INDIA in F1

Author: INDIAinF1 Desk

  • Max Verstappen takes pole ahead of Lando Norris

    Max Verstappen takes pole ahead of Lando Norris

    Zandvoort (The Netherlands), 26 August 2023: Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen took pole position for his home race at Zandvoort half a second clear of McLaren’s Lando Norris in a wet/dry qualifying for the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix that was twice interrupted by red flags. 

    After separate crashes for Williams’ Logan Sargeant and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc brought the final top-10 shootout to a halt, Verstappen held his nerve in the tight final handful of minutes to post an unbeatable lap of 1:10.567, 0.537s clear of Norris, with Mercedes’ George Russell in fourth ahead of Alex Albon in a much improved Williams. 

    At the start of the session Norris took top spot in the opening stages with a time of 1:22.932, almost four tenths of a second ahead of Verstappen. Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri then took P1 and with a little under seven minutes remaining Sergio Pérez, in the second Red Bull, jumped to P2 with a time of 1:22.296. 

    The track was improving all the time, however, and Verstappen was soon back in P1, posting a lap of 1:21.230 to sit almost two tenths clear of Piastri who had improved to 1:21.254 and third-place Norris who was almost two tenths further back. 

    With three minutes left, Alex Albon stole P1 with a lap of 1:20.939 and light rain beginning to fall in the pit lane there were few improvements during the final laps of Q1, though Charles Leclerc needed a last-ditch attempt to escape the drop zoner and the Ferrari driver’s nervy, sliding final flyer boosted him to P14. 

    Out at the end of the first session were Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, the second Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas and rookie Liam Lawson, taking part in his first Qualifying session for AlphaTauri in place of the injured Daniel Ricciardo. 

     At the start of Q2 Verstappen ste that pace with a lap of 1:21.921, while Piastri took P2 with a time of 1:21.399, ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. 

    With a little over seven minutes remaining, Verstappen improved to 1:20.282 to take P1 ahead of fellow improver Norris, with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in P3. With the sun now shining and with conditions steadily improving, Verstappen took six tenths of a second out of his own P1 time to lower the benchmark at 1:19.652. Pérez, on a new set of intermediates, then jumped from P11 to P2 with a time of 1:20.591. But once again the Red Bull drivers were shuffled back by Albon who took P1 with a lap of 1:19.399. 

    With just over a minute left Piastri moved the top of the timesheet with a time of 1:19.392. The Australian was the first to take the flag, however, and with a host of improvements being made elsewhere he couldn’t hold onto P1. Verstappen duly took top spot at the end of the session with a lap of 1:18.856. Piastri held on to P2 ahead of Albon, with Alonso fourth ahead of Leclerc, with George Russell sixth for Mercedes ahead of Norris, while Pérez went through in P8 ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and the second Williams of Logan Sargeant. Out went Stroll, in P11, ahead of Gasly, Hamilton, AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda and Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg. 

    At the start of the top 10 shootout it was Albon, on slick tyres, who set the pace, with the Williams driver posting a lap of 1:15.743 a second clear of team-mate Sargeant, Sainz and Russell. There was no time for any other flying laps, however, as the red flags were flown when Sargeant lost control of his Williams and went off hard into the barriers at Turn 2. 

    After a 20-minute delay due to barrier repairs, running resumed, with eight minutes left in the session and with the remaining drivers on slick tyres. 

    Russell was the first to set a flyer and the P1 time immediately dropped to 1:12.578. Norris quickly rose to the top of the order with a lap of 1:12.049 ahead of Piastri, while Verstappen slotted into third place on 1:12.389. However, with four minutes remaining the red flags came out again when Leclerc, on his second flyer, went off at Turn 9, causing extensive damage to the left side of his Ferrari. 

    When the green lights were shown again, Verstappen punched in what proved to be an unbeatable benchmark of 1:10.567 to take his eight pole position of 2023. Norris got closest to the Dutchman, though the McLaren driver took the front row berth a full half second adrift of the champion, while Russell will line up third alongside Albon. Alonso and Sainz are set to start on row three, and Pérez will start the Dutch Grand Prix from P7 on the grid ahead of Piastri and the unfortunate Leclerc and Sargeant. 

    2023 FIA Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix – Qualifying 
    1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:10.567  8 217.274
    2 Lando Norris McLaren 1:11.104 0.537 0.761 7 215.633
    3 George Russell Mercedes 1:11.294 0.727 1.030 9 215.058
    4 Alexander Albon Williams 1:11.419 0.852 1.207 10 214.682
    5 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:11.506 0.939 1.331 9 214.421
    6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:11.754 1.187 1.682 9 213.680
    7 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 1:11.880 1.313 1.861 9 213.305
    8 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:11.938 1.371 1.943 9 213.133
    9 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:12.665 2.098 2.973 5 211.001
    10 Logan Sargeant Williams 1:16.748 6.181 8.759 3 199.77
    11 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:20.121 1.265 1.604 10 191.365
    12 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:20.128 1.272 1.613 10 191.348
    13 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:20.151 1.295 1.642 10 191.293
    14 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri  1:20.230 1.374 1.742 10 191.105
    15 Nico Hülkenberg Haas 1:20.250 1.394 1.768 10 191.057
    16 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 1:22.067 1.128 1.394 12 186.827
    17 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:22.110 1.171 1.447 12 186.729
    18 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:22.192 1.253 1.548 11 186.543
    19 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1:22.260 1.321 1.632 12 186.389
    20 Liam Lawson AlphaTauri 1:23.420 2.481 3.065 12 183.797

  • Arjun Nair bags a double in Novice class; Arya Singh, Tijil Rao share LGB F4 honours

    Arjun Nair bags a double in Novice class; Arya Singh, Tijil Rao share LGB F4 honours

    Coimbatore, August 26, 2023: It was a fantastic start by Dark Don Racing as their drivers Tijil Rao and Arya Singh shared a win apiece in the LGB Formula 4 class, the premier event, in the opening round of the 26th JK Tyre National Racing Championship which began at the Kari Motor Speedway in Chettipalayam here on Saturday.

