INDIA in F1

Author: INDIAinF1 Desk

  • From the beaches of Red Sea to sands of Arabian Gulf: New route for 2023 Dakar

    From the beaches of Red Sea to sands of Arabian Gulf: New route for 2023 Dakar

    There will be a new itinerary for the fourth edition of the Dakar in Saudi Arabia from December 31, 2022, to January 15, 2023 and 1st round ot the FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. The route will take the pilots from the beaches of the Red Sea to the sands of the Arabian Gulf in Dammam. Harith Noah from Kerala will again lead the Indian challenge at Dakar 2023 and he is likely to be joined by other Indians from Petronas TVS Racing.

    This crossing of the country will be, in fact, a complete tour as the 14 stages will first lead the Dakar to the north-western mountain regions before heading to the deep southeast for a three-day journey through ocean of dunes in the Empty Quarter.

    AN XXL BIVOUAC STARTING WITH THE “CHECKS”

    The competitors will arrive in Saudi Arabia in friendly atmosphere near the beach. The new start format will accommodate the entire Dakar caravan during the final technical and administrative checks, which will take place mainly at the Castellet circuit at the end of November. The structures have been redesigned for the occasion to include entertainment and provide areas for conviviality and interaction. The “Sea Camp” concept consists of taking over a piece of desert by the sea. The adventure has already begun.

    1 + 14 = 15 DAYS OF COMPETITION

    The 2023 Dakar is characterised by its length, with 14 stages plus a prologue for 15 days of competition. The itinerary includes 70% new special stages. It is also the densest rally format in its modern era. The overwhelming majority of the special stages are close to 450 kilometres. The liaison sectors will be shorter, with the finish lines closer to the bivouacs, which will reduce liaison times. In total, with almost 5,000 kilometres of special stages, this edition will feature the longest distance of competition since 2014.

    THREE DAYS IN THE EMPTY QUARTER

    The Dakar competitors have become familiar with this immense region of Saudi territory designated as the “Empty Quarter” of the Arabian Peninsula. But forays to the marathon bivouac at Shubeyta in 2020 or loops traced from Wadi Ad Dawasir only revealed a minuscule portion of this vast desert. Thanks to the route that provides communications with the neighbouring state of Oman, a much deeper immersion is now possible and allows for a bivouac to be set up in the extreme-eastern region of Saudi Arabia. The pilots will also have to cope with the challenge of a marathon stage during the three days in the Empty Quarter.

    THE “EXPLORERS” REWARDED

    The Dakar has the distinction of assembling the most successful competitors on the planet and enthusiasts who set themselves the sporting challenge of a lifetime with much less pretension. The mutual pride in competing on the same route is part and parcel of the essence of the Dakar. The respective means of the professionals and the amateurs provide additional encouragement to the latter, who will benefit each day from a separate classification and prize money. There will be a list of “Factory” drivers for each category based on the results in their rally-raid careers. “Explorers” will compete for valuable bonuses to validate their improvement in the discipline: equipment, etc.

    RANDOM ROADBOOKS: NO COPYING!

    The principle has been known for a long time in elementary schools where teachers sometimes hand out different assignments to two neighbouring students…, which is the best way to ensure that clever competitors will not be tempted to copy. Similarly, the routes of most of the special stages will be split into two over a more or less long section, with the roadbooks of A and B routes assigned randomly. Competitors tempted to follow their predecessors without thinking run the risk of missing their waypoints and thus incur severe penalties.

    BIKES: A BONUS FOR OPENING A STAGE

    The sequence of stages causes a yo-yo effect among the leading riders that can give credence to opportunist race strategies. Being the first to start a stage is the most delicate position of all. It so happens that the stage victory can be perceived as a disadvantage to such an extent that some riders voluntarily forego the win to avoid exposing themselves to a quasi-inevitable loss of time the following day. This year, time compensations will be awarded.

    A DIGITAL ROADBOOK FOR EVERYONE

    Paper is a thing of the past. For the past several years, “tablets” have appeared in the cars and then trucks before being tested by the elite category riders. The system has been thoroughly tested and is now ready to be used in all categories. All vehicles will be equipped with this digital version beginning this year.

    DAKAR CLASSIC: TWO NEW CHALLENGES

    With 140 vehicles, the second edition of the Dakar Classic was a great success and highlighted the significant differences in potential between the older cars and those from the late 1990s. Thus, an additional speed group, called H0, has been added to define lower average speeds adapted to less powerful cars. There will be two new challenges: “Authentic Codriver Challenge” for vehicles that enter without modern regularity instruments; and “Iconic Classic Club” for original vehicles that participated in the Dakar in the 20th century, thus excluding all “replicas”. A selection committee will limit the number of entries to a maximum of 150.

    “DAKAR FUTURE”: A FURTHER STEP FORWARD

    The Dakar saw a decisive step forward in its energy transition in 2022 with the creation of the T1-U category and the spectacular entry of Audi’s hybrid 4x4s, winners of 4 special stages with Carlos Sainz, Mattias Ekstrom and Stéphane Peterhansel. New projects are being developed and progress goes on thanks to the use of bio-fuels or synthetic fuels that drastically reduce the vehicles’ carbon footprint.

