INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • BWT joins the fight against Breast Cancer in Austin

    BWT joins the fight against Breast Cancer in Austin

    BWT joins Sahara Force India for Cancer cause at Austin on Saturday. A Force India photo

    Austin: The Formula One paddock recognised the generosity of Best Water Technology (BWT) today as Europe’s leading water technology company donated $150,000 to breast cancer charities in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

    BWT’s Chief Marketing Officer, Lutz Hübner, was joined on the podium of the Circuit of The Americas by Sahara Force India’s Chief Operating Officer, Otmar Szafnauer, and the team’s drivers, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, to make the donation. The funds will be used to support breast cancer charities, including the team’s charity partner, Breast Cancer Care.

    Lutz Hübner, Chief Marketing Officer of BWT: “Everybody at BWT applauds the work done by Formula One to raise awareness of breast cancer on a global stage. When we heard about the idea to ‘turn Austin pink’ we felt it was important to get behind the cause and pledge our support to all the people around the world who are affected by breast cancer.”

    Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer of Sahara Force India: “It’s been fantastic to see Austin turned pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month. It’s a cause that we have been supporting this season through our partnership with Breast Cancer Care and we are hugely grateful to BWT for making such a generous donation.”

    About BWT 
    The Best Water Technology Group (BWT) is Europe‘s leading water technology company. BWT’s 3,300 employees aim to supply private, industrial, business, hotel and public sector customers with innovative, economical and ecological technologies that guarantee maximum safety, hygiene and health in the daily use of water – the precious elixir of life. BWT provides state-of-the-art water treatment technologies and services for drinking water, pharmaceutical water, process water, heating water, boiler water, cooling water, water for air-conditioning systems and water for swimming pools. Our Research & Development teams use the latest methods developed to work on new processes and materials to create products that are both ecological and economical. A key development issue is a reduction in the products’ consumption of operating resources and energy to minimise CO2 emissions.

    eom/SFI inputs

  • To the final corner: fighting talk ahead of Phillip Island’s MotoGP race on Sunday

    To the final corner: fighting talk ahead of Phillip Island’s MotoGP race on Sunday

    L-R: Miller, Petrucci, Dovizioso, Marquez, Viñales and Iannone. Image courtesy MotoGP (for editorial use)

    The Championship, the weather, and fighting to the last corner: the Australian GP is open for business

    Ahead of track action for the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, there was one last chance for something a little more out of the ordinary as some of the grid came face to face with some locals – of the furry or scaly kind. The animals were a koala, a kangaroo and a black headed python from Maru Koala and Animal Park – guess which critter was the least popular – and the humans were Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Moto3™ title challenger Joan Mir (Leopard Racing), home riders Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) and Broc Parkes (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), and Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing). When it came down to it, only Gardner was brave enough to go face to face with the python – but there was something else bothering Petrucci, as he later explained in the Press Conference: the kangaroo was going to give him a kiss…and then got put off by his beard.

    After the encounter with the wildlife, it was time to talk shop in the Pre-Event Press Conference – with Championship leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) joined by the man who trails him by just 11 points, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), third in the Championship Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), Motegi podium finisher Petrucci, Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Andrea Iannone and home hero Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), who comes back from injury after missing the Japanese GP following a leg break in training.

    The reigning Champion was first to talk, with the first topic the Championship and the duel last time out. “We’re at a very important moment, Motegi was a great weekend and some great last laps. We lost only five points so this was important too. Anyway, here in Phillip Island is normally a track I enjoy more than Motegi. We’ll see how the result and level are but as always try to be on top from FP1, work well for the race and then we’ll see – because the weather is also something interesting here. In Australia, I’ve had some ups and downs, especially in 2014 and 2016 when I crashed when leading with some seconds of advantage. When I win at Motegi I crash here but this time I was second at Motegi! We are fighting for the Championship so the approach of the race is much different to last year and we’ll try to compensate our level with the risk because that’s important to manage well. We’ll see after qualifying if we can fight for the victory or it’s time to think about the Championship. Dovizioso is the most dangerous rival but I still have half an eye looking at Viñales because he’s far but not far enough – so we need to control Dovi more, but the strategy and mentality is the same: push and if we can take one more point we’ll try to the final corner – like at Motegi.”

    Dovizioso was the next to weigh in, also doubting the weather this weekend but marking more his speed in Japan than the win: “Eveyrbody enjoyed the battle, it was really nice last weekend the way we worked and how we arrived in the race – we arrived ready and we managed it in the best way. The fight was really nice and it’s important to continue like this and work in the same way. We know here a lot of riders are very fast and Marc especially on paper, so it will be difficult but we’re enjoying the moment and we have to work in the same relaxed way and improve in the weekend, like we have done in many weekends this year. This is the target, but like Marc says, the weather looks unstable as it can be here, the wind and the rain, everything can happen. So we have to go day by day. During the races, winning has a big effect on the rider but especially the team. Mugello was very important to win for myself but also for the team. We’ve created a really good situation in the box, small things have a big effect by the end of the season and we’re fighting for the Championship. The last race, more than the battle we won on the last lap, I was happy about the speed I had during the race, and me and Marc did different during the race. That was important for me and my team in terms of being competitive in the Championship – more than the fact that we recovered 10 points.”

