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Author: INDIAinF1 Desk
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Sparks fly as Viñales takes pole after Marquez gets 3-place penalty!
Maverick Vinales celebrating pole position. Photo: Movistar Yamaha GP Austin (Texas, US), 22 April 2018: Things got pretty hot in Texas in qualifying for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, with drama first striking as reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) took a tumble at Turn 13 and was heading back to the garage on the back of a scooter as his rivals started to threaten his provisional pole. But the number 93 was able to get back out, and set a sixth pole position at the Circuit of the Americas – closely followed by the man who seems set to try and challenge him on Sunday, Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP). It wasn’t done there, however…
Viñales, after an impressive show of race pace earlier in the day in FP4, came across a slower-moving Marquez on his first flyer on his second run and was forced to abandon the lap. Nevertheless, the Spaniard set the second quickest lap on a final push – and he’ll be starting from pole.
After the incident between the two men was investigated by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards, Marquez was given a three-place grid penalty and will therefore actually start from fourth.
Front row for Andrea Iannone
Andrea Iannone. Photo: Team Suzuki Ecstar Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – another man who has been key competition for Marquez in practice – set the third fastest lap and will be starting from the front row and now second place, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) bumped back onto the front row to make it seven races in the row the Frenchman has lined up there.
The ‘Maniac’, however, was a protagonist of sorts in the drama of the day – it was him Marquez was focused on when the reigning Champion then impeded Viñales, having been looking the wrong way.
Why? “I know a fast rider behind me can improve his laptime, and Iannone yesterday was first,” explained Marquez. “I was looking more for Iannone, and then I didn’t expect Maverick!”
And he was right to look, with Iannone confirming that was the idea: “Every rider tries to do the best for himself. I went out from the pits, I saw Marc, and I know he’s fast so I tried to follow him…and he didn’t want to overtake me…”
Marc Marquez. Photo: Repsol Honda As stated, however, the Italian was indeed first on Friday, and led the timesheets into Saturday afternoon. The impressive qualifying – and he did eventually end up just behind Marquez in the session – just adds on the positives, and sets Iannone up for a solid Sunday.
On pace, too, it’s looking rosy for Sunday – but there Iannone errs on the side of caution, saying only that he’ll be pushing.
“At the moment it’s only on paper. For sure I want to be on the podium tomorrow and we need a good result, we’ve worked a lot since last year and step by step we’ve closed the gap. We’ll see tomorrow, but I’ll start with all my energy and push at 150%,” said Iannone.
Valentino Rossi on pace
Valentino Rossi. Photo: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP He had Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) for very close company on the timesheets; the Italian just 0.019 back and now starting fifth, next to Marquez now heading up Row 2. And it was just as tight for sixth and the final spot on the second row, as Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) was only another 0.065 in arrears behind the ‘Doctor’. Three men certain to attack right from lights out, with 20 World Championships between them.
“I’m quite satisfied about these two days because I’m always quite fast and I feel good with the bike,” said the number 46. “We worked in a good way. I thought that I had the potential for the front row but maybe I wasn’t fast enough. But anyway, we start from the top five which is ok for the race tomorrow.”
“Now we have to fix some very small details,” concludes the ‘Doctor’, “and we also have to hope that we have some sun and a dry race.”
Cal Crutclow slots in seventh
Championship leader Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) took seventh as he aims to keep his points lead on Sunday, and he’s just ahead of the man chasing him in the standings, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) – who’s won off the third row before.
Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) completes that star-studded third row. The three-time World Champion is racing only a week and a bit after surgery on a broken wrist sustained in the Argentina GP, and not only gained direct entry to Q2, but took a third row start in another superhuman effort.
Q1 graduate Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing), Argentina GP podium finisher Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completed the top twelve – with Espargaro having put in a stunner to come through Q1 and get KTM’s first visit to Q2 this season. Thereafter, however, the KTM rider was also given a three-place grid penalty, meaning Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) will start P12.
It’s set up to be a stunner, with Viñales alongside Marquez and Rossi and Zarco gunning from Row 2. Think you can call it in the MotoGP™ League? Iannone already said it on Friday: “Anything is possible!”
Meanwhile, Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took pole position in Moto 2 with Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors) and Mattia Passini (Italtrans Racing) completing the front row.
In Moto 3, Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) grabbed the pole position ahead of Aaron Canet (Estrella Galica) and John McPhee (CIP – Green Power).
