INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Sanjay Takale, Sean Gregory lift Asia Pacific Rally Production Cup

    Pune, 1 Oct 2013: Braving the unforgiving conditions in Rally Hokkaido, Sanjay Takale came up trumps and won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) Production Cup title taking an unbeatable lead after an incident-filled weekend in Rekibetsu Island.
    Driving his Subaru Impreza Dreams India car, Takale and his navigator Sean Gregory put up a solid show after having crashed out in the last round in Malaysia, to finish second behind Gaurav Gill of Team MRF. The penultimate round of APRC, however, was last for Takale as he had notified to skip season-ending China Rally at the start of the season, he told this website from Pune after returning from the rally.
    In the five rounds, Takale came out empty-handed only from Malaysia, but scored points at every other rounds—Whangarei in New Zealand to New Caledonia, Queensland and Hokkaido in Japan—for an aggregate of 151.5. He needed to at least finish second in his class to steer clear of his main challenger Hiroshi Asakura as the Japan round was his final fling on the 2013 APRC.
    Takale was home in 2 hours 56 minutes 50.8 seconds in his MRU Motorsports-backed Subaru. Gill was much faster and finished in 2:26.26.2. Though there were 10 more drivers between Gill and Takale, but all were either Asia Cup drivers or Japanese National championship competitors.
    Asakura earned 30 points from Japan and now has a total of 74 and will be competing in the season-ending China Rally after having skipped the Round 2 in New Caledonia. But maximum he can earn there is 39 points, while the gap between him and Takale now stands at staggering 77.5. Hypothetically speaking, it would require two more rounds with full points to surpass Takale by half-a-point.
    “It was a fight fair and square. We won the Production Cup title beating Asakura on his own home ground,” said an elated Takale after winning the title. 
     
    In the super special stage Takale beat Asakura by 6 seconds and then kept the Japanese under leash by constantly winning all stages ahead of him.“We were well-prepared for the Rally Hokkaido and decided not to commit Hara Kiri in Japan,” said Takale, who leapfrogged one place to No 2 in the APRC overall championship title race.
    How it happened
    Takale began the Stage 1 by beating Young and Asakura by half-a-minute when he completed the 29.11-km New Ashoro Long stage in 20 minutes 36.5 seconds. This was a riposte to Young who had beaten Takale in the Super Special stage, SS1, on Friday.
    The SS3 at Yam Waka saw Takale extend his lead by over a minute taking the tricky Rikubetsu Long in 4 minutes 10.7 seconds. The contest went on so with Takale (2:12:47.4) extending his lead slowly but steadily to end Saturday being second behind Gill and roughly two minutes ahead of Young (2:14:38.1). Asakura (2:21:21.5) was further down by 9 minutes.
    Sunday saw an ominous sign for Takale as Young went all out and won six stages ahead of Takale, but the Pune driver had enough gap to stay ahead in the overall classification. Two short stages remained and Takale decided to take on Young and won the penultimate SS17 and the final SS18 through the Satsunai river to stamp his class.
    APRC Podium in sight
    India’s Gaurav Gill lead  the APRC overall race after he won the Rally Hokkaido. Gill has 117.5 points while Takale is second at 104 points after earning 29 points from Japan. New Zealand’s young driver Michael Young is No 3 at 92, while Gill’s teammate Esapekka Lappi, who crashed out in Japan after he broke suspension of his car in the SS9, is at No 4 with 78 points.
    Having won Production Cup title, Takale will now keep an eye on how others are doing in China as he will not be in action there. Being No 2 being Gill means Takale has a mathematical chance of making it to the podium in the APRC Championship.
    He leads Young by 12 points and Lappi by 26 points. The Team MRF’s Gill sits atop with 117.5 points and Takale’s podium entirely depends on Team MRF’s strategy. They are winning the overall championship after Gaurav Gill’s stupendous show. If Gill gets team orders to allow Lappi to win in China then the Finn would be able to surpass Takale.
    Michael Young is also there in contention. With 92 points he is the only one who can overtake Gill, but the Kiwi driver will have to win and Gill to take no points, which is an unlikely situation.
    Also, according to the APRC website, “Young is unlikely to take part in the China rally.” Though no reasons have been put forward,
     
    Back in Asia Cup
    After drawing a blank in Malaysia, Takale earned 23 points to be back in contention for the Asia Cup title. He is currently fifth overall in Asia Cup with two drivers tied for the second place. Defending champion Yuya Sumiyama (46) and Young (46) are tied for second place behind Shuhei Muta (68). The third and final round of Asia Cup will be Rally Thailand set to be held onDecember 7-8 in north of Bangkok.