    It’s not a two horse race just yet, however, with Viñales a little further back with a 41 point deficit – but it isn’t over until, mathematically, he can no longer challenge. The focus is now simply winning, with no pressure: “Here is a track I like, in preseason it was the track where I was fastest and most consistent but we arrive here in a different way  with a completely different bike.  I can’t wait to start and it’s a track I enjoy. I’m thinking only about riding. Motegi was a difficult race, we tried everything at 100% and finally we didn’t get a positive result but we have to forget it. There’s no pressure now. Now it’s not in our hands, our opponents would have to make a mistake so it would be difficult. Now we’ll just try to enjoy it, get the Yamaha at the maximum level and try and get another win. We hope for a dry race because it’s when we’re more competitive but in the wet we have to improve, and we do for next year. We can’t change the situation, we just have to improve it.”

    Danilo Petrucci is one man who doesn’t want the situation to change – with another podium last time out; his fourth of the season. And in the wet – so would he prefer a repeat with the weather in Australia?

    “I think I could be one of the happiest guys,” says the Italian. “But I would prefer a fully dry weekend and I was cold a lot during Motegi. Jokes aside, I think arriving here five days after my last podium is a good thing. I have nothing to lose! I haven’t had a good result here and the long corners don’t help me with the tyre consumption. But this situation is a bit different this year and for sure I think I can be fast in the dry, but we can enjoy it!”

    Another rider whose result in Motegi was a huge boost is Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who got his best result of the season so far and the best result of 2017 so far for the Hamamatsu factory – fourth. “For sure Motegi was the best weekend of the season for us. I finished the race in fourth, we have worked hard throughout the year, especially at Aragon test. When you arrive in this position you see the hard work, but it was a strange race due to weather, I don’t know the potential in the dry. I am very charged up for 2018 because we’ve work hard.”

    Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was the final man in the hot seats, as he gets ready for his home GP – and comes back from injury after missing Motegi.

    “I even think I surprised myself with the turnaround,” said the Australian. “It was a small accident and it snapped. Maverick asked me just then how I broke it as he was with me at the time. It’s been a busy time for me trying to get it back to working order. I probably could’ve made it to Japan but the quick turnaround wouldn’t have been good by the time we got here or to Malaysia. I want to finish the season in the best way possible for my team and Honda.” The former Phillip Island Moto3™ winner also said he’s had some pressure to come back quickly after the incredible performance of Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) after his leg break – and that two-wheel Australian legend Chad Reed had even texted him to start the countdown to beat the Italian to it. But Miller is thrilled to be able to race at home again: “It’s a great race for me, the fans are crazy, the weather is crazy. As we have seen today, it’s Baltic and yesterday it was hot. I’m really looking forward to getting the weekend underway. I sat on a bike yesterday at the pre-event and it felt good, so I think we’re in good shape.”

    The Australian GP is certainly in good shape, with the Championship still a scorcher and the battle set to go down to the wire. Don’t miss another classic battle on the Island, with the MotoGP™ race set for 16:00 local time on Sunday (GMT +11).

    eom/with inputs from MotoGP Press Release

  • Can Dovizioso sustain the run at Michelin Australian MotoGP

    Closer than ever, the crusade for the crown arrives at one of the most breathtaking venues in the world: Phillip IslandIn the aftermath of the duel of the decade at the Twin Ring Motegi between Championship leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and title rival Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) – which the Italian won – the dust must settle quickly in order to be kicked up once more as MotoGP heads for the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island. A few hours south of Melbourne, the skyscrapers and bright lights seem a distant memory as the bridge to the Island comes into view, beckoning to those who are on their way to one of the most spectacular Grand Prix circuits in the world. There is no other track on Earth quite like this one.

    As the paddock arrives in 2017, it’s Marquez ahead and by just 11 points. The reigning Champion will go into the race as the favourite to tame the 12 undulating, iconic corners of the Island, taking into account both his record in 2017 and his speed at the track. Marquez has in fact only finished one premier class race in Australia – the scintillating Island Battle in 2015, which he won. In 2016 he crashed out of the lead once already Champion, in 2014 he did the same, and he has been on pole for the last three years at the track. It was also the stage of one of his most memorable Moto2™ performances in 2011: starting from the back due to a penalty, Marquez picked his way through the field to the podium. With eight podiums now in the last nine races this season in MotoGP™ – missing out only once due to a technical fault at Silverstone – Marquez’ speed will be hard to match. He has a target on his back as the points leader already, and this weekend it gets bigger.

