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Author: INDIAinF1 Desk
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Southern Safari, National TSD Championship finals flagged off
Bengaluru, 24 Feb 2023: Southern Safari, the grand finals of the 2022 fmsci Indian National TSD Rally Championship (INTSDRC) is flagged off at ‘The Club’ on Mysore Road and is set to provide a fitting finale with a long run of over 600Km for the two days. The final will run to Shivamogga on Leg 1 on Saturday and returns to conclude here on Sunday. The Prize Distribution will also be at The Club on Sunday evening.
Promoted by Pro Sports and organized by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC), the final of the National Championship offers National titles in the following four categories for both drivers and navigators (co-drivers): INTSDRC, INTSDRC2, INTSDRC – Women and INTSDRC – Novice.
Experienced drivers Sk Asgar Ali and Md Mustafa who topped the East Zone qualies will start as favourites along another former champions Ganesh Moorthy and T Nagarajan from South, but the latter duo trailed Maheshwaran N and P Muthuswamy in the points table in the Qualifiers. Other pairs to watch out for are INRC regulars Aeman Ahmed and Sagar M, and Kolkata pair of Subir Roy and Nirav Mehta. However, it is a winner-take all finale and each pair will be gunning for glory as the National titles are at stake.
The TSD Nationals being flagged off at ‘The Club’, Mysore Road on Friday.
Instagram Photo @Autotrack.ind.inThe INTSDRC2 class has seen Deep Dutta and Chandan Sen from Kolkata top the East Zone qualifying round while Rohit Kashyap and Sailendra Singh led from the West Zone event and Harish VS and M Chandrasekhar did well in the South Zone followed by Anil Abbas and Amal Abbas from Kerala while the Bengaluru ladies Aparna and Lalitha qualified third in INRC2 class and will fight in the ladies class too.
Aritra Chakraborty and Sanjit Chaudhuri in the Novice class from East and Nizar and Vinoth Kumar topped the South qualies. Two other teams also made it to the final in the Novice class.
SK Olivia and SK Prasad in the Ladies class have also qualified from the East Zone. Lt Col. Reena Jha and Kasish Malhotra Mehta, and Geetika Pant and Meena Jain are the other Ladies team who qualified from West Zone.
Well-know techie pair of Aparna Pathak and Lalitha Gowda, who qualified from South along with Sheena Sabrewal and Trupti Gupta, Jasmeet Kaur and Jyothi Iyengar will make up the other ladies finalists.
“The response was good for the regional rounds and the drivers dished out excellent performances that saw keen competition. All safety measures are in place and we did the final route inspection yesterday. Now all set for crowning new champions for 2022,” said Sujith Kumar BS, the man behind Prosports, the promoters of TSD Nationals. He is also the Vice-President of the FIM ASIA.
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MMSC honours National Champions, celebrates 70 years
Chennai, 19 Feb 2023: The Madras Motor Sports Club celebrated its 70th anniversary while also presenting trophies to the winners of the recently-concluded MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle and Car Racing Championships here at Hotel Taj on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, MMSC president Ajit Thomas offered salutations to long-time sponsor MRF Tyres for their support over the past decades and also the riders and drivers for their participation in large numbers in the National Championships.
Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Limited, who was the chief guest at today’s function, outlined the company’s involvement in motorsport since the 1980s and said: “With a pedigree for over four decades, the MRF Brand name in racing now competes and wins Globally. It is a matter of pride for India that MRF achieved yet another first – winning the 2022 European Rally Championship with tyres developed and manufactured in India. This is a firstfor any Asian Company that too in the home ground and backyard of MNCs.
“Today is the culmination of a hard-fought season which started at Coimbatore and the subsequent rounds at the Madras International Circuit in Sriperumbudur leading up to this afternoon’s function awarding the National Championships for both motorcycles and cars across various categories for the year 2022. The riders and the drivers have pushed their teams to extract every ounce of performance from their machines. It is also heartening to note that these Championships are enabling our riders and drivers to hone their skills and take it to International levels.”
Later, MMSC Vice-President Vicky Chandhok, presented a brief history of MMSC and the famous Sholavaram races to the eventual shifting of its racing activities to the present MIC facility. He announced that a CIK-approved go-karting circuit is being built at the MIC and expected to be ready for competitions in August.
MMSC Secretary Manoj Dalal proposed a vote of thanks.
The National champions were presented with the trophies in the two road-racing National Championships for two and four-wheelers, promoted by Madras Motor Sports Club, along with one-make Support Races and Cups.
2-Wheeler Racing
MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022:
Pro-Stock 301-400cc:
National Champion: Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1).
Team Champion: Petronas TVS Racing, Chennai. Manufacturer title: Yamaha
Pro-Stock 165cc:
National Champion: Mathana Kumar (Trichy, Pacer Yamaha)
Team Champion: Pacer Yamaha, Bengaluru. Manufacturer – Yamaha
Novice (Stock 165cc):
Rider – Sarvesh Balappa (Hubbali, Axor Sparks Racing). Team – Axor Sparks Racing, Chennai. Manufacturer – Yamaha.
Girls (Stock 165cc):
Rider – Jagruti Kiran Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing). Team – Alpha Racing. Manufacturer – Yamaha
Non-Championship one-make classes:
TVS Open (Apache RR 310):
Rider – Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad).
TVS Novice (Apache RTR 200):
Rider – Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru).
TVS Girls (Apache RTR 200):
Rider – Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru).
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – Open (NSF 250R):
Rider – Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune).
Novice (CBR 150):
Rider – Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai).
4-WHEELER RACING
MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022
MRF Formula 2000:
Driver – Sai Sanjay (Salem).
Indian Touring Cars:
Driver – Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts). Team – Rayo Racing (Mumbai)
Indian Junior Touring Cars:
Driver – Akkineni Anand Prasad (Team Performance). Team – Team Performance Racing, Chennai
Super Stock:
Driver – Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Team Performance). Team – Redline Racing, Chennai.
Formula LGB 1300:
Driver – Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing). Team – DTS Racing.
