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Category: F4
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JK Tyre, Vamcy Merla to sponsor Ruhaan’s GB4 campaign in the UK
Bengaluru, 6 April, 2023: Ruhaan Alva, the young 16-year-old racing prodigy’s next big international outing will be the 2023 GB4 Championship, which gets underway this kon Friday at Oulton Park in the UK.
Ruhaan, who had a dream run in his racing career with four National titles and multiple club titles, for a total of seven titles under his belt, will take part in the GB4 Championship, an extremely-competitive single-seater motorsport series based in the United Kingdom. Indian rising star, Ruhaan Alva will race with renowned Fortec Motorsport team in the upcoming season.
Ruhaan Alva said: “I’m really excited to be racing in the GB4 Championship this year with such a fantastic team as Fortec Motorsport. The aim is to use this as a springboard and to be as successful in single seaters as I have been throughout karting. I’m grateful to the support JK Tyre has extended to me throughout my racing career. I also thank Mr. Vamcy Merla for his belief in me and my talent. I look forward to represent our country and our Indian motorsport fraternity.”
In 2021, he won four Championships in India at a very young age of 15 years. The driver from Bengaluru, has already represented the country on several international platforms like the Rotax Grand Finals in Bahrain in 2021, Ferrari Driver Academy Asia Pacific selection programme and the World Motorsport Games in F4 in 2022.
JK Tyre Motorsport known for nurturing motorsport talent from India for over four decades inducted Ruhaan in their scholarship program last year.
The talented Bangalore boy, graduates to full-time single-seater Formula cars after an impressive karting and racing career, including winning the Indian X30 title and front-running appearances at both the IAME International Final and Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals. Now, Ruhaan will contest the seven-event, 21-race GB4 calendar alongside Fortec’s other driver, Colin Queen. The third driver slot is yet to be announced.
Sanjay Sharma, Head of Motorsports, JK Tyre, said: “Ruhaan has been a trailblazer in Indian racing circuit and now it is time that he proves his mettle on international soil. Nothing gives us more happiness than supporting our racers who proudly represent our Tri-colour. We wish Ruhaan the very best and hope that this experience will propel him closer to his dream.”
In a recent announcement by Fortec Motorsport, Team Principal Oliver Dutton said: “We’re really looking forward to working with Ruhaan. His is a name that has been cropping up on a few people’s radars recently, and we definitely think he has a lot of potential. GB4 is a really tough championship, as we found out last year, but with the right development and some experience, he can be a force to be reckoned with, and his addition to the team puts us in even stronger shape heading to Oulton Park this weekend.”
About JK Tyre Motorsport:
JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades. The company laid down a long-term plan to popularize and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So, it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport. JK Tyre’s efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others. JK Tyre Motorsports is very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, the company also gave them opportunities in various national championships. With a vision to promote women in motorsports, the company has curated women-centric events such as JK Tyre WIAA Women’s Rally to Valley, JK Tyre Defence Wives Power Drive, JK Tyre-YFLO Women’s Power Drive, JK Tyre Times Women’s Drive apart from introducing an all-women’s team in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship to encourage women to take up to the sport.
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Indian karting star Jaden Pariat to race in British F4 for 2023
Bengaluru, 31 Jan 2023: A 14-year-old karter, sat in shock and disbelief in a corner, away from everyone and tried to let the disappointment sink in as he just lost the Championship by a whisker after a fierce fight in the last race and intense battle throughout the season. But just after about 8 minutes, Jaden Pariat got up, consoled himself and put up a composed self and went in search of his arch-rival Rohaan Madesh, to whom he just lost the title. Finding him in the parking lot, he congratulated him and his mother.
This ‘gentleman’ quality at such a young age has made Jaden Pariat, a class apart. His aggressive driving and inherent talent shaped his skills and urge for speed and despite lack of experience, he became vice-champion in the Junior class (X30 2021) and made his presence felt. The flamboyant youngster from North East studied in a Boarding school in Delhi and raced in Bengaluru. Racing blood is in his genes. His father, Atikur Rehman who took part in Indian National Racing Championship (This reporter witnessed his creditable overall 2nd in K1000 1997 with co-driver Sanjeev Shah) in late nineties, brought him a buggy, after seeing the interest of his son, and the young Jaden used to drive around in the the farm near their Tea estates back home. After cutting his racing teeth at Meco Kartopia in 2020, and dabbling with open-wheel Formula cars at Chennai and Coimbatore for a few rounds, Jaden moved to international events in just 18 months, taking part in the last two rounds of the British F4. Now he signed up for a full season.
