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Author: INDIAinF1 Desk
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Ogier, Ingrassia manage to stay ahead in the battle for WRC crown: Kennards Hire Rally Australia
Sebastien Ogier in action in Kennards Rally Australia. Photo: M-Sport Coffs Harbour, 16 November 2018: Fighting to defend their FIA World Rally Championships, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia have taken the advantage through a thrilling opening day of competition at Kennards Hire Rally Australia. Going into the final round just three points ahead of Thierry Neuville, Ogier had to keep his rival in sight and was doing just that when Neuville dropped 40 seconds through the second pass of Sherwood (SS6) – giving the M-Sport man the upper hand.
Aided by his two team-mates, Ogier gained a further two places when Elfyn Evans and Teemu Suninen strategically dropped behind their comrade, and goes into the second day of competition three places and 33.7 seconds ahead of rival Neuville.
The championship pendulum may be swinging in Ogier’s favour at the moment, but the team knows that this fight is far from over and will continue to push hard through the weekend.
Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said: “It feels strange to say that it’s been a good day when we’re sitting in seventh, eighth and ninth, but we’re in a good position when it comes to the driver and co-driver championships which are our main objectives this weekend. Sébastien and Julien had a tough day opening the road, but they didn’t let the frustration distract them from the main objective. They pushed hard, didn’t put a foot wrong, and when Thierry [Neuville] lost time they were able to take the advantage.
“We were then able to strengthen that advantage by strategically moving Elfyn and Teemu behind – which shows just how much of a team sport this can be come the end of the season. Both our young drivers have driven well today, and it was great to see their support. We’re all competitors and it’s never easy to concede a position, but everyone has worked together to give Sébastien and Julien the best possible chance going into the weekend. A second drivers’ title is the goal, but this fight is far from over and a lot can still happen over the next two days!”
Ogier and Ingrassia had their work cut out through the opening day of competition at Rally Australia – leading the championship and therefore tasked with the arduous job of sweeping a clean line through some of the loosest gravel of the year.
But the defending World Champions have been here before and overcame the frustration with a note-perfect performance. Pushing hard, the French pairing gave it everything and didn’t put a foot wrong – crucially ending the day ahead of their main championship rival.
“Every stage has been like a Power Stage for us today. Opening the road is really tough here and we had to push really hard through every stage. It’s always a little frustrating when you’re not in a position to fight for the top results, but that’s the way it is.
“Unlike our rivals, we didn’t make any mistakes and we’re in a good position for the championship which is the main objective this weekend. A big thanks to my team mates also for their help this afternoon which should make our road position better for tomorrow.”
Ely Evans. Photo: M-Sport Evans and Barritt delivered a solid drive through the first day of competition at Rally Australia. In a tight fight for the top positions, the Brits were rarely more than a handful of seconds adrift of the fastest stage times, and ended the penultimate gravel stage less than 20 seconds adrift of the lead.
Heading into the final loose-surface test of the day, Evans and Barritt proved once again why they should be dubbed team-mates of the year – dropping behind Ogier and Ingrassia to give the Frenchmen the best possible road position as the title fight continues into the weekend.
“We focused on delivering a clean and tidy drive through today’s stages. The competition was really close and I think we did a pretty good job – not far from the lead before the last gravel stage of the day. But this is a team sport as well as an individual one and we had to play our part to give Seb the best possible position going into the weekend. We’re all competitors and we all want to compete, but we’re also here to do a job for the team and we have to respect that.”
Teemu Sunninen. Photo: M-Sport Suninen and Markkula have quickly got to grips with Rally Australia. Contesting the event for the first time this weekend, the pairing are under strict instruction to learn the stages and gain as much experience as possible, but that didn’t stop them showcasing their speed.
Building his knowledge and confidence with every kilometre, Suninen continues to prove his potential and set the second fastest time through the second pass of Coldwater (SS5) – just 0.1 seconds adrift of the stage win. The young Finn was also the second fastest man through the following speed test (SS6) – continuing to demonstrate his speed before playing the team game and slowing to fall behind Ogier in the overall standings.
“I think we’ve had a good day. The pace has been good and we were able to improve a lot over the second pass – just 0.1 seconds away from a stage win on the middle one this afternoon [SS5]. On the next stage we had to give the position to Seb, but that’s part of the game – he’s fighting for the championship and we need to play our part to help him.”