  • Sunday Guide: MotoGP

    MotoGP™
    Aleix Espargaro has qualified on pole position for the fourth time in MotoGP™️ (setting a new all-time lap record)
    along with Assen/2014 (with Forward Yamaha), Catalunya/2015 (with Suzuki) and Argentina/2022 (with
    Aprilia). He will be aiming to give Aprilia podiums in five successive premier class races for the first time.
    With Aleix Espargaro on pole position, this is the second pole position for Aprilia since the introduction of
    MotoGP™️ in 2002 and the fourth overall in the premier class along with Tetsuya Harada in Italy in 1999 and
    Jeremy McWilliams in Australia in 2000.
    Aprilia becomes the fifth manufacturer to qualify on pole position in Catalunya MotoGP™️ (since 2002) along
    with Honda (9 pole positions), Yamaha (8), Ducati (2) and Suzuki (1).
    Francesco Bagnaia has qualified second which is the fourth time so far this year he has qualified on the front
    row. He will be aiming to win in back-to-back races for the first time since Algarve and Valencia last year.
    Fabio Quartararo has qualified third as the top Yamaha for his third front row start of the season along with
    Indonesia (pole) and Spain (second). He went on to take second in both races. He will be aiming to win for the
    second time this year along with Portugal (he won in MotoGP™️ in Catalunya in 2020).
    This is Quartararo’s 39th front row in MotoGP™️. Over his 38 previous front-row starts, he went on to finish on
    the podium 21 times (including seven of his nine premier class wins so far).
    Johann Zarco has qualified fourth which is the seventh time out of nine MotoGP:tm: rounds so far this year he
    has qualified within the top six (although he started from ninth in France following a penalty). He will be aiming
    to win for the first time in MotoGP™️.
    On pole last weekend in Italy, rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio has qualified fifth for this second-best qualifying.
    Jorge Martin has qualified sixth, which is the first time he has qualified within the front two rows since Americas
    earlier this year when he was on pole position. He will be aiming to stand on the podium for the second time
    so far this year along with Argentine when he was P2.
    Alex Rins has qualified seventh as the top Suzuki rider, equalling his best qualifying result of the season from
    Argentina and Americas earlier this year, when he finished on the podium both times.
    After passing through Q1, Maverick Viñales has qualified eighth for his second-best qualifying result since he
    joined Aprilia, after Argentina earlier this year when he qualified fifth. He will be aiming to stand on the podium
    for the first time with Aprilia.
    Pol Espargaro has qualified 10th as top Honda, which is the fifth time so far this year he has qualified in the
    top 10. He’ll be aiming to give Honda their second podium of the season along with Qatar when he finished P3.
    Third in the Championship, Enea Bastianini has qualified 14th for his second-worst qualifying result of the
    season after Portugal when he qualified 18th.

    Moto2™
    After passing through Q1, Celestino Vietti has qualified on pole position for the second time in Moto2™️ along
    with the opening race of the season in Qatar when he took his maiden win in the class. He will be aiming to
    stand on the podium for the first time since Portugal when he finished P2.
    Only three riders have won after not taking pole position in Catalunya in Moto2™️: Yuki Takahashi (2010), Andrea
    Iannone (2012) and Alex Marquez (2019).
    On pole in Italy, Aron Canet has qualified second, which is the fourth time so far this year he has qualified
    within the top three. He will be aiming to win for the first time in Moto2™️.
    Joe Roberts has qualified third for his best qualifying result since he was also third last year in France. He will
    be aiming to win for the second time in Moto2™️ along with Portugal earlier this year.
    Jake Dixon has qualified fourth, which is the sixth time so far this year he has qualified within the front two
    rows. He will be aiming to stand on the Moto2™️ podium for the second time along with Americas this year (P3).
    Albert Arenas has qualified fifth equalling his second-best qualifying result of the season so far from Americas.
    He finished P12 last year in Catalunya, which was his best result in Moto2™️ at that time.
    Sam Lowes has qualified sixth which is the seventh time so far this year he qualified within the front two rows.
    He will be aiming to stand on the podium for the second time this season along with Qatar (when he was P3).
    He finished P2 here in Moto2™️ in 2020.
    Moto3™
    Dennis Foggia has qualified on pole position for the second time in his GP career along with France last month.
    He will be aiming to win for the second time so far this year along with Indonesia. He finished P3 in 2020 in
    Catalunya, his only podium in Moto3™️ at the track.
    This is Honda’s sixth successive pole position at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Moto3™️, and the eighth
    overall in the class at the track.
    Since 2020, only five riders have won in Moto3™️ after starting from pole: Tatsuki Suzuki at the 2020 Andalusian
    GP, Raul Fernandez at the 2020 Portuguese GP, Romano Fenati at the British GP last year, Sergio Garcia in
    Argentina this year and Izan Guevara also this year.
    Deniz Öncü, who was on pole position last weekend in Italy, has qualified second, which is the third time so far
    this year he qualified within the top three. He took his maiden podium in Moto3™️ last year in Catalunya and he
    will now be aiming to win for the first time.
    Izan Guevara has qualified third, which is the fourth time so far this year he qualified within the top three and
    the first time since he was on pole position in Jerez and won the race (his most recent win).