    But Ducati, too, can win at Phillip Island. Casey Stoner took the Borgo Panigale factory onto the top step from 2007 to 2010, and the mythical marque were also on the podium in 2015. But when it comes to Andrea Dovizioso on the GP17, what do the statistics seem to matter? The Italian has rewritten history already this season, and Motegi gave no sign that he is about to stop. He has been on the podium before at the Island, and he just took his fifth victory of the year. Moreover, he did it beating Marquez on the last lap, at the last corner, in some of the most torrential conditions ever raced – that marking the first time in the premier class that Marquez has lost out on victory when going into the final lap in the lead. As a credential, that’s hard to beat. Dovizioso said before the Japanese GP that he’ll fight to the end. On Sunday, he showed he meant it.

    And yet the winning hand at the Island may not prove a pair. Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) is fast – very fast – at Phillip Island, and was sixth as a rookie before getting on the podium last year. He’s won at the track in Moto2™ – as a rookie – and faces a 41 point deficit to the top. It sounds a lot, but anything can happen. His teammate Valentino Rossi could be another to watch at the top, as the ‘Doctor’ looks to put the Japanese GP behind him. Rossi has won at the Island six times in the premier class – from 2001 to 2005, and again in 2014 – and has nothing to lose.The only other names on the grid to have graced the top step in Australia are Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team).

    Crutchlow took a stunning win last year and will want to hit the ground running in 2017 after crashing out at Motegi, and Lorenzo won in 2013 as well as having taken victory in the lower classes at the venue. He will want to strike back after sixth in Japan despite leading initially, as will compatriot Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), who will be another planning to get back in the mix at the front after both men made it onto the podium at Aragon and then suffered more difficult Motegi. Pedrosa has a pole and podiums at Phillip Island, too.

    Beyond last year’s winner Crutchlow, there is a lot at stake for Independent Teams. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) is now 41 points clear of teammate Jonas Folger in the standings and must finish in the top six at the Island to take the Rookie of the Year title, and Folger will not be racing as he continues to recover from a virus. He will be replaced by Australian Broc Parkes, former MotoGP™ rider and current YART EWC rider – who will be joining Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) to fly the flag at home. Miller must be passed fit following his broken leg, but is expected to be back in action at his home race. Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) is on Zarco’s trail for the top Independent Team honours, too, now only 14 points behind the Frenchman after his stunning podium last time out. Then there’s Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), who wants more after P7 in Japan despite having had top three pace for much of the weekend.

    Japan also saw the best results of the season so far for both Hamamatsu factory riders Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins at Team Suzuki Ecstar. Iannone eventually got the better of his rookie teammate to take fourth, but Rins completed the top five for his best ever result as he now gets into gear following trouble with injury. And Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, who had both riders in Q2 at Motegi, keep pushing forward – with more points taken in the race.

    The points, the gap and the maths began to take over mid-season as we looked ahead to try and predict the final countdown, but the statistics aren’t writing the script in 2017. Barreling headlong through one of the most spectacular seasons in history, Marquez and Dovizioso are penning that rarest of classics – a blockbuster with critical acclaim. To follow Motegi, the next act will have to be something special. Luckily enough, the stage is Phillip Island.

    The curtain goes up ‪on Sunday 22nd October at 16:00 local time (GMT +11).

    eom/MotoGP press release
  • Commanding show, including a hat-trick, gets maiden title for Aaroh Ravindra; Rayo Racing tops

    Commanding show, including a hat-trick, gets maiden title for Aaroh Ravindra; Rayo Racing tops

    Aaroh Ravindra and Aanjan Patodia (right) with their trophies on 15 Oct 2017 in Bangalore. Photo by Rayo Racing

    Bengaluru : Aaroh Ravindra from Rayo Racing, clinched his maiden National Karting Championship, with a 2nd place finish in Round 5 of the Meco FMSCI National Rotax Karting Championship.

    The Mumbai youngster has consistently dominated the championship ever since his victory in round 1 at Hyderabad. He completed a hat-trick of victories at the end of Round 3 and already had a commanding lead of 27 points in the National Championship by then.

    Aaroh qualified 2nd as the weekend began, after Nirmal USB of M Sport clinched pole position with a lap time of 54.694, a mere 2 hundredths of a second ahead of Aaroh. Manav Sharma was third. Heat 1 saw Nirmal lead from pole & win the heat, while Aaroh won the 2nd heat, ahead of Nirmal.

    The pre final saw Nirmal from Chennai, once again start from pole & win ahead of Aaroh & Manav. Aaroh’s earned enough points in the pre final, to be practically assured of the title, irrespective of the outcome of the final. However, Aaroh was not content with merely finishing.

    he final saw Nirmal pulling away as soon as the green flag dropped, while Aaroh fell to third. He regained second, coming out of corner 2 but lost ground immediately to Akash. Soon, it was Rayo Racing 2nd & 3rd as both Aaroh & Aanjan overtook Akash on lap 3. Mid-way through the race, Nirmal picked a puncture which promoted the Rayo Racing duo into 1st & 2nd. Aanjan being quicker, soon passed Aaroh for the lead & won a really close race. Aaroh crossed the line a mere 0.3 seconds behind Aanjan, while local lad Akash finished 3rd, ahead of another Bengaluru lad – Danesh Vakharia from Rayo Racing.