Overall classification (WRC):
- Mads Østberg / Torstein Eriksen (Citroen C3 WRC) 53:37.4
- Craig Breen / Scott Martin (Citroen C3 WRC) +6.8
- Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila (Toyota Yaris WRC) +8.7
- Hayden Paddon / Sebastian Marshall (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) +12.5
- Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja (Toyota Yaris WRC) +16.9
- Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm (Toyota Yaris WRC) +28.3
- Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia (Ford Fiesta WRC) +38.2
- Elfyn Evans / Daniel Barritt (Ford Fiesta WRC) +45.2
- Teemu Suninen / Mikko Markkula (Ford Fiesta WRC) +47.2
- Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) +1:11.9
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Gaurav Gill sets the pace to take lead in RC2 class: Kennards Hire Rally Australia
Gaurav Gill in action on Friday in Kennards Rally Australia. Photo: MRF Racing Coffs Harbour, 16 November 2018: Winning six of the day’s eight Special Stages, India’s Gaurav Gill and his Australia co-driver Glenn Macneall of MRF Tyres took a healthy lead of 33.6 seconds to top the RC2 (WRC2) class in the Kennards Hire Rally Australia, the concluding round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship, here on Friday.
Building on the hot pace he had shown in Thursday’s shakedown which he topped in the RC2 class, Gill enjoyed a fruitful outing today as he gradually shifted gears to end the day on a high to be placed 11th Overall, just behind the WRC cars!
Gill, driving the M-Sport prepared Ford Fiesta R5, finished the day with a combined time of 58mins, 32.7secs, while Alberto Heller from Chile and his Argentine co-driver Jose Dias, also in a Ford Fiesta R5, were second with 59:06.3 as the cars headed into the final service of the day.
The Rally continues on Saturday, the longest day of the three-day event, when 10 more Special Stages over 133 Kms will be run.
Gill during Shakedown. Photo: MRF Racing During Thursday’s Shakedown, Gill was the fastest in 03:08.0 which he clocked on his third attempt, improving five seconds overall during the session. “We had a couple of good runs in the car and the MRF Tyres worked well on this short stage.” Gill said. “Tomorrow looks like it will be dry so the work here today will be very important. The stages tomorrow will be tough and this is my first visit to the Coffs Harbour stages.”
Following the morning’s shakedown, thousands of people packed into the centre of Coffs Harbour for the ceremonial start and autograph sessions.
While Gill has never rallied in the Coffs Harbour region before, his success in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, combined with Macneall being on home ground meant that the MRF Tyres Ford Fiesta R5 was popular with the fans.
“It was great to see so many people out here for the start of Rally Australia,” Gill said. “I have had a lot of success in previous rallies I have done in Australia and I am looking forward to rallying in front of the Australian fans again.”
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M-Sport, Seb Ogier gird up for a battle royal in Australia; WRC title battle poised on a knife edge
Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia seeking another WRC crown. Photo: M-Sport Cumbria, 10 November 2018: The FIA World Rally Championships are all to play for and M-Sport Ford World Rally Team will fight to defend their crowns at next week’s season finale – Kennards Hire Rally Australia. Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia are in prime position and hold a three-point advantage going into the title decider. The team also have a mathematical chance of defending their manufacturers’ title – albeit somewhat more challenging with a 25-point deficit overcome. The EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRCs are ready for the battles ahead, and the stage is set for a thrilling final showdown.
Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said: “I can’t remember the last time we went into the final round with the championship as close as it is at the moment. This is rallying at its best and I’m excited to see how the action unfolds. Sébastien and Julien are in prime position – leading the standings by a slender three points but leading the standings nonetheless.
“They know how to win championships and they know what it takes to win in Australia. The whole team are behind them, and we are determined to see them end their time with us in the best possible way. We also have a mathematical chance in the manufacturers’ championship. It’s a harder task for sure, but anything is possible and Elfyn and Teemu are both keen to play their part and deliver another strong result. I don’t think we’ve seen the end of the drama just yet, and rally fans are surely in for a treat whatever the outcome next week.”
The stage is set and Rally Australia is ready to host the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship title decider. Nestled on the Gold Coast between Brisbane and Sydney, the coastal town of Coffs Harbour will provide a stunning backdrop for the most exciting finale in years!
Dusty tracks are the order of the rally and the region’s shire roads are combined with those in the surrounding rainforest and bush. There are a number of new stages this year, but the route continues to offer a variety with a mix of tight, twisty sections and those more fast and flowing. When dry, the loose terrain presents some of the worst road cleaning of the year; and when wet, it becomes treacherously slippery.
The three championship rivals will be watching the skies with intent over the next few days, but there is more than just the weather to contend with – many stages are lined by trees mere millimetres from the road and visibility can often be a challenge as the low sun creates a strobe effect through the trees.
Needless to say, the eventual winner – and the eventual World Champion – will have faced the challenge head-on and come out on top as the best the rallying world has to offer!
SEBASTIEN OGIER, JULIEN INGRASSIA POISED FOR WRC GLORY
Sebastien Ogier….well-placed for WRC crown Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia are on the verge of securing a sixth FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers and Co-Drivers – heading into the final round with a slender three-point lead at the head of the standings.