MotoGP™ Qualifying Results
1 – Marc Márquez (SPA) HONDA 2’03.658
2 – Maverick Viñales (SPA) YAMAHA + 0.406
3 – Andrea Iannone (ITA) SUZUKI + 0.551
First Independent Team Rider
4 – Johann Zarco (FRA) YAMAHA + 0.552 -
Marquez has company: the King of COTA overthrown on Friday by Iannone
Andrea Iannone on a charge. Photo: Team Suzuki Ecstar Austin (Texas, US), 21 April 2018: Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) left his best till last at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas as the ‘Maniac’ slammed in a 2:04.599 to depose the ‘King of COTA’ Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) from the top on Friday.
Marquez. Photo: Repsol Honda The gap between the two was just 0.056, and Marquez also suffered a crash on Friday – rider ok. Behind the number 93, the Movistar Yamaha duo of Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi completed the top four, within another couple of tenths as it tightened up at the top.
With weather looking set to change on Saturday in Austin, the end of FP2 saw a mad dash to get into the top ten and secure provisional entry to Q2 qualifying. In that rush, Iannone was the last to strike big – and win – but there was another big headline, too: Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) ending the day in P13 overall; heading for Q1 if the rain comes.
Behind the four men at the top, the timesheets remained tight and it was Championship leader Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) locking out the top five as he aims to hold onto that advantage heading back from the US.
Rossi. Photo: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP One of the men fighting him for the win last time out, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), was on his tail in P6 as the Spaniard got Texas off to a positive start – keeping compatriot Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) just behind him by a mere three hundredths.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was eighth, moving up late on in the day and securing a safe move through to Q2 if the skies changes on Saturday, with an impressive performance from Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) seeing the Spaniard take ninth, just under a tenth off the 2017 Championship runner-up.
Vinales. Photo: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), meanwhile, completed the top ten. The three-time World Champion found FP1 tough going as he rides just over a week after surgery on a broken wrist, but was back at it in FP2. Pedrosa also put in a representative amount of laps as he tested his fitness, as well as being able to take a stunning provisional place in Q2.
So, will the skies change over COTA? Will the King take back his throne on Saturday? Or will the competition get even closer as we count down to Round 3…
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) topped the time sheets in both Free Practice sessions in Moto 2 as did Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) in Moto 3.
Source: motogp.com
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TCS unveils support structure for TCS Nakajima Racing’s 2018 Super Formula campaign
TCS Nakajima Racing Super Formula 2018 machine colouring Mumbai, 20 April 2018: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, has announced its support structure for TCS Nakajima Racing’s 2018 campaign in the Japanese Super Formula Championship. The 2018 season kicks off at Japan’s famed Suzuka Circuit with qualifying and final rounds of the opening race weekend scheduled for April 21-22, respectively.
TCS has partnered as title sponsor for Nakajima Racing in the Super Formula series since 2017, and contributes as technology partner, leveraging its globally proven IT expertise and technological excellence to contribute to team performance and fan engagement.
Machine Coloring Redesigned
The machine will appear in redesigned coloring for the 2018 season. While preserving the team’s classic navy-and-white design concept, unique from the ten rival teams’ on the circuit, the new coloring incorporates a dramatic TATA-blue stripe that accentuates the team logo.
New driver joins
Takuya Izawa Narain Karthikeyan is joined this season by Takuya Izawa who moves from fellow-Honda team Dcomo Team Dandelion Racing replacing Daisuke Nakajima.
Commenting on his ambitions for the 2018 season, Izawa said: “My goal for the season, first up, is to earn a win. This team definitely has the potential to do it when we rally together. I’ll be communicating closely with my team, and trying out different tactics, so that come race-day my focus is 100% on winning.”
Trainees from TCS Japan join Nakajima Racing
Takashi Nishimoto (left) and Ayumi Morita Following on from an initiative launched in 2017, two young Tata Consultancy Services Japan associates will again join TCS Nakajima Racing as trainees for the 2018 season. Working with the team throughout the season as members of the pit crew, Takashi Nishimoto and Ayumi Morita will be tasked with developing deeper, hands-on understanding of the machine and race, and bringing that back into TCS’ technological support.
TCS’ Technological Support
In the 2017 season, TCS developed Nakajima Racing’s official mobile app (iOS, Android), an initiative aimed at enhancing fan engagement, and a first for any Super Formula team.