Multi-faceted talent
Jaden was also a skilled football player and has played for the Delhi team in the Under-14 Subroto Cup against Uzbekistan. He is a multi-faceted talent, with a flair for drama and dance and was a member of the Model United Nations, where he won an award in debate. He also used to play basketball and badminton besides being a good swimmer but motorsports, now, leaves him no time, for any of these childhood pass-times. The love for driving, which he first tasted “first hand” having laid his hands on the steering wheel, sitting on the lap of his dad’s long road trips from their business headquarters Guwahati, to ‘Pariat home’ in Laitkor Peak, Shillong, has taken over. Having entered the tough ‘grooming zone’, in Europe, at the right age, this talented racer is bound to go places if nurtured properly.
Jaden joins Phinsys by Argenti
Jaden Pariat, file photo by Jakob Ebrey Jaden will join leading UK single-seater team Phinsys by Argenti, for his first full F4 British Championship season in 2023, info received here from Torque said on Tuesday. This makes it, two Indians in the British F4 this season. Another Indian-origin driver, Bengaluru-born Singaporean Dion Gowda, will be racing with Carlin team.
An excited Jaden took to social media and announced his 2023 British F4 campaign. “After driving the F4 British Championship for the last two rounds of the 2022 season it only made sense to return to new British F4 season. The amount I learned on and off track during those two rounds of the championship was really incredible. With the level of teams and drivers on the grid and the technicality of the circuits in the calendar, it makes for one of the best driver development and experience gaining championships in the world,” he said.
Full F4 season in EnglandAfter turning 16 years of age last week, he is set to move from his native Shillong in India to take up full time residence in the UK, focusing on building his international racing profile after an impressive debut weekend podium appearance last season. “We chose Phinsys by Argenti as the team have had a great few years in the championship, bagging nine wins and multiple podiums. Michael’s vision to support and develop drivers in their first steps into single seaters was also very fitting to our needs. I am super excited for the upcoming season and look forward to what we can achieve together,” added Jaden.
Jaden began his motorsport career in 2020, competing in the Meco FMSCI X30 National Karting Championship, becoming the first Indian karting rookie to gain a podium on his debut race. Returning for his second season, the youngster finished runner up, alongside parallel campaigns in MRF Challenge FLGB 1300 and the JK Tyre Championship.
In 2022, after testing MRF 1600 and F2000 machinery in India, Jaden travelled to the UK to sample the Tatuus T-421 and completed the final two rounds of the F4 British Championship at iconic venues Silverstone and Brands Hatch.
Stunning international debut podiumGaining silverware to commemorate his first international race weekend, the then 15-year-old impressed with a highest finish of seventh overall and second of the Rookies at Silverstone, a clear showing of his natural talent and potential.
Last year saw Pariat testing in the Tatuus T-421, which resulted in him competing in the last two race weekends of the 2022 ROKiT British F4 Championship. His best result from the six races was a very credible seventh place and second in the Rookies at Silverstone Round 26.
Pariat is the third driver to sign for Argenti’s 2023 campaign, joining Isaac Barashi and Patrick Heuzenroeder. Since joining the Championship in 2020, Argenti has claimed nine race victories, most recently with drivers Aiden Neate, and Daniel Guinchard.
Having competed in fewer than three race meetings, Jaden will be eligible for the Rookie Cup in addition to the Drivers’ Championship, giving the young racer further opportunities to fight for podiums in an ultra-competitive grid.
Michael Meadows, Team Principle, Phinsys by Argenti
“Having tested Jaden last year, we were impressed with his performance but also his ability to learn and take on information. As a rookie this is a hugely important factor as they make the transition to F4.
“The team are very much looking forward to working with Jaden, helping him develop as a driver and achieving strong results in the F4 British Championship.”
Jaden will be joining teammates with the Northamptonshire outfit, Argenti, having celebrated nine race victories and multiple podium appearances since joining the F4 British Championship in 2020.Donington Park, Leicestershire hosts the season opener on 22-23 April, 2023.