    Tijil started the day finishing on top of the podium in the opening race. It was not easy though for the Bengaluru youngster as his teammates Arya Singh (Kolkata) and T.S. Diljith (Thrissur) gave him a run for his money. The lead kept changing hands lap after lap and, midway through, it was all about holding one’s nerve. But Tijil, despite the pressure, kept his cool, waited for the right moment to strike, and planned his move well in the final lap to take the checkered flag in style.

    For Team Dark Don racing it did not matter as Arya and Diljith wrested the next two positions. In the second race, Arya gained sweet revenge over Tijil with a thrilling win. It was wheel-to-wheel racing between the two and, with three laps to go, it looked like anybody’s game and, with it, another clean sweep for Dark Don Racing. The arrival of the safety car made it even more exciting for the spectators but not for the top three contenders as the back markers gained a slight
    advantage.

    At this juncture, all eyes were on Arya and Tijil but the former did one better than the latter when it mattered most to finish the day on a merry note. Tijil and Viswas Vijayaraj of Ahura Racing had to rest content for the second and third spots respectively.

    Bengaluru’s Arjun Nair, representing Momentum Motorsports, started the season on a super note as well clinching a sweet double in the JK Tyre Novice Cup. He clocked the fastest timing in both the races and showed all that he had the race pace to beat the best.

    R. Anand of Chennai scored over a strong field to take the prime spot on the podium in the JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup. In an incident filled race, which had to be restarted due to a couple of accidents saw Md Samrul Zubair of Hyderabad give Anand a run for his money but Anand crossed the line with rather consummate ease.

    Jagadish in action in the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup races on Saturday. Photo by Rahul Reghu

    Results (Day 1)

    LGB Formula 4 Race 1

    1. Tijil Rao, Dark Don Racing: 23:21:171 minutes; 2. Arya singh, Dark Don Racing: 23:21:369 minutes; 3. Diljith TS, Dark Don Racing: 23:21:586 minutes

    LGB Formula 4 Race 2

    1. Arya Singh, Dark Don Racing: 22:28.087 minutes; 2. Tijil Rao, Dark Don Racing: 22:28.370 minutes; 3. Viswas Vijayaraj: Ahura Racing, 22:31.297

    Novice Cup 1

    1. Arjun S Nair Momentum Motorsports: 13:23:275 minutes; 2. Neythan McPherson, Momentum Motorsports: 13:24:517 minutes; 3. Joel Josheph, DTS Racing: 13:27:272 minutes

    Novice Cup Race 2

    1. Arjun S Nair, Momentum Motorsports: 13:41.982 minutes; 2. Saishiva Sankaran, MSport: 13:47.537 minutes; 3. Abhay M, Msport: 13:48.318 minutes

    Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup
    1. Anand R: 14:53.242 minutes; 2. MD Samrul Zubair: 14:53.806 minutes; 3. Abhishek Vasudev :14:54.196 minutes

    About JK Tyre Motorsport:

    JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades. The company laid down a long-term plan to popularize and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So, it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport. JK Tyre’s efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others. JK Tyre Motorsports is very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, the company also gave them opportunities in various national championships. With a vision to promote women in motorsports, the company has curated women-centric events such as JK Tyre WIAA Women’s Rally to Valley, JK Tyre Defence Wives Power Drive, JK Tyre-YFLO Women’s Power Drive, JK Tyre Times Women’s Drive apart from introducing an all-women’s team in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship to encourage women to take up to the sport.

  • Facile victory for Bagnaia at Spielberg; Bezzecchi takes third behind Binder

    Facile victory for Bagnaia at Spielberg; Bezzecchi takes third behind Binder

    The #1 was in a league of his own on Sunday as Binder and Bezzecchi complete the Red Bull Ring podium.

    Spielberg, 20 August 2023: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) capped off a perfect weekend at the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich with an unbeatable performance in Sunday’s MotoGP race to bring it up to a half-century of Grand Prix podiums for the reigning World Champion. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) hung in there early on as he chased KTM home glory but was forced to settle for second – still, plenty to cheer about for the Mattighofen factory. After bad luck on Saturday, Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) rebounded from Tissot Sprint disappointment to climb onto the rostrum in third.

    Simply unstoppable
    Just like he did in the Tissot Sprint, Bagnaia launched incredibly to grab the holeshot ahead of Binder. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was away well as well – and as usual – to propel himself up to P3, as Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) went backwards again. It wasn’t a terrible getaway from ‘Top Gun’ but Viñales then got swarmed at Turn 1, as Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) gained places.

    Bagnaia and Binder quickly pulled a second clear of the chasers, with the #33 shadowing the World Champion. It got close. Lap 4 saw Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) take his Long Lap penalty, which dropped the title hopeful to P13, as Binder hounded Pecco at the front. Alex Marquez then passed Miller for P3 at the end of Lap 4 but faced a 1.7s gap to Pecco and Binder, with Bezzecchi and Mooney VR46 teammate Marini quickly dispatching the Australian too.

    As the race settled, Binder dropped to half a second adrift of Bagnaia’s rear wheel as ‘Mapping 2’ popped up on the South African’s dashboard. In the fight for P3, meanwhile, Alex Marquez was holding off Bezzecchi as we entered Lap 11, with the double World Champions still 1.7s shy of Binder in P2.