This season, TCS aspires to be a catalyst for enhancing the team’s race performance, by enabling efficient analysis and visualization of the masses of data generated both by the machines and from the respective race circuits. These include metrics such as lap-time, fuel loading, weather conditions, and wing configuration, to name a few.
Enabling real-time, intuitive depiction of multiple, critical data-sets allows team engineers to deliver the drivers strategic input with greater speed and accuracy, starting from practice sessions, all the way through to qualifying rounds and race finals.
The easy compilation and consumption of data-sets post-race also helps the team with formulation of future race strategy.
Super Formula race lap-timing data (top speeds, lap and sector times of competing machines), for example, is displayed for only the most recent lap, making it necessary for team staff to incessantly record any data of strategic interest manually. Complicating things further, data formats differ from circuit to circuit, making it difficult for teams to track and respond with agility to developments across the full field of machines.
TCS has worked with the team to develop an automated monitoring dashboard that collects, consolidates and displays data for their own and competitor machines. Considerable work has also gone into refining the user interface for better user experience by engineers and drivers alike.
Super Formula Season 2018 Calendar
Qualifying
Final
Circuit
Round 1 April 21 April 22 Suzuka Circuit Rd 2 May 12 May 13 AUTOPOLIS Rd 3 May 26 May 27 Sport Land SUGO Rd 4 July 7 July 8 Fuji International Speedway Rd 5 August 18 August 19 Twin Ring Motegi Rd 6 September 8 September 9 Okayama International Circuit Rd 7 October 27 October 28 Suzuka Circuit About Nakajima Racing
Nakajima Racing is a professional motor racing team based in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture, located near the World-class Fuji Speedway to the east of Mt. Fuji. Led by renowned former Japanese F1 driver, Satoru Nakajima, the team’s mission goes beyond winning championships, and includes contribution to the overall advancement of motorsports through fan, stakeholder and community engagement aimed at raising the profile or motor racing. Above and beyond the tireless pursuit of technological advancement, Nakajima Racing aspires to elevate motorsports with a view to enhancing the contribution of automobiles to society.
TCS Press Release
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We did a good job and deserve to be where we are at this moment, says Cal Crutchlow
Cal Crutchlow celebrating victory in Argentina. Photo: calcrutchlow.com Austin (Texas, US), 20 April 2018: Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), winner of the race in Argentina, asserted that he and his team deserved to be where they are at the moment, heading the MotoGP championship, though the positions can change after this weekend’s Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas.
Speaking at Thursday’s pre-event Press Conference, here, Crutchlow, backing up his words in parc ferme after his hard-fought win in Argentina, said: “I don’t know whether I’ve silenced any critics or not, but it’s true, don’t doubt me. I think we entered the season to do a good job, the team’s worked really well…sure, on Sunday or next race, maybe I’ll finish tenth and we won’t be leading, but I think at the moment we deserve it because we’ve done a good job. To be leading the rider and team standings is an honor for Lucio as well.”
The Brit then mentioned how good it is for riders – like himself – to be able to compete with the factory teams. “It’s nice for us three guys to be sat here, knowing we’re competitive with the factory teams. In Qatar, we were competitive too. It’s great for the Championship.”
Second in the Championship Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) said: “We were very lucky in Argentina, we took a lot of points without good speed. Jack (Miller) showed there was a possibility to be faster during the race, so it means we didn’t work in a perfect way, but it was tricky conditions and a lot of riders struggling. We’re not happy about that weekend, but we’re in a good position in the championship.”
The number 04 will be aiming to at least replicate his two podiums he has previously earned at the Circuit of the Americas, but the Ducati rider also acknowledged the increased level of competition this year.
“We have to fight for the podium or the top five, and then wherever we can, fight for the victory. I think, this year will be different to last because there are a lot of very fast riders, you have to take it race by race.”
Johann Zarco. Photo: Movistar Yamaha Tech 3 After his second place in Argentina, Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was understandably in good spirits and the double Moto2™ World Champion is one of the ‘very fast riders’ Dovizioso was referring to. The Tech 3 rider comes into this weekend with the belief that he can take his first premier class victory.
“It’s pretty nice to get a podium already in the second race, and being close to the victory. On the last lap I was very close to Cal and thinking what I could do to win the race but it was difficult so finishing second was the best solution, and it makes me happy to be third in the Championship.