Opening the road on Australia’s loose gravel is notoriously difficult, but they remain in prime position – leading the championship and thus putting the burden firmly on the shoulders of their rivals. Having won Rally Australia on three previous occasions, Ogier and Ingrassia know what it takes to tame the unique terrain and another win will see them retain their crown – regardless of what their opponents achieve in the rally or the Power Stage!
Ogier said: “The Championship could not be closer and we head to the final round in Australia with a slender three-point lead at the head of the standings. It’s a very positive place to be compared to where we were when we were 23 points behind two rallies ago, and the pressure is now on our rivals to overhaul the deficit.
“Of course we’re aware that opening the road will not be an easy task, but anything can happen and we are ready for the challenge. We’ve enjoyed a lot of success in Australia over the years and our goal is to add to that success next week.
“We’re ready to do our best, ready to push for a sixth world title, and hopeful of ending what has been an enjoyable and rewarding two years with Malcolm and his team in the best possible way.”
ELFYN EVANS, DANIEL BARRITT HOPE TO FINISH ON A HIGH
File photo of Elfyn Evans and Daniel Barritt. Photo: M-Sport Elfyn Evans and Daniel Barritt will be looking to end their season on another high next week – aiming to fight for the top positions and secure their best result at Rally Australia.The British pairing have endured a tough season with their fair share of bad luck, but are determined to close the year on a positive and help the team secure the best possible result.
Evans said: “I’ve always enjoyed Rally Australia and we’ll be aiming to bring our season to a close with another strong result next week. Following our podium in Spain, it would be great to end the year with another personal best in Australia.
“There’s a friendly and relaxed atmosphere at this event and we’re made to feel welcome from the second we arrive in Coffs Harbour. But the event itself is a real challenge; and totally different from anything else we encounter throughout the year.
“Visibility is often an issue and you have to have complete trust in your notes. Hanging dust isn’t uncommon and when the sun is low it can create a strobe effect through the trees which makes it difficult to read the road. The trees themselves also cast unfamiliar shadows and you really do need to be fully focused and concentrated throughout the weekend.
“I can’t remember a more exciting time in the sport and I think everyone is excited to see what happens next week – ourselves included. We’re ready to give our best and will work hard to deliver the best possible result for the team.”
TEEMU SUNINEN, MIKKO MARKKULA SET FOR DEBUT
File photo of Teemu Suninen and Mikko Markkula. Photo: M-Sport Teemu Suninen and Mikko Markkula will make their Rally Australia debut next week, and the Finnish pairing will need to be fully focused from the word go if they are to compete on the same level as their rivals. Despite his inexperience, Suninen should never be discounted and the young Finn will be determined to end his season with a positive result for both himself and the team.
Suninen said: “This will be my first time competing at Rally Australia, but my preparation is the same and I’ve been watching the videos to make sure we’re as prepared as we can be. I did the recce in 2016 but don’t have all the notes for this year’s stages. We’ll need to be concentrated on the recce to be ready to compete on the same level as everyone else.
“As the last round of the season and with the championships being so close, this is also going to be a really interesting and exciting rally. Seb is still in with a strong chance of taking his sixth world title, and the team also have a chance in the manufacturers’ championship. I am ready to give everything in order to be a part of those fights and to end my season on a high.”
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2019 FIA Junior World Rally Championship calendar released; drivers face variety of surfaces
File photo – FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 -WRC Sweden (SWE) PHOTO: @World Paris, 9 November 2018: Following the success of the 2018 FIA Junior WRC Championship, the calendar for 2019 will continue to challenge the world’s most promising young drivers on a variety of surfaces – the stages of Sweden, Corsica, Sardinia, Finland and Wales all testing the stars of the future.
Like this year, the five-round season will get underway on the ice and snow of Rally Sweden before the crews are put through their paces on asphalt – endurance being the name of the game at the legendary Tour de Corse.
Gravel plays a key role at rallying’s highest level, and three loose-surface events will close the season and decide who claims one of the biggest prizes in motorsport – a brand-new Ford Fiesta R5 complete with a generous support package to contest the 2020 WRC 2 Championship.
Rally Italia Sardegna kicks off the gravel action in June, followed by the famous jumps of Rally Finland – an event every rally driver wants to win. The grand finale will then be hosted by Wales Rally GB – testing the Junior crews on some of the most changeable grip levels and challenging conditions that the world stage has to offer.
Working alongside the FIA, M-Sport Poland have devised another demanding and varied calendar that puts focus on all of the attributes needed to compete at the very highest level of the sport.
Anyone interested in more information about how to register for next year’s FIA Junior WRC Championship should contact Michał Moździerz at mmozdzierz@m-sport.co.uk
FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager, Maciej Woda, said: “We’re delighted to announce next year’s calendar which will continue to test the FIA Junior WRC Championship crews in every aspect of the sport. Once again, the championship will be contested over five events, and I’d like to welcome Sardinia and Wales back to the Junior WRC family.