    Championship standings after Round 5

    Drivers: 1. Gaurav Gill (Ind) 117.5, 2. Sanjay Takale (Ind) 104, 3. Michael Young (Nzl) 92, 4. Esapekka Lappi (Fin) 78, 5. Hiroshi Asakura (Jpn) 53.
    Production Cup Championship:
    Drivers: 1. Sanjay Takale 151.5, 2. Hiroshi Asakura 74.
    Co-drivers: 1. Sean Gregory (Mas) 151.5, 2. Takumi Takahashi (Jpn) 44, 3. Osamu Yoda (Jpn) 30.
    Rally Hokkaido results: 1. Gaurav Gill and Glenn MacNeall (Skoda-Fabia) 2:26:22.2, 2. Sanjay Takale and Sean Gregory (Subaru Impreza) 2:56:50.8, 3. Michael Young and Malcolm Read (Toyota MTZ) 2:58:25.0, 4. Hiroshi Asakura and Takumi Takahashi (Proton Satria Neo) 3:06:25.8.  Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm (Skoda-Fabia) DNF.
     
     
    Asia Cup: Drivers: 1. Shuhei Muta (Jpn) 68, 2. Michael Young (Nzl) 46, 3. Yuya Sumiyama (Jpn) 46, 4. Tomohide Hasegawa (Jpn) 38, 5. Chaiyan Longton (Tha) 25, 6. Sanjay Takale 23, 7. Hiroshi Asakura (Jpn) 16, 8. Esapekka Lappi (Fin) 0.
    For detailed standing after Round 5:

    http://fiaaprc.com/assets/points-table-2013-after-round-5.pdf

    ends

    Sanjay Takale (centre) of Pune and co-driver Sean Gregory (Malaysia) win the APRC Production Cup at Hokkaido, the penultimate round. Photo by Sanjay Takale
    Sanjay Takale (centre) of Pune and co-driver Sean Gregory (Malaysia) win the APRC Production Cup at Hokkaido, the penultimate round. Photo by Sanjay Takale

  • 4 new races in 22-race F1 calendar announced for 2014

    Dubrovnik (Croatia), 27 Sept 2013:  India was officially dropped from the 2014 calendar of the Formula One World Championship and four new races in Austria, New Jersey, Russia and Mexico added at a meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) which took place here on Friday.

    Except Austria, the other three to the 22-race calendar have a provisional status and will host the race only after the circuits are homologated.

    According to the FIA website, the FIA President, Jean Todt, opened the FIA logo1meeting by thanking Matko Bolanca, President of the Croatian Car & Karting Federation (CCKF), and Zrinko Gregurek, Secretary General of the CCKF and WMSC member, for their hospitality and for hosting the FIA family.

    The following decisions were taken by the World Motor Sport Council:

    FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

    As confirmed earlier today by the FIA and the Formula 1 Group, the framework for the implementation of the 2013 Concorde Agreement has now come into force. This agreement provides the FIA with significantly improved financial means to pursue its regulatory missions and to reflect the enhanced role undertaken by the FIA in motor sport. The parties have agreed a strong and stable sporting governance framework which includes the Formula 1 Group, the FIA and the participating teams. The agreement lays down solid foundations for the further development of the FIA Formula One World Championship.

    The members of the WMSC congratulated the FIA President for the successful and favourable conclusion to the negotiations. The members also accepted his proposal to create a new task force, after the FIA Presidential Election, charged with proposing the allocation of the additional financial resources for the FIA and its membership.

    One of the noteworthy aspects of the new 2013 Concorde Agreement is the new tender procedure for appointing single suppliers in the tyre and fuel categories, for the FIA F1 World Championship.

    In this new process, the FIA will be confirmed as the body in charge of conducting the tender process. The Commercial Rights Holder will be entitled to run the commercial negotiations with potential suppliers, with a view to the selected single supplier being officially appointed by the WMSC.

    In order to cover the transition period and considering the contracts already settled by FOM and the Teams with Pirelli, the WMSC today confirmed that Pirelli may continue to supply tyres to competitors in the FIA F1 World Championship, subject to the requisite technical and safety standards of the FIA being met.

    The 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar is confirmed as follows:

    16 March Grand Prix of Australia
    30 March Grand Prix of Malaysia
    06 April Grand Prix of Bahrain
    20 April Grand Prix of China
    27 April Grand Prix of Korea (provisional)
    11 May Grand Prix of Spain
    25 May Grand Prix of Monaco
    01 June Grand Prix of America, New Jersey (provisional*)
    08 June Grand Prix of Canada
    22 June Grand Prix of Austria
    06 July Grand Prix of Great Britain
    20 July Grand Prix of Germany (Hockenheim)
    27 July Grand Prix of Hungary
    24 August Grand Prix of Belgium
    07 September Grand Prix of Italy
    21 September Grand Prix of Singapore
    05 October Grand Prix of Russia (Sochi)
    12 October Grand Prix of Japan
    26 October Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
    09 November Grand Prix of USA (Austin)
    16 November Grand Prix of Mexico (provisional*)
    30 November Grand Prix of Brazil

    * Subject to the circuit approval

    FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP AND RALLYING

    The 2014 FIA World Rally Championship calendar is confirmed as follows:

    19 January Rallye Monte Carlo
    09 February Rally Sweden
    09 March Rally Mexico
    06 April Rally de Portugal
    11 May Rally Argentina
    01 June Rally d’Italia
    29 June Rally Poland (multi-country event)
    03 August Rally Finland
    24 August Rallye Deutschland
    14 September Rally Australia
    05 October Rallye de France
    26 October Rally de España
    16 November Rally of Great Britain

    Note: The finish date given is the Sunday of the rally weekend. Itineraries are however subject to final confirmation by event organisers.