Non-Championship classes
Volkswagen Polo Cup:
Driver – Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai).
MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios):
Driver – Justin Singh (Gurugram, Redline Racing). Team – Redline Racing, Chennai.
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Hyderabad races to be livecast thru new facility: ABB FIA Formula E
LONDON, UK. Tues. 7 Feb. 2023 – Formula E is pioneering a new broadcast production facility in London that delivers state-of-the-art coverage of its live motor racing action from around the world while reducing the environmental impact typical of major live international sports events on TV.
Now in its ninth season, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will race in Hyderabad this Saturday, the first time the series has visited India. The race will air live in the UK on Channel 4 and Eurosport from 9am GMT.
Beginning this season, the live international race feed distributed to more than 40 broadcasters and airing in more than 150 countries will be produced remotely from The Production Centre in London, a new state-of-the-art production facility developed by Gravity Media and located at the same address as the former BBC Television Centre in White City.
The innovative production setup allows for the seamless remote integration of replay, audio and graphics into the live programme output, as well as a resilient disaster recovery system to ensure the broadcast feed remains uninterrupted in the event of technical difficulties.
A new multi-year partnership with Gravity Media, the leading media and broadcast company, alongside Formula E’s existing editorial partner, Aurora Media Worldwide, means the live broadcast feed of Formula E’s international races will be produced at Gravity Media’s Production Centre in London instead of a temporary broadcast facility installed at each race location.
Formula E is unique in world motorsport for racing on street circuits created on public roads in the heart of world cities to encourage the adoption of EV vehicles. Hyderabad will be the 27th world city to host a Formula E race, the 104th in the history of the series.
This year, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will race in 11 world cities, more than any other season. Cape Town, São Paulo, Berlin, Monaco, Jakarta, Portland, Rome and London will follow Hyderabad while Mexico City and Diriyah in Saudi Arabia hosted the opening races of the season last month.
Live broadcast coverage of an international sports event is typically an environmentally-intensive process with staff and equipment travelling by air. Centralising the majority of live editing and production at the 50,000 sq.ft facility in London significantly reduces the impact of staff travel and shipping of heavy production equipment.
Formula E has developed an on-board camera system installed on each race car with a live team radio feed that is considered the best-in-class in the motorsport industry. More than 200 cameras cover each race from every angle giving viewers an immersive, informative, action-driven experience.
Aarti Dabas, Chief Media Officer, Formula E, said:
“At Formula E, as the world’s first net zero carbon sport since inception, we are constantly challenging ourselves to show how delivering world-class sports entertainment and maintaining industry-leading sustainable practices can co-exist without compromise. Our technology and broadcast teams have worked closely with Gravity Media and Aurora Media Worldwide to help us achieve this. The London-based facility and new approach to presenting Formula E coverage helps us stay true to our vision of accelerating human progress and encouraging the adoption of EV transportation while entertaining millions of viewers around the world.”
Ed Tischler, EMEA Managing Director, Gravity Media, said:
“We are thrilled to be working with Formula E as the first partner to use our brand new, next-generation Gravity Media Production Centre in White City. By taking the bold, innovative step of relocating TV production from a temporary facility in a remote world city to London, we are changing the game for how major global sports events are covered on television. Our new Production Centre located in the heart of White City in The Westworks building will house a growing team of creative and innovative media specialists and we hope to encourage more major sports to adopt a similar approach for TV coverage of their live events.”
Eleven teams and 22 drivers compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Two iconic names in world motorsport – McLaren and Maserati – line up on the Formula E grid for the first time this season.
As well as the innovative approach to broadcast production for TV viewers around the world, this season also saw Formula E and the FIA introduce the fastest, lightest, most powerful, and efficient electric race car ever built – the GEN3.
Capable of a 200mph (322kph) top speed, the GEN3 is 53kg lighter than the previous Gen2 model with a smaller chassis optimised for street racing. An additional front powertrain adds 250kW to the 350kW at the rear, more than doubling the regenerative capacity of the previous car to 600kW, with more than 40% of the energy used in-race regenerated from braking.
The carbon footprint of the GEN3 has been measured from the design phase to inform all reduction measures taken to reduce environmental impact, while all unavoidable emissions are offset as part of Formula E’s net zero carbon commitment. The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is the first and only sport in the world to be certified net zero carbon since inception.
Linen and recycled carbon fibre are being used in GEN3 bodywork construction for the first time in a formula car, featuring recycled carbon fibre from retired Gen2 cars and reducing the overall amount of virgin carbon fibre used. This reduces the carbon footprint of the production of the GEN3 bodywork more than 10%. All waste carbon fibre will be reused for new applications through adoption of an innovative process from the aviation industry.
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Al Attiyah-Baumel cruise to easy victory: Saudi Baja Hail
Five-time Dakar Rally winner Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and his Andorra-based co-driver Mathieu Baumel maintained their terrific run of success to clinch a start-to-finish victory in the Saudi Baja-Hail, round one of the 2023 FIA World and Middle East Cups for Cross-Country Bajas.
Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah was fastest on the Prologue and both selective sections through the An Nafud desert to initially secure victory over Polish rival Krzysztof Holowczyc by 15min 19sec. The Toyota Hilux driver had taken a 7min 42sec lead into the final day, once a series of time penalties had been imposed on several of his rivals, and he won the second stage by 5min 27sec to continue his dominant start to the season in the cross-country rallying discipline.
Al-Attiyah said: “This is a good start. We were happy to compete here and to win here another time. The target now is Abu Dhabi, where we will face Loeb and the Audis. All good over the last two days, no problems.”
Polish rival Krzysztof Holowczyc was second quickest on the last stage in his X-raid Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus with co-driver Lukasz Kurzeja and did enough to finish as runner-up on his first desert rally for eight years. A five-minute time penalty for a speeding infringement was imposed on the Pole and later dropped but he was then handed a 15-minute time penalty and slipped to third overall.