    Lorenzo Fellon has qualified fourth for his second-best qualifying result in his GP career after Portugal earlier
    this year when he qualified third. He finished P16 last year in Catalunya, which was his best result in Moto3™️ at
    that time.
    After passing through Q1, Ryusei Yamanaka has qualified fifth for his best qualifying result in Moto3™️, although
    he started from fourth in Qatar this year after qualifying sixth. He will be aiming to stand on the podium for
    the first time in the class.
    Championship leader and winner last year in Catalunya, Sergio Garcia has qualified seventh, which is the fifth
    time so far this year he failed to qualify within the top six. He will be aiming to win for the first time in back-toback Moto3™️ races.

  • Formula E – Evans prevails in heavyweight bout in Indonesia as title tussle heats up

    Formula E – Evans prevails in heavyweight bout in Indonesia as title tussle heats up

    The battle for glory in the 2021/22 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is taking shape after the leading protagonists duelled it out in Jakarta

    Jakarta, 4 June 2022: On a day when the action on-track was as hot as the temperature off it in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the chase for the crown intensified in Jakarta as Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans fought to his third triumph of the season in a heavyweight bout on the streets of the Indonesian capital.

    Prior to the start of the race, a minute’s silence was held in memory of Organización Mexicana De Automovilismo Internacional (OMDAI) President and honorary FIA Vice President José Abed, who passed away shortly before the weekend.

    From third on the grid, Evans immediately made his intentions clear by challenging front row starter António Félix da Costa (DS TECHEETAH) when the lights went out. Following a short early safety car intervention – to clear up an errant wheel that had parted company with Oliver Rowland’s Mahindra Racing single-seater – the New Zealander then punished his Portuguese rival for a lock-up at Turn Seven by stealing through into second.

    Thereafter, Evans set about hunting down da Costa’s DS TECHEETAH team-mate Jean-Éric Vergne in the lead, hitting the front of the field when the Frenchman activated his first Attack Mode of the E-Prix just over ten minutes in. The pair went on to engage in an enthralling cat-and-mouse duel, trading the top spot as one or the other deployed subsequent Attack Modes.

    Their frenetic pace propelled them away from the pursuing pack and the decisive move came in the closing stages, when Evans caught Vergne off-guard with a late dive into his favourite passing spot of Turn Seven to grab the lead for good.

    Although the two-time champion launched a counter-attack as the Jaguar driver began struggling with tyre wear as the clock ticked down, he was unable to prise the door back open. Vergne ultimately had to settle for his third runner-up finish of the campaign as Evans determinedly held on to the end to add to his Rome double top with victory in the inaugural Jakarta E-Prix – adding a potentially crucial bonus point to his season tally by posting the fastest lap.

    Indeed, in addition to trying to reclaim the lead, Vergne had to keep one eye in his mirrors in the final laps on a resurgent Edoardo Mortara (ROKiT Venturi Racing). Having initially run fourth, the Swiss star exploited a late Attack Mode strategy to advance to third, before artfully keeping both Evans and da Costa behind him when they had the extra power at their disposal and he did not.

    With more usable energy remaining than Evans and Vergne, Mortara zeroed in on the back of the two leaders like a lion stalking its prey, piling on the pressure but narrowly running out of time to pounce. His late charge pulled him away from da Costa, who took the chequered flag fourth, and Mercedes-EQ’s Stoffel Vandoorne, who came on increasingly strong as the race progressed.

    The Belgian did not have the most straightforward of afternoons – sliding off-line going through the Attack Mode activation zone for the first time and then missing the sensor entirely later on – but his pace was impressive, as he fought back on both occasions and very nearly unseated da Costa from fourth on the last lap.

    Fifth position keeps Vandoorne in the championship lead, albeit now by the reduced margin of just five points as the top four protagonists bid to break away heading into the second half of the season.

    Jake Dennis was a consistent contender throughout for Avalanche Andretti, and while not quite able to stay with the front-runners, the series sophomore raced well to cement his third-best finish of the campaign to-date in a fine sixth place.

    Former title-winner Lucas Di Grassi drew upon all of his extensive experience and guile to climb three spots from his starting position to wind up seventh ahead of TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein, with the pair making light contact along the way. The German showcased his fighting spirit to overcome a five-place grid penalty, applied after his team broke the seal on a component on his car.

    Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing) battled back from a slow start to rise to ninth in the final reckoning, with double champion Sébastien Buemi (Nissan e.dams) unable to replicate his excellent qualifying form but nonetheless securing the final point on offer in tenth.

    André Lotterer (TAG Heuer Porsche) slipped out of the points-paying positions after picking up a five-second penalty for causing a collision with defending title-holder Nyck de Vries that ended the Mercedes-EQ driver’s race. Another high-profile non-scorer was Robin Frijns, who could only improve from 21st to 17th on a difficult day for Envision Racing, dropping the Dutchman some 40 points away from the championship lead.

    Following a four-week break, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will resume in Morocco on 2 July for round ten of its 2021/22 campaign – the fifth Marrakech E-Prix.

    MITCH EVANS, JAGUAR TCS RACING, #9 said:

    “That was hard. I was just happy to be in it at the end. We had a tough last race, and this track was similar with the climate being on another level. We put a lot of work into the set-up and the systems, but the team gave me what I need, gave me the goods, which is what I need.

    It was really tight at the end with JEV, I thought I was going to pull away but my tires started going off as soon as I got past him. I was under a bit of heat but we got the job done. This is what we needed.