    It is clarified that the hand-cutting of tyres is forbidden in the events of the FIA European Rally Cup, as well as the FIA European Rally Championship.

    The 2014 FIA European Rally Championship calendar will be proposed to the WMSC at a later date.

    FIA WORLD CUP FOR CROSS COUNTRY RALLIES

    The 2014 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies calendar is confirmed as follows:

    16 February Baja Russia – Northern Forest
    16 March Baja Italia
    10 April Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
    25 April Sealine Cross Country Rally
    25 May Pharaons Rally
    20 July Baja España Aragon
    17 August Hungarian Baja
    31 August Baja Poland
    27 September Rallye OiLibya du Maroc*
    01 November 27th Baja Portalegre 500

    * Subject to the 2013 observation report

    FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

    In order to increase competitiveness, from 2014 the title of FIA World Endurance Manufacturers’ Champion will be awarded to the manufacturer scoring the greatest number of points with two cars (three cars if under Article 16.A) in the general classification.

    The 2014 Sporting Regulations will be adjusted in order to take into consideration the new LMP1 Technical Regulations which will be implemented next season, taking into consideration the new distinction between the light category cars for privateers only (LMP-L) and the Hybrid category cars for both manufacturers and privateers (LMP-H), and the allocation of energy.

    FIA FORMULA 4

    An updated framework for the 2014 Sporting Regulations was agreed, with an emphasis on safety and ensuring that races are held on circuits holding a valid licence of Grade 4, minimum.

    The Technical Regulations – designed to appeal to the widest range of stakeholders – were approved, in addition to the introduction of Homologation Regulations to limit costs related to engines, chassis and major consumption parts.

    FIA FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP 

    The 2014/2015 FIA Formula E Championship calendar is confirmed as follows:

    20 September 2014 Beijing, China*
    18 October 2014 Putrajaya, Malaysia
    8 November 2014 Hong Kong
    13 December 2014 Punta del Este, Uruguay
    10 January 2015 Buenos Aires, Argentina
    14 February 2015 Los Angeles, USA
    18 April 2015 Miami, USA
    9 May 2015 Monte Carlo, Monaco*
    30 May 2015 Berlin, Germany
    27 June 2015 London, UK

    All events remain subject to FIA Track Homologation
    * Subject to ASN approval

    HISTORIC MOTOR SPORT

    In order to increase the attraction of FIA European Historic Sporting Rally Championship events, from 2014 a further class for Group A cars in Category 4 has been added to distinguish between cars under and over 2 litres.

    To broaden the range of eligible cars in the FIA Historic Hill Climb Championship, two specific classes within Category 4 will be introduced from 2014. Dedicated to ‘Sport Nazionale’ cars, D6 will be specific to cars under 2500cc and D7 for those under 3000cc. Similarly, single-seater and two-seater racing cars from the 1983-1990 period will become eligible for Category 5, divided into two classes for under 1600cc (E4) and under 2000 cc (E5).

    FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

    Following the proposal by the Promoter of the FIA European Rallycross Championship, the WMSC has approved the creation of a new FIA World Rallycross Championship from 2014, on the condition the calendar is based on a total of 11 or 12 events, with nine or 10 European events plus one event in Asia or Africa and one event on the American continent.

    The formats of the FIA European Rallycross Championships for the support categories, TouringCar and Super1600, are maintained, with the calendar comprising the European events in the World Championship. The format of the European Championship for the flagship category, SuperCar, will be adapted and concentrated over five of the 10 European events in the World Championship. This will also have a specific classification for non-permanent drivers not entered in the entirety of the World Championship.

    FIA INTERNATIONAL HILL-CLIMB CUP

    As a result of a review of the development and restructuring of the FIA’s activities in hill climb, from 2014 the FIA International Hill Climb Challenge and the FIA European Hill Climb Cup will be merged into one competition known as the FIA International Hill Climb Cup (IHCC). As a consequence, the regulations concerning the Groups of vehicles will be amended along with the associated awards.

    GT

    The principles of the convergence between the current GTE cars (Le Mans) and the FIA GT3 have been commonly defined by the FIA and ACO and agreed by all the GT manufacturers. The aim is to present the new GT Technical Regulations, based on new categories (GT+ and GT), at the WMSC in June 2014 for implementation in 2016.

    DRIVERS’ COMMISSION

    In order to ensure the voice of drivers is heard during the FIA decision process, the WMSC agreed that a driver representative be designated in the various FIA Commissions and Working Groups. In addition, and in co-operation with the FIA Circuits Department, the Commission has designated a member to work with various bodies in relation to circuit safety, in particular.