Before the second penalty was handed out, Holowczyc said: “The beginning was not so easy. We were last on the Prologue and I am used to be fighting for the win. We finished second although it is not easy to understand the regulations sometimes. We were testing some new things on the car and that was important for us. The car is getting faster and we will find more in the next races. The suspension is unbelievable. I saw a big hole and the car was flying, perfect. This is the advantage of T1+. We have a good car for the next races.”
Al-Attiyah’s Toyota team-mate Juan Cruz Yacopini recovered strongly from a collision with a spectator’s car at the end of Friday’s stage and was reinstated in third overall by rally officials before the start of the final day.
The Argentine took full advantage of the Stewards’ decision to reimburse him 15 minutes of lost time and he and Spanish navigator Daniel Oliveras were third quickest on stage two to confirm a podium finish. He climbed from third to second when Holowczyc was penalised late on Saturday evening.
Yacopini said: “After what happened yesterday, today was a good stage. I feel really comfortable. The navigation was not easy but Dani made it perfectly. The car was perfect also and this is my first podium in the Bajas. Now I go to Abu Dhabi in the next two weeks. It is a perfect warm-up.”
Top seed and defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi was forced to withdraw on the eve of technical checks and pre-event scrutineering. The Saudi sustained a minor chest injury after an accident on a recent skiing vacation at Courchevel in France and had been suffering from pain on the right side of his chest. The Riyadh driver later confirmed that he had sustained a hairline fracture in his right fifth rib and incurred minor cartilage damage in the fall. He hopes to be fit for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge at the end of the month.
FIA T3 success for Saleh Al-Saif
Navigational delays for rival Yasir Seaidan enabled Team Black Horse Can-Am driver Saleh Al-Saif to snatch fourth overall and the FIA T3 win from his fellow countryman by just nine seconds. Defending champion Fernando Alvarez came home in sixth overall and third in the lightweight prototype class in his Can-Am Maverick and second of the registered FIA World Cup drivers.
Al-Saif’s co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari was competing in Hail for the first time. The Qatari said: “I am proud of this result. I missed the people, the stages and the rally here in the past. After 40km, it was a tricky place and we saw Yasir coming from the opposite way, lost. We let him pass and we drive behind for about 100km. Then we stopped to change the belt, cut every corner to reach the finish and we won by nine seconds! It was really close.”
Last year’s T3 championship runner-up Dania Akeel was second quickest on the last 184km stage and climbed to fourth in the category and third of the drivers registered for the FIA World Cup. South Racing team-mate Otavio Sousa finished sixth behind the G Rally Team’s Kees Koolen in his OT3 and the FN Speed Team’s Santiago Navarro was seventh. Fuel pump problems side lined Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri after the first stage.
Young Pau Navarro wins in T4
Young Spaniard Pau Navarro and his French co-driver Michael Metge overcame the threat of a late five-minute speeding penalty to claim the second quickest T4 time on the final day and clinch T4 success and seventh overall in their FN Speed Team Can-Am.
The French duo of Jeremie Warnier and Loic Minaudier finished second in the class in a Polaris RXR Pro R. Italy’s Michele Cinotto and Maurizio Dominella earned third place in the second of the Xtremeplus Team Polaris RXRs.
Brazilian Cristiano Batista won the second stage but suffered massive time penalties after crashing and running his South Racing Can-Am on three wheels on Friday.
Yasir Seaidan leads FIA Middle East Cup
Yasir Seaidan missed out on overall T3 success by nine seconds in his South Racing Can-Am, but the Saudi had the consolation of finishing fifth overall and claiming maximum points in the FIA Middle East Cup for Cross-Country Bajas. He and co-driver Alexei Kuzmich lost their way on a couple of occasions on the final stage, but the first stage T3 winners achieved a good result nonetheless.
Seaidan said: “We were unlucky. We lost our way in one part and we lost three minutes and a half. Then we pushed and took two minutes but we finished second by nine seconds…”
Fellow countryman Hamad Al-Harbi was classified second of the FIA Middle East Baja Cup runners and also finished second in the regional series’ T3 points with Ukrainian co-driver Dmytro Tsyro. Abdullah and Waleed Al-Shegawi were third.
Abdullah and Waleed Al-Shegawi came home in third, while T4 victory fell to Kuwait’s Salem Al-Dhafeeri and his Emirati co-driver Arif Yousef Mohammed. Maha Al-Hameli and Swedish navigator Annie Seel finished second and Saeed Al-Mouri and Ata Al-Hmoud were third.
Local driver Khalid Al-Feraihi is registered in the FIA Middle East Cup for Cross Country Bajas but suffered long delays and time penalties on the opening day with alternator failure on his Nissan and finished at the rear of the field.
Ahmed Al-Shegawi and Spanish co-driver Marc Serra claimed the spoils in the T2 class for series production cross-country vehicles. They finished 19min 08sec ahead of Ibrahim Al-Muhanna and Osama Al-Sanad in a similar Nissan Patrol.
The second round of both the FIA World and Middle East Cups takes place in Qatar in mid-March.