“I don’t want to say we’re just fighting for the podium. When you go racing you want to fight for victory. I need that mentality before the weekend. Why Marc is so fast here I don’t know, and I want to understand it throughout the weekend.”
Maverick Vinales. Photo: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), after a difficult opening couple of rounds, is hoping he can replicate the speed he has had here previously.
“It was important to stay on the bike and get points, then in the second half of the race I felt very strong. We need a better qualifying…but here in Austin I’ve been fast in the past so I’m excited to start and see if we can improve on Argentina.”
The former Moto3™ World Champion then suggested that if they worked on a few areas, he and his M1 machine will be as competitive as they were at the start of 2017. “I started to feel good on the last laps in Qatar, so we have to keep working, I think if we improve just a few things we can be as strong as last year.”
It’s a different story at the Team Suzuki Ecstar as the Hamamatsu factory has made big progress – and Alex Rins has taken his maiden MotoGP™ podium. There’s no doubt about how strong Rins looks this season, and the Spaniard spoke about his excellent weekend at Termas de Rio Hondo.
“We are doing a good job, but from pre-season the bike has started to feel good. In Argentina we had a perfect weekend, more or less like Qatar but in Qatar I lost the front and crashed.”
There were no such crashes in Argentina, and his podium confirmed his speed and competitiveness on the Suzuki in 2018. “We have a very competitive bike and we improved a lot from last year, also, I have more experience.”
Moreover, the number 42 comes to COTA with the fond memories of his first Grand Prix win. A track then, he enjoys. “I’m excited to start because this is one of my favourite tracks. I have good memories here and we need to keep the same level, work hard from the beginning trying to be in the top ten for qualifying…and enjoy the race.”
After his eventful weekend in South America, Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Ducati) began speaking about his race at Termas, and what he’s learnt from the race as a whole. The Australian was in the hunt for victory throughout, and despite ending up fourth, ‘Jackass’ showed he and his GP17 – along with the other Independent Teams – are very competitive this year, making for an exciting Championship.
“I’m frustrated but semi-satisfied as well. Knowing my past record in previous years I wouldn’t have made it past the first lap with that much pressure! It was a positive weekend for us. I had the feeling back I had in Thailand and Malaysia.
“There are so many guys on competitive bikes in the field, you can’t doubt anyone. Independent teams winning and nearly dominating the podium last week…it’s pretty impressive and it’s just going to get better and better as the year goes on.”
The level of competition in MotoGP™ has certainly reached new heights this year, so can one of the Independent Teams – once again – take victory this weekend and end Marc Marquez’s (Repsol Honda Team) dominance at COTA?
Source: motogp.com
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Rivals Rossi and Marquez prefer to look ahead; Pedrosa declared fit to race in Austin
Valentino Rossi. Photo: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Austin (Texas, US), 20 April 2018: Here for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, arch rivals Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) opted to look forward than back at the incident involving the two of them during the Argentina GP.
Nine times World Champion Rossi said: “The only thing to do now is to look to the future and think about this weekend. I think it’s important to get back on track, ride the motorcycle, to try to get the maximum and work with the team. I’m very happy to be here. Also because this track is very difficult, so you have a lot of work, it’s very long with a lot of corners – so we have to think about that. Do our work, and try the maximum.”
Then, when pressed on his comments at Termas de Rio Hondo, the ‘Doctor’ reaffirmed his opinion. “I watched the race. I think exactly what I said after the race in Argentina. But it’s better to look forward.” The door to talking through the issues with Marc Marquez, however, was left ajar. “Maybe it’s not yet time to talk, but maybe in the future.”
I learn from my mistakes: Marquez
It was a turbulent weekend in Argentina for reigning World Champion Marquez, and ahead of the Americas GP, the number 93, who was penalized thrice during the Argentina GP, said that it was a technical fault that saw him stall on the grid and that he focused on learning from the bad and taking the good from it.
Marc Marquez. Photo: Repsol Honda “The race weekend in Argentina and especially Sunday was very tricky for the conditions and a lot of things happened during the race weekend,” said the Repsol Honda rider. “But I’m a rider and a person who likes to improve and especially learn from everything. And I think from that race day everybody can learn a lot.”
It was a recurring theme for the number 93, who received three penalties during the race and was therefore eventually classified 18th. He also said he’s watched the race for precisely that reason – because it’s good to analyse the bad as well as the good.