    We needed a good result today. But obviously it was a new track, new climate, new everything – you don’t really know how it is going to go. So I am very happy with the result, we are back in it although we were never really out, but it has put us in a strong position so I’ll take that.”

    JEAN-ÉRIC VERGNE, DS TECHEETAH, #25 said:

    “It was a good race. Hats off to Mitch and Jaguar, they were simply faster today. I need to understand what happened as I had to save a lot more [energy] at some point for temperature reasons, so I need to understand what happened here. Anyway second is good, strong points, so if we carry on like this for the rest of the Championship it is good. I am happy there were no more laps!”

    EDOARDO MORTARA, ROKiT VENTURI RACING, #48 said:

    “We had a good race weekend in Jakarta. The qualifying was already very good, we did an intelligent race, it was very difficult with the temperatures so hot. To manage the tires and the battery was not easy today, but we managed it at the end. I could see that they were fighting at the front and I was kind of part of that fight. I was hoping for some kind of move from JEV to get some free places but unfortunately it didn’t come. But I am very extremely happy with another podium.

    We finished with 0.0% energy on the line, and on top of that you need to manage the temperatures at some point – if you exceed a certain number then the power is going down. So that goal is to get that [to no energy) at the finish line, I could see that Mitch had it and I had a little bit more reserved but unfortunately I could not pass him.”

  • Aleix Espargaro pips Pecco to pole by just 0.031

    Aleix Espargaro pips Pecco to pole by just 0.031

    A new all-time Lap Record sees the Aprilia rider take pole on home turf, with Bagnaia and Quartararo alongside

    Barcelona, 4 June 2022: Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espargaro reset his own All Time Lap Record to claim pole position for the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, coming out on top in a three-way fight for pole in MotoGP™ Q2 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Aprilia rider’s 1:38.742 saw him prevail by just 0.031 seconds over Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia, with World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) also set to start from the front row on Sunday afternoon after ending Q2 less than two tenths further back.

    Q1
    Q1 saw Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) prevail, with the fight going right to the wire and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) snatching second, and the final spot in Q2, from rookie sensation and Mugello front row starter Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). From there, it was on to Q2 with both Aprilias… 

    Q2
    It was tight at the end of the first runs, with Quartararo top on a 1:39.055, Bagnaia second at just a hundredth of a second off the pace, and Aleix Espargaro only two thousandths slower again in third.

    While track temperature was approaching 60 degrees Celsius, the pace was just as hot when riders came back out for their second runs. Bagnaia raised the stakes when he punched out a 1:38.787, only 0.016 seconds away from the lap record which Aleix Espargaro had achieved in FP3, before taking an excursion through the run-off area at Turn 1. The Aprilia rider then snatched provisional pole back with that 1:38.742, while Quartararo consolidated third spot with a 1:38.959.

    Aleix Espargaro was still pushing on his final lap when he outbraked himself at Turn 10, and Bagnaia was also continuing to chase time. This was it as the Ducati rider continued to find the pace to challenge, but it wasn’t quite enough as he crossed the line and was forced to settle for second. Quartararo, meanwhile, secured third but two tenths off the top.
    The Grid
    Behind three of the top four in the Championship as Aleix Espargaro heads Bagnaia and Quartararo, it’s a horde of Bologna bullets on Row 2. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) finished Q2 with a 1:39.027 to claim fourth, and he was just 0.072 seconds up on Mugello’s sensational rookie polesitter: Fabio Di Giannantonio. ‘Diggia’ impressed once more, taking another top five on the grid.

    Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) was sixth-quickest courtesy of the 1:39.142 he set on his first run, likewise Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in seventh on a 1:39.145.

    While 0.403 seconds separated first from seventh in qualifying, Viñales was 0.252 seconds further back in eighth spot, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) also making it onto Row 3. The fourth row will be headed up by Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), from Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) and the second of Q1 graduate in Nakagami.

    So where’s Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™)? The sole top five title contender out in Q1 lines up in P14, just behind Bezzecchi. 

    Row 5 is completed by Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who took a detour through the Turn 10 gravel trap on his final lap.

    Then it’s Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in 16th, ahead of 2020 Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™). Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) missed the session after a nasty-looking crash in FP4 which saw the Spaniard taken to the medical centre for an x-ray on his left wrist, rider to be reviewed before Warm Up.

    That’s a wrap on Saturday, with a title contender showdown sitting on the front row and plenty of challengers looking to move forward and join the party. Can Aleix Espargaro take a second MotoGP™ win? Will Bagnaia and Quartararo have more in the locker on race pace? We’ll find out at 14:00 (GMT +2), so don’t miss it!

  • TVS RR 310 clocks 201.2 km per hour, becomes fastest Indian motorcycle

    TVS RR 310 clocks 201.2 km per hour, becomes fastest Indian motorcycle

    Sepang, 3 June 2022: TVS Racing, the factory racing team of TVS Motor Company, achieves a historic landmark by becoming the first Indian race bike to cross the 200 km/h mark.  India’s first factory racing team’s Asia RR 310 OMC Race bike clocked a staggering top speed of 201.2 km/hr at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. The achievement is a testament to TVS Racing’s constant efforts to enhance its technological prowess and maintain its leadership in the two-wheeler motorsports scene.  Participants in the TVS Asia One Make Championship 2022 are riding sixteen extensively modified Race-Spec TVS Asia One Make Apache RR 310 motorcycles, imbibed with TVS Motor’s racing DNA. 