    With 15 laps to go, Pecco’s lead crept up to a second for the first time. That went up to 1.2s on Lap 17 of 28, as Bezzecchi continued to pursue Alex Marquez. Marini was a safe P5 with Viñales two seconds down the road in P6, while Martin’s recovery found him in a commendable P7 with 12 laps to go.

    Could Binder get the gap down? Two crucial laps were slammed in by the race-leading #1 to give us our answer. With 10 laps left, Pecco’s advantage was up to 2.5s. A battle was raging for the final podium spot though as Bezzecchi attempted to make a pass stick at Turn 1, however the Spaniard was able to get back past on the cutback. Meanwhile, Marini had reeled the Ducati duo in to join the rostrum battle.

    Bezzecchi made a move stick at Turn 9 with seven laps to go, and the Italian immediately began to open up a gap to make his podium chase a lot more comfortable. Marini made his way past Alex Marquez with three laps to go, but by that point, Bezzecchi had 1.7s in his back pocket.

    At the front, Bagnaia was in a league of his own. The #1 proving just why he wears that special number on the front of his red Bologna bullet, as Bagnaia claimed victory to make it a pole, Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix race triple at the Red Bull Ring. That’s 50 career podiums for the Italian, as Binder brings his KTM home in P2 to cap off a very strong weekend on the Austrian manufacturer’s home turf. Bezzecchi bounced back very well to stand on the rostrum after his Saturday disappointment.

    The points scorers
    Marini’s late race pace was superb as the Italian crossed the line in P4 after getting the better of Alex Marquez, who rounded out the top five. Viñales ended P6 after a disappointing start and Martin made up ground but will leave Styria disappointed with P7.

    Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) made a late attack to get past Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) for eighth, and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed the top 10.

    Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) eventually got the better of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) for P11, and the latter took P12 but takes points and finishes a GP race for the first time in 301 days. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) was next up after a tough weekend but one with some, headlines, with Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) and Miller, after dropping back throughout, taking home the final points. Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) was also in contention but got a late Long Lap for track limits.

    Next stop: Barcelona
    After a perfect weekend in Austria, Bagnaia’s Championship lead sits at a healthy 62 points over Martin heading to the Catalan GP. Can the chasing pack stop the World Champion’s charge in Barcelona? We’ll find out in two weeks!

  • Bagnaia holds off Binder as high drama hits Sprint race

    Bagnaia holds off Binder as high drama hits Sprint race

    Spielberg, 19 August 2023: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) converted pole position into Tissot Sprint victory number four of 2023 as the Italian fended off an early Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) challenge at the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) picked up P3 but the Spaniard was heavily involved in the drama that unfolded right from the get-go, as well as another dose later in the Sprint.

    Key contenders crash at Turn 1
    Bagnaia got away well from pole well with Binder – as always – launching like a rocket ship from the outside of the front row as well. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) got a sluggish start from P2, however, and dropped like a stone as Turn 1 played host to high drama.

    Martin was on the inside line, with contact made with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), which then started a domino effect. Viñales was involved as he was sandwiched between Quartararo and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), and the latter went down along with Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team). Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was also caught up in the incident. Martin was later given a Long Lap penalty for Sunday’s race after being found to have been riding irresponsibly. Hear all their perspectives in the video below.

    Bagnaia untouchable on Saturday
    Back at the front, Bagnaia led from Binder. By the start of Lap 5 the duo were over a second up the road from Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), with Martin running in P5. On Lap 6, Miller went from P3 to P5 as Marini and Martin pounced though, and more drama involving Martin then unravelled – this time at Turn 2A. Martin was up the inside of Marini but contact was made as the duo tipped it into the apex, with the latter crashing out unhurt.

    Meanwhile, Bagnaia’s lead was up to a second over Binder, who in turn had three seconds in hand to Martin. With six laps left, Pecco was 1.3s ahead of the leading KTM, and the gap kept on climbing. Binder was a safe second, the #33 was 2.7s up the road from Martin, and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) was a lonely P4 as we got confirmation that no further action would be taken regarding the Martin-Marini clash.

    Bagnaia made no mistake to bring his Ducati home for Austrian GP Tissot Sprint victory to extend his title lead, with Binder claiming P2 in KTM’s backyard. Martin took the bronze medal from P12 on the grid. A spirited – albeit slightly controversial – comeback ride. Alex Marquez held on to fourth, with Miller taking P5.

    With a host of other expected frontrunners further down the order facing a fight back after that huge Turn 1 shuffle, there was plenty going on there, including a charge from GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3’s Pol Espargaro. He took an impressive P6, highly commendable as the Spaniard competes in just his second Tissot Sprint of the season.

    Aleix Espargaro finished P7, 0.144s further back, and had some serious pressure from teammate Viñales. The number 12 produced a great fight back to take P8 and nearly, nearly pounce on the final lap. Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) held off Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) for the final Saturday afternoon point.

    Meanwhile, Quartararo had some extra drama after the Turn 1 incident too. He clashed with Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing), and was given a Long Lap to serve in the Sprint, which he did.

    As the dust settles, it truly was drama aplenty in the Austrian GP Tissot Sprint. Now, the big points are on offer on Sunday, with plenty looking to fight back. Tune into the MotoGP™ race at 14:00 local time (GMT+2)!

  • “It looks easy on the outside. It’s not!”: Thursday talking points

    “It looks easy on the outside. It’s not!”: Thursday talking points

    Hear from Bagnaia, Martin, Binder, Aleix, Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez and Marc Marquez

    Spielberg, 17 August 2023: The MotoGP bandwagon is headed across to the spectacular Red Bull Ring for the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, to be held on Sunday.