“In Argentina, I did and said everything I believed in at the time, and I continue believing that. I’m a rider and a person who likes to improve and learn from, in this case, mistakes. A lot of things happened. I made mistakes, I was penalised and I went to apologise.
“We’re riders, we’re people and we all make mistakes. It’s a competition at the limit, and the track conditions were at the limit. So you learn from the bad and the good, and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Finally, when asked about the current climate and discussions centered on Argentina, Marquez says it’s best to concentrate on what’s happening on track. “I’m concentrating on myself, being at 100% on track – everything else, I try to keep some distance from.”
Pedrosa declared fit
Dani Pedrosa. Photo: Repsol Honda Meanwhile, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) has been passed fit to head out on his RC213V at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, just one week after having surgery on a broken radius he sustained in his Argentina GP crash.
The initial fears were that Pedrosa would have to sit out this weekend, a track that he’s done well at in the past. However, as was confirmed earlier this week, the three-time World Champion will attempt to ride – and thanked fans for their messages of encouragement.
Source: motogp.com
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Still recovering Pedrosa to join Marquez in Austin for next round of MotoGp
A Honda illustration Austin, 18 April 2018: After undergoing successful surgery to his right wrist one week ago, Dani Pedrosa has begun his rehab period and, although he’s obviously not yet at 100% fit, he will join Marc Marquez in the United States to try and take part in the third round of the MotoGP World Championship in Austin.
Marquez and Pedrosa have strong records at the technical, 5.513-km Texas circuit. Marquez took his first MotoGP pole and victory at the venue in 2013 and has continued to post flawless qualifying performances and victories there ever since, bringing his tally of consecutive successes in the USA to 11 across all classes. Pedrosa has climbed the Circuit of the Americas podium three times out of the four occasions on which he has raced there.
The Repsol Honda Team, in turn, have a streak of 14 GP wins in a row on American soil, starting with Pedrosa’s Indianapolis victory in 2010.
At the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, Marquez has five wins and five Pole positions (MotoGP: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) and Pedrosa has three podiums (MotoGP: 2nd in 2013 and 2014; third in 2017)
Marquez said: “After a good start to the season in Qatar, we got no points in Argentina, but I was feeling good on the bike in both races, which is positive. The season is long and the most important thing is that our level is there.
“Now we go to Austin, a good circuit with a good atmosphere and great memories: it was the place of my first pole and my first MotoGP victory and we’ve been able to be strong there since then, so it’s a good place to try and get a good result.
“That said, every season is different: the bikes, the tyres, the conditions. This year some work was done to reduce the bumps, so we’ll see how the track is. As we’ve done so far, over the weekend we’ll focus our work on the race setup, and then on Sunday we’ll see where we’re able to finish.”
Pedrosa said: “Since the operation, I started feeling a bit better every day. I’ve been doing exercises to gain mobility and reduce the inflammation. Little by little I’m recovering muscle tone, and this allows me to see some progress.
“From here, it’s difficult to know our real possibilities. We’re going to a difficult track and until I’m back on my bike I won’t be able to really know my situation. But what’s clear to me at this moment is that it’s well worth it to travel and try. An important part of my strength to go to Austin comes from your messages of support, so thank you very much to all of you.”
Honda Press Release
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Team MRF and Gaurav Gill head to WRC 2; quit APRC after 16 seasons and nine titles
Gaurav Gill (right) and co-driver Stephane Prevot with the 2017 FIA APRC trophy. Photo: Anand Philar By Anand Philar
Bengaluru, April 16: In a major motorsport move, India’s leading tyre manufacturer MRF Tyres on Monday announced their entry into the FIA World Rally Championship 2 category with Gaurav Gill at the wheels, thus ending their 16-season campaign in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship which they had dominated with nine titles.
In a rather cryptic official press release today, Chennai-based MRF Tyres said: “Team MRF, having successfully won 9 APRC titles over the last many years, is now foraying into the WRC 2 with Gaurav Gill at the wheel. Further details will be shared shortly.”
INDIAinF1.com first broke this story in January 2018.
Gill, who is all set to launch his Advanced Driving Academy in his hometown Delhi shortly, said: “I am obviously thrilled. It is a dream come true for me. In the APRC, I had competed and beaten some of the best drivers from Europe and now, it is time for me to compete with them in their territory. Read my piece on his training sessions at Coimbatore here.