“Snow, asphalt, gravel, sprint stages, endurance stages, freezing temperatures, sweltering temperatures, you name it, next year’s season has it, and I’m sure we’ll see another very worthy champion at the end of the year.”
File photo – FIA WRC Tour de Corse (FRA) – WRC PHOTO: @World 2019 FIA Junior WRC Championship Calendar*
Rally Sweden (14-17 February)
Tour de Corse – Rallye de France (28-31 March)
Rally Italia Sardegna (13-16 June)
Rally Finland (1-4 August)
Wales Rally GB (3-6 October)
*Calendar subject to final approval by the FIA
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Ghosh, Naik win Rally of Arunachal Pradesh as Gill pulls out with mechanical problems
Winners of INRC Round 3 (Rally of Arunachal) overall – Amittrajit Ghosh (Left) and his co-driver Ashwin Naik (in Itanagar’s Police Parade ground (Chimpu) today. Itanagar, 4 November 2018: On a day of upsets, Team Mahindra Adventure’s Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) showed great tactical acumen to win the Rally of Arunachal, Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018, here on Sunday. Ghosh, who exhibited amazing fightback on Day 1 to rise from ninth to third, enjoyed a much-needed slice of luck as overnight leader Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif) pulled out of the competition as his car broke down in the sixth stage.
Ghosh tackled the day’s three stages cautiously, finishing second in SS5, third in SS6 and again second in SS7 for a cumulative top timing of 00:57:33.6. It was 5.9 seconds faster than INRC 2’s Phalguna Urs and Srikanth Gowda giving them the victory. The Snap Racing pair, who were hot on Gill’s tail all of Saturday, didn’t have a fruitful second day, managing only two fourth-place and one fifth-place finish in the stages.
Amittrajit Ghosh in action Phalguna’s drive was still good enough to earn his team the INRC 2 win. Former champion Karna Kadur (PVS Murthy) made a valiant charge, taking the second place in SS6 and even winning SS7, but that could only fetch him the runner’s up trophy. Kadur’s Arka Motorsports team-mate Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Y Bhatt) dropped one position to settle for the third place.
The INRC 3 too saw a change in the overnight pecking order, with leaders Suhem Kabeer (Jeevarathinam) of Team Champions slipping out of reckoning in the day’s first stage itself after a crash. It allowed his team-mate and defending champion Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival) to claim the title. Aroor Vikram Rao (Somayya AG) and local outfit Phurpa Tsering (Chow Tiktha) took the other two places on the podium.
“We started the Rally of Arunachal on an ominous note, taking the ninth place due to a technical issue. But I and Ashwin kept pushing until we managed to bounce back to the pole,” a victorious Amittrajit said.
“Today too, we suffered as we had changed the tyres for wet conditions but the track dried up by the time we hit it. But we drove steadily to win the title, which became easier after Gaurav pulled out with a mechanical failure. We are now looking forward to the next two rounds, even though we know that Gaurav will be back in his elements and will put up a tough fight,” he added.
The results:
INRC Overall: 1. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure; 00:57:33.6); 2. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Snap Racing; 00:57:39.5); 3. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 00:57:57.7).
INRC 1: Ghosh / Naik; 2. Lokesh Gowda / Venu Ramesh Kumar (Team Champions) (01:07:20.8).
INRC 2: 1. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Snap Racing; 00:57:39.5); 2. Karna Kadur / PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports; 00:58:37.0); 3. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports; 00:58:55.2).
INRC 3: 1. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 00:57:57.7); 2. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya AG (Falkon Motorsports; 01:05:17.0); 3. Phurpa Tsering / Chow Tiktha (Phurpa Tsering; 01:14:57.9).
FMSCI 2WD CUP: 1. Adith KC / Arjun SSB (Team Champions; 01:01:20.0); 2. Rakshith Iyer / Sagar Mallappa (Pvt; 01:10:54.4).
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Bagnaia, Martin crowned World champions in Sepang; Marquez scores after leader Rossi crashes!
Marc Marquez flanked by 2nd-placed Alex Rins (left) Johann Zarco, 3rd, at the Sepang podium on Sunday. Photo Srinivasa Krishnan Sepang, 4 Nov 2018: On a dramatic afternoon at the sun-drenched Sepang International Circuit, Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) and Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) were crowned World champions in Moto2 and Moto3, respectively, even as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) claimed his 70th career win after taking victory at the Shell Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who led for much of the race, crashing out.
Marquez, the 2018 Champion looked set to lock horns with nine-time World Champion Rossi, but the race would end in disaster for ‘The Doctor’, as Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completed the podium. Marquez’ win also saw Honda sealing the Constructors’ Championship with a round to spare.