2023 Saudi Baja-Ha’il – final results:
1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Mathieu Baumel (AND) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 3hr 56min 17sec* 2. Juan Cruz Yacopini (ARG)/Daniel Oliveras (ESP) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 4hr 15min 19sec* 3. Krzysztof Holowczyc (POL)/Lukasz Kurzeja (POL) Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus 4hr 26min 36sec* 4. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Can-Am Maverick (T3) 4hr 33min 28sec* 5. Yasir Seaidan (SAU)/Alexei Kuzmich (ARE) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 4hr 33min 37sec+ 6. Fernando Alvarez (ARG)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Can-Am Maverick (T3) 4hr 39min 59sec* 7. Pau Navarro (ESP)/Michael Metge (FRA) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 4hr 42min 35sec* 8. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Laurent Lichtleuchter (FRA) Can-Am Maverick (T3) 4hr 42min 39sec* 9. Kees Koolen (NLD)/Wouter Rosegaar (NLD) G Rally Team OT3 (T3) 4hr 43min 30sec* 10. Jeremie Warnia (FRA)/Loic Minaudier (FRA) Polaris RXR Pro R (T4) 4hr 43min 32sec* 11. Otavio Sousa (BRA)/João Ferreira (PRT) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 4hr 43min 47sec* 12. Santiago Navarro (ESP)/Adrien Metge (FRA) Can-Am Maverick (T3) 4hr 44min 13sec* 13. Michele Cinotto (ITA)/Maurizio Dominella (ITA) Polaris RXR Pro R (T4) 4hr 54min 53sec* 14. Ricardo R. Suarez (ESP)/Andrei Rudnitskiy (ANA) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 4hr 55min 45sec* 15. Hamad Al-Harbi (SAU)/Dmytro Tsyro (UKR) Can-Am Maverick (T3) 5hr 05min 06sec+ 16. Abdullah Al-Shegawi (SAU)/W. Al-Shegawi (SAU) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T3) 5hr 17min 31sec+ 17. Ahmed Al-Shegawi (SAU)/Marc Serra (ESP) Nissan Patrol (T2) 5hr 49min 29sec+ 18. Salem Al-Dhafeeri (KWT)/Arif Y. Mohammed (ARE) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 6hr 00min 06sec+ T1 unless stated *denotes registered for FIA World Cup + denotes registered for FIA Middle East Cup -
Yamaha fastest as Sepang Shakedown kicks off 2023
Crutchlow tops the opening day in Malaysia as new parts surface from several factories
Sunday, 05 February 2023: MotoGP bikes are back on track! The 2023 campaign has resumed with test riders and our sole premier class rookie, Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3), completing a rain-affected opening day of the Sepang Shakedown test. Yamaha’s Cal Crutchlow topped the timesheets with a 2:01.146, although it’s less about laptimes and more about track time in the first few days of action this year.
YAMAHA
Three-time Grand Prix winner Crutchlow had three YZR-M1s at his disposal – two 2023 spec bikes, one 2022 spec machine. The main focus was pinpointed on Yamaha’s new, more aggressive engine which was a hot topic of conversation back in Valencia. Glancing at the timesheets, it looks like the problem that arose at the end of last year, causing some puzzled looks after clear improvements had been proven at earlier tests, has been diagnosed.Crutchlow clocked a 330km/h top speed according to the circuit’s live timing, just a couple of kms shy of the fastest. In addition, looking back at the 2022 Sepang Test, Yamaha’s fastest top speed was 327km/h – early indications that progress has been made. That’ll be music to the ears of Fabio Quartararo and his Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ teammate Franco Morbidelli ahead of the Official Sepang Test.
KTM
New KTM testing recruit Jonas Folger joined MotoGP™ Legend Dani Pedrosa on track for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing as the German got to grips with the RC16 for the first time. Pedrosa, meanwhile, was working with Jack Miller’s crew on the opening day.GASGAS
Reigning Moto2™ World Champion Fernandez was back out with GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 and having had no plans for the Valencia Test apart from trying a MotoGP™ bike for the first time, these three days will be vital for the Spaniard to start making the bike his own. The number 37 finished second on the timesheets with a 2:01.331, just 0.185s from Crutchlow’s best effort.HONDA
Stefan Bradl was lapping for HRC and the German had two RC213Vs in the box. Bradl was out on a new-look Honda machine dressed in redesigned aero, a new exhaust and the 2023 engine. Bradl’s best time was a 2:01.605, placing him fourth on the timesheets.APRILIA
Lorenzo Savadori was on hand to give the 2023 Aprilia RS-GPs a shakedown, and it was a busy day for the Italian who had six bikes to ride. Aprilia debuted some new aero – something we’ll be seeing plenty of from the factories during pre-season – as Savadori also suffered a technical issue towards the end of the day.DUCATI
Ducati’s trusted Michele Pirro was again putting in the groundwork for the reigning World Champions, who head into the season looking to defend not one, not two, but three Championships.The Borgo Panigale factory opened their 2023 account with a new fairing to show off, and Pirro worked with two GP23s. The Italian posted a 2:02.115 best lap time.
With temperatures soaring in Malaysia, coupled with a dirty track surface following the winter and then rain coming later in the day, times were around three seconds slower than what we saw at the 2022 Malaysian GP. Expect the times to tumble the further we get into testing at Sepang!
Come back for more Shakedown on Monday and keep up to date with all the goings on on motogp.com and across social media!
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Al-Balooshi eases into slender lead: Bikes; Al-Attiyah in control: Cars
HAIL (SAUDI ARABIA), 3 Feb 2023: Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and French co-driver Mathieu Baumel cruised into a lead of 12min 05sec after a 230km loop stage through the deserts to the west of Hail on the 2023 Saudi Baja-Hail on Friday.
The Qatari stopped the clocks in 2hr 24min 48sec and beat closest rival Krzysztof Holowczyc by 9min 50sec to comfortably lead the Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus driver and his Polish co-driver Lukasz Kurzeja.
Toyota driver Al-Attiyah said: “It was good. We did not have a big push. We just wanted to have a day without any problems. We have a good time. We decide last week to do this one and we will do Qatar and, if we have the time, we will do Baja Spain and I would like to do Jordan Baja for the first time and then Dubai.”
Holowczyc had suffered a blow after the opening Prologue stage when it came to light that the Pole had strayed slightly off the designated course and the result was a two-minute time penalty that dropped him to the foot of the rankings at the start of Friday morning’s timed stage.
Yasir Seaidan was the class of the T3 lightweight prototype category and the Saudi managed to beat defending FIA Bajas T3 World Champion Fernando Alvarez by 6min 17sec to lead the class and hold third overall.
“It was a good stage, the best ever,” said Seaidan. “We were fast from the beginning and we continued pushing to the end. We didn’t have the top speed but it was a good day and a good start to the Middle East programme.”
Fellow countryman Saleh Al-Saif was second fastest in his Team Black Horse Can-Am, despite missing his designated refuelling time because of congestion at the refuelling zone, and slotted into fourth in the overall rankings and second in T3. Dania Akeel climbed through the field to hold sixth place, behind Alvarez, and fourth in T3 in her South Racing Can-Am.