“This year, it is all about learning for both me and MRF. We will be participating in limited number of WRC 2 rounds, gathering a lot of data for tyre development etc. So, I do not expect any big results. As of now, we haven’t decided on the car I will be driving and also other details are being worked out. The picture will be clear in the coming weeks.”
The move up to WRC 2 was on the cards pending confirmation from MRF with Gill often expressing his desire to compete on the World stage after winning three APRC titles in 2013, 2016 and 2017.
For both MRF and Gill, it is a huge step forward, though it is more than likely that the team will use the 2018 WRC 2 season, which has seen four of the 13 scheduled rounds already completed, as a dip-stick prior to doing the full championship next year. It is not known which round MRF and Gill will enter this season with Round 5 to be held in Argentina (April 26-29), followed by Portugal (May 17-20).
Since MRF and Gill are not registered for 2018 WRC 2 championship, they will not be eligible for any points as per FIA regulations regardless of where they finish in the rounds they will be participating.
It is also to be confirmed whether MRF will continue their association with Czech car manufacturer Skoda or go with another make of car in the WRC 2.
File picture of Gaurav Gill in action. Photo: Anand Philar Skoda and MRF first partnered in the 2012 APRC season with the S2000 before the Czech manufacturer moving to the Skoda Fabia R5 in 2016. The MRF-Skoda partnership dominated the APRC by winning six championships on the trot between 2012 and 2017.
MRF made their APRC entry in 2002 with India’s top drivers at the time, Naren Kumar and Arjun Balu before opting for more experienced European crews in 2003 beginning with Germany’s Armin Kremer who won the championship on debut.
As for Gill, his long-cherished dream of competing at the World-level is about to become reality. The 36-year old Delhi-based ace, since his APRC debut in 2007, has evolved from a driver with raw speed to a mature pilot capable of competing with the best in the World. While winning three APRC titles, Gill time and again defeated Skoda’s factory-supported drivers to emphasise the point that he belongs to World level of rallying.
Gill is not new to the WRC scene. Backed by a Bengaluru-based company Sidvin, he participated in PWRC rounds in 2008 (Wales) and 2009 (Portugal and Cyprus), while becoming the first and only Indian to score points when he finished seventh in Portugal.
Gaurav Gill’s APRC record:
Starts: 57. Wins: 17. Podium: 12. Championship titles: 3 (2013, 2016 and 2017). Debut: 2007 in Mitsubishi Evo IX. First win: 2008, Indonesia in Mitsubishi IX. Last win: 2017, India (Coffee Day India Rally, Chikmagalur) in Skoda Fabia R5.
Team MRF’s Scroll of Honour in FIA APRC:
2003 – Armin Kremer / Fred Bressen (Germany) – Mitsubishi Evo VII
2005 – Jussi Valimaki / Jarko Kalliolepo (Finland) – Mitsubishi Evo VIII
2010 – Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) / Mark Stacey (Australia) – Mitsubishi Evo X
2012 – Chris Atkinson (Australia) / Stephane Prevot (Belgium) – Skoda Fabia S2000
2013 – Gaurav Gill (India) / Glenn Macneall (Australia) – Skoda Fabia S2000
2014 – Jan Kopecky / Pavel Dressler (Czech Republic) – Skoda Fabia S2000
2015 – Pontus Tidemand / Emil Axelsson (Sweden) – Skoda Fabia S2000
2016 – Gaurav Gill (India) / Glenn Macneall (Australia) – Skoda Fabia R5
2017 – Gaurav Gill (India) / Stephane Prevot (Belgium) – Skoda Fabia R5
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Mixed result for McLaren as Alonso finishes seventh and Vandoorne 13th
Mixed fortune for McLaren in Shanghai. Photo: McLaren F1 Team Shanghai, April 15: McLaren came away from the China Grand Prix with a mixed bag as Fernando Alonso finished among points in seventh while team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne came home in 13th on Sunday.
Starting in 13th and 14th, respectively, Alonso gained two and Vandoorne lost two places at the start which set the tone for much of the remainder of the race.
Both drivers managed their tyres well and the team executed a strong one-stop strategy, although the advantage of this was negated somewhat by a Safety Car period in an ideal pit window for the two-stopping cars around them.