    Bengaluru’s Chirag Ghorpade from BPC racing won the junior finals ahead of M Sport Racing boys, Shahan Mohsin from Agra & Yash Aradhya from Bengaluru. Bengaluru boys sealed the Micro Max podium as Ruhaan Alva of Birel Art won the finals ahead of Rohaan Madhesh of Peregrine Racing & Rishon MR from Birel Art.

    Aaroh’s domination in the Senior National Championship saw him pick the award for most wins in the entire championship. His worst finish of the season being a 2nd place, he won the National Title with a lead of 33 points & earns himself a ticket to represent India in the World Finals at Portugal in November.  Aaroh’s participation in the series came as a result of his sponsorship from Tata Motors, JK Tyres, Rayo Racing & IndiKarting after finishing runner up in the JK Tyre IndiKarting National Series last year. The winner of that series – Aanjan Patodia, finished 3rd overall behind Nirmal USB in spite of not finishing a couple of races. He tied on points with Rayo Racing Teammate – Danesh Vakharia.

    Yash Aradhya of M Sport, with 2 victories in the season, won the junior title by 9 points from Chirag Ghorpade & Shahan Mohsin. Arjun Rajiv won the Micro title by 8 points, ahead of Ruhaan Alva & Rishon MR.

    “It was an amazing start to the year, with a hat trick of victories. A double runner-up finish in the last 2 rounds was not bad either. It has been hard work by everyone involved & I really want to thank Steve for his efforts, as well as all our sponsors & my family for their support” said an ecstatic Aaroh after the prize distribution ceremony.

    He continued, “I have had very limited track time over the last 2 years due to the lack of a budget. The World Finals are going to be tough competing against the 72 best drivers from around the world, but I will be working hard over the next few weeks to prepare in the best possible way.”

    As reported earlier, Aaroh Ravindra, Yash Aradhya and Ruhaan Alva, will represent India, in the World Rotax Finals in Portimao, Portugal from 5th to 11th November, as the champions from over 50 countries will vie for the title of World Rotax Champion 2017. Over 300 competitors will race at this prestigious World Finals.

    eom/with inputs from Rayo Racing

  • Aditya Patel finishes the season with a bang, helps team with a double win: Blancpain GT Asia Series

    Aditya Patel finishes the season with a bang, helps team with a double win: Blancpain GT Asia Series

    Zhejiang: Twenty-nine year old Chennai racer Aditya Patel finished the seasonn with a bang with a double victory in along with teammate Gilbert in the 12th and final race of the Blancpain GT Series Asia Championship. The duo, piloting the Audi R8 LMS GT3, missed out on the overall championship title by a single point in the inaugural edition.

    Indian GT ace Aditya Patel and Malaysian teammate Mitch Gilbert won both the races at the final round of the Inaugural Blancpain GT Series in Asia which helped them claw back vital championship points, finishing only one point behind the final winner, Hunter Abbott.

    “What a weekend! I’ve had a fantastic year with OD Racing and the support from my sponsors Audi India, Jubilant Motorworks and 2GO Activewear has b

    Aditya-Patel-and-Gilbert-after-a-double-win-in-the-season-finale-on Sunday. Photo courtesy Aditya Patel

    een amazing! I can’t wait to see what next year has in store,” said an ecstatic Aditya to www.INDIAinF1.com through an email after the weekend.

    The OD Racing pair came into the final round 28 points behind the championship leading pair of Marchy Lee and Shaun Thong. With 50 points up for grabs, Patel and Gilbert came into the weekend with an outside chance of winning the title.

    Patel put in a lap which was good enough for second place on the grid for race 1 while Gilbert set a blinding laptime in qualifying 2 which put them on pole position for race 2.

    Starting 2nd for the first race, Aditya was quick to take the lead in wet conditions and began to open a gap between himself and 2nd place Aidan Read. The Indian then handed the car over to Gilbert who found himself in the lead even after serving a five second pitstop penalty. From there on Gilbert opened up a gap and finished comfortable with a win in race 1.

    Race 2 was held in treacherous conditions after it rained through the night and continued to rain as the day progressed. Gilbert took the start but lost a place to Martin Rump on turn one, and kept his head down through his stint, and then handed it over to Patel who served his 10-second penalty for winning Race 1 and came out in 2nd place behind Rump’s teammate Rick Yoon. However, as conditions got worse, Yoon spun and handed the lead back to Patel who cruised to the 2nd victory of the weekend. Although he roped in a maximum-points haul, the pair still missed out on the overall championship by just a single point.

    “What a weekend! We came in 28 points behind the leaders with an outside chance of winning and now we’ve finished 2nd only one point behind. We did everything we could this weekend and had a perfect weekend but in the end it wasn’t enough.

    eom/with inputs from Aditya Patel

  • Sensational podium for Mahindra rider Bezzecchi at Motegi: Moto3

    Motegi (Japan), 15 October 2017: Mahindra rider Marco Bezzecchi rode from a career-best qualifying position to a sensational third place at Motegi today, overcoming dire conditions and conquering his rivals at a rain-hit Japanese Grand Prix.