    President of the Drivers’ Commission, Emerson Fittipaldi, also advised the WMSC that the Minister of the Cities of Brazil, along with an Embassy delegation, participated in their meeting and presented the various initiatives implemented in this region to reinforce road safety while involving motor sport.

    WOMEN IN MOTOR SPORT

    The Commission continues to focus its activities on promoting the role of women in all areas of motor sport and, in addition to the work it is undertaking with the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign, is broadening its remit to encourage more women to become engineers, volunteers and officials.

    IOC RECOGNITION

    The FIA President confirmed to the members of the WMSC that the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has granted full recognition to the FIA in accordance with the Rules of the Olympic Charter.

    INTERNATIONAL SPORTING CODE

    Following a proposal from a dedicated review commission, and after consultation with the ASNs, the WMSC unanimously approved a complete revision of the International Sporting Code. This version will come into effect on 1 January 2014.

    MOTOR SPORT TASK FORCE

    The Motor Sport Task Force will nominate its members after the FIA Presidential Election.

    ASN DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE

    The FIA President underlined the importance of the work of the ASN Development Task Force, reinforcing the need to help ASNs grow the sport at grass roots level round the world.

    ends

  • 7-year Concorde Agreement till 2020 reached; Ward welcomes it

    Dubrovink (Croatia), 27 Sept 2013: The agreement reached by the FIA and the Formula 1 Group in July 2013, setting out the framework for implementation of the Concorde Agreement for the period 2013 – 2020, has now come into force, following the approval of the respective governing bodies of the signatory parties.

    This agreement provides the FIA with significantly improved financial means to pursue its regulatory missions and to reflect the enhanced role undertaken by the FIA in the Motor Sport. The parties have agreed a strong and stable sporting governance framework which includes the Formula 1 Group, the FIA and the participating teams. The agreement lays down solid foundations for the further development of the FIA Formula One World Championship, according to an FIA press release on FridayFia logo2.

    Now that the agreement is operative, the parties will move towards the conclusion of a multi-party Concorde agreement.

    FIA President Jean Todt said: “We can be proud of this agreement, which establishes a more effective framework for the governance of the FIA Formula One World Championship.  The FIA looks forward to continuing to fulfill its historic role as the guarantor of both regulation and safety in F1 for many years to come.”

    Bernie Ecclestone, CEO of the Formula 1 Group, added: “I am very pleased that the agreement between the FIA and the Formula 1 Group has been concluded”.

    David Ward welcomes new Concorde Agreement and calls for extra investment in grass roots motor sport

    Meanwhile, David Ward, a candidate in the FIA 2013 Presidential election, has issued the following statement about the new Concorde Agreement.

    “The final conclusion of the negotiations over the Concorde Agreement is a very positive development for the FIA. This is a solid achievement by Jean Todt and I congratulate him for it. The question now is what will the new resources from Concorde be used for? The answer should be for investment in ‘grass roots’ development of motor sport.

    “In my manifesto I have proposed to ‘use all the revenue in excess of regulatory costs of the F1 Championship for investment in motor sport safety, sustainability, solidarity funding of ASN development programmes, and for training of officials and volunteers’.

    “Jean Todt has yet to publish a manifesto or explain how he will use the new funds now available to the FIA. Sooner rather than later this should be made clear to the FIA membership.”

    ends

  • K-1000, scheduled on the Indian GP race day, postponed

    Bangalore, 29 Aug 2013: The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) on Thursday confirmed the postponement of Round 4 of the India National Rally Championship (INRC), the K-1000 rally to be held Bangalore, Karnataka. The K-1000, India’s oldest running rally, which has been running for 38 years, will be postponed to November 8-10, 2013 due to operational reasons. The K-1000, which is organized by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC), was supposed to be held on September 21-22.

    Though the Federation release states that the K-1000 is postponed due to operational reasons, it is a foregone conclusion from the very day the calendar was announced that the Bangalore leg would be postponed as FMSCI goofed up once again by clashing the dates of K-1000 with the F1 race in Delhi. Most of the motorsports lovers, including many of the drivers, were regular visitors to the Formula One race. In the first year, many of the senior officials of K-1000 were on duty as Marshals in different capacities at the Budh International Circuit for both the F1 and support races. However, the controversial selection of Marshals saw that many experienced marshals were dropped from the line-up for the second year.

    The official version, however, is given here from the FMSCI Press Release:

    President Vicky Chandhok said: “This is unfortunate that we have to postpone the Rally. The INRC has had a fantastic first half and we want to continue in the same vein. The Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) is committed to putting on a good show and we have all the confidence that the magic of the K-1000 will continue this year.” 

    Though KMSC President Bharath Raj said he was disappointed with the postponement, he added: “We are excited about ensuring the event lives up to the hype in November. Due to operational reasons we have had to postpone the K-1000. We have already informed all participants and they have been very supportive. The K-1000 is extremely popular among

    File photo of a Subaru Impreza, driven by Zuhin A and Musa Sherif
    File photo of a Subaru Impreza, driven by Zuhin A and Musa Sherif

    all rallying drivers and fans and we are committed to putting on a great event come November. The K-1000 will have a completely new route this year which will challenge the competitors even more.”