Both Alonso and Vandoorne put in strong drives and made bold overtaking manoeuvres to make up places ahead of them, and a late final push from Alonso saw him sneak into seventh place on the penultimate lap of the race.
Conversely, Vandoorne suffered strong vibrations in the car in the closing laps, making handling difficult and hindering any further progress, and he finished 13th.
Alonso said: “Again, on Sundays, we seem to deliver better than any other day, which is good as this is when points are given out.
“It was a well-executed race from our side – P13 at the start and P11 after the first lap. The Safety Car didn’t play into our hands as we were on a one-stop strategy and we’d just pitted onto good, fresh tyres which were going to take us to the end, but the Safety Car gave everyone else the opportunity to pit.
“We had good battles with Haas and Ferrari, even though the latter wasn’t really a fair fight as Sebastian [Vettel] apparently had damage on his car and was struggling in the corners. We caught up with him, saw that the door was open in one corner, so we went for it.
“P7 is a great result for the team after a difficult weekend, but there’s no doubt that we have to improve. Our pace wasn’t there all weekend and we were still not fast enough in the race. It was great to see more people here in the grandstands than in previous years, thanks to the Chinese fans!”
Vandoorne said: “I didn’t have a great start today and lost a few places on the opening lap. I managed to make three solid overtakes to make a few positions back before the pit-stop. The question for us was whether to make one or two stops when racing the other cars around us, and unfortunately our one-stop strategy didn’t really pay off in the end because the others around us benefitted from pitting under the Safety Car.
“We thought there might be more opportunities at the end, but we didn’t have the pace and I felt a strong vibration in the car which made the last few laps difficult.
“It wasn’t the day we were hoping for, but despite this, we still showed that our race pace today was stronger than our qualifying pace. We’re working hard to improve this and our performance on Saturdays, and hopefully we can have a stronger weekend in Baku.”
Eric Boullier, Racing Director, said: “While today was the tough race we expected, we were still able to show our fighting spirit and bring home some more valuable points.
“Fernando made a good start, and was up to P11 by the end of the third lap. He managed to maintain strong pace compared to those around him despite the Safety Car period, executed a good strategy, and made a couple of stunning overtakes in the final stages of the race to cross the line in seventh.
“On the other side of the garage, Stoffel wasn’t as lucky today. He had a slow start off the line and found himself with an uphill struggle after losing a couple of places. He responded strongly though, making some solid overtakes and managing his tyres well.
“In the latter stages, when his competitors were on fresher rubber, he battled hard in the midfield despite suffering from a strong vibration which made the final laps tricky to manage. He gave it everything to finish in 13th but it was a tough day for him, and we hope for better fortunes in Baku.
“We opted to run a one-stop strategy today with both drivers, knowing that our tyre management showed good potential. Unfortunately, we were a little bit unlucky with the Safety Car as many of the cars around us took advantage of the window to pit.
“Still, we fought hard, proved to be opportunistic and used the strengths of our package to our advantage to come home with six more points. Now, we head back to the factory after a long stint away, to regroup and work on preparing ourselves for the next race in Baku.”
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Vettel and Ferrari burn competition with a hot lap; tough task ahead for Hammy!
Vettel….continues his charge. Photo: FIA By Harish Samtani
Shanghai, 14 April 2018: The fans of Mercedes and those who believed that Ferrari couldn’t possibly
sustain its superiority over the German outfit, are currently busy consuming big portions of humble pie after Saturday’s qualifying session in the Chinese Grand Prix here.The Scuderia steamrolled Mercedes with over a half second advantage in qualifying in a relatively cooler environment and circuit than in Bahrain that had Hamilton incredulous and questioning Ferraris’ back-to-back superior performances in qualifying.
Vettel, the eventual pole-sitter, is on song and his last minute record breaking lap had even his team-mate stunned and Mercedes humbled. His car is not only reliable and quick, but seems to be running on rails with nary a twitch.
The Renault-powered Red Bulls were not exactly slackers, but were made to appear so by the Maranello outfit’s duo. Even Kimi was stunned by Vettel’s last second gasp which dethroned him from his almost certain pole.
At this rate, Hammy’s quest for title No. 5 has to wait patiently. In hindsight, the five championship title holders of the past have to be acknowledged with greater respect. There will be ifs and buts, but every year and era has its own set of challenges. No one has it easy.