Want to go racing abroad?
Torque Motorsport is a marketing agency based in the heart of the UK’s ‘motorsport valley’, in Silverstone, just a stone’s throw from the home of the BRDC and British Grand Prix.
It works with teams, drivers, championships, organising bodies, suppliers, sponsors, and more, providing a range of services, including PR, video, social media, web design and hosting, guest management, and livery design.Editor’s note: Drivers or parents who are looking to go abroad can contact Torque Motorsports.
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Mumbai Falcons claims first win of 2023 at Kuwait: F4 UAE
Kuwait, 30 Jan 2023: Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited continued to score wins and podiums at Kuwait Motor Town this weekend extending the Indian outfit’s lead in both championships, as the brand-new 5.6-kilometer venue hosted the second round of the Formula Regional Middle East and Formula 4 UAE championships.
In F4 UAE, Mumbai Falcons got up to a blistering start, with James Wharton achieving one pole position and a win. The 16-year-old Ferrari Driver Academy racer, determined to bounce back from a challenging opener, quickly accomplished the goal in race 1 with his first win of 2023.
“It was good to be back to where we should be – said Wharton – But now it’s time to get our head down and try to get to the front of the championship as well.”
Wharton then finished a close second in race 2, edging fellow Mumbai Falcons team-mate and FDA member Tuukka Taponen, who was the best rookie. Indian racer Muhammad Ibrahim showed solid improvement and battled for points to confirm his consistent growth. Mumbai Falcons maintain the lead in the Team’s Championship.
The Formula Regional Middle East Championship turned out to be hard-fought and unpredictable, but Mumbai Falcons still managed to retain the lead in both the driver and team championships. Swede Dino Beganovic punched another ticket to victory in race 1, in a Mumbai Falcons 1-2 finish in front of Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Italian sensation is still at the top of the charts with a double P2 finish, although an issue forced him to retire in race 2.
“Mumbai Falcons are committed to proving that an Indian Team can win Internationally. We are leading both championships and are giving a fantastic opportunity for Indian racers to work closely with the world’s best drivers & engineers.” Said CEO – Moid Tungekar
For the third round of the season, both series will stay in Kuwait before finally moving back to the Emirates. After Muhammad Ibrahim was given the opportunity to race for the first 2 rounds, Indian Karting Champion – Rishon Rajeev will race the upcoming two rounds in Kuwait & Dubai.
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Dion Gowda to race for Carlin in ROKit British F4 in 2023
Bengaluru, 1 Feb 2023: Dion Gowda, a Bengaluru-born karter will be racing in the ROKit British F4 Championship for 2023 with Carlin team. The grid will also have another Indian karting star, Jaden R Pariat, who made his debut in Bengaluru. (Editor’s note: added on 31 Jan 2023)
A day after Carlin wrapped up the 2022 Teams’ Championship in the highly competitive junior series in October 22, it announced the signing up of Gowda. He will compete in his first season of single seater racing with the British team and had started a thorough test programme ahead of the first round in April.
The 15-year-old Gowda has already been making a name for himself despite his young age. Racing in multiple kart championships the youngster has finished fourth in the ROK Cup Singapore and also competed in the X30 SouthEast Asia Championship.
Born in India, but racing under a Singaporean flag, Gowda made the commitment to move to the UK to continue his racing career having fallen in love with the sport. Joining forces with karting legends Ricky FlynnMotorsport since the 2020 season, Gowda has been learning his craft in multiple championships.
Gowda has already begun his preparations for the 2023 ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA season having embarked on a full pre-season testing programme, including simulator work at Carlin’s Farnham factory, before the opening round of the year gets underway in April at Donington Park.
Speaking about the season ahead, Gowda said, “I’m hugely exited to join Carlin for my F4 racing debut. Carlin is one of the most successful racing teams in the world, so of course I was thrilled to confirm my place with them in British F4.
“I have built a great relationship with the team already and preparations for 2023 are well underway. There will be a lot to learn in my first season stepping up from karting but I’m confident we will be competitive, and I can’t wait to go racing.”