A proud moment for Honda as they seal the Constructors’ championship. Photo: MotoGP Rossi got off to a stellar launch from P2, with pole man Zarco slightly sluggish off the line. ‘The Doctor’ got a comfortable holeshot, with Zarco managing to brake late to slot into P2. Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) was able to leapfrog Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) into P3 at the start, with Marquez making up one position in P6.
The premier class riders then settled, but this came after Marquez and team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) exchanged paint on the opening lap. The 2018 Champion would soon start to make his way forward though, despite a hairy last corner moment at the end of the opening lap that led to Iannone crashing out directly behind the seven-time Champion.
At the front, Rossi and Zarco were off as Yamaha had a 1-2 in the opening exchanges, but Marquez hunted them down after making his way past Miller. The Honda rider soon slipped past Zarco’s M1 machine to have arch-rival Rossi in his sights.
Valentino Rossi crashed out. Photo: MotoGP But the number 46 was in an excellent rhythm as the gap between the duo hovered at 3/4s of a second, with Zarco beginning to lose touch at the halfway stage of the race as Rossi continued to press on – 1.1 now the gap to Marquez as 10 laps ticked over at Sepang.
With four laps to go, it was disaster for ‘The Doctor’. A return to victory after 26 races went begging as he lost the front of his YZR-M1 at Turn 1. You could hear the hearts of thousands break as he picked up his stricken Yamaha in front of the official Rossi grandstand. This left Marquez with a lonely ride home in P1 while Rins edged past Zarco for P2.
It was a subdued race for one of the pre-race favourites Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team). The winner here for the last two seasons couldn’t replicate those results as he took P6, but after Rossi’s crash, the Italian has sealed P2 in the Championship.
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA SEALS TITLE WITH P3
A memorable moment for Francesco Bagnaia. Photo: MotoGP Bagnaia clinched the 2018 Moto2™ World Championship after finishing P3 at Sepang. The Italian finished behind title rival Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to seal the title, with team-mate Luca Marini, the brother of Rossi, making it a memorable day for SKY Racing Team VR46 as he secured his maiden Grand Prix victory.
As the lights went out, both Bagnaia and Oliveira got off to a flyer. Marini it was who led coming out of Turn 1 after a messy opening corner for his fellow front row starters, Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up) and Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) both running in hot. This allowed Bagnaia and Oliveira to slip through up the inside to get into P2 and P3. Pretty much the perfect getaway for ‘Pecco’, who slotted in behind teammate Marini.
Luca Marini. Photo: MotoGP Marini then got himself into a rhythm at the front, with Bagnaia and Oliveira battling away for P2 – the title firmly in Bagnaia’s hands at this early stage of the race, even with Oliveira making a pass stick at Turn 4 with 12 laps to go. The Portuguese rider locked his radar on race leader Marini, who now had a one second lead, with Bagnaia slipping into the clutches of compatriot Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), with pole sitter Marquez and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) also in hot pursuit of the Championship leader. With six laps to go, it seemed the battle for the win was between Marini and Oliveira, with both Baldassarri and Marquez losing touch in the fight for the final podium spot – Pasini though remained 0.4 behind countryman Bagnaia. In sweltering Sepang conditions, Marini soaked up the pressure from the KTM behind and with two to go, a 0.7 gap had appeared. Going into the final lap, Marini had the biggest lead he’d had for a while, with Bagnaia sitting comfortably in a Championship clinching P3 – over a second was the cushion back to Pasini.
A STUNNING SEASON FOR JORGE MARTIN
Jorge Martin crowned Moto3 world champion on Sunday 4 Nov 2018 at Sepang. Photo: Srinivasa Krishnan
Martin took the title after a stunning season. 7 wins, 9 podiums and 11 poles and the Spaniard weathered the ups and downs of a tense season of competition to come out on top against key rivals Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3).
Jorge Martin (No.88). Photo: MotoGP Martin made his debut on the World stage in 2015 with Mapfre Mahindra, moving up after taking the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. He scored his first point in the season opener in Qatar and became a regular top 15 contender, ending his rookie year in 17th overall. The following season, the rider from Madrid took another step forward – including his first podium in the wet at Brno – but he also missed a couple of races through injury, therefore ending the season just one place further forward in 16th overall. The 2017 seaso saw Martin cement his place at the front as he moved to Del Conca Gresini Moto3, beginning the year on the podium in third at Qatar. He took seven other podiums that season and nine pole positions before scoring his maiden win in the season finale at Valencia to finish fourth Overall in the standings.
600th Victory For Spain: Today, Martin sealed the championship after claiming a stunning victory, with main Championship rival Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) slipping down to P5 on the final lap to hand the title to the Spaniard. Martin’s success was Spain’s 600th victory, with Italy (802) the only other country to have claimed more wins than Spain. In total, 43 Spanish riders have stood on the top step of the podium at least once across the 50cc, 80cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc, Moto3™, Moto2™ and MotoGP™ classes.