    The 18-year-old Mahindra CIP team rider from Rimini was less than a second away from second place, and his career-first podium came in his rookie grand prix season. This was his fourth time to finish in the points. The 16 points awarded for third moves Bezzecchi to the head of the Rookie of the Year standings, now four points clear of Japan’s Sasaki.

    It was a double top ten for Mahindra, as Jakub Kornfeil (24) underlined the strength of the only Indian constructor in the World Championship series with eighth place. The rider from the Czech Republic was on a SaxoPrint-backed MGP3O, badged as a Peugeot, Mahindra’s sister company.

    Mahindra’s success, the second double top ten in the last three races, came in extreme conditions. The 4.8-km circuit had been wet throughout practice and qualifying, and this morning an oil spill caused a delay of more than an hour before an abbreviated morning warm-up could be completed. As a result, the Moto3 race was cut from 20 laps to 13, and started 55 minutes late.

    By then, the rain had redoubled, with standing water and flying spray a problem for all riders. Starting from the second row of the grid for the first time played in favour of Bezzecchi, who finished the first lap fifth. He moved up to third by half distance, and was close behind Niccolo Antonelli (KTM) at the finish. Winner Romano Fenati (Honda) was just out of their reach; it was an all-Italian podium.

    Kornfeil had a more difficult race, having to cope with shockingly bad visibility in the spray as he fought his way through the pack from 20th on the grid.

    The good result was some compensation for problems that struck the official Aspar Mahindra team. Albert Arenas was out of the race after suffering a fracture in his right hand, crashing while well-placed in wet Qualifying. Team-mate Lorenzo Dalla Porta was an early retirement from today’s race.

    The Japanese GP was the first of three flyaway races, with the Australian and then the Malaysian GP following over the next two weekends. Two weeks later, the Valencia GP closes the season, Mahindra’s last in the championship series.

    Marco Bezzecchi, CIP Mahindra

    “It is unbelievable! The conditions were almost impossible. At the end the rain was very strong and I was trying to stay focused to not make any mistakes. Thanks to everybody, to the team, to Mahindra, to the VR46 guys, to my family and friends. I’m sorry, I’m lost for words – it is a dream come true.”

    Mufaddal Choonia, CEO Mahindra Racing

    “To us, this podium means almost as much as our first race victory. It’s been a tough season, but the positive is that it is ending well, with our best results as we come to the end of our association with Moto3. This is a very emotional time. Thanks and congratulations to Marco, the CIP team and all the Mahindra Racing staff, for giving us this wonderful moment.”

    About Mahindra Racing

    Mahindra Racing is the only Indian constructor in the Moto3TM class of the FIM MotoGPTM World Championship Series. Competing with the best-of-the-best in the world for six years running, it has seen phenomenal success since its debut in 2011.

    Mahindra Racing supplies the Mahindra MGP3O – a single-cylinder, 4-stroke, 250cc motorcycle to the factory Aspar Mahindra Team and other customer teams. Mahindra also supplies an official Peugeot Motocycles derivative of the MGP3O to the factory Peugeot MC Saxoprint Team.

    The 2017 Mahindra Racing rider line-up includes:

    • Albert Arenas (SPA) and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (ITA) [Aspar Mahindra Moto3]
    • Jakub Kornfeil (CZE) and Patrik Pulkkinen (FIN) [Peugeot MC Saxoprint]
    • Manuel Pagliani (ITA) and Marco Bezzecchi (ITA) [CIP]

     

    Mahindra Racing made history in the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix taking the first-ever podium for an Indian constructor. In the same season, the MGP3O recorded top-five finishes in 10 of the 17 rounds, a pole position, three circuit lap records, and a third position in the Constructors’ Championship.

    The 2014 season saw a further three podium finishes for the Indian constructor, including second place at the German Grand Prix.

    In 2015, Mahindra Racing put up a fierce fight at the front of the pack throughout the season, and recorded a podium finish at the French Grand Prix.

    2016 got off to a strong start with Aspar Mahindra Moto3 Team rider Francesco (Pecco) Bagnaia securing a third place podium finish at the opening round in Qatar. The Italian teen picked up podiums in Jerez (Spain) and Mugello (Italy) before making his historic first win in Assen (Netherlands) – Mahindra’s maiden victory in the World Championship. It proved the high-level performance capabilities of the MGP3O. Two more victories followed with John Mcphee dominating the field in a wet Czech Grand Prix and Pecco taking a wonderful seven-second win in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

    Besides its commitment to the World Championship, Mahindra Racing supplies MGP3O machines to Team Aspar and Team LaGlisse in the World Championship feeder series – the FIM CEV Repsol International Championship (Moto3 Junior World Championship). Grand Prix legend Max Biaggi will spearhead Mahindra’s effort in the 2017 Elf CIV – Italian National Championship.