Racing Director Trevor Carlin added, “Dion is a very promising young driver with exactly the right attitude. He’s keen to learn as much as possible at every test and has a fantastic approach both inside and outside the car. For every rookie there is a lot to learn in the first season of single seaters but we’ve no doubt that Dion will adapt well to that challenge and be a great asset to the team.”
About Dion Gowda
Born in Bangalore, India, Dion’s racing career began at the young age of 9 with a visit to a Singaporean kart track, inspired by watching Formula 1 stars such as Lewis Hamilton on TV.
Dion quickly discovered a natural talent for driving in the Cadet (Mini 60) and Mini ROK categories of karting, and with the support of his family, moved to London to pursue his dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver himself.
In 2017, Dion joined the Kokoro Performance roster of drivers and took two podiums on his way to 4th overall in ROK Cup Singapore. Dion also competed in the X30 South East Asia Championship finishing 3rd in Round 3, before fighting in the top 10 of the X30 International Finals to round out the season.
Now 14, Dion enters his final yearof competing in World Championship Karting events for Ricky Flynn Motorsport. Success in the OK class takes Dion one step closer to achieving his dream of being the first driver from India to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
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Jaden makes stunning debut in British F4 at Silverstone
London, 27 Sept. 2022: Indian karting star Jaden Pariat secured a podium for Chris Dittmann Racing in the F4 British Championship at Silverstone during the weekend to get the maiden podium for his team in the season.
Jaden’s second-place rookie cup finish represented Chris Dittmann Racing’s first podium position in the F4 British Championship this season. The championship will now have a two-week vacation before returning for the season finale at Brands Hatch on the weekend of October 8 and 9.
Jaden, the first runner-up in the X30 National 2021, joined the squad alongside returnee Jack Sherwood to complete a two-car lineup for the last two rounds of the season. After a wet and gloomy Friday practice session, the sun shone brightly on Saturday, when Jaden competed in his first qualifying session. A red flag was raised at half distance, upsetting the two teenage racers as they sought to achieve their fastest speeds, before returning to green with less than ten minutes remaining. In the end, Jack finished 17th and Jaden finished 19th, making the races a tough struggle but a terrific learning opportunity for the two.
Jack went up four places into 13th on the first lap of race one, before moving into the top 10 as turmoil up ahead forced a number of cars to fall down the order. Jaden had gained two positions on the start after recovering from a stall on the grid, but the race was interrupted by a Safety Car.
When racing resumed, the duo did well to avoid further trouble amongst the front runners, which brought out a second Safety Car, and, as the cars settled back into the race, Jaden made the move on Isaac Barashi to cross the line 11th, with Jack ahead in eighth to score his second top ten finish in just his seventh race in the series. Despite another grid stall, Jaden moved up two positions to 17th on the first lap of race two.
The teenage racer took advantage of other drivers’ errors and flew into 13th place. From then, it was a stunning sprint to the finish line for the 15-year-old, who crossed ninth overall and second among rookies, earning a Rookie Cup podium spot on his first weekend, which was later boosted to seventh overall owing to post-race penalties for other drivers. Unfortunately for Jack, early collision damaged his front wing, requiring him to pit for a replacement. Re-emerging in 19th, the teenager had a tough struggle through the pack, but he managed to keep out of trouble and cross the finish 15th. Race three got off to a dramatic start, with a stopped vehicle on the grid prompting a crash. Jaden swerved onto the grass as an evasive manoeuvre, but recovered well before the Safety Car was deployed to clean debris on the track. On lap five, with the time ticking down, it made its way into the pitlane before returning straight back to reclaim another vehicle.
When racing began again, there were fewer than eight minutes left, and both Jack and Jaden got away strongly on the restart, moving up to 12th and 15th position, respectively. Further contact ahead brought out the third Safety Car of the race, but with barely one minute remaining, the race was called off. Jaden’s second place rookie cup finish marked the first podium appearance for Chris Dittmann Racing in the F4 British Championship this season, rewarding the team’s continued hard work and dedication. There is now a two week break before the championship returns.
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Indian karter Jaden Pariat to debut in British F4
London, 22 Sept. 2023: The 15-year-old from Shillong, in Meghalaya, graduates into Britain’s FIA Formula 4 series after a karting career that included the Meco FMSCI X30 National championship, in which he became the first Indian rookie to score a podium on debut.