The top six cars qualified within a 0.853 seconds of each other. Grosjean rounded up the 10th position 1.760 seconds adrift in his Ferrari-powered Haas! That’s quite a bit as it is. So, it would be safe to assume that around 12-14 cars will be lapped in the 56-lap race.
Force India had a decent outing with Perez eighth on the starter board. I suspect that they have taken a step back to go two steps forward. So, the aero package or something else has not delivered as expected, but the good thing is that once they get sorted, they are going be in the thick of action and will leapfrog over a few of the pretenders such as Haas etc. Their fourth overall in 2017 will gain even more legitimacy.
While it is early days, the die is cast and some serious action is on the anvil on and off the track!!!
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P13 and P14 for Alonso and Vandoorne, but McLaren hopeful of scoring points on Sunday
Photo: McLaren F1 Team Shanghai, 14 April 2018: McLaren’s former double World champion Fernando Alonso and team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne on Saturday qualified 13th and 14th for Sunday’s China Grand Prix while admitting that they lacked the pace to make it to Q3 and also straight-line speed.
Alonso, however, opined that by finishing outside of top 10 in the qualifying, they had free choice of tyre option and not having to start on the ultrasoft that is susceptible to degradation given the degradation due to track temperatures which are expected to be high going by the sunny weather forecast for Sunday’s race.
Alonso said: “We didn’t have the pace to make it into Q3 today. After we were P9 in Q1, we were a little bit more optimistic and thought we could make it into the top 10, but then in Q2, we weren’t quick enough.
“We were P11 in Australia, P13 in Bahrain and here, and that’s where we are at the moment for qualifying. Not enough, we know, as we seem to be slow on the straights, but we have the potential to improve that.
“Anyway, making it into Q3 would’ve meant starting the race tomorrow on Ultrasoft tyres, which I believe will degrade quite quickly on a hotter track due to the sunny weather forecast for tomorrow. So, in the end, I’m happy with P13 and a free choice of tyres.
“Our race pace is a little bit better than our quali pace, so by taking good care of the tyres, and with a good start and a good strategy, points are still very possible for us.”
Vandoorne said: “Today’s result is obviously a little bit disappointing, but we’re more or less in the positions we were expecting to be in. Since the start of the season, we’ve been around these places in qualifying, so this is how it is at the moment. There’s some work ahead of us to improve our performance.
“On the positive side, our long run pace from Friday practice looks very promising, so we have something to play for tomorrow. We’ll also have free tyre choice, which looks to be something pretty crucial again here and will make a difference.
“The higher temperatures expected for tomorrow will play to our advantage in terms of tyre degradation, as most people ahead of us will be on the Ultrasofts. We’re looking to be ambitious again, take any opportunities, make no mistakes and have a strong race.”
Eric Boullier, Racing Director, said: “Given that the Bahrain and Chinese Grands Prix take place on consecutive weekends, we knew we wouldn’t be expecting a significant change in performance from one to the next.
“Of course, since Bahrain, we’ve taken steps to adapt our approach to qualifying, but any direct improvement is part of a longer-term development plan that is in the pipeline for the coming races.
“Nevertheless, the team has been meticulous in our preparation for every session this weekend using our learning from Bahrain and the data we’ve been gathering here. Although we’re not expecting overnight miracles, we believe our race pace will continue to be more representative of our true performance.
“As we know, the all-important result from any Grand Prix weekend comes in the race, and that’s where our focus firmly lies. Tyre strategy will be key and having a free choice is a certain advantage over the cars further ahead of us. Our aim is to continue our momentum from the past two race days and bring home some more valuable points tomorrow afternoon.”
The final practice session of the weekend provided the team with a good indication of conditions and track evolution in preparation for Sunday’s race. Both drivers reported strong wind at key sections of the track, but neither was particularly troubled by it. Both cars completed their programmes, the data from which is used to inform the direction for set-up for the following sessions and most importantly, the race.
In Q1 both cars completed two runs each and were never threatened by the chasing pack, comfortably progressing through to Q2.
The next session was always going to prove to be more challenging in the tight midfield pack. Both drivers completed one run each and qualified next to each other on the grid – Fernando in 13th and Stoffel 14th.
Source: McLaren Press Release
sustain its superiority over the German outfit, are currently busy consuming big portions of humble pie after Saturday’s qualifying session in the Chinese Grand Prix here.