Young Spaniard Pau Navarro and his French co-driver Michael Metge delivered an impressive performance to lead the FIA T4 category in an FN Speed Team Can-Am, while the French duo of Jeremie Warnier and Loic Minaudier were second in a Polaris RXR Pro R. Overnight leader Cristiano Batista lost time with technical issues.
T3 driver Meshari Al-Thefiri hit trouble before the stage started. The Kuwaiti said: “After service, we started the road section and, after 25km, the fuel pump died. After 10km, the spare one also died and we came back. We find some connector problem and we didn’t have the parts and, once we had fixed it, it was too late.”
Local driver Saeed Al-Mouri was also in trouble. He said: “Unfortunately, at the start of the stage, after 4km, two rocks came through the windshield, the glass broke and the debris came into the car and into my eyes and we could not continue. I discussed with Ata (Al-Hmoud) and we decided to stop and continue on Saturday.”
Argentina’s Juan Cruz Yacopini was running strongly early in the stage in the second of the Overdrive Toyotas until he had an accident near the end of the special and slipped to seventh overall. He said: “It was not the best day. We had an accident 15km from the finish, but all is okay.”
MX Ride Dubai’s Mohammed Al-Balooshi was in a class of his own on the stage in the motorcycle category and the Emirati won on the day by 2min 22sec to move into an overall lead of 4min 57sec over the Prologue-winning Jordanian Abdullah Abu Aishah.
“Today was good until km16 and I realised I had jumped from eighth to first,” said Al-Balooshi. “For me, I thought I would only catch them after 80km, or before the refuel, so I was surprised. That meant I had to navigate and open the route. I was not prepared for this but I managed and took up the challenge. I led the rest of the stage and won. I am happy with this. Tomorrow, I take it easy and make sure we arrive on the finish line.”
Abu Aishah added: “Yesterday, I had a problem with the starter motor and the battery and I tried to fix it. Today, I had the same problem but my friend helped me to push the bike. The stage was good. Ater refuelling, it was tricky navigation, but I am happy with my result. We will keep pushing until the end.”
Kuwait’s Abdullah Al-Shatti came home in second place on the day and climbed to third, while Al-Balooshi’s brother Sultan and Saudi rider Anass Al-Rehyani rounded off the overall top five. Australian Martin Chalmers was the best of the non-GCC riders in sixth.
Al-Shatti said: “I start 18 position and I finish third today. I am happy. More fast tomorrow.”
Abdulaziz Ahli increased his lead over Haitham Al-Tuwaijri in the quad category by 4min 17sec to 4min 25sec. Hani Al-Noumesi was a distant third.
Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh and Omar Al-Lahim led the Saudi National Baja in their Nissan Patrol.They were 9min 21sec ahead of Al-Mashna Al-Ramali and Rady Al-Shammeri.
The Baja is being managed by the Saudi Motorsport Company, in conjunction with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and the Ministry of Sport and in partnership with Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ) Motors.
Saturday
The opening round of the 2023 FIA World and Middle East Cups for Cross-Country Bajas, the FIM Bajas World Cup and the Saudi Toyota National Rally Championship continues with a second selective section that runs for 184km through the An Nafud desert and starts at Farhaniyah, 57km from the bivouac. The ceremonial finish will take place from 19.30hrs on Saturday evening at Maghwat.
2023 Saudi Baja-Hail – positions after SS1 (unofficial @ 15.45hrs):
Cars
1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Mathieu Baumel (AND) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 2hr 27min 45sec
2. Krzysztof Holowczyc (POL)/Lukasz Kurzeja (POL) Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus 2hr 39min 50sec
3. Yasir Seaidan (SAU)/Alexei Kuzmich (ARE) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 2hr 42min 47sec
4. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Can-Am Maverick (T3) 2hr 44min 55sec
5. Fernando Alvarez (ARG)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Can-Am Maverick (T3) 2hr 49min 08sec
6. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Laurent Lichtleuchter (FRA) Can-Am Maverick (T3) 2hr 52min 31sec
7. Juan Cruz Yacopini (ARG)/Daniel Oliveras (ESP) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 2hr 53min 10sec
8. Pau Navarro (ESP)/Michael Metge (FRA) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 2hr 53min 30sec
9. Jeremie Warnia (FRA)/Loic Minaudier (FRA) Polaris RXR Pro R (T4) 2hr 54min 06sec
10. Santiago Navarro (ESP)/Adrien Metge (FRA) Can-Am Maverick (T3) 2hr 55min 29sec
11. Otavio Sousa (BRA)/João Ferreira (PRT) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 2hr 58min 05sec
12. Michele Cinotto (ITA)/Maurizio Dominella (ITA) Polaris RXR Pro R (T4) 2hr 59min 59sec
13. Kees Koolen (NLD)/Wouter Rosegaar (NLD) G Rally Team OT3 (T3) 3hr 03min 16sec
14. Abdullah Al-Shegawi (SAU)/Waleed Al-Shegawi (SAU) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T3) 3hr 09min 38sec
15. Ricardo Ramilo Suarez (ESP)/Andrei Rudnitskiy (ANA) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 3hr 11min 22sec
16. Hamad Al-Harbi (SAU)/Dmytro Tsyro (UKR) Can-Am Maverick (T3) 3hr 17min 02sec
17. Cristiano Batista (BRA)/Fausto Mota (PRT) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 3hr 21min 47sec
18. Ahmed Al-Shegawi (SAU)/Marc Serra (ESP) Nissan Patrol (T2) 3hr 46min 34sec
T1 unless stated
Bikes (top 18)
1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (ARE) KTM 450 Rally 3hr 34min 35sec
2. Abdullah Abu Aishah (JOR) KTM EXC-F 450 3hr 39min 32sec
3. Abdullah Al-Shatti (KWT) Husqvarna 450 Rally 3hr 42min 01sec
4. Sultan Al-Balooshi (ARE) TM 450 3hr 44min 32sec
5. Anass Al-Rehyani (SAU) KTM 450 3hr 46min 54sec
6. Martin Chalmers (AUS) Beta 450 3hr 53min 27sec
7. Hamdan Al-Ali (ARE) KTM EXC F 450 3hr 59min 16sec
8. Abdullah Lanjawi (ARE) Husqvarna FE 450 4hr 01min 47sec
9. Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera (SAU) KTM EXC F 450 4hr 02min 49sec
10. Alex McInnes (GBR) Husqvarna FE 450 4hr 03min 39sec
11. Jonathan Finn (CAN) Honda CRF 450 RL 4hr 08min 44sec
12. Mishal Al-Ghuneim (SAU) KTM 450 Rally 4hr 19min 29sec
13. Brett Hunt (GBR) Husqvarna FE 450 4hr 24min 49sec
14. Andrew Houlihan (AUS) Husqvarna RFR 450 4hr 26min 55sec
15. Ehab Al-Hakeem (LEB) Yamaha WR 450F 4hr 34min 07sec
16. Barry Howe (GBR) KTM SXF 450 4hr 41min 11sec
17. Marwan Al-Ramani (ARE) KTM 450 Rally 5hr 35min 14sec
18. Yaghoob Azadi (QAT) Husqvarna FE 501 5hr 36min 18sec
Quads
1. Abdulaziz Ahli (ARE) Yamaha Raptor 700 3hr 46min 58sec
2. Haitham Al-Tuwaijri (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700 3hr 51min 21sec
3. Hani Al-Noumesi (SAY) Yamaha Raptor 700 5hr 59min 47sec
Ends
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25 riders from 12 Nations for Saudi Baja: WORLD CUP
HAIL (SAUDI ARABIA), 30 Jan 2023: Thirty-one motorcycles, five quads and competitors from 12 nations have entered this weekend’s Saudi Baja-Hail, the opening round of the 2023 FIM Bajas World Cup, in addition to four riders taking part in a national event running behind.