    Commenting on the achievement, Mr Vimal Sumbly, Head – Premium Business, TVS Motor Company,  said, “We are constantly exciting this segment by democratizing racing through initiatives like the TVS One-Make Championship and Apache Racing Experience. These initiatives give enthusiastic riders a platform to hone their skills and prove their mettle. It is also a means for us to push the technological and engineering limits of the TVS Apache series through our “Track to Road” philosophy, thus increasing the performance and fun quotient. The results of these initiatives are visible as TVS Apache has become the fastest growing brand in its segment.”

    The TVS Apache RR 310 Asia OMC race bike designed and engineered from the ground up has received substantial technology for an uncompromised racetrack performance

    • 312cc DOHC four-valve liquid-cooled engine
    • 38 percent higher power output than the road-legal TVS Apache RR 310
    • Forged pistons, Titanium valves and HLHD Cams
    • RAM Air Intake system that boosts the top speed.
    • Lightweight carbon fibre parts, including all bodywork, wheels and subframe
    • Ohlins adjustable and custom-built suspension
    • Dunlop soft compound radial racing tyres

    Highlights of the first round of TVS Asia OMC, the first-ever road racing championship by an Indian manufacturer on a global level

    • 16 riders from 8 countries, including three Indian riders, namely KY Ahamed, Deepak Ravikumar and 10-time INMRC winner – Jagan Kumar, battled it out on the track
    • Race 1 witnessed Vorapong Malahuan riding to glory, followed by Decky Tiamo Aldy, who recorded the fastest lap time of 2:28:477.
    • Race 2 saw Muhammad Fitri Ashraf set a staggering lap time of 2:27:433 and make an impressive climb to the top from the number five spot in Race 1
    • It was a mixed weekend for the Indian riders as KY Ahamed, and Jagan Kumar finished in the top 10 in both races.
    • Deepak Ravikumar met with a crash during Race 2 and hopes to make a strong comeback in the next round.

    Race Results –

    Race 1

    1st – Vorapong Malahuan (Thailand)

    2nd – Decky Tiamo Aldy (Indonesia)

    3rd – Varis Felix Fleming (Australia)

    Race 2

    1st – Muhammad Fitri Ashraf (Malaysia)

    2nd – Decky Tiamo Aldy (Indonesia)

    3rd – Vorapong Malahuan (Thailand)

    The second round of the TVS Asia One Make Championship is scheduled from August 12-14, 2022, at Sugo International Circuit in Japan.  This will be followed by the final two rounds, for which venues are to be confirmed tentatively in October and November, respectively.

    About TVS Racing:

    TVS Racing, a pioneer in building Motorsports in India since 1982, has been integral in growing the racing performance culture and has been pivotal in engineering the TVS Apache series through the company’s “Track to Road” strategy.  The brand has redefined the sports segment by focusing on race performance, making it a highly desirable product for sports enthusiasts.  This has resulted in TVS Apache and TVS NTORQ 125 becoming the fastest growing brands in their respective segments.  TVS Racing is also the pioneer of the One Make Championship in the country, the first Indian manufacturer to introduce the series in India in 1994.

  • MotoGP riders gear up for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

    MotoGP riders gear up for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

    Quartararo, Aleix Espargaro, Bastianini and Bagnaia talk business in Barcelona

    Barcelona, 2 June 2022: Ahead of the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, the pre-event Press Conference saw reigning Champion and Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) joined by closest challenger and home hero Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), three-time MotoGP™ race winner Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Mugello victor Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) to talk about the weekend ahead.

    Here are some key quotes!

    On a new deal with Yamaha:
    Fabio Quartararo: “It was not an easy decision and we took a little bit more time to evaluate all of the project and, in the end, Yamaha made a lot of effort to bring a lot of new people and they know where they need to improve. The last two or three years they were working on some areas or another and now they know where they need to improve. They know clearly it’s the power, so I’m super happy because they really understand. They are doing their best to find what we are missing and I believe in the project, so that’s why we took the decision a few weeks ago. Of course, it was a good decision.”

    Why stay with Yamaha?
    FQ20: “My first goal is to have the best bike and the best project like I said before. They convinced me because they’re bringing new people, they are working super hard and they know exactly where they need to improve. In the past maybe they were working on a few different areas but they don’t really accept the bike was slower than the others. Now they know and they are clearly working on this weak point, so that’s what made me take the decision to stay at Yamaha.”

    Thoughts on this weekend?
    “Last year was a strange weekend. I always feel good in this track. I had my first podium here in MotoGP, first win in Moto2, last year we were really fast, so there is no reason we cannot fight for a great result this year. Of course, we know that we have the long straight here but in with Mugello, it was a problem, but we finished second. Hopefully here we can feel much better from tomorrow morning and work a lot better than in Mugello and see if we can have a great pace since FP1.”

    How special is it to come to your home race with a genuine chance of winning?
    Aleix Espargaro: “It’s crazy, sincerely. Every year, the home GP is special, it’s very beautiful, very nice. During my career, when you’re young, it’s more difficult to deal with this pressure, to deal with a lot of people coming, but year-by-year, I have tried to improve this and I make it more normal. But this year again, it’s completely different because I arrive in the best shape of my career, fighting on top, so it’s fantastic. I feel very good and I will try to enjoy it as much as I can, working hard from FP1 to prepare the bike and put a good show on Sunday.”