He finished as runner-up in the series the following year, whilst also separately contesting the MRF Challenge FLGB 1300 and JK Tyre Championship.
Having tested extensively in MRF 1600 AND F2000 cars earlier in 2022, plus some initial mileage in the Tatuus T-421, Pariat has now chosen Tewkesbury-based Chris Dittmann Racing for his ROKiT British F4 debut, starting this weekend at Silverstone (23-25 September).
“I got into motorsport two years ago, and I was mainly influenced by my dad, Atikur, who is a national champion in rallying,” explains Pariat. “We’ve been having fun with cars together since I was a kid, and my original goal was to become a rally driver because of him, but since my dad has already experienced that, I thought I should try something new.
“I started with karting and since then have become vice champion in the Meco FMSCI X30 National Karting Championship, and then moved onto a series called FLGB 1300, which is similar to Formula Ford here, where I became vice champion too after winning on my debut.
“This year I did some testing in MRF 1600 and F2000, before deciding to try something new overseas. To progress, you need to learn from people who are better than you, so that’s why I’m here. I’m learning a lot and I’ve been pretty happy with where we are now. The testing has helped prepared me a little better for British F4. There is still lots to learn, but physically, I’m not facing any difficulties.
“I definitely have big goals, so hopefully we can achieve some good results. I have high expectations for myself, but ultimately this is a learning experience and something we can use to help us build a solid basis for the future.”
CDR have an established track record of driver development, making them the perfect fit for Pariat at a crucial stage in his career. Team Principal Chris Dittmann welcomed the team’s latest protégé to the fold, and has been impressed with his testing outings to-date.
“We’ve been speaking to Jaden for about a month, through a contact of ours in India,” says Dittmann. “He’s very keen to get some mileage in the new F4 car, and with the opportunity there for the last two rounds of the season, it was a great time for him to come and learn in the right environment.
“We’ve been fortunate to get a few test days with Jaden already in the last few weeks and we’ve been pretty impressed. The chemistry has been there from the outset, and we’ve been working together well, so now we’re just looking forward to the last few rounds to see what we can do.
“There’s been a lot of preparation on the simulator before each test date which has been key to fine tune things before going out on track. He’ll be coming into the championship on the back foot compared to most of the drivers, but he’s up for the challenge.”
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Racing Promotions takes India to GoodWood festival of Speed
Mumbai, 22 June 2022: Racing Promotions (RPPL), organisers of the revolutionary India Racing Festival announced recently will be present at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the world’s greatest celebration of motorsport and car culture at West Sussex, UK from June 23.
With the Indian motorsports scene coming into the limelight, RPPL has taken the baton to bring India on the global playing field through various racing events this year.
The Festival at the stunning parkland around Goodwood House, West Sussex, starting tomorrow is motorsport’s ultimate summer garden party, an exhilarating celebration of the world’s most spectacular sport. It brings forth an assembly of auto experts, racers and veterans from the industry experts from all around the world.
Akhilesh Reddy, Director MEIL and Chairman, RPPL (Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd) said, “Goodwood Festival is a huge opportunity for us to represent the Indian Racing Festival on a global scale. It will help in attracting more spotlight and exposure for the Indian racing scene, and will play an important role in spreading awareness amongst motorsports enthusiasts for the races happening this winter.”
Indian Racing Festival will set up stall to represent at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, showcasing the legendary Wolf Racing’s GB08 Thunder, a roaring racing machine, at its tent.
Giovanni Bellarosa, General Manager, Wolf Racing Car said, “It is really a great satisfaction to see our Wolf GB08 Thunder at the start in the Indian Racing League, we strongly believe in the organizational skills of our Indian partners, and we were immediately very impressed by the work. made by the top management of IRL, we are convinced the Championship will have great visibility and will bring many spectators to the racetracks for the 5 events and we also expect to see some very young drivers succeed in making a name for themselves in Motorsport thanks to this series. Presenting the program and the car at Goodwood is something truly perfect and in line with the ambitions of the project.”
RPPL recently announced the dates for its biggest formula racing event in India – ‘Indian Racing league’featuring FIA-certified ‘Formula 4 and Formula Regional Indian Championship in Nov-Dec 2022’, and looks forward towards exhibitions and interactions on an international level, garnering the global attention to the possibilities of how India can become a leading motorsports destination in the world.