    Mahindra’s bold decision to take on the world’s best at the highest level of motorcycle racing has won the team a number of prestigious awards in India, including:

    • Mobil1 Motorsport Award | NDTV Car and Bike Awards, 2017, 2013, 2012
    • Motosport Award | Autocar India, 2017
    • Bikesport Award of the Year | Times Auto Awards, 2017
    • Racing Bike of the Year | Zeeignition Auto Awards, 2016
    • Motorsport Award | Bike India Magazine, 2013
    • Motorsport Award of the Year | ZigWheels Awards, 2012

     

    For further information please visit: www.mahindraracing.com.

    About Mahindra

    The Mahindra Group focuses on enabling people to rise through solutions that power mobility, drive rural prosperity, enhance urban lifestyles and increase business efficiency.

    A USD 19 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra provides employment opportunities to over 200,000 people in over 100 countries. Mahindra operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership. In addition, Mahindra enjoys a strong presence in the agribusiness, aerospace, components, consulting services, defence, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, retail, steel, commercial vehicles and two wheeler industries.

    In 2015, Mahindra & Mahindra was recognized as the Best Company for CSR in India in a study by the Economic Times. In 2014, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000, a comprehensive listing of the world’s largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenue, profit, assets and market value. The Mahindra Group also received the Financial Times ‘Boldness in Business’ Award in the ‘Emerging Markets’ category in 2013.

    ends/inputs from Mahindra release

  • Ruhaan Alva, Yash Aradhya, Aaroh Ravindra for World Rotax Grand Finale in Portugal

    Bangalore, 15 Oct 2017: Ruhaan Alva (Micro Max), Yash Aradhya (Junior Max) and Aaroh Ravindra (Senior Max) will represent India in the World Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals at Portugal from November 4-11 according to sources. Portimao in Algarve will be the venue for the 16th edition where 288 of the best kart drivers in the world will compete in four categories supported by independent chassis partners.

    Meanwhile, in the Nationals, Arjun Rajiv of Birel Art India won the Micro Max Championship while Yash Aradhya (MSport) and Aaroh Ravindra of Rayo Racing won the Junior Max and Senior Max Championships respectively. Team Rayo Racing won the team championship while Nirmal Umashankar became the best driver of the year.

    Ruhaan Alva, won the final race of the fifth and final round in the Micro Max class at the Meco Kartopia in the Rotax Max Karting National Championship organised by Meco Motorsports under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (fmsci) here on Sunday.

    However, the 11-year old Bengaluru boy, who recently won the second runners-up place in the Italian EasyKart 60cc championship, was given a third place after the stewards’ ruling following a protest. That did not, however, deny him a second place in the Micro Max championship.

    Aaroh Ravindra, Senior Max National Champion. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan
    Ruhaan reacts at the Meco Kartopia on Sunday after hearing the news of World finals. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan, commissioned for INDIAinF1.

    Ruhaan’s teammate Arjun Rajiv could only finish sixth and fifth in the two races this week-end but that was enough for him to garner a total tally of 416 points, eight more than Ruhaan, to win the Championship crown. Rishon MR, also of Birel Art India, came third for a clean sweep by the Birel team. Both Ruhaan and Rishon had 408 points.

    In the Senior Max championship, it was Aaroh Ravindra of Rayo Racing who won the National title with 436 points after he finished second in both the races in the last round here. Nirmal Umashankar of MSport was second with a tally of 403 points while Aanjan Patodia, also of Rayo Racing, got the second runners-up with 388 points.

    It was Yash Aradhya of MSport who won the National Championship in the Junior Max category with 432 points edging out Chirag Ghorpade, who won both the pre-finals andn finals this week-end but fell short by six points in his last-round dash with only 423 points. Yash came third in the pre-final and second in the last race of the season. Shahan Ali Mohsin MSport came third with 405 points with a second and third place this week-end.

    Championship winners:

    Micro Max

    1. Arjun Rajiv – 416 – Birel Art India
    2. Ruhaan Alva – 408 – Birel Art India
    3. Rishon M R – 408 – Birel Art India

     Winning Team Champion  – Peregrine Racing

    Junior Max

    1. Yash Aradya – 432 – MSPORT
    2. Chirag Ghorpade – 423 – BPC Racing
    3. Shahan Ali Mohsin – 405 – MSPORT

     Winning Team Champion  – MSPORT

    Senior Max

    1. Aaroh Ravindra – 436 – Rayo Racing
    2. Nirmal Umashankar – 403 – MSPORT
    3. Aanjan Patodia – 388 – Rayo Racing

    Winning Team Champion – Rayo Racing

    Maximum Number of Pole Position – Ruhaan Alva

    Maximum Number of Wins – Aaroh Ravinda

    Best New Corner – Rishon M R

    Best Driver of the Year – Nirmal Uma Shankar

    Akbar Ebrahim Most Improved Karter of the Year – Rohaan Madhesh

    eom/with inputs from official results

    edited at 11.15 am on 16 Oct 2017 correcting names following an official revisions

     

     

  • Zarco Johann takes pole; Marquez takes P3

    Zarco Johann takes pole; Marquez takes P3

    Zarco Johann of Monster Yamaha Tech3 took a shocking pole in wet conditions even as reigning world champion Marc Marquez set the third fastest time of the day in the Japanese Grand Prix at the Motegi track here on Saturday.