    Do you feel any extra pressure here as a Championship contender, and if so, how do you deal with it?
    AE41: “Not really. I had extra pressure here when I arrived in 10th, 12th place in the championship and I was dreaming of fighting for the podium. I crashed every year because I went 200 percent and I wasn’t myself and the bike was not ready to go at the results that I was dreaming about. So, actually this year, I don’t have more pressure, it’s the opposite. I know I will enjoy it, I have no doubt that the bike will be competitive here, and I have no doubt that I will be competitive here as well, so I am trying to keep the feet on the ground but enjoy it as much as I can.”

    What do you think will be the strengths of your RS-GP around this circuit?
    AE41: “More or less, the bike is working everywhere. But, for example, in Mugello behind Fabio, I struggled a lot on the change of direction, he was able to carry a lot more speed than me. Here in Barcelona, there is less change of direction, but also the engine performance is very, very important, so Pecco and ‘Bestia’ will be very strong as well because they’ve been also on the last races. Of course, every circuit has its points that are good and bad for my bike, but I think Barcelona suits the RS-GP quite well.”

    Tell us about your helmet this weekend:
    AE41: “Four years ago, here during the Barcelona GP, my twins were born, and my girl had a problem with her heart. She’s been operated on twice, and I suffered a lot then. It is to thank CorAll Family and the group of doctors that did everything possible. I have a feeling that I arrive now and I have a huge impact on people, on society, so it’s my way of saying thanks to them, and paying tribute to them. Mia is still too young to realise this, but for the doctors, for everyone at CorAll Family, it’s my way of saying thanks to them.”

    Thoughts on the weekend?
    Enea Bastianini: “It’s a nice track for me. It’s fast but also a very technical circuit. I come from a not-so-beautiful race in Mugello because I crashed. I’m motivated to start in the best mood here. Last year it was a little bit complicated for me, the first time with the MotoGP bike and the grip of the asphalt is not too high. I have to adapt my riding style a little bit this year. We will see what we can do and we have to do our 100% percent.

    “I have to be more consistent because I’ve made some really good races but then some are not really nice like in Mugello and in Portimao. I have to do more to stay more concentrated in the future and also to enjoy it.

    “In Le Mans but also in Mugello I missed a little bit of feeling on the front, especially in the entry of the corner. I think we understand why it’s been difficult for me to stop the bike in straight-line braking. We know what we have to modify on the setup to resolve this problem.”

    Catalunya has not always been a great track for you; what are your thoughts going into this weekend?
    Francesco Bagnaia: “In 10 years in the World Championship, I have never had a good result here. My last podium was in 2012, in the Spanish championship, so I have to change this situation a bit. In any case, it’s one of my favourite Grands Prix of the year, I always like to travel here, I like the track, I like the people, and it’s great. But, for sure it will be important to do the same work we did last weekend, from FP1. We already know that racing here is like doing flat track, so it will be very important to understand that and improve our grip with the setting.”

    Will the key focus in practice be on how to manage the tyres for the last 10 laps of the race?
    FB63: “Yeah, the drop-off of the tyres on this track, especially on the right side, is heavy, so it will not be easy. Last year, the three guys on the podium, and Fabio, had the hard rear, so the consumption is high, and it will be very important to be smart in the race. It will not be easy because normally when the grip is low, we have to change the setting a bit, because my setting is a bit different, so let’s see. We will have a lot of work to do in these days but I am quite sure that we will be competitive.”

    Do you think you and the other three riders seated here are the clear Championship contenders now?
    FB63: “It’s the same as what I said in Mugello. I think that we can be the contenders for the title. There is still a lot of races to go but at the moment, it’s like this…”

  • Jehan Daruvala claims second place in Sprint: F2

    Jehan Daruvala claims second place in Sprint: F2

    Monte Carlo, 28 May 2022: Indian racing star Jehan Daruvala of Prema Racing claimed second place behind his teammate in the FIA Formula 2 Championship here on Saturday.

    “P2 in Monaco is a happy result. It feels great to be on the podium. A big congratulations to my team Prema Racing,” said Daruvala after the race.

    PREMA Racing’s Dennis Hauger secured his first win in Formula 2 around the streets of Monte Carlo. The Norwegian capitalised on a stall by reverse pole-man Jake Hughes at lights out to assume the lead of the race and he never looked back. Jehan Daruvala made it a PREMA one-two, with Marcus Armstrong following closely behind to complete the podium.

    Enzo Fittipaldi continued his great form, finishing the race fourth after fending off Jüri Vips for most of the 30 laps. Théo Pourchaire followed in sixth position, with Jack Doohan, Liam Lawson, Roy Nissany and Logan Sargeant completing the top 10.

    AS IT HAPPENED

    Daruvala, left, on the podium after taking 2nd in the F2 Sprint race on Saturday.

    Reverse pole-sitter Hughes stalled off the line allowing Hauger a clean run into Saint Devote to take the lead. Daruvala followed closely ahead of Armstrong, Fittipaldi and Vips. Pourchaire was on the move, diving up the inside of Doohan to take sixth position from the Virtuosi Racing driver on the opening lap.