    The 5th and final round of the 2013 Indian National Rally Championship will be held in Chikmagalur on November 29 – December 1.

    ends

  • Narain wins Race 1 at Nurburgring for Super Nova International

    Nurburgring, 17 Aug 2013: Narain Karthikeyan (Super Nova International) cruised to his third win of the 2013 Auto GP season in Race 1 at the Nürburgring on Saturday.

    The Indian former Formula 1 racer took-off from the pole and managed to end up in front of Kevin Giovesi (Ghinzani Motorsport) who threw a good challenge to the front. The Italian racer, who lined-up in third place, successfully passed Super Nova International’s Vittorio Ghirelli at the start and managed to finish in a highly-positive second position.

    Ghirelli paid the price of starting on the dirtier part of the track and missed the beat at takeoff, although he brought home a valuable podium position as well as the fastest lap of the race. The drivers received their awards on the podium from Emanuele Pirro. The former F.1 driver, who also starred in the Audi Le Mans squad for a decade, has recently covered the role of driver steward in Formula 1. 

    In fourth place Euronova Racing’s Kimiya Sato sailed to a solitary lead in standings after a tough on-track duel with his main rival Sergio Campana, driving for Ibiza Racing Team. The Modena-based man, who eventually rounded out the top-5, and his Japanese colleague even touched each other before their respective pit-stops, although none of them damaged their cars or infringed any rule. It’s been an exciting challenge for the DTM fans sitting at the Mercedes Arena. The top-6 was rounded out by Tamas Pal Kiss, making his debut with Ibiza Racing Team. He was followed by Robert Visoiu (Ghinzani Motorsport) but the real surprise came from rookie Roberto La Rocca (Comtec by Virtuosi) who ended up in 8th and secured the pole spot for Race 2. 

    Female racer Michela Cerruti, fielded by MLR71, also enjoyed a good debut race by topping Yoshitaka Kuroda (Euronova Racing) for 9th. On the other hand Daniel De Jong, driving for MP Motorsport, was forced to retire after a contact with Michele La Rosa (MLR71), who was penalized with a drive-through. A penalty was also assessed to De Jong’s team-mate Meindert Van Buuren for having cut the chicane and gained an advantage, while Andrea Roda (Virtuosi UK) lost valuable time in the opening part of the day due to a contact and a damaged front wing.

    Narain Karthikeyan said: “I’m very happy to have scored my third win this season, which is also the second straight one and a great boost to our championship chances. I had a good start from the pole, and then I managed to pass Giovesi at the end of the pit-stops. I’m proud to have provided my team with another well-deserved satisfaction”.

    Kevin Giovesi: “I made up one spot at the start by passing Ghirelli and then stayed in Karthikeyan’s slipstream. As I couldn’t edge him on-track, we tried with the strategy in the pits and we had almost made it. Unfortunately, due to the cold tires I overshot the braking for the first corner and had to surrender the lead”.

    Vittorio Ghirelli: “The fastest lap of the race shows how quick our car was today. Unfortunately, I was forced to start on the dirty side of the track and that cost me one position on Giovesi”.

    ends

  • F1 2013 mid-season review

    As the motorsport calendar reaches its mid-point, FIA.com takes a look at the championships in a mid-season review. Today it’s the turn of Formula One.

    The first half of the 2013 Formula One season was dominated by talk of tyres. But with teams now on top of the new Pirelli constructions, the run to the chequered flag in Interlagos promises to provide dramatic racing between the grid’s top talents.

    Despite Red Bull’s strong lead in the constructors’ standings, the 2013 season has not been an easy one for the team. During the Malaysian Grand Prix, in-house politics were brought dramatically to the fore when Sebastian Vettel ignored team orders and overtook teammate Mark Webber for the win. And the team’s usual strategy of taking advantage of Vettel’s qualifying pace to put the German on pole with a view to securing a lights-to-flag win has not paid off this season, thanks in no small part to Mercedes’ Saturday dominance.

    Lewis Hamilton was roundly criticised for his decision to move from McLaren to the Silver Arrows this season, but the Briton has secured four poles, one victory, and three podium finishes, while teammate Nico Rosberg has three poles and two wins to his name. Those seven combined pole positions have proved to be a thorn in Red Bull’s side, and now that the Mercedes appears to have overcome its severe degradation issues the Brackley racers are in a strong position to remain in the fight during the nine races to come.

    But Red Bull are not an easy team to beat; they have proved themselves capable of both impressive car development and consistency where it matters – on track. Their 69 point lead in the constructors’ standings is not unassailable, but it does give the team a strong advantage heading into the second half of the season.

    Lotus started 2013 on a high, with a win for Kimi Raikkonen in Melbourne. But that early strong form has not led to further victories for the Finn or for the team, with Raikkonen collecting five second-place finishes while teammate Romain Grosjean has two third-places to his name. While Lotus have been in the fight at every race, thanks partly to a car that has run well on the 2013 tyres whatever their specification, the E21 has not had the outright pace in qualifying to make Sundays easy for the team.