About RPPL
Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd (RPPL) is owned by two multi-billion-dollar businesses MEIL and Gadhoke Group. In 2021, Indian racers Aditya and Armaan, along with their partners at RPPL- with Akhil Reddy as the Chairman, launched the Formula Regional Indian Championship as well as the F4 Indian Championship that will run along with the all new Indian Festival League in 2022 across 4 cities over 5 weekends.
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Racing Promotions to promote F4 and Indian Racing Festival
Mumbai, 17 June 2022: Powered by a vision to revive motor-sports in India, Indian motorsports company, Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd (RPPL)today announced the debut of the Indian Racing Festival. The festival which will bring in multiple franchise into the format will enthrall the audience on weekends in multiple cities including all kinds of exciting racing tracks and even a street circuit. The festival will begin from the weekend of November 11th and run every weekend until the weekend of December 10th across 5 weekends across multi-city locations including the former F1 track at BIC Greater Noida, the debut of the India’s first street track at Hyderabad, Coimbatore and MMRT Chennai.
The Indian Racing Festival RPPL will host 3 race events – Formula Regional Indian championship, Formula 4 Indian Championship and the Indian Racing League. Formula Regional Indian championship and the F4 Indian championships will be certified by the FIA; championship winners will be awarded FIA Super License points. However, these three championships are not the only ones on the horizon. RPPL has great intentions to establish racing infrastructure and begin developing talent from the ground up!
Details for the racing events are mentioned below –Races/Events Date Venue Formula Regional + F4 Indian + IRL (pre-season testing) 8 – 10 November BIC Greater Noida Formula Regional + F4 Indian + Indian Racing League 11 – 13 November BIC Greater Noida Formula Regional + F4 Indian + Indian Racing League 19 – 20 November Hyderabad Formula Regional + F4 Indian + Indian Racing League 25 – 27 November Coimbatore Formula Regional + F4 Indian + Indian Racing League 2- 4 December MMRT – Chennai Formula Regional + F4 Indian + Indian Racing League 10 – 11 December Hyderabad Akhilesh Reddy, Director MEIL and Chairman, RPPL (Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd) says, “Our ambition for the Indian Racing Festival is to put India back on the map of motorsports and to provide opportunities for young Indian racing drivers to take up the sport more seriously by providing them with a platform to advance to the top right in their own hometown. We are pleased to have drivers like Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim in our team to guide us, we are also planning to reach out to various colleges as well to promote the sport. Indian Racing Festival featuring Formula Regional Indian championship, Formula 4 Indian Championship and the Indian Racing League, will attract the international racing fraternity to India, and subsequently, suppliers to the global auto-racing industry. Racing Promotions’ vision and initiatives in Formula Regional and F4 are steppingstones towards taking an all-Indian team to F1 in the next 5-7 years and an all-Indian women’s team to F2 in the next 10-12 years.”
The representatives of Indian Racing Festival attended the UK based GB3, GB4 and the British F4 championship and there are further plans to promote the Indian Racing Festival at prominent motorsports events around the world including becoming the first Indian registered company to exhibit at the mecca of motorsport -Goodwood Festival of Speed event in the UK. The team will also be in attendance at European events such as the Spanish F4, Formula Regional Europe championship by Alpine, Italian F4, French F4, German F4, FIA CIK event and ACCR F4.
The distinction of Indian racing will rise in the global rankings by holding not one, but two FIA sanctioned championships, which will attract spectators and contribute to economic success over the following 4-5 years.
About RPPL
Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd (RPPL) is owned by two multi-billion-dollar businesses MEIL and Gadhoke Group. In 2021, Indian racers Aditya and Armaan, along with their partners at RPPL- with Akhil Reddy as the Chairman, launched the Formula Regional Indian Championship as well as the F4 Indian Championship that will run along with the all new Indian Festival League in 2022 across 4 cities over 5 weekends.
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Gaurav Gill gets WRC2 outing for 2022 Safari Rally
India’s decorated rally driver and Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill on Wednesday announced his return to the World Rally Championship (WRC) 2022 after a two-year hiatus.