    Felipe Drugovich meanwhile plummeted and was in the pits at the end of the opening lap having sustained a puncture and fallen to last place. He made a bold call to switch to the full wets, reporting that drops of rain were beginning to fall. Those spots remained fine as he fell to over a minute behind Hauger. The Championship leader pitted again on lap four for dry tyres, going a lap down in the process. To compound the MP Motorsport driver’s woes, he was handed a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

    With DRS enabled, Hauger had moved 1.5s clear of Daruvala but there was queue was starting to form behind Fittipaldi in fourth. Vips, Pourchaire, Doohan and Liam Lawson were part of the train, but there was no way through on the Charouz Racing System driver.

    The racing remained under green flag conditions until lap 10 when Clément Novalak hit the wall on the exit of La Rascasse. A dive up the inside by Ayumu Iwasa got him side-by-side with the Frenchman, leading to the MP Motorsport driver tagging the barriers on corner exit. It brought the Safety Car out as Novalak’s car was recovered. Iwasa was in at the end of the next lap for a new front wing, dropping him to 17th. The Japanese driver later received a 10-second time penalty for the incident.

    The Safety Car was withdrawn on lap 13 and Hauger resumed his comfortable lead, gaining over a second on Daruvala during the first lap back racing. Hughes had got going after his stall at the start and was the fastest man on track at the halfway stage of the Sprint Race. Unfortunately for the Van Amersfoort Racing driver, he was 16s down on the next car up the road and circulating in 19th.

    Having re-joined the race five laps down and on the wet tyres, Drugovich retired on lap 20. Meanwhile, PREMA Racing were enjoying a one-two heading into the final 10 laps, though Daruvala was being pressured by Armstrong for P2, with the Hitech Grand Prix driver on the brink of being within DRS range.

    Down the order, Olli Caldwell had a lock-up into the Nouvelle Chicane and lightly tagged the back of Marino Sato’s Virtuosi car. Both avoided major damage and continued on in 15th and 16th respectively with five laps to go.

    Up in front, nobody could get close to Hauger, who’d disappeared six seconds up the road by the chequered flag. Daruvala held onto second after late pressure from Armstrong. Fittipaldi likewise resisted the pressure from Vips behind to claim fourth while Pourchaire, Doohan – who claimed the fastest lap on the final tour – Lawson, Nissany and Sargeant kept it clean to each finish in the top 10.

    KEY QUOTE – Dennis Hauger, PREMA Racing

    “(My) first win in Formula 2, really happy with that. It was a good race, obviously Jake (Hughes) stalled, but from then on I just tried to keep everything clean and keep up some good pace. Really happy with this win in Monaco. Hopefully we can fight for a bit more tomorrow as well.”

    THE CHAMPIONSHIP VIEW

    Drugovich remains the Championship leader on 88 points, meanwhile, Pourchaire moves onto 63 point. Daruvala’s second-place finish keeps him third in the standings, while Armstrong demotes Lawson to fifth, moving onto 42 points versus the Carlin driver’s 38.

    The Teams’ Standings is still lead by MP Motorsport on 110 points, with ART Grand Prix remaining in second now on 88. Behind both though, Hitech Grand Prix jump Carlin for third, now on 76 and 74 points respectively.

    WHAT’S NEXT

    The Monte Carlo Feature Race will take place on Sunday with lights out at 09:50 local time.

  • Aleix Espargaro and Bagnaia split by just 0.049 on Friday

    Aleix Espargaro and Bagnaia split by just 0.049 on Friday

    A duel on Day 1 sees the Noale factory upset the Ducati lock out in the top six

    Mugello, 27 May 2022: Less than half a tenth decided the top spot on Day 1 at a scorching Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) just edging out home hero Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the two ended Friday split by just 0.049. Third went the way of Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), with Aprilia and Espargaro the only presence able to break a Ducati stranglehold on the top six as the two Italia factories came out fighting in the MotoGP World Championship here on Friday. 

    FP1
    LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami dominated the final FP1 timesheets, four tenths clear, but it had been much closer than that. The Japanese rider was already fastest in a top four covered by just 0.031 seconds when he bolted on new medium compound Michelin slick tyres, front and rear, and put in a 1:46.662.

    Before Nakagami’s rise,  Bagnaia had been quickest on home soil for both rider and factory. He had clocked a 1:47.070 which Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) came so very close to matching when the Spaniard set a 1:47.071. Then, just before the half-hour mark, Aleix Espargaro did match it – a 1:47.070 exactly – before Nakagami moved the goal posts.

    Le Mans winner Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) was fifth with a 1:47.186, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) only 0.005 further adrift and Miller next up in seventh after an early tour through the gravel, too.

    Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) also set identical times in P8 and P9 respectively, with Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) in 10th, just edging out World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™)…

    Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) ran across the grass on the way to San Donato when he had a close call with Aleix Espargaro, also notable was Espargaro’s Aprilia team-mate Lorenzo Savadori, the Noale manufacturer’s test rider running with a REAR wing on his RS-GP…

    FP2
    It wasn’t long until Nakagami’s 1:46.662 from FP1 was bettered by Zarco, who set a 1:46.381 on his Ducati, and Bagnaia would move into second spot at the halfway mark with a 1:46.604 and 1:46.538 on consecutive laps.