    It has proved to be a disappointing year for Ferrari, even though the team are third in the constructors’ standings, with Fernando Alonso third in the drivers’. The F138 proved itself to be an early-season race winner, with victories in China and Spain, but poor qualifying results have hampered the team’s efforts to challenge Red Bull and Mercedes for wins since the European season began in earnest. Alonso should never be discounted from a title challenge, but the Spanish racer’s growing frustration is causing public ructions within the team. On the other side of the garage, Felipe Massa’s season has been moving in a downward trajectory after a strong start that saw the Brazilian outqualify his teammate on a regular basis.

    One of the biggest surprisesof the season was McLaren’s dramatic slump in form, with the usual front-runners finding themselves struggling in the mid-field. Thanks to a mid-summer improvement, the Woking racers left Budapest only two points shy of technology customers Force India in the constructors’ standings. Based on recent performances, the second half of the season should see McLaren back in the fight nearer the front, with Jenson Button predicting a podium finish in Spa.

    Force India have had an impressive season, building a car that far outshines the team’s resources – humble, compared to many of their rivals. Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta have both delivered on track, regularly finishing in the points and establishing Force India as the strongest of the mid-field contenders. The similarly budgeted Sauber have had a far more challenging year, arriving in Melbourne with a car that struggled with rear-end stability and two drivers new to the team. Nico Hulkenberg has done his best with the equipment at his disposal, securing the team’s seven points, while teammate Esteban Gutierrez has acquitted himself well for a rookie.

    Toro Rosso are not  a team fighting for titles and wins, although the Firenza-based team has shown significant progress this season, thanks in no small part to strong qualifying performances from Daniel Ricciardo and impressive race drives from Jean-Eric Vergne. The Toro Rosso battle has been between two teammates fighting it out for the chance to replace the departing Webber at Red Bull, and while Ricciardo is the top pick from the junior team, Raikkonen is also on the radar.

    Further down the grid, it has been a disappointing season for Williams, who brought home their first point of the year from Budapest. The car lacks downforce and has proved challenging enough for both Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas to drive that the Grove racers undertook a mid-season overhaul of their technical team. It may be too late for a 2013 turnaround, however.

    Marussia and Caterham continue their battle for 10th, with Marussia overhauling their rivals in the standings for the first time since the two teams joined the fray in 2010. Both teams started the 2013 with new driver line-ups, and Marussia’s rookie pairing of Jules Bianchi and Charles Pic were treated to a more stable car to drive than rivals Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pic. By the Bahrain Grand Prix, Caterham’s struggles were such that the team drafted in ex-driver Heikki Kovalainen to advise on improvements.

    While the first half of the season was dominated by the tyres, the second half promises much in the way of close racing and a thrilling fight to the finish in Interlagos.

    ends

  • Podium finish for Raj Bharath at Korea

    Seoul, 10 Aug 2013: Indian racing driver Raj Bharath’s first outing here at the Inje Circuit for round four of the Formula Masters China series kicked off on a difficult note after he managed to overcome a disastrous qualifying session to win the second race of the day, only to be disqualified after being deemed to passing under yellow flags.

    The 4.2-kilometer circuit, which is located two hours outside of the capital city Seoul, is an extremely challenging layout for the drivers featuring 19 corners with a lot of cambered sections and elevation changes. Earlier in the week, Raj started the proceedings on a solid note as he seemed to adapt to the undulating surface well, topping the open test session on Friday, according to a Meco Motorsports press release.

    Raj Bharat finishes third in Race 1 at Korea. Photo by Meco Motorsports
    Raj Bharat finishes third in Race 1 at Korea. Photo by Meco Motorsports

    “It is a really demanding layout, it doesn’t really have too many long straights where you can take a break – you’re always busy and the cambered corners give a very different sensation of grip”, said Raj after his first impressions of the circuit.

    But as the track gripped up in the following sessions, the setup changes didn’t seem to bring in the expected gains and come qualifying, Raj fell short of a few tenths in lap time. With the Formula Masters grid being exceptionally tight, he qualified seventh on the grid for race one and fourth for the third race of the weekend.

    “We were still figuring out how to make up those final tenths and we managed to make a step forward from the first to the second qualifying session, so I was feeling positive for the race even though I was starting way back in seventh”, Raj clarified.

    As the lights went out for the rain-soaked race one, Raj immediately set out to climb his way up the grid, coming through the pack despite exceptionally low visibility as cars in front bunched up and threw up a blinding spray. After pulling off some brave passes, he eventually finished third while setting the fastest lap of the race. Raj’s best lap was a 1:45.545s was seven-tenths quicker than the second fastest lap of the race. The fastest lap under torrid conditions also earned Raj pole position for race two.

    “I was really happy with my pace in race two, and finishing on the podium after starting seventh was an added bonus”, remarked Raj.