The three-time APRC (Asia Pacific Rally Championship) champion and a seven-time INRC (Indian National Rally Championship) champion will take part in the WRC Safari Rally in Kenya scheduled from June 23 to 26.
The 40-year-old will be driving the Skoda Fabia R5 in WRC 2, a car he is familiar with, with Brazilian co-driver Gabriel Morales. Touted as one of the most challenging rallies on the WRC calendar, the Safari features 19 special stages covering almost 365km of competition crossing challenging closed dirt roads, rocky and rutted tracks and unpredictable weather which can transform dry and dusty trails into muddy bogs.
Gill’s last outing in WRC 2 was pre-pandemic in 2019 in Rally of Turkey where despite missing out on completing his tryst with victory, he won a lot of praise for his commendable drive by the fraternity. His outing in Rally of Australia came to a halt as the event was cancelled last minute due to the raging fire in the forest stages around the city of Coffs Coast, New South Wales.
“I am excited to return to WRC after a hiatus of over two years. I have utilized these two years of pandemic to reflect on my previous participations and have worked on improving my fitness and performance holistically while engaging in various top end activities besides National Rally championship. I am thankful to JK Tyre Motorsports for their support and I am optimistic of claiming good results for the country and the team,” Gill said.
JK Tyre also announced a scholarship program of 300,000 Euros which will be utilized to promote upcoming talent who have proved their mettle on the domestic circuit. “Up to five young talented athletes including a girl athlete from across verticals of motorsport will be identified to avail the scholarship,” said the company in a statement.
The first one to be part of it is India’s rising racing star, 17-year-old Amir Sayed from Kottyam, who proved his mettle and became the JK Tyre Novice Cup Champion in 2020 by winning all the 12 races of the season in his category. Amir is in the French F4 Championship this year.
Sanjay Sharma, Head of Motorsports, JK Tyre said: “With an aim to give the young talent the much-needed push, we have announced this scholarship program which will select kids from across categories and provide them a chance to bring in laurels by representing the nation at international platforms.
[Note: The above is from PTI]
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Seb Montoya wins as Mumbai Falcons take a rare 1-2-3: Asian Formula Regional
Dubai, 5 Feb. 2022: Historic day for Indian motorsport as team Mumbai Falcons locked out a 1-2-3 finish in Race 1 sweeping the podium at Round 3 of the Formula Regional Asian Championship in Dubai on Saturday.
After another splendid performance by the team, it was the young Colombian star, Sebastian Montoya who lead the way to finish ahead of his teammates and Ferrari academy drivers, Arthur Leclerc and Dino Beganovic, taking the top three spots for the opening race of Round 3 in the Asian Formula Regional event.
Montoya qualified again on pole for Race 1, making it three poles in a row, for the son of racing legend, Juan Pablo Montoya. Sebastian set a blistering pace and was well clear of his nearest rival, Isaac Hadjar, who qualified P2. Teammates, Dino Beganovic and Arthur Leclerc qualified P6 and P8 respectively.
Hadjar, from second on the grid made a fantastic get-away at the start, to find himself alongside Montoya. However the Colombian youngster did not succumb to the pressure from the RedBull Junior driver, and held on to lead the pack into Turn 1. Further behind, Dino and Arthur found themselves climbing up the order, immediately and were into P4 and P6, respectively, by the end of Lap 1.
While Montoya began to open a lead over Hadjar, Beganovic found himself fighting for a podium spot with Leonardo Fornaroli of team Hitech. The race was, however, Red-Flagged briefly to recover a stricken car.
At the re-start, Hadjar began to pile-up the pressure on Montoya but was soon given a five-second penalty along with third-placed Fornaroli for a grid infringement. This opened the door for Leclerc and Beganovic to grab the remaining podium spots after fighting hard and making their way up the order.
Moid Tungekar said: “What a fantastic day for the team and for India. We are extremely proud of the boys as well as the hard work put in by everyone over the last year. We would like to thank Rene Rosin and the entire Prema Team for working with us to make this possible. There’s a long way to go in this championship and our goal is to come out on top and to pave the way for all the youngsters watching us out there.”
Sebastian Montoya said: “It was a long-and-hard race but I’m happy to win and, of course, very happy to see ourselves lock-out the top spots on the podium. We are looking forward to many more podiums.”
