyappan scored a facile win, his second of the season, in Race-2 ahead of Ritesh Rai and Biren Pithawalla to move to the top of the points table in the ITC category.
Akkineni Anand Prasad (Team Performance Racing) from Chennai and Thrissur’s Diljith TS (DTS Racing) notched a double apiece in the Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock categories, respectively. While Prasad moved to the top of the championship table, Diljith remains unbeaten in all five starts over two rounds so far.
Meanwhile, Nellore’s Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing) and team-mate, veteran Diljith TS won a race each in the Formula LGB 1300 category. Viswas took Race-1 easily from pole position start while Diljith surged to victory in the next race from the reverse grid.
The results (Provisional – all 8 laps unless mentioned):
MRF Formula 2000 (Race-1): 1. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (13:05.709); 2. Aditya Swaminathan (Bengaluru) (13:06.099); 3. Arya Singh (Kolkata) (13:06.371).
MRF Formula 1600 (Race-1): 1. Chetan Surineni (Bengaluru) (14:06.215); 2. Veer Sheth (Mumbai) (14:27.811); 3. Suprej Venkat (Coimbatore) (14:18.045).
Indian Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Biren PIthawalla (Mumbai, Team N1) (15:37.456); 2. Ritesh Rai (Pvt., Chennai) (15:47.528); 3. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai, Race Concepts Motorsports) (16:06.453).
Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Meiyappan (19:08.657); 2. Ritesh Rai (19:11.533); 3. Biren Pithawalla (19:25.993).
Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Team Performance Racing) (15:37.920); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Team Performance Racing) (15:48.422); 3. Hatim Shabbir Jamnagarwala (Chennai, Team Performance Racing) (15:48.718).
Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Akkineni Anand Prasad (19:59.734); 2. Hatim Shabbir Jamnagarwala (20:03.432); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (20:03.802).
Super Stock (Race-1): 1. Dilijith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (17:03.487); 2. Manan Patel (Mumbai, Redline Racing India) (17:19.722); 3. Jarshan Anand (Pvt., Chennai) (17:30.614).
Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Diljith (21:01.697); 2. Jarshan Anand (+1 lap, 19:15.341); 3. Justin Singh (+1 lap, 19:18.644).
Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1): 1. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (15:06.923); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Mamallapuram, MSport) (15:13.271); 3. Diljith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (15:14.166).
Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Diljith TS (21:43.946); 2. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (21:52.616); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (21:55.412).
MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios, Race-1): 1. Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh, Redline Racing India) (16:41.199); 2. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai, Redline Racing India) (16:47.367); 3. Diana Pundole (Pune, Redline Racing India) (16:52.014).