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FLASH: Marc Marquez takes pole but receives 6-place penalty
Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda qualified on pole but will start from 3rd row due to a grid penalty. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan Sepang, 3 Oct 2018: After taking pole position by over half a second, 2018 Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) has been handed a six-place grid penalty after being deemed to have been riding irresponsibly in an incident with Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Andrea Iannone in Q2. This now means Marquez will start from P7, with second place Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) promoted to pole, with everyone down to seventh place Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) moving up a position for Sunday’s race.
Earlier, Marc Marquez had secured an 80th career pole position after he mastered the wet Q2 conditions at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix. The 2018 World Champion was in superior form at the Sepang International Circuit to set a quickest lap of 2:12.161 to beat Zarco by over half a second in P2, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) lining up on the outside of the front row in P3.
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Gaurav Gill shrugs off a puncture to take decisive lead in Rally of Arunachal
File picture of Gaurav Gill who leads Rally of Arunachal at the end of Leg-1. Photo: Anand Philar Itanagar, 3 November 2018: Three-time APRC champion Gaurav Gill recovered from a tyre puncture and only his second stage defeat this season to surge into the lead on Day 1 of the Rally of Arunachal which doubles up as the Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018, here on Saturday.
Team Mahindra Adventure’s Gill, with Musa Sherif by his side, won the other three stages in his usual aggressive style to set himself up for another victory in this elite championship. He raced at speeds over 180 Kmph, recording a scorching average speed of 115.55 km/h in the opening stage.
He was at his slowest in the second stage, managing an average of 99.92 km/h, which was still good enough to give him the second position in that stretch.
Gill’s Mahindra Adventure team-mate Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) won the Stage 2 in style. He had, however, suffered a setback in Stage 1, struggling with a power issue to finish ninth. However, he made up in the remaining rounds to climb to the third position by the end of an exciting day although his car is still not firing on all cylinders.
Snap Racing’s Phalguna Urs (Srikanth Gowda) grabbed the second position with one second and two third place finishes in the Stages. They, however, slipped to fifth place in the fourth and final stage of the day, to be trailing Gill and Sherif by one minute, 31.8 seconds.
Their fine show was good enough to give them the lead in the INRC 2 category, ahead of top contenders Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Y Bhatt) and Karna Kadur (PVS Murthy).
In the INRC 3 category, Suhem Kabeer (Jeevarathinam) made the most of championship leader Aroor Vikram Rao’s (Somayya AG) bad luck in Stage 4 to streak ahead into the lead. Suhem, however, was in his elements, winning two of the stages in his category.
Five-time INRC champion Gill was pleased with his driving, despite the puncture. “The first stage went off very well. We, however, hit a stone in Stage 2 and picked up a puncture,” he pointed out. “We still managed to finish in decent time, which helped us stay in the lead.”
Gill explained that the final day might be tricky as the track was likely to be muddy following rains while they only had tyres suited for tarmac. “It won’t be easy but we will give it our best shot,” he declared.
Ghosh also was not too unhappy with the way the day panned out. “Our car had power issues during Stage 1 and we fell back to the ninth place. By the end of the day, we have climbed to third. Our goal now is to focus on the second position. First is not within reach as we are quite far behind in terms of speed,” he said.
The results:
INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure; 00:31:22.9); 2. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth (Snap Racing; 00:32:54.7); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure; 00:33:05.1).
INRC 1: Gill / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Lokesh Gowda / Venu Ramesh Kumar (Team Champions; 00:37:30.4).
INRC 2: 1. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Snap Racing; 00:32:54.7); 2. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports; 00:33:20.9); 3. Karna Kadur / PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports; 00:33:52.7).
INRC 3: 1. Suhem Kabeer / Jeevarathinam (Team Champions; 00:33:17.8); 2. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 00:33:23.2).
FMSCI 2WD CUP: 1. Adith KC / Arjun SSB (00:34:18.6).
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Marquez brothers grab pole positions; Marc masters wet Q2; Sunday Race times advanced
World champion Marc Marquez sets a wet track on fire at Sepang. Photo: MotoGP Sepang, 3 Nov 2018: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) secured an 80th career pole position after he mastered the wet Q2 conditions at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix. The 2018 World Champion was in superior form at the Sepang International Circuit to set a quickest lap of 2:12.161 to beat Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) by over half a second in P2, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) lining up on the outside of the front row in P3.
It was Marquez who led the field over the line and it was he who set the first benchmark; a 2:13.641 edged out Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) – who was just behind the Spaniard on track – by 0.027, with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) also within a tenth after the first lap – 0.051 splitting the top three.