    When the time attacks came in the final minutes, Bagnaia punched out a 1:45.940 to go to the very top, with Miller following him across the line to set a 1:46.313 and Zarco also in tow as he rolled out a 1:46.349. They were first, second, and third, with more Ducati riders also in fourth, fifth and sixth, but Aleix Espargaro had other ideas – he moved the marker to a 1:45.891 in the final three minutes, thanks in part to a slipstream from team-mate Viñales.

    Bagnaia had run off at San Donato as soon as he’d set that high-1:45, but regrouped and almost reclaimed the mantle of fastest lap as he clocked a 1:45.957 with the chequered flag out. He would stay second though, ahead of Miller and Zarco, with Marini fifth thanks to a 1:46.362, and Bastianini sixth.

    Zarco was also in the thick of the action for different reasons over the course of the session. His early flyer was still the benchmark when he tucked the front of his Desmosedici at Materassi, an incident which would not only scuff Pramac’s new purple livery but also caused a brief red flag period to clean up the gravel which had been dragged onto the track, rider ok.

    Rins later had a similar crash to the Frenchman, before Zarco went down again in the final minute of the session at Correntaio  – rider ok once again.

    Provisional Q2 places
    Behind that top six of an Aprilia leading five Ducatis, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder was the only other rider in the top eight who wasn’t on Borgo Panigale machinery, the South African slotting into seventh on a 1:46.439. Rookie Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) impressed once more in P8, while points leader Quartararo was ninth. For now, Pol Espargaro is the other rider into Q2 as it stands.

    With forecasts of possible rain on Saturday at Mugello, there will be eyes to the skies overnight as the likes of Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) in 11th and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in 12th wait it out. Marquez was 0.767 seconds off Aleix Espargaro’s pace but just 0.040 seconds outside the top 10, having apparently finished the session on the new RC213V chassis. Rins and fellow Suzuki rider Joan Mir both also have work to do if they are to get into Q2…

    Will the rain ruin their plans, or can they fight their way into the top 10? Make sure you tune in to FP3 on Saturday from 09:55 (GMT +2), before qualifying from 14:10.

    Friday’s Top-3

    1 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – 1’45.891
    2 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati- +0.049
    3 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.422

    CLICK FOR RESULTS

  • Forgettable week-end for Kush Maini: F3

    Forgettable week-end for Kush Maini: F3

    Barcelona, 22 May 2022: Indian F3 racer Kush Maini had a forgettable week-end finishing 25th while Victor Martins put the disappointment of an early retirement in Saturday’s Sprint Race behind him, and won with a dominant display, his second win of the Formula 3 season. The ART Grand Prix driver seized the lead into the opening corner and didn’t look back, controlling the pace despite two Safety Car restarts. The MP Motorsport driver from Bengaluru had a bad day and will be looking forward to make amends in the next round with a better car. He came in contact with Rafel Villagomez in the fag end losing his front wing following an excursion into the gravel and suffered a 10-second penalty for causing a collusion and saw a harsh end to his campaign in Spain.

    Pole-sitter Roman Stanek put up a strong defence throughout to keep Isack Hadjar at bay for second. Alexander Smolyar brought home another solid haul of points in fourth, ahead of PREMA Racing’s Oliver Bearman and Jak Crawford.

    Caio Collet survived a late charge from Franco Colapinto to finish seventh, as Kaylen Frederick hung on for ninth. Meanwhile, Juan Manuel Correa faced an action-packed three-way duel with Arthur Leclerc and Grégoire Saucy during the closing stages to snatch the final points-paying position in P10.

  • Arjun Maini misses podium: 2022 DTM championship

    Arjun Maini misses podium: 2022 DTM championship

    Lausitzring, 22 May 2022: Arjun Maini driving for Mercedes-AMG with team HRT narrowly missed his first podium of the season in only his third race of the 2022 DTM Championship. 

    After starting sixth in an extremely competitive qualifying session, Maini made a good start and was able to move into fourth during the first lap of the race. A quick pit stop from the team saw him briefly move into third, ahead of Lucas Auer. However, Maini’s colder tyres meant he fell back to fourth, a position he would maintain till the checkered flag. 

    The 2022 DTM championship boasts of 29 drivers, which is not only the largest grid in DTM history, but also an extremely competitive grid with some of the world’s best talent from the GT3 world taking part. Given its competitive nature, there were 21 cars that qualified within one second of pole in Qualifying 1 and 23 cars within a second in Qualifying 2. 

    Maini’s second qualifying session was compromised due to a Red Flag with 4 minutes to go, with the Indian failing to set a lap time when the session was halted. He eventually qualified 14th and lost some places as he went off on one of the corners as he battled side by side with several cars. He was, however, able to recover to finish 13th in Race 2. 

    Arjun Maini, Mercedes-AMG GT3 #36, said: “It was a mixed weekend for me. P6 in qualifying and P4 in the race on Saturday. We had good pace and a good pit stop. There was then a turbulent qualifying on Sunday, which meant I ended up starting from down in P14. In the end, I came home 13th – not ideal, but I feel positive looking ahead to Imola.” 

    “I want to thank OSM (Omega Seiki Mobility) for Supporting me in this extremely competitive series”. 

    The next Race Weekend of DTM will take place in Imola in Italy on June 18th and 19th 2022. 

    While the DTM championship will be broadcast live on Eurosport, the FIA Formula 3 championship will be broadcast live on Star Sports Select HD2 in India.