    The first Press Conference on Thursday comprised Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), before the second saw Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) joined by Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Here are some key quotes…

    FRANCESCO BAGNAIA: “I’m happy to be here it’s always a great circuit for us. Last year we were competitive, we were struggling a little bit during the weekend but then on the Sunday we felt better. So let’s see, this year it won’t be easy because we know the step that KTM have done in terms of braking and acceleration and Aprilia this year are the ones that have improved in most. In the last races, they’ve been on the podium and then they won the last one, so there are many riders that could be competitive for this race. Also the other seven Ducatis, so let’s see.”

    Do you expect to fight for the win here?
    “Yeah, we know perfectly well the potential that our bike has in braking and acceleration and on the straight. It’s always important to take as many points as you can in circumstances that are great for you. I think that we can have an advantage at this track this year. The gap is maybe less than other years, but I feel that if we start well and we start the race weekend well we can improve the situation and have a good potential to fight for the win. For sure it will be important to take them the maximum amount of points to finish the weekend.”

    JORGE MARTIN: “For sure it’s one of the best race tracks for me and normally I’m quite competitive. We never know but for sure I will be fighting for top spots. It’ll be an interesting weekend, trying to get back to the podium positions because the last two weekends for me were, I feel like Saturdays were complicated, so I hope we improve Saturdays to be more ready on Sunday.”

    Jorge Martin photo from MotoGP media release

    What is it about the Red Bull Ring that plays to your strengths?
    “Stop and go corners are really good to me but also the third sector I’m quite competitive. It just feels like everything comes easier here. Last year I was struggling with the bike but I could fight with Jack for the podium position even if my race was difficult so I feel like this weekend will be a bit better.”

    Big weekend needed?
    “It’s not just one weekend but it’s a lot of weekends for the rest of the season. There’s still a long way to go, I feel competitive. There’s not been a track where I’ve been slow, this is important, and hopefully I can keep this consistency for the season and hopefully here I can fight for the victory.

    What’s your favourite battle here?
    “Yeah mine was 2021 also because I remember going into the final corner… I thought everyone had stopped and I thought I was still second. Then I saw my pit board and I was 11th going onto the last lap, then I finished on the podium. The last lap was like playing bowling!”

    Do you feel more pressure here?
    BRAD BINDER: “Well, I mean, I think it’s the closest thing I’m going to have for a home Grand Prix for a while. For me it’s important always to have a strong weekend at home, so obviously with this weekend being a home GP for Red Bull and KTM of course, it’s an amazing feeling to win here. I’ve done it in GP once and in Moto2 before and yeah, I really enjoyed it and there’s no better place to get the result right. So yeah, I’m going into the weekend with a lot of confidence. I feel like my bike’s been working exceptionally well lately, my team has done an incredible job, and yeah, I’m ready to give it a send and see how this weekend pans out.”

    Could this be your weekend to get the Sunday win?
    “Yeah, it’s about time I get another one right. It’s been cool to win two Sprints, but yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve won on the Sunday. I feel like many times this year we’ve been fighting for the podium, even if I’ve made small mistakes, made a lot of them, and thrown away a few. I think we just need to put some small things together. We’re not far, but yeah, with those small tweaks, I think on the right day we can definitely be in for a shot at giving it a good go.”

    On KTM’s evolution:
    “Yeah, I’m extremely proud to have raced for almost 10 years now for such an incredible manufacturer. To see the effort that they’ve put into this MotoGP project and the changes that they are making, and how big the whole thing has become over the years is incredible. To be a part of this whole story has been amazing. It’s awesome to see, it gives me a lot of extra motivation to try and get the job right. I think with all the massive effort that they’ve put in, they really deserve good results. We’re short of a win, so we better get it right sooner rather than later.”

    ALEIX ESPARGARO: “We know we have an important challenge ahead of us this weekend because this track is quite difficult, not just for Aprilia but for my riding style. I will try my best to try and keep the momentum, as you mentioned not just for the victory at Silverstone but for the podium and the consistency in the last rounds. Important to see how we’ve improved from last season at a difficult track.”

    Why have you found it difficult here?
    “The Aprilia and my riding style, I pretty much created this bike. What Aprilia want is to ride on the apex, to be fast mid-corner and fast in long corners, tracks like Qatar, Argentina and Silverstone, but the stop-and-go is difficult for us. We’re struggling a little bit to stop the bike and also we are looking for better traction and more torque. It’s a good place to see how much we’ve improved the 2023 bike. As we saw in America we were a lot more competitive than in the past so I’m really positive sincerely.”

    New parts?
    “Yeah at Silverstone they brought me some new parts in terms of aero and cooling system in the fairing and it was quite good actually, the bike turned a bit better and it was more agile, we have some new updates as well here so hopefully we can test it tomorrow morning.”

    MARCO BEZZECCHI: “In Silverstone as you said on Sunday I unfortunately made a mistake which made me crash. It was a shame, but the speed was there and my confidence on the bike was good. So overall I cannot say that was not a positive weekend, so I can’t wait to jump on the bike again. This is a track that I really like and I hope the weather will be good. I just can’t wait.”

    Marco Bezzecchi at the Press Conference on Thursday in Spielberg. MotoGP image

    What do you like about the track?
    “Well, it’s a particular track. It looks easy from the outside but is not because of the different banking on the track and the very hard braking. I like hard braking with the MotoGP bike and also for our bike, it’s a strong strong point where the Ducati can work very well, so overall because of this I like this track.”

    Future discussions…
    “Well, as you already know my my plan A would be to stay in the Mooney VR46 team. The Academy and my management is trying to work to find the best solution for me. I think in Barcelona I can give you a precise answer on the decision that I will take.”