Marc Marquez crashes. Photo: MotoGP With a banker lap under his belt, Marquez then slammed in a rapid second lap to considerably shift the goal posts. A 2:12.161 a full 1.264 quicker than Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) as the World Champion put daylight – and more – between himself and his rivals. However, the Repsol Honda rider then lost the front at Turn 4 and unlike he’s been able to do several times already this weekend, there was no saving this one. Down he went after setting a new session best first sector, but he was back up and in the pits with over three minutes still remaining. The aforementioned gap was 1.264 seconds, but could it be beaten? Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) shot up to P2, but he was still over a second off and then on his final flying lap, the Italian crashed at Turn 9. Iannone – following Dovi on track – had gone provisional P2 but the gap was still 0.936. A flying Frenchman then propelled himself into second; Zarco cutting the gap to eight tenths, with fellow YZR-M1 rider Rossi then leapfrogging him into second.
Johann Zarco. Photo: MotoGP In the end, no one could come close to matching Marquez and despite Zarco putting in a personal best lap to re-take P2 from ‘The Doctor’, the gap between the number 93 and his rivals was still 0.548. A masterclass from Marquez in the wet around the Sepang International Circuit, this his 80th career pole position across all classes. Zarco and Rossi join the seven-time Champion on the front row, with Iannone the only other rider within a second of pole – P4 for a second race in a row for ‘The Maniac’.
His late crash meant Dovi had to settle for P5 in Q2, with fellow Desmosedici rider Miller ending the session P6 after setting his best lap on his final lap. Behind the Australian was teammate Danilo Petrucci, with both Alma Pramac Racing riders slipping down the order after sitting on the provisional front row. Friday’s quickest rider Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) will launch from P8, just ahead of Q1 graduate Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) in P9.
Valentino Rossi. Photo: MotoGP Winner at Sepang in the wet conditions in 2012, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) qualified in P10, just ahead of compatriot and Free Practice’s fastest man Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) – P11 for the Australian GP winner. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) will line up in P12, a crash at Turn 4 in Q2 after setting the second quickest time in Q1 ended his hopes of a top ten result.
Heavy rain not only brings the Safety Car out, but even the Sunday’s schedule is advanced. Photo: Srinivasa Krishnan in Sepang. Marquez reigns in the wet, but with an updated Sunday Time Schedule, the chances of the race being dry have increased. What will the weather bring for the race? Who knows, this is Malaysia after all. But either way it’s set to be a belting battle.
New Sunday schedule for Malaysian GP
Due to weather concerns after the heavy downpour seen before qualifying for the premier class, Sunday’s race times have been brought forward for every class.
The new Sunday schedule (IST) is as follows:
Moto3 Warm Up – 05:10 AM
Moto2 Warm Up: 05:40 AM
MotoGP Warm Up – 06:10 AM
Moto3 race – 07:30 AM
Moto2 race – 08:50 AM
MotoGP race – 10:30 AM
Dominant Alex Marquez storms to Moto2 pole
Alex Marquez takes Moto2 pole. Photo: Srinivasa Krishnan Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) stormed to Moto2 pole position, setting the only 2:05 time in qualifying to better closest challenger Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46) by 0.488 seconds. 2:05.629 was the lap, with Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up) completing the front row of the grid at the Sepang International Circuit.
From the outset, it was Marquez who looked menacing and sure enough on his third flying lap, the Spaniard set a sensational 2:05.629 to go 0.692 faster than anyone else. The gauntlet was well and truly thrown down, with Quartararo and Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) sitting as his two closest challengers in P2 and P3 – 0.026 separating the duo, with Marini just 0.009 off a provisional front row with 15 minutes to go.
Marini went from P4 to P2 with under five minutes remaining, the gap to Marquez still 0.488 though. Quartararo, after being pushed down to P3 by Marini, then set a personal best lap, but it wasn’t enough to improve his position as the standings were set.
So it was Marquez who took pole – despite a late crash at Turn 1 – to continue his dominant weekend, with Marini and Quartararo joining him on the front row. Fourth place went to Gardner, the Australian producing career-best qualifying in P4 to finish just 0.052 off the front row, with Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) lining up alongside him in P5.
Then came the two Championship protagonists. Overall standings leader Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) lines up on the outside of the second row in P6, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) starting just behind the Italian in P7 – the duo playing a little bit of cat and mouse in qualifying as tensions start to rise, with Bagnaia able to clinch the Moto2™ title on Sunday.
Marquez looks like he’s going to take some beating in Malaysia, but the bigger story is can Bagnaia seal the World Championship? The two title rivals line up in tandem on the grid, with Oliveira out to put the celebrations on hold. An intriguing encounter awaits.
Martin produces Malaysian magic to take Moto3 pole
Jorge Martin takes Moto3 pole. Photo: Srinivasa Krishnan Moto3 Championship leader Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) took pole for the 11th time in 2018 after setting a new lightweight class qualifying lap record. The Spaniard heads main title rival Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) by 0.032, with Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) continuing his strong weekend to take P3 on the grid.