    Unfortunately though, race two turned out to be a disappointment as it was started under safety car as torrential rain meant that conditions were deemed too unsafe for a normal start. The safety car was brought in after two laps and the drivers were allowed to race for two laps, but the safety car was deployed once again for the next five lap, and the race was ended prematurely after just eight laps.

    Somewhere amidst the chaos, Raj had been passed by Akash Nandy for the lead and the Indian driver managed to pass him back, but little did he know that he made his move under yellow flags.

    Post-race, Raj’s victory was taken away as he was awarded a 20-second post-race penalty, which meant he lost valuable points in a race he could have easily won.

    “I couldn’t believe when they told me, right after I had been on the podium and collected the winner’s trophy and everything, but that’s how it works sometimes”, he dejectedly said.

    “Luckily only half points were awarded as the race was ended prematurely – so we didn’t lose out as much as we could have”, he added.

    “Also, championship leader Afiq Yazid was also penalised for overtaking under yellows, so overall we didn’t suffer a huge hit in the championship standings. Once the final two races are done tomorrow, we’ll do the math and see where we stand”, he clarified.

    Raj will start race three from fourth place, with the fastest lap order determining the starting grid for the fourth and final race of the weekend.

    ABOUT RAJ BHARATH:

    Born November 20, 1994 in Bangalore, Raj took his first steps in motorsport with karting in 2008 – like all aspiring F1 drivers. Then aged 14, he immediately showed glimpses of his potential in his debut year, winning the trophy for the ‘Most promising rookie of the year’ in the National Karting championship.

    He eventually won the title in 2010 and progressed to Formula BMW Asia in 2011 followed by the Ferrari Academy supported Formula Pilota in 2012.

    For 2013, Raj aims to participate in the Formula Masters China and win the championship before moving to Europe in 2014, and getting closer to his aim of making it to Formula 1. He posted his first victory of the season at the Shanghai International Circuit in May.

    Career highlights:

    2008       Most promising rookie in the JK Rotax Karting championship.

    2009       Second runner-up in JK Rotax Max Karting championship.
    2010       Rotax Max Karting NATIONAL CHAMPION.
    2011       Debut in Formula BMW Asia Pacific – five top ten finishes.
    2012       Formula Pilota China – 10 podium finishes and three wins.

    Formula Masters China car specifications

    Chassis: Tatuus FA010, FIA F3 homologated
    Engine:     Volkswagen Formula EVO 2.0
    Gearbox: Six-speed sequential with LSD
    Power:     180 PS
    Torque:     200Nm
    Suspension: Double-wishbone with pushrod activation
    Brakes:     Four-pot Dixcel calipers
    Tyres:     Front – 180/550 R13
    Rear – 240/570 R13
    Weight:     540kg with driver

    Formula Masters China calendar

    Zhuhai (China)                  10-12 May

    Shanghai (China)             24-26 May
    Ordos (China)                        05-07 July
    Inje (Korea)                            9-11 August
    Sepang (Malaysia)              13-15 Sep
    Shanghai (China)                 25-27 Oct
    Macau Grand Prix                 8-10 Nov

     

    ends

  • Raj Bharath qualifies third at Ordos Circuit in China

    Raj Bharath photo by Meco Motorsports.
    Raj Bharath photo by Meco Motorsports.

    Ordos (China) 5 July 2013: Having clinched his first win of the season at Shanghai International Circuit in May, Indian youngster Raj Bharath qualified third at round three of Formula Masters China at Ordos International Circuit.

    Backed by Bangalore-based real estate developer Embassy Group and driving for Indian outfit Meco Motorsport, Raj will start from the second row of the grid for two out of three races of the weekend, a Meco Motorsports release said.

    At the start of the weekend, the 3.7-kilometre layout was extremely dusty as expected but given the large number of races scheduled for the weekend, the track gripped up in no time.

    Throughout the free practice sessions, Raj was continuously in the top five and the team managed to make a step forward for qualifying, even though the session didn’t go smoothly due to yellow flags.

    “There was a yellow flag at the first corner due to some incident and it happened so that I got my fastest first sector on that lap. I backed off but next time around the yellow was still there and I posted my fastest lap on that lap”, clarified Raj.

    Six other drivers went through the same routine and had their fastest qualifying laps cancelled as a result. Luckily though, Raj’s consistency paid off as his second fastest-qualifying time was just one-tenth off his best time and he didn’t lose any grid positions as a result.

    “The grid is so tight, if I had been three-tenths or so slower on my second best lap, I would’ve lost at least three positions. So from where we are now, we can still hope to get on to the podium and even win”, he surmised.

    Race one and two are scheduled for Saturday with race three on Sunday.

    ABOUT RAJ BHARATH:

    Born November 20, 1994 in Bangalore, Raj took his first steps in motorsport with karting in 2008 – like all aspiring F1 drivers. Then aged 14, he immediately showed glimpses of his potential in his debut year, winning the trophy for the ‘Most promising rookie of the year’ in the National Karting championship.

    He eventually won the title in 2010 and progressed to Formula BMW Asia in 2011 followed by the Ferrari Academy supported Formula Pilota in 2012.