    The Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, the championship leader, switched from rain tyres to slicks for his second time attack and the 24-year-old Spaniard was unable to improve on the time that had until then put him on provisional pole. Italian Petrucci Danilo of Octo Pramac Racing set the second fastest time for P2 with a 1’53.787’’.

    Nonetheless, Marquez 1’53.903” time, set despite a big slide in the final corner, was quick enough to earn him his 11th front-row start of this season, less than half a second from pole-setter Johann Zarco.

    For rookie Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) it was a shock last minute pole position, his second in the permier class as he took the honour late in the session and no further laps able to challenge the Frenchman. Petrucci second came in wet-but-drying track conditions.

    With a dry line beginning to appear by the start of MotoGP™ Q2 session, it was the KTMs of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith moving through to join the top ten in the shootout – and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) sending immediate shockwaves through the field as he headed out on slicks straight away. That would prove the wrong decision, and the nine-time World Champion was then forced back in to switch.

    Marquez, meanwhile, was 1.6 seconds clear at the top when he decided to try slicks – despite a moment on the wet tyres on what would prove his fastest lap. That left a target on P1 for many in the field still pushing hard on wets, with Zarco best able to take the challenge to the reigning Champion and Petrucci then taking second – with Marquez locking out the front row. A gamble gone wrong, but a heads up on how quickly Motegi dries out in case of a flag to flag?

    Heading the second row and fulfilling his Friday target is Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), who just missed out on lining up further forward in the latter stages of his last lap, with Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) taking fifth on his final push and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) locking out Row 2.

    The KTMs were next up, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) initially taking a provisional front row before times began to further tumble, and by the flag it was teammate Bradley Smith who just pipped the Spaniard. The Austrian factory machines will start seventh and eighth; Espargaro only 0.034 in arrears.

    Title challenger Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) had a more difficult session and ended Q2 in P9, with Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins and Andrea Iannone taking tenth and eleventh. Rossi, after his early gamble on slicks, lines up in P12.

    After going third fastest in Q1, Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing) will line up behind the nine-time World Champion, and just ahead of the second factory Yamaha Maverick Viñales, who had a tough Saturday. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) starts fifteenth after missing out on Q2 following a moment at the final corner on his last lap in Q1.

    Marc Marquez said: The result is good but clearly the slicks today weren’t the right choice, as it was a bit too early for them. Anyway, you always have to look at the positive side of things, which in this case, firstly is that we’re still on the front row, as we had already done a very good lap time on rain tyres; and secondly is that we managed to understand a few things in case of a flag-to-flag race. I’m also happy I saved a crash when I set my fastest time and avoided my team missing dinner tonight!

    Now it’s time to race. Wet, dry, something in between…it all remains to be seen at Motegi, with the title contenders split throughout the field and some dark horses beginning to emerge. Tune in at 14:00 (GMT +9) on Sunday to see the Japanese GP kick the flyaways into gear.

    Qualifying Results

    Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Time/Gap
    1 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’53.469
    2 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA Octo Pramac Racing 1’53.787
    3 MARQUEZ Marc 93 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’53.903
    4 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’53.947
    5 LORENZO Jorge 99 SPA Ducati Team 1’54.235
    6 PEDROSA Dani 26 SPA Repsol Honda Team 1’54.342
    7 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1’54.872
    8 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1’54.906
    9 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA Ducati Team 1’55.064
    10 RINS Alex 42 SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’55.483
    11 IANNONE Andrea 29 ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar 1’55.617
    12 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’57.786
    13 BAZ Loris 76 FRA Reale Avintia Racing 1’55.862 Q1
    14 VINALES Maverick 25 SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’55.916 Q1
    15 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR LCR Honda 1’55.952 Q1
    16 BAUTISTA Alvaro 19 SPA Pull&Bear Aspar Team 1’56.292 Q1
    17 BARBERA Hector 8 SPA Reale Avintia Racing 1’56.668 Q1
    18 LOWES Sam 22 GBR Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 1’56.771 Q1
    19 RABAT Tito 53 SPA EG 0,0 Marc VDS 1’56.903 Q1
    20 ABRAHAM Karel 17 CZE Pull&Bear Aspar Team 1’57.144 Q1
    21 AOYAMA Hiroshi 7 JPN EG 0,0 Marc VDS 1’57.157 Q1
    22 REDDING Scott 45 GBR Octo Pramac Racing 1’57.787 Q1
    23 NAKASUGA Katsuyuki 21 JPN Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing 1’57.861 Q1
    24 NOZANE Kohta 31 JPN Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2’01.730 Q1

    eom/with inputs from Repsol Honda and MotoGP releases

     

  • Bengaluru girl Aishwarya fourth in Raid de Himalaya: Xtreme category Group B bikes

    Bengaluru girl Aishwarya fourth in Raid de Himalaya: Xtreme category Group B bikes

    Photos courtesy Aishwarya Pissay
    Aishwarya in action at Raid de Himalaya 2017 in Group B Xtreme class.