    How good is it to already have the contract signed?
    ALEX MARQUEZ: “Very happy to announce officially the announcement, super happy to continue in the Gresini family next season. I felt at home from the first day in Valencia and the relationship with the team is fantastic, so it was my objective. Always the first year with a new team and bike I struggle a bit more but with this bike and this team I felt at home. So what’s better than to continue together and be more competitive in 2024, make better results and be more consistent!”

    How much you looking forward to the Red Bull Ring?
    “When you arrive in Austria you see the straights short… but when you arrive with another bike you see long ones. Last year I was happy with the chicane, but this year I’d prefer to go straight. Apart from jokes I’m looking forward to being competitive, I have a bad feeling inside from Silverstone’s technical problem, I think it was a great opportunity to have another great result. But it’s like this, this is racing, and we need to look forward and try to make a good result here in Austria.”

    Targets to find more consistency?
    “Yeah if we speak about my mistakes, I did just two: Jerez Sprint and also in the race at Mugello. The others were just racing and racing incidents, so yeah for sure I want to be more consistent in the top five, try to be from this point more in the top five with good speed, learn from the top guys in Ducati and next year make another step. This is the objective for this season, for sure if we have the opportunity to be on the podium or fight for a win again we will try, but we need to have in our head to be more consistent in the top five.”

    MARC MARQUEZ: “Austria is one of the circuits where I’ve never won in the past. I don’t think this will be the year to win at this circuit. But yeah, we’ll try to approach it with a low profile. We’ll just try to understand our level on Friday and from that point understand if we can improve during the weekend.”

    You’re testing almost as much as racing…
    “Of course it’s a difficult approach, but it’s easy to understand.  When I try to analyse the first half of the season, I broke three bones and I tore a ligament. So it’s easy to understand that you must to change your approach on the races. The only change we made at Silverstone was to try was trying to forget about the result and just focus on finding the limits of our package and that’s what I did. Of course, at some points in the weekend, like in the FP2, Qualiyfing and the races you are taking risks. My target is Silverstone was to finish the weekend without any crashes and I was able to do it. Unfortunately, in a race incident, I crashed on Sunday but the most important thing is that I revealed the confidence at the Silverstone Grand Prix. And yeah we will see, of course we’re working. I’m working on myself. Honda is working, as you’ll see tomorrow we will be trying a new aero package. So yeah, let’s see if step by step we can improve tenth by tenth.”

  • Udhayanidhi Stalin launches new Chennai Street Circuit, which is set to host IRL

    Udhayanidhi Stalin launches new Chennai Street Circuit, which is set to host IRL

    Chennai, 16 August 2023: After creating and establishing a historic Hyderabad street circuit, which successfully held the first Indian Formula E Championship, Indian Racing League is all set to create history as it launches the Chennai Street Circuit for the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT). The much-awaited Street Circuit, only the second in India, is launched by Tamil Nadu’s Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin here on Wednesday.

    The new Street Circuit to set to host the night races, a first in Indian Motorsports. Racing Promotions Private Limited (RPPL), the promoter of the F4 Indian Championship and the Indian Racing League (IRL) is also the exclusive rights holder of 4W-motorsports league in India. Today, amidst fanfar, RPPL launched a street circuit in Chennai, the motorsports capital of India.

    Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), roped in the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), the two crucial partners, to collaborate with RPPL, the promoter of Indian Racing League and F4 Indian Championship.

    The 3.5-km layout located around the Island Grounds in the heart of the city, will host the first-ever night race in Asia. The Chennai Formula Racing Circuit is set to host the F4 Indian Championship and the Indian Racing League’s last leg on  December 9 and 10, later this year, where drivers from Indian and abroad will take part. Six lady drivers will also showcase their talent as in the IRL last year.

    Dr Atulya Misra, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Youth Welfare and Sports Development, J Meghanath Reddy, IAS, Member Secretary, SDAT, Akbar Ebrahim, President of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) and Akhilesh Reddy, MD of RRPL, also spoke. Armaan Ibrahim and Abhinandhan, Directors of RPPL were present and detailed the media about the event.

    About RPPL: Racing Promotions Private Limited (RPPL) is the exclusive rights holder of 4W motorsports in India and is engaged in the business of developing IPs and organising championships in motorsports. Founded in 2018 by Armaan Ebrahim, Aditya Patel and Abhinandan, Racing Promotions is majority-owned by Akhilesh Reddy of Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), a diversified conglomerate in infrastructure, energy and defence.

  • Jaden Pariat selected for Ferrari Driver Academy trials

    Jaden Pariat selected for Ferrari Driver Academy trials

    Banbury (UK) 16 August 2023: Rising Indian motorsport star Jaden R Pariat has been invited to the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) selection trials, as one of the best young talents in the Asia Pacific and Oceania region.

    The prestigious Ferrari Academy selection trials begin on September 23 at Sepang. The drivers will take part in track walks, engineer meetings, fitness testing, and importantly time behind the wheel of a Tatuus FIA F4-T421 machine on track. The top five drivers then head to the FDA Scouting World Finals in Maranello.

    Jaden Pariat who moved to the UK in 2022, is taking part in the full F4 British Championship with Phinsys by Argenti team. On his impressive debut weekend, the then 15-year-old scored a spot on the Rookie Cup podium, exemplifying his winning potential before getting a memorable podium victory at Donington Park.

    While more than 100 drivers applied the Ferrari Driver Academy programme, Jaden is selected as one of 25 drivers for six different countries who will now head to Sepang International Circuit for the five-day assessment process.

    Announcing the selection result Jaden Pariat said from his base in UK: “I am extremely happy to have been chosen to take part in the Ferrari Driver Academy selection trials in Malaysia. I have learned so much in almost a year of racing in the F4 British Championship and looking forward to trials for the Ferrari Driver Academy.”