There will be no Indian riders at the first round of the FIM Bajas World Cup this year.
While two-time event winner Mohammed Al-Balooshi of the MX Ride Dubai team heads the field on his TM 450, two other former Hail winners feature on the international entry.
Al-Balooshi’s brother Sultan also represents the MX Ride Dubai team and is a two-time former winner of the longer Hail International Rally (2018 and 2019), while Saudi rider Mishal Al-Ghuneim reached the top step of the podium on a Husqvarna in 2021.
There is strength in depth across the entry, with several riders more than capable of challenging for victory, while others will be hopeful of scoring points in the FIM Womens’ and FIM Veterans’ categories.
Young Jordanian rider Abdullah Abu Aishah (KTM) has pushed Al-Balooshi close on several occasions in the past and will be hopeful of starting his FIM challenge in winning style. He finished fifth on the 2022 Saudi Baja last November, behind the triumphant Al-Balooshi, Kuwait’s Abdullah Al-Shatti (Kawasaki), Al-Ghuneim and fellow Saudi Anass Al-Reheyani. All three of those rivals will be challenging for top honours again this weekend.
FIM Junior hopeful Alex McInnes is seeded at four and the Briton is more than capable of finishing on the podium, while Qatar-based Australian was sixth last year and will be aiming for a top three finish. Other international riders likely to challenge for top honours are Kiwi Philip Wilson, Australia’s Andrew Houlihan and the British duo of Barry Howe and Brett Hunt.
The neighbouring State of Qatar will be represented by Sheikh Mohammed Al-Thani (Gas-Gas), Mohammed Al-Kaabi (KTM), Mahanna Rashid Al-Naimi (Honda) and Abdulrahman Al-Sheeb (KTM). Yaghoob Azadi will ride a Rasen Racing Team Husqvarna in the national category.
Kuwait’s Sarah Khuraibet (Duust Rally Team Husqvarna) and Indian rider Sarah Kashyap (Beta) will decide the outcome of the Womens’ category.
Last year’s quad winner Haitham Al-Tuwaijri faces Saudi rivals Hani Al-Noumesi, Abdulaziz Al-Atawi and Sultan Al-Masoud and Emirati Abdulaziz Ahli to decide the honours on four wheels.
The Baja is being managed by the Saudi Motorsport Company, in conjunction with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and the Ministry of Sport. The event is running under the chairmanship of H.R.H. Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, the President of the SAMF and in partnership with Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ) Motors.
The weekend weather forecast is for dry, sunny conditions but cool daytime temperatures in the deserts surrounding the city of Hail. The on-stage timetable of events fires into life with a three-kilometre Qualifying Stage on Thursday (February 2nd) afternoon that takes place after the traditional ceremonial start adjacent to the Maghwat conference facility.
2023 Saudi Baja-Hail – leading entries:
Bikes
1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (ARE) TM 450
2. Abdullah Abu Aishah (JOR) KTM EXC-F 450
3. Abdullah Al-Shatti (KWT) Kawasaki KC 450
4. Alex McInnes (GBR) Husqvarna FE 450
5. Mishal Al-Ghuneim (SAU) KTM 450 Rally
6. Anass Al-Rehyani (SAU) KTM 450
7. Martin Chalmers (AUS) Beta 450
8. Hamdan Al-Ali (ARE) Husqvarna FE 450
9. Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera (SAU) KTM EXC F 450
10. Sultan Al-Balooshi (ARE) TM 450
11. Yasir Al-Khuraif (SAU) KTM SFX 450
12. Ehab Al-Hakeem (LEB) Yamaha WR 450F
13. Ahmed Al-Jaber (SAU) KTM 450
14. Fawaz Al-Toaimi (SAU) Yamaha WR 450F
15. Mohammed Jaffar Meshari (KWT) KTM 450 RFR
16. Mohammed Al-Kaabi (QAT) KTM 450
17. Sheikh Mohammed Al-Thani (QAT) Gas-Gas 450
18. Philip Wilson (NZL) KTM 450 Rally
19. Gerard Lubbinge (NLD) KTM EXC F 450
20. Jonathan Finn (CAN) Honda CRF 450 RL
21. Barry Howe (GBR) KTM SXF 450
22. Brett Hunt (GBR) Husqvarna FE 450
23. Andrew Houlihan (AUS) Husqvarna RFR 450
24. Mahanna Rashid Al-Naimi (QAT) Honda 450
25. Sohaib Al-Barade (SAU) Honda CRF 450 X
Quads
100. Hani Al-Noumesi (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700
101. Abdulaziz Al-Atawi (SAU) Yamaha YFZ 450
102. Abdulaziz Al-Ahli (ARE) Yamaha Raptor 700
103. Sultan Al-Masoud (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700
111. Haitham Al-Tuwaijri (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700
2023 Saudi National Baja-Hail – leading entries:
Bikes
60. Bader Al-Bader (SAU) KTM EXC-500
61. Simon Francis (AUS) KTM EXC-F
62. Yaghoob Azadi (QAT) Husqvarna FE 501
63. Abdulwahab Al-Mana (SAU) KTM EXC-F
Ends
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Mumbai Falcons claims first win of 2023 at Kuwait: F4 UAE
Kuwait, 30 Jan 2023: Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited continued to score wins and podiums at Kuwait Motor Town this weekend extending the Indian outfit’s lead in both championships, as the brand-new 5.6-kilometer venue hosted the second round of the Formula Regional Middle East and Formula 4 UAE championships.