    Leh (J & K), 13 Oct 2017: Aishwarya Pissay, riding a factory-supported TVS Apache RTR 200, endured the grueling 19th Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya Rally to finish a creditable fourth in the “Xtreme” category for Group B bikes here on Friday.

    She is the only female rider to complete the course in the week-long event in  her second attempt this year.

    The Raid, which has earned notoriety for breaking the hardiest of men and machines, is considered to be among the toughest rallies in the World as the participants have to negotiate treacherous terrain and high altitude mountain passes.

    Aishwarya, the 21-year old from Bengaluru and first-ever National champion among girls in both racing and rallying, was in line for a podium finish, but a couple of crashes cost her precious time.

    Reflecting on her performance, Aishwarya said: “I am delighted to have finished such a grueling rally, and it was an improvement over my debut last year when I had to retire on the very first day. Today, the gap was too much to make up and I focused on finishing the course, though fourth in Group B.

    “It was a very challenging event which tested my mental and physical limits. There were times, especially when I crashed a few times, my body wanted to give up, but I pushed myself to continue. I also had to endure extreme cold and high altitude. So, overall, I am extremely happy to have crossed the finish line.”

    After a smooth start to her campaign which was flagged off from Manali on October 8, Aishwarya, who is supported by TVS Racing, had to endure tough moments. In her bid to catch up with front-runners yesterday, she fell heavily. In fact, she covered the last 20 Kms of Stage on just two gears, first and second, and having to bend down to move the gear lever with her hand.

    “I had a good start with trouble-free runs on Days 1 and 2 though the terrain was really rough. Only about 25 of the 43 bikes which had taken the start finished Day 2.

    “On Day 3, I had some issues with my bike as there was not enough intake of oxygen into the carburetor and the engine kept stalling, but I managed to pull through and was running third in my Group B class.

    “I survived a couple of crashes on Day 4 when we did the Leh to Kargil run and dropped one spot to fourth. Yesterday, Day 5, was very stressful. We had a 65Kms of Competitive Section followed by 85 Kms of Special Stage. In the latter half of the run, I fell heavily as I pushed too hard trying to catch up with a couple of bikers ahead of me.

    “The bike suffered some damage and kept dragging to the left. Over the last 20 Kms or so, I had to bend down to change the gears with my hand. There were only first and second gears available, but somehow I managed to finish the Stage at the end of which the TVS service crew did a fantastic job of repairing the bike.

    “We had to return to Kargil by the same route as the next Stage was cancelled due to technical reasons. I had a 4 am flag-off and I think, I rode for nearly 11 hours, covering some 400-plus Kms!”

  • Bangalore school-boy Ruhaan third in Easykart Italian championship

    Ruhaan Alva with the trophy for finishing third Overall in the Easykart Italian Championship on Sunday. Image courtesy Ruhaan Alva

    Castelletto di Branduzzo (Italy), 9 Oct 2017: Ruhaan Alva of Bangalore came a creditable third in the Easykart Italian championship and was awarded a trophy at the prize-distribution function here on Sunday. The Easykart 60 cc races finished last month with 26 pilots in the fray.

    After deciding the winners of the Easykart Italia Trophy on the Friuli Venezia Giulia International Circuit in Lignano Sabbiadoro last month, where Ruhaan finished third in the championship, the event according to the well-established tradition, arrived here for this year’s Finale Internazionale, the closing event of the Easykart 2017 season. Even in the Grand Prix Finale, Ruhaan, who just turned 11, came 5th in the International competition. After starting 10th on the grid he managed a fifth on Sunday.

    Before he went to the last rounds (8&9), the Indian was placed fourth in the championship. In the 9-round event Ruhaan garnered 136 points, including three wins, for his third. In fact, he had more wins than the top-two but he was at a disadvantage after missing the first round in March. He was tied with Patrese Lorenzo (136) in the second place. D’urso Daniele came first with 154 points.

    In a chat with www.INDIAinF1.com, Umakanth Alva said: “Though he missed out on the first round of the Easy 60 category, since he was competing in Mini 60, he has been fighting it out for the top spot until round 7 where he had a DQ and dropped to 4th place. He has proved himself as a driver to watch out for and all the experience and learning from Italy will take him a long way.”

    Supported by Birel Art, the leading Italian kart manufacturer, he had a disappointing start to the weekend. Struggling for pace, he was placed ninth in his group and 19th overall after the qualifying practice session.

    Later, he finished Heat-1 in fifth place after making 14 places and was leading in Heat-2 when he was shunted off the track, but recovered to cross the line in eighth. In Heat-3, he started 10th and finished seventh to qualify for the Finals.

    Starting the finals again in 10th spot (on the basis of points accrued during the Heats), Ruhaan put in a determined performance to eventually finish fifth in a tougher field.

    eom/with inputs from AP Media Comm.