It was John McPhee (CIP – Green Power) who led for the majority of the session and with 15 minutes remaining, despite Bezzecchi briefly taking over at the top, McPhee then moved the goal posts again – his advantage sitting at an impressive 0.584. However, this was immediately trimmed to 0.052 with Martin going second fastest, with Free Practice’s fastest man Arbolino then jumping up to second – 0.020 now the gap between the top two.
The standings remained the same before it was time for the final lap dash, with Martin and Bezzecchi both leaving it late to head out – the latter crossing the line with four seconds of the session remaining. Arbolino, Martin, and Bezzecchi all had red sectors in the opening two sectors, but provisional pole man McPhee was also looking to increase his advantage – and that’s exactly what he did. However, it was only by 0.060, with the three riders behind all on fast laps.
Martin came across the line to top McPhee’s new benchmark by 0.350, as Arbolino slotted into P2 after he also beat the Scotsman’s time. Bezzecchi then went quicker than both McPhee and Arbolino but lost out to his title rival by a slender 0.032. Nonetheless, the top two in the Championship lock out the top two grid slots to set us up for a tantalising race.
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Alex Rins fastest in FP as 0.159 splits four factory riders on Friday at Sepang
Alex Rins sets the pace in Free Practice sessions on Friday at Sepang. Photo: MotoGP Sepang, 02 October 2018: Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) topped the timesheets on Friday at the Shell Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix after going quickest in FP2. The Spaniard heads Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) on the combined times by just 0.089 after setting a 1:59.608, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) completing a top three covered by 0.093 seconds at Sepang.
Rins tops FP2 in Sepang on Friday. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan Despite the threat of rain throughout the day, the MotoGP™ riders were able to get two full dry sessions done and dusted in Malaysia, and it was a Suzuki leading the way as the chequered flag came out at the end of FP2. Rins was the man at the summit thanks to his late FP2 time, with Dovi failing to improve on his FP1 time in the afternoon session – P7 for the Italian in FP2. It was Marquez who finished the second session in P2, but the World Champion had an eventful day. In typical Marquez fashion, the number 93 had to save the front of his RC213V numerous times across the two sessions. Front-end improvements needed for the Champion before qualifying?
Andrea Dovizioso. Photo: MotoGP There were no such close shaves for fourth place overall and sixth fastest in FP2 Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) though. ‘The Doctor’ having a strong Friday to end the day just 0.159 from Rins’ time as four manufacturers make up the top four spots at Sepang. Fifth on the combined times was Jack Miller on board his Alma Pramac Racing Ducati, the Australian setting a quickest time of 1:59.771 to end FP2 in P3 after being the first rider to dip into the 1:59s in FP2. Meanwhile, Australian GP winner Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) completes the day P6 on the overall times, the Spaniard going fourth fastest in FP2 to end the day less than two tenths off P1.
Marc Marquez. Photo: MotoGP Just 0.009 behind him at the end of Friday’s proceedings sits Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing), P7 overall for the Italian thanks to his FP2 time, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) improving by over half a second in the second session to end P8 on Friday. Completing the provisional automatic Q2 places were Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in P9 and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro in P10 – the latter going over a second slower in FP2 though, with his FP1 time just enough to better 11th place Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team). Returning from injury, Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) endured a tough opening day. The five-time World Champion finished bottom of the timesheets and over three seconds adrift of the fastest time. Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) had a crash at Turn 2 – rider ok.
So its Rins that was on fire on Friday in Sepang, a fantastic turnaround after one of his bikes was on up in flames in pitlane on Thursday. The times are super close with 0.203 covering the top six, but FP3 gives the premier class riders the last chance to improve their times to see if they can cement an automatic Q2 place.
Update: Crutchlow undergoes second surgery
Cal Crutchlow. Photo: MotoGP The LCR Honda Castrol Team have given an update on their rider Cal Crutchlow after the Briton sustained a fracture to his right ankle and tibia at Phillip Island. He currently remains in hospital in Australia, but the three-time Grand Prix winner has successfully undergone a second operation on the affected area and should now be allowed to return home on Sunday.
“Cal had his second operation on Thursday morning,” says Lucio Cecchinello, LCR Honda Team Principal. “The surgery took less than two hours and he was awake about an hour after the procedure finished. He didn’t complain about any particular pain after coming round. The surgery was performed by Dr Matthias Russ, the same doctor who carried out the first operation, and he stated that he was very pleased with how the surgery had gone. Cal has had two small plates inserted and he will be ready to fly home on Sunday night – provided there are no complications, which nobody expects. Once he’s back home he will start physiotherapy and will try his best to be fit again as soon as possible.”