    “It will be an enjoyable five days I am sure and there will be plenty for me to take away from the experience. But I am definitely going in with the intention of making it to the final five and hopefully, heading to Maranello for the World Finals,” the Shillong driver added.

    The Scuderia Ferrari programme aims to bring on talented youngsters and takes its inspiration from a comment made by Enzo Ferrari: “I love to think that Ferrari can make drivers as well as cars.” The Ferrari Driver Academy is not just a race driving school. It is a true academy where all aspects of their chosen profession are taught in a meticulous manner. Over the years, many of the Academy students have gone on to race at a high level. Charles Leclerc and Mick Schumacher among others made it all the way to Formula 1.

    Michael Smith of Motorsport Australia, who will be conducting the trials, said:“We’re looking forward to hosting 25 of the best young drivers from the Asia Pacific region. It’s exciting to see more drivers from outside of Australia in the FDA selections.”

  • Ishaan Madesh begins campaign in style; Adithiya, Varun share honours: Karting Nationals

    Ishaan Madesh begins campaign in style; Adithiya, Varun share honours: Karting Nationals

    By David Bodapati

    Bengaluru, 13 August 2023: Ishaan Madesh began his 2023 campaign in style bagging a double in the first round even as his team, defending champions Peregrine Racing dominated the proceedings in the Senior Max and Junior Max classes while MSport took the honours in the Micro Max classes at the Meco fmsci National Rotax Max Karting Championship 2023 which got off to a rousing start with a record 27 karts in the Senior section. The Junior and Micro Max classes attracted 15 and 16 competitors respectively.

    Winners All… All the winners of the First round from all the three classes pose after the prize distribution. Photo by Shajahan

    Twenty-year Mumbai’s Raaj Bakhru of Rayo Racing became the fastest driver of the first round clocking a 54.217sec in the Free Practice. He set the record time at Meco Kartopia on “MRF Tyres” from 2020. Earlier Arjun Maini and Yash Aradhya had the honour in their names. Nikhilesh Raju set the quickest time of the week-end in the Junior class. He clocked a 54.747 lap in the qualies but it was young Rivaan Dev Preetham of MSport, who made everyone sit-up and take notice as he commenced the weekend with a stunning lap in the official Free Practice 2. He dipped under one-minute barrier, which is a record of sorts in the Micro Max category as he clocked 59.884 seconds on Saturday, the fastest Micro kart during the weekend.

    Adithiya Aravind winner of the Finals. Photo by Shajahan
    Varun Hari Praveen, winner of Pre-Finals in the Senior Max class.

    Peregrine racing drivers Adithiya Arvind and Varun Hari Praveen, both from Chennai, shared a win each in the senior class as the first round of the Karting Nationals concluded at the 1.2Km Meco Kartopia track here on Sunday. Adithiya, the 15-year 11th grade student SBOA Junior College could only take a 5th place in the Pre-Final but went on to beat a strong field of 27 to clinch the top place on the podium in the Finals beating Mumbai’s Adithya Patnaik of Rayo Racing to second. In the Pre-Finals, it was Varun Hari Praveen, also of Peregrine Racing who took the victory beating teammate Akshat Mishra and reigning Junior champion Abhay M of Birel Art, who graduated to Seniors this year, came third. Defending champion Rohaan Madesh, who will be moving to the MRF2000 Formula cars did not take part, but was at hand to coach the Peregrine youngsters.

    Ishaan Madesh shines in Junior Max class

    Ishaan Madesh, a multiple National champion, who missed last year’s title by a whisker, began in whirlwind fashion bagging both the point-scoring races, the Finals and Pre-Finals as he launched his 2023 campaign on a winning note.  He clocked 11min, 08.545 to win the Pre-Finals beating his staunch rival on track and friend off it, Nikhilesh Raju by a huge margin of over 5 seconds. And he went on to clinch the Finals, pushing aside the challenge of Hunner Singh of Birel Art, who got a double podium. The 15-year Hunner, a Grade 10 student of Pathways International School in Delhi, was consistent throughout the week-end and showed glimpses of his talent. Young Aarav Dewan, only 13 years, also from Gurugram put Leapfrog Racing in third as he completed the podium in the Finals.

    Darsh Nawalgaria and Rivaan Dev Preetham fight in Micro Max class

    Rivaan Dev Preetham, who won the Pre-Finals in the Micro Max class.
    Darsh Nawalgaria, who won the Micro Max Finals on Sunday. Rahul Reghu image

    A 13-year Bengaluru karter, Darsh Nawalgaria, took the championship lead in the Micro Max category after a fierce fight with another 10-year talent Rivaan Dev Preetham, who had to be content with a second place in the table after one round. Rivaan began well with a victory in the Pre-finals and mopping up both the heats and taking the pole in the qualies. But Darsh won the Finals with a clean race with a lead of over a second. Yatharth Gaur of Faridabad came second in the finals followed by Rivaan. In the Pre-finals, Bengaluru’s Rishik Rohit Reddy  of Birel Art came third.

    The second round of the Rotax Max Karting Nationals is scheduled to be held at the same venue, Meco Kartopia from September 1 to 3.

    Provisional Results:

    Senior Max: Finals: (16 laps)

    1. #72 Adithiya Arvind (Peregrine Racing, Chennai) (15min, 08.232);

    2. #76 Adithya Patnaik (Rayo Racing, Mumbai) (15:11.682);

    3. #62 Arjun Chheda (Crest Motorsports, Pune) (15:14.862).

    Fastest Lap: #69 Akshat Mishra (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) 55.359sec.