    For 2013, Raj aims to participate in the Formula Masters China and win the championship before moving to Europe in 2014, and getting closer to his aim of making it to Formula 1. He posted his first victory of the season at the Shanghai International Circuit in May.

    Career highlights:

    2008       Most promising rookie in the JK Rotax Karting championship.
    2009       Second runner-up in JK Rotax Max Karting championship.
    2010       Rotax Max Karting NATIONAL CHAMPION.
    2011       Debut in Formula BMW Asia Pacific – five top ten finishes.
    2012       Formula Pilota China – 10 podium finishes and three wins.

    Formula Masters China car specifications

    Chassis: Tatuus FA010, FIA F3 homologated
    Engine:     Volkswagen Formula EVO 2.0
    Gearbox: Six-speed sequential with LSD
    Power:     180 PS
    Torque:     200Nm
    Suspension: Double-wishbone with pushrod activation
    Brakes:     Four-pot Dixcel calipers
    Tyres:     Front – 180/550 R13
    Rear – 240/570 R13
    Weight:     540kg with driver

    Formula Masters calendar

    Zhuhai (China)                  10-12 May
    Shanghai (China)                 24-26 May
    Ordos (China)                        05-07 July
    Inje (Korea)                            2-4 August
    Sepang (Malaysia)              13-15 Sep
    Shanghai (China)                 25-27 Oct
    Macau Grand Prix                 8-10 Nov

    ends

  • Armaan set for Round 3 of FIA GT World Series

    Zandvoort (Netherlands), 4 July 2013: Indian racing driver Armaan Ebrahim and BMW Team India are looking forward to a strong outing at round three of the FIA GT World Series at the Zandvoort Circuit this weekend.

    The team’s last outing at Spa had proved to be a disappointment as after showing top five pace early on, Armaan’s teammate Julien Jouse crashed the car heavily, putting the team out of contention for the weekend, a Meco Motorsport release said.

    However, with the car rebuilt, BMW Team India did a shakedown at the Spa on Wednesday and things seem to be looking up.

    “I think it went well at Spa even though it was very, very wet. The car seems to be as good as new and we turned in a few decent laps even though the conditions were torrid”, said Armaan.

    The run up to the shakedown was far from smooth though as a couple of days back Armaan found himself without a teammate as Jouse could not continue with the team due to some contractual issues. Thankfully, Armaan’s Race Manager Gary Ayles was able to put together a contract with Danish driver Melroy Heemskerk – a Zandvoort native with plenty of experience at the venue. 

    “It is great to have Melroy onboard as he has immense knowledge of the track which will certainly help us as it is my first time at the circuit. Our pace at Spa turned out to be similar so we’re surely in a competitive position from that perspective”, added Armaan.

    Following the race weekend, Armaan will head to Munich – the headquarters of BMW AG, to mark the culmination of the Dynamic 1 contest run by BMW India. Armaan will join cricket legend and BMW brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar, both racing the new BMW 1-series car and hosting the winners of the Dynamic 1 contest.

    ends

    File photo of Armaan Ebrahim. Photo by Meco Motorsport
    File photo of Armaan Ebrahim. Photo by Meco Motorsport

  • Toppo, Prabhu to take part in Asia Dream Cup

    Chennai, 5 July 2013: India’s Sumit Lucas Toppo and Arunagiri Prahbu could not feel more excited about racing at their home turf, Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) in Chennai, India for the first time in the Asia Dream Cup that runs concurrently with the PETRONAS Asia Road Racing Championship next weekend.

    It’s second season running, this new class famous for its incredibly close racing and unpredictable results is conducted with the full support of Honda Motor Co Ltd Japan is a ‘scholarship programme aimed at producing world-class levels from within the Asian ranks.

    Riders will be racing astride the Honda CBR 250R, a production model that mirrors the Moto3 class in the world championship and in doing so, the Asia Dream Cup becomes the platform for hopeful riders to bridge the gap between Underbone racing to full-frame bikes either in the 600cc class, Moto3 or Moto2.

    Sumit and Arunagiri are the second batch of Indian riders to participate in the one-make series after Gautam Mayilvaganan and Deepak Papineni made their debut last year. Sumit was runner-up in the Group C category in the Indian National Motorcycle Championship last year.

    “Taking part in the Asia Dream Cup has been a an eye-opening experience. Not only do I get to compete along some of the most talented young riders in Asia and improve my riding skills but we are also constantly exposed to the technical side of racing from people who have deep knowledge of the sport,” said Sumit.

    He went on to talk about his expectations for the upcoming race and commented, “We feel highly motivated for our home-race because if there is any chance we can stamp our mark, the Madras Motor Race Track would be it. None of the other riders have been there before so our experience racing there will certainly be an advantage.”

    For more info please log on to the PETRONAS Asia Road Racing Championship official website, www.asiaroadracing.com

     

    ends

    Arunagiri Prahbu in action at Indonesia
    Arunagiri Prahbu in action at Indonesia