In F4 UAE, Mumbai Falcons got up to a blistering start, with James Wharton achieving one pole position and a win. The 16-year-old Ferrari Driver Academy racer, determined to bounce back from a challenging opener, quickly accomplished the goal in race 1 with his first win of 2023.
“It was good to be back to where we should be – said Wharton – But now it’s time to get our head down and try to get to the front of the championship as well.”
Wharton then finished a close second in race 2, edging fellow Mumbai Falcons team-mate and FDA member Tuukka Taponen, who was the best rookie. Indian racer Muhammad Ibrahim showed solid improvement and battled for points to confirm his consistent growth. Mumbai Falcons maintain the lead in the Team’s Championship.
The Formula Regional Middle East Championship turned out to be hard-fought and unpredictable, but Mumbai Falcons still managed to retain the lead in both the driver and team championships. Swede Dino Beganovic punched another ticket to victory in race 1, in a Mumbai Falcons 1-2 finish in front of Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Italian sensation is still at the top of the charts with a double P2 finish, although an issue forced him to retire in race 2.
“Mumbai Falcons are committed to proving that an Indian Team can win Internationally. We are leading both championships and are giving a fantastic opportunity for Indian racers to work closely with the world’s best drivers & engineers.” Said CEO – Moid Tungekar
For the third round of the season, both series will stay in Kuwait before finally moving back to the Emirates. After Muhammad Ibrahim was given the opportunity to race for the first 2 rounds, Indian Karting Champion – Rishon Rajeev will race the upcoming two rounds in Kuwait & Dubai.
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Salem’s Sai Sanjay clinches MRF F2000 crown; 11th National title for Arjun Balu
Chennai, 29 Jan 2023: On a day of twists and turns, Salem’s Sai Sanjay pocketed the title in the premier MRF Formula 2000 category as the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 concluded at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.
While Sai Sanjay gathered enough points this weekend in the three races to seal the championship, Bengaluru’s Sohil Shah, winner of Race-1 yesterday, won both the races today to complete a triple crown. The 21-year old Sohil, who missed two of the four rounds, finished fourth in the championship behind Sai Sanjay, Ryan Mohamed (Chennai) and Divy Nandan (Gurugram).
Also sealing the titles in their respective categories were: Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) in the Formula LGB 1300; Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) in Super Stock; Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) in Indian Junior Touring Cars; Justin Singh (Gurugram) in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) and Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) in the Volkswagen Polo Cup.
Polo Cup winner Pratik Sonawane is flanked by National championship winners Vishwas Vijayraj, left, (Formula LGB1300) and Sai Sanjay (F2000) at MIC on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar. Meanwhile, the popular Indian Touring Cars category witnessed as many as three disqualifications for technical infringements. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) and Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports), both from Coimbatore, were disqualified from yesterday’s Race-1. Narendran suffered the same fate in Race-2 today, but later won Race-3. However, the revised results fetched Balu the National title ahead of Narendran in the provisional championship standings.
Viswas Vijayraj sealed the title in the Formula LGB 1300 category though finishing second behind Bengaluru’s Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsports) in the final race today. The other championship leader Raghul Rangasamy (MSport) dropped out of contention after he was disqualified for ignoring a black flag.
Defending champion Arjun Balu, retains his ITC National championship at MIC, to earn his 11th National title on Sunday. File photo by Anand Philar. “I don’t know what to say. It is such an emotional moment for me. After missing the championship a few times in the past, it is great to finally win it in my fifth season. I owe everything to my parents who I know are watching the live streaming, and MRF Tyres for their support,” said Viswas.
Mumbai’s Zahan Commissariat, hailing from a family of racers, scored an impressive win starting from P10 in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) category, and the victory helped him to finish fifth in the championship. Gurugram’s Justin Singh failed to finish following an incident, but had sufficient cushion to annex the title ahead of Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh) by five points. Mathroo came in second behind Commissariat and ahead of Pune’s Diana Pundole, who ended up third in the championship.
Ritesh Rai, who won the National title for 2022 in Super Stock class. The results (Provisional – all 10 laps unless mentioned):
MRF F2000 (Race-2): 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (15min, 36.462sec); 2. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) (15:40.983); 3. Dillon Thomas Zachariah (Chennai) (15:42.064). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (12:28.545); 2. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (12:33.894); 3. Chetan Korada (Chennai) (12:52.777).
Indian Touring Cars (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (25:00.290); 2. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai, Rayo Racing) (25:08.270); 3. Jeet Jabakh (Hyderabad, Rayo Racing) (25:11.802). Race-3: 1. Arjun Narendran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (18:58.937); 2. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (19:12.399); 3. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai, Rayo Racing) (19:14.297).
Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1, 12 laps): 1. Raja Rajan (Chennai, Performance Racing) ( 25:27.541); 2. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (25:27.700); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) (25:27.997). Race-3: 1. Raja Rajan (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:36.876); 2. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai, Race Concepts) (19.38.441); 3. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:40.541).