    Senior Max: Pre-Finals: (14 laps)

    1. #66 Varun Hari Praveen (Peregrine Racing, Chennai) (12:57.636);

    2. #69 Akshat Mishra (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (12:59.187);

    3. #88 Abhay M (Birel Art India, Bengaluru) (12:59.356).

    Fastest Lap: #76 Adithya Patnaik (Rayo Racing, Mumbai) (54:946sec).

    Qualifying session on Saturday:

    1. #76 Adithya Patnaik (Mumbai) (00:54.706);

    2. #69 Akshat Mishra (Bengaluru) (00:54.720);

    3. #77 Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (00:54.749).

    Junior Max: Final: (14 laps)

    1.  #55  Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (13min, 02.610seconds);

    2. #52 Hunner Singh (Birel Art India, Gurugram) (13:04.347);

    3. #45 Aarav Dewan (Leapfrog Racing, Gurugram) (13;05.018).

    Fastest lap: #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) 55.170sec.

    Junior Max: Pre-Final: (12 laps)

    1.  #55  Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (11:08.545);

    2. #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (11:14.246);

    3. #52 Hunner Singh (Birel Art India, Gurugram) (11:16.765);

    Fastest lap: #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) 55.014sec.

    Qualifying session on Saturday:

    1. #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (54.747);

    2.#55  Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (54.837);

    3. #44 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (54.998).

    Micro Max: Finals: (12 Laps)

    1. #6 Darsh Nawalgaria (MSport, Bengaluru) (12:15.006);

    2.  #21 Yatharth Gaur (Leapfrog Racing, Faridabad) ( 12:16.103);

    3.  #12 Rivaan Dev Preetham (MSport, Chennai) (12:16.519).

    Fastest Lap: #12 Rivaan Dev Preetham 1:00.248.

    Micro Max: Pre-Finals: (10 Laps)

    1.#12 Rivaan Dev Preetham (MSport, Chennai) (10:09.634);

    2. #6 Darsh Nawalgaria (MSport, Bengaluru) (10:11.471);

    3. #5 Rishik Rohit Reddy (Birel Art India, Bengaluru) (10:13.502).

    Fastest Lap: #6 Darsh Nawalgaria 1:00.061.

    Qualifying session on Saturday:

    1. #12 Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai) (1:00.158);

    2. #06 Darsh Nawalgaria (Bengaluru) (1:00.227);

    3. #08 Hamza Balasinorwala (Mumbai) (1:00.44).

  • Aleix Espargaro snatches victory in a last lap barnstormer: British GP

    Aleix Espargaro snatches victory in a last lap barnstormer: British GP

    The Aprilia rider pips Pecco to the post ahead of Binder, Oliveira and Viñales as Bezzecchi crashes out of contention.

    Silverstone, 6 August 2023: MotoGP came back with a bang as the Monster Energy British Grand Prix delivered an instant, last lap classic. With spots of rain falling towards the end of the race, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) mastered the changing conditions to put himself in the perfect position for a last-lap attack on Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). The Italian had led the majority of the race and withstood both serious pressure and the difficult conditions, but Espargaro studied his prey and pounced late on for Aprilia’s second ever premier class win. Reigning Champion Bagnaia will be happy to take 20 points, however, as his title rival Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) crashed out whilst following Bagnaia earlier in the race, with that dropping back to third overall.

    For third in the race, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had his hands full with the Aprilias of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) as the South African fought hard but got the job done to take that podium after it evaded him in Assen. Oliveira, meanwhile, took P4 as top Independent Team rider.

    MotoGP™ springs back into life at Silverstone
    The grid settled at Silverstone as the 2023 MotoGP™ rollercoaster of a season was set to return to action after a long summer break. The Monster Energy British Grand Prix marks the start of the second half of the season as the title trio prepared to resume battle, and the track was bone-dry but a chance of rain added to tension on the grid.

    Bezzecchi started on pole position, but as the revs rose and the grid flew off the line it was a lightning start from Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) from the middle of the front row with Bezzecchi eyeing up a way through on the Aussie. Meanwhile, Bagnaia shot up to P3 from 4th on the grid as he had Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Viñales in his wheel-tracks.

    Bagnaia did not hesitate in getting past his title rivals as he took his first opportunity to pass Bezzecchi, with his sights set on Miller in the lead. Bezzecchi wasn’t letting Bagnaia have it easy though as he fired it back up the inside. That ignited the fire in the Championship leader as Bagnaia pulled off an incredible move around the outside of Bezzecchi and used his momentum to take the lead away from Miller at the next corner.

    Bezzecchi followed pursuit and pushed the Aussie back to P3 into the clutches of Alex Marquez, and once through Bagnaia and Bezzecchi began to break away, the title rivals locked together at the front.

    Aleix Espargaro was a man on a mission with 16 laps remaining as the Aprilia rider pushed his way through on Marquez into 3rd place, however, and was the fastest rider on circuit.

    Small error, big consequences
    Bezzecchi had rushed into turn Stowe corner with 15 laps remaining, running himself slightly wide. If that was a warning it wasn’t heeded, as one lap later the VR46 rider made the same mistake, but this time the Silverstone Circuit wasn’t as kind to the title contender as he tucked the front and went down and out of the British Grand Prix. Rider ok, but with Bagnaia in the lead, this was proving to be a big dent in Bezzecchi’s Championship charge.

    The Italian’s crash promoted Espargaro to 2nd place and Brad Binder up into 3rd, with the Spaniard putting the hammer down to reel in the number one plated Ducati out the front. Bagnaia did respond and upped the pace at the front, but the Aprilia was able to hang onto his coattails, initiating an intense battle for the victory that went right to the flag.