Super Stock (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Narendran S (Chennai, Redline Racing) (26:19.871); 2. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (26:23.033); 3. Jason Deepak Saldanha (Mangaluru, DB Motorsports) (26: 28.874). Race-3 (9 Laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:01.675); 2. Narendran S (Chennai, Redline Racing) (19:07.807); 3. Dilijith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (19:12.675).
Formula LGB 1300 (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (20:10.154); 2. Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (20:10.291); 3. Dhruvh A Goswami (Bengaluru, MSport) (20:10.865).
Volkswagen Polo Cup (Race-3, 8 laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai) (15:50.470); 2. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (15:54.571); 3. Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (15:57.079). Race-4: 1. Ojas Surve (Mumbai) (19:42.853); 2. Avik Anwar (Dhaka) (19:49.034); 3. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (19:52.460).
MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios – Race-2): 1. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai) 20:49.191; 2. Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh) 20:53.991; 3. Diana Pundole (Pune) 20:54.112.
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Pascal Wehrlein wins Round 2 of ABB FIA Formula E
- Wehrlein races from ninth on the grid to win the first race of the 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix double-header
- Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti Formula E) moves from 11th to finish second, leads Wehrlein by a point at the top of the Drivers’ World Championship
- Jaguar TCS Racing driver Sam Bird finishes third for his first podium since Season 7
- Second race in the double-header on Saturday night, 20:00 AST / 17:00 GMT – 1030pm IST (India Live on Disney + Hotstar)
DIRIYAH, Saudi Arabia. Fri. 27 Jan. 2023 – Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) stormed from ninth to win the first of two races in the 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix, with standings leader Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti Formula E) following home in second after starting in 11th.
Wehrlein looked the quickest on the track as he picked his way through the points-paying positions to the front of the pack. The move for the lead came on Lap 30 at Turn 16, with Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing) unable to hold back Wehrlein’s 99X Electric Gen3. Both driver and car looked dominant for a second straight race. It was an emotional win for the 28-year-old, who once again credited his team with a monumental amount of work off-track to get things so right on it.
Jake Dennis in the Porsche-powered Avalanche Andretti took the fight all the way to the line with his factory Porsche counterpart from all the way back in 11th on the grid, but he couldn’t find a way beyond Wehrlein – who sealed his second Formula E win on his 50th start.
The result was a reversal of the one-two we saw two weeks ago in the 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix – and both TAG Heuer Porsche and Avalanche Andretti look to have thrown down the challenge to the rest of the field as the GEN3 development race continues at pace.
Sam Bird was overjoyed to make the podium for the first time since winning in New York City in Season 7 – calling it a “mini victory” for himself and Jaguar after a tough Season 8 for the Brit – the only season he has failed to claim Formula E silverware.
Sébastian Buemi (Envision Racing) started in Julius Baer Pole Position and finished in fourth, his best finish since the Season 6 finale in Berlin.
NEOM McLaren Formula E Team’s René Rast started fifth and ended fifth following a long battle in middle of the points-paying positions. He also sealed the TAG Heuer Fastest Lap.
Nick Cassidy made it two Envision Racing cars in the top six. Jean-Éric Vergne fought from 12th to the points for DS PENSKE, winding up just ahead of Jake Hughes in the sister McLaren. André Lotterer (Avalanche Andretti) and Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) rounded out the top 10 – the latter slipping from sixth on the grid.
That leaves Dennis as standings leader at just a point over Werhlein – 44 to 43 points – while Avalanche Andretti retain their Teams’ advantage over TAG Heuer Porsche, 58 to 49 points, with Envision Racing third.
Formula E’s return to Diriyah, a historical and cultural destination in Saudi Arabia, marks a groundbreaking move as it continues to prioritise sustainability and shift the paradigm in the sports industry.
The second race in the 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix double-header is tomorrow night, Saturday 28 January, starting at 20:00 AST / 17:00 GMT.
Find out where to watch here: www.fiaformulae.com/en/ways-to-watch
Pascal Wehrlein, No. 94, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, said:
“It feels incredible. I am so proud of these guys, unbelievable – what a car I had today. I mean from P9 to P1, amazing, I am so grateful to have this team. It has been a lot of work. We always wanted to achieve these kind of results, we had some highlights in the past but definitely this year we wanted to do a big step forward. I know how hard these guys are working, I am also quite often with them and pushing with everyone, especially after the testing in Valencia we were not looking that strong so I know how many hours everyone has put in. To start this well in the season in the first and second race is amazing, like I said I am just thankful for everyone and their hard work – we keep pushing.”
Jake Dennis, No. 27, Avalanche Andretti Formula E, said:
“I wasn’t at all [expecting to be on the podium]. I thought it was going to be quite difficult to overtake here with the mountain section being so fast, but my god the race car we have is just unbelievable. For me and Pascal to get another 1-2 from ninth and eleventh is testament to how much effort has gone in. Full credit to Avalanche Andretti for giving me the best race car today. We closed in on Pascal at the end, I was pushing to get the move done but when you’re racing a guy with the same car it is difficult to pass. But I am so happy and we deserve this after a difficult qualifying. I had to stop him getting an eight-second lead, but yeah super pleased for everyone and another 1-2. I need to try and beat him tomorrow and beat everyone else, but nonetheless I can sleep well tonight.”
Sam Bird, No. 10, Jaguar TCS Racing, said:
“It feels so good to be back on the podium, I can’t tell you. It has been a rough twelve months, but Jaguar have been amazing – they have stuck by me, put their arm around me and also recently we had a very difficult Mexico to open the season. The amount of work, the amount of sleepless nights everyone in the team has had in order to get us to this point, this is a little mini victory for us. I get that Porsche will be taking the spoils – but for us and where we have come from, amazing. Congrats to everyone in the team – we keep pushing. I tried to place my car to make it difficult for Pascal, I know the grip out there is tricky, but he did a superb job. The Porsche is looking extremely decent on change of direction and minimum speed, so we have got a bit of homework to do tonight.”