    Rain flags and several plot twists…
    Meanwhile, Viñales had made his way through on Binder with 11 laps to go, making it two Aprilias inside the top 3. Viñales then proceeded to catch the leading group with Binder latched onto his rear wheel. It became a true group of 4 at the front with seven laps remaining, and the white flags were displayed with light spots of rain dropping onto the Silverstone Circuit. And when the rain picked up at turn 15, the Aprilias backed off slightly allowing Binder to fly his way through as the South African was as committed as ever.

    The yo-yo in the group continued though, and Espargaro made his way back through on Binder with 4 laps to go as Bagnaia was putting down a strong pace out the front. Espargaro was then able to latch back onto the Italian as Binder began to drop back, with Oliveira then throwing his name into the mix as he came out of seemingly nowhere to catch the leading group. 

    Oliveira wasted no time in getting past Binder and Viñales as the Portuguese rider pulled off an incredible two-in-one move to make his way into P3. 

    By last lap time, Binder had gotten the better of Oliveira to slot himself back into P3 as Bagnaia stretched out the group in the first sector, edging a few tenths ahead of Espargaro on the chase. Was there time left for a move? There was. Espargaro dug in and got back on terms with the Ducati before making an incredible move on the power at the exit of Copse Corner to blast past the Italian. The Spaniard went defensive down the Hangar straight too, with Bagnaia desperate to get past the Aprilia, but there was no way through. Espargaro left no room for the reigning Champion, leaving him forced to settle for 2nd place. A historic second win for Aprilia and a ninth different winner in a row at Silverstone, but an extended Championship lead for Pecco.

    Binder also put on an impressive defensive display as he fended off Oliveira for the final podium spot. Viñales came home in 5th place, making it three Aprilias inside the top five after a storming Silverstone for the Noale factory. It’s also the first time Aprilia, Ducati and KTM have shared the podium.

    Behind that fight, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) took P6 as he gained significant ground on Bezzecchi for P2 in the standings, the Pramac also having earlier been sent quite wide with Binder after the South African found himself in a Lap 1 sandwich.

    Alex Marquez retired from the front group with a mechanical issue, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) pulled in to retire too after earlier contact in a crash for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team).

    Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) put in a storming first half of the race from the back of the grid but then tangled with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) before running over his own strewn fairing. He then pitted to change to his second bike on wets to try his luck, and did take the final point as a couple of others gambled too.

    Marini took P7 just ahead of Miller, who was sent well wide in an earlier tangle with Viñales, with Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) in P9 ahead of Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) to make it all Aprilias in the top ten.

    It was an important weekend for Aprilia Racing as the Noale manufacturer returned to victory at a Silverstone Circuit that has been both cruel and kind to Aleix Espargaro. But MotoGP™ now turns its attention to the Red Bull Ring in Austria for the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich set to take place from the 18th to the 20th of August… KTM home turf and Ducati’s happy hunting grounds. Can they hit back? We’ll find out soon.

  • Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin win Rally of Finland: WRC

    Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin win Rally of Finland: WRC

    Elfyn Evans stormed to victory at Secto Rally Finland on Sunday afternoon to keep alive his chances of fighting for this year’s FIA World Rally Championship title.

    6 August 2023: A dramatic crash for WRC-leading team-mate Kalle Rovanperä propelled Evans into the lead on Friday afternoon and the Welshman reeled off a stunning seven back-to-back stage wins on Saturday to leave closest challenger Thierry Neuville trailing in his wake.

    He extended the buffer further on Sunday to triumph by 39.1sec in a Toyota GR Yaris and with maximum points for winning the closing Wolf Power Stage, Evans slashed Rovanperä’s points advantage from 55 to 25 with four rounds remaining.

    “It’s been a pretty good weekend,” said Evans, for whom this was a seventh career win. “Of course we’re sorry for the loss of Kalle at the start of the rally but after that it’s been really fantastic to drive this car – it’s such a joy to be behind the wheel of on these roads and we’re really happy with this one.

    “It’s been a fantastic atmosphere and great to have the support behind us. Of course, in terms of the championship it’s also not bad and we close the gap.”

    Evans’ Toyota Gazoo Racing team is based near the host city of Jyväskylä and victory extended its manufacturers’ championship lead over Hyundai Motorsport to 67 points.

    Changeable conditions provided furious action on the season’s fastest roads with early challengers Ott Tänak and Esapekka Lappi both joining Rovanperä on Friday’s list of retirements. Engine failure sidelined Tänak’s M-Sport Ford Puma while Lappi crashed his Hyundai into a tree.

    Neuville enjoyed one of his strongest performances on Finland’s flat-out terrain but ultimately had no answer to Evans’ rapid pace. Remaining third in the championship after round nine, the Belgian finished with a hefty 57.6sec gap to the Toyota of Takamoto Katsuta behind.

    Katsuta duelled relentlessly with Hyundai rival Teemu Suninen. The latter went all in, bravely opting to save weight by not carrying a spare wheel through the four-stage finale. But that still wasn’t enough to relegate Katsuta, who celebrated his fourth career podium and ended 4.3sec clear.

    Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala made a popular return to top-level competition after more than three years away. The Finn was never really in the thick of the podium battle but consistency rewarded him with fifth.

    High attrition at the sharp end enabled Oliver Solberg, driving a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, to claim sixth overall ahead of WRC2 victors Sami Pajari and co-driver Enni Mälkönen in a Toksport WRT2-entered Škoda Fabia RS. Eighth place went to WRC2 runner-up Adrien Fourmaux, driving an M-Sport Ford WRT Ford Fiesta MkII, while Pajari’s teammate Nikolay Gryazin and Toksport WRT3’s Andreas Mikkelsen completed the top 10.