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Category: Indians Abroad
News about Indians racing in different motorsports events abroad
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Chovet favourite as Asia F3 closes; Outside chance for Jehan
Abu Dhabi (UAE), 17 Feb 2021: Eighteen-year-old Frenchman Pierre-Louis Chovet is the hot favourite to clinch the 2021 F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA title as the series prepares for the season-closing triple-header at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit from February 18-20. The Pinnacle Motorsport driver has so far won six of the 12 races, three from pole position giving him a 100% conversion rate.
Guaranteed to give the young pretender a run for his money though is China’s Zhou Guanyu with Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema. The 21-year-old 2021 Alpine Academy driver won the opening two races of the season before a DNF in Race 3 dealt a blow to his title aspirations. Since then, however, nine consecutive double-digit points scores put him just 32 points adrift of Chovet in the driver classification.
Mumbai Falcons India Racing Ltd.’s Jehan Daruvala has endured a season of mixed fortunes so far, but remains in mathematical title contention ahead of the final round. The 22-year-old won three of the six races in Rounds 2 and 3 at the Yas Marina track, all from pole, so is expected to be a force to be reckoned with when the championship returns there this week.
Along with the championship title comes 18 coveted FIA Super Licence points, with the runner-up taking 14, and the final point awarded to the ninth-place finisher in the Driver Classification. That means there is plenty to fight for even for those no longer in championship contention.
Currently fourth and fifth respectively in the Driver Classification are 3Y Evans GP’s Isack Hadjar, who took five podiums in nine races, and Ferrari Driver Academy Swede Dino Beganovic, who notched up four podiums in the first three rounds with Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema. Having completed their championship stints as planned, both drivers bowed out ahead of Round 4, so will drop down the leaderboard by the end of the season. Beganovic was replaced by Spaniard David Vidales in Round 4, and the 18-year-old immediately impressed with a second-place finish in Race 12.
3Y Evans GP’s Patrik Pasma, currently sixth in the standings, is definitely a driver to watch after a strong performance in Round 4, which saw the 20-year-old Finn take victory in Race 11 and a podium finish in Race 12.
Hitech Grand Prix Red Bull Junior Driver Ayumu Iwasa sits seventh in the overall driver standings ahead of team mate Roy Nissany, and leads the Rookie Cup having scored his maiden class win in Race 10 after seven podium finishes. The reigning French F4 champion leads team mate Reece Ushijima by 14 points in the Rookie Cup standings, but both drivers should watch out for Turkish esports ace Cem Bolukbasi. The BlackArts Racing driver has taken six Rookie Cup podiums so far this year and trails Iwasa by just 26 points ahead of the final round.
The fourth season of the F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA has exceeded all expectations, pitching new talent just emerging from the ranks of karting and F4 against experienced FIA F2 drivers, potentially on the brink of F1 breakthroughs, with intriguing results. As the series prepares for the final showdown on the stunning F1 Yas Marina Circuit, three more fascinating encounters lie ahead.
F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA
Drivers’ Championship after Round 4
Pos No Driver Nat Team Pts 1 3 Pierre-Louis CHOVET FRA Pinnacle Motorsport 221 2 33 Guanyu ZHOU CHN Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema 189 3 19 Jehan DARUVALA IND Mumbai Falcons India Racing Ltd. 156 4 6 Isack HADJAR FRA 3Y Evans GP 95 5 16 Dino BEGANOVIC SWE Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema 88 6 4 Patrik PASMA FIN 3Y Evans GP 85 7 12 Ayumu IWASA JPN Hitech Grand Prix 74 8 14 Roy NISSANY ISR Hitech Grand Prix 73 9 74 Cem BOLUKBASI TUR BlackArts Racing 49 10 11 Roman STANEK CZE Hitech Grand Prix 48 11 13 Reece USHIJIMA GBR Hitech Grand Prix 38 12 28 Kush MAINI IND Mumbai Falcons India Racing Ltd. 24 13 62 Lorenzo FLUXA ESP BlackArts Racing 21 14 16 David VIDALES ESP Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema 20 15 10 Alessio DELEDDA ITA Pinnacle Motorsport 9 16 5 Alex CONNOR GBR 3Y Evans GP 8 17 7 Roberto FARIA BRA Motorscape 6 17 8 Rafael VILLAGOMEZ MEX BlackArts Racing 6 18 66 Zdenek CHOVANEC POR BlackArts Racing 2 18 5 Casper STEVENSON GBR 3Y Evans GP Team Oloi 0 19 25 Alexandre BARDINON FRA Pinnacle Motorsport 0 19 40 Matthias LUETHEN GER Pinnacle Motorsport 0 19 51 Irina SIDORKOVA RUS 3Y Evans GP Team Oloi 0 19 77 Nicola MARINANGELI ITA Motorscape 0 19 88 Amna AL QUBAISI UAE Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema 0 19 99 Khaled AL QUBAISI UAE Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema 0 F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA
Rookie Cup after Round 4
Pos No Driver Nat Team Pts 1 12 Ayumu IWASA JPN Hitech Grand Prix 176 2 13 Reece USHIJIMA GBR Hitech Grand Prix 162 3 6 Isack HADJAR FRA 3Y Evans GP 160 4 74 Cem BOLUKBASI TUR BlackArts Racing 150 5 16 Dino BEGANOVIC SWE Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema 147 6 62 Lorenzo FLUXA ESP BlackArts Racing 103 7 7 Roberto FARIA BRA Motorscape 83 8 8 Rafael VILLAGOMEZ MEX BlackArts Racing 71 9 5 Alex CONNOR GBR 3Y Evans GP 38 10 51 Irina SIDORKOVA RUS 3Y Evans GP Team Oloi 33 11 88 Amna AL QUBAISI UAE Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema 31 12 5 Casper STEVENSON GBR 3Y Evans GP Team Oloi 16 Team Classification after Round 4
Pos Nat Team Pts 1 UAE Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema 297 2 IRL Pinnacle Motorsport 221 3 AUS Evans GP 188 4 IND Mumbai Falcons India Racing Ltd 180 5 GBR Hitech Grand Prix 114 6 HKG BlackArts Racing 70 7 JOR Motorscape 6 2021 F3 ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA PROVISIONAL CALENDAR
Date Venue Event January 27 Dubai Autodrome Pre-Season Test January 29-30 Dubai Autodrome, UAE Round 1 (Races 1-3) February 4-5 Yas Marina Circuit, UAE Round 2 (Races 4-6) February 6-7 Yas Marina Circuit, UAE Round 3 (Races 7-9) February 12-14 Dubai Autodrome, UAE Round 4 (Races 10-12) February 19-20 Yas Marina Circuit, UAE Round 5 (Races 13-15) -
Narain Karthikeyan spearheads Racing Team India’s endurance debut
Dubai, 11 Feb 2021: Racing Team India will take its first step on the road to the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend when it makes its debut at the season-opening round of the Asian Le Mans Series in Dubai.
The all-Indian squad, spearheaded by a star-studded driver line-up of Narain Karthikeyan, Arjun Maini, and Naveen Rao, will compete in the LMP2 category over two, four-hour-long races at the Dubai Autodrome. The endeavor is partnered by JK Tyre, India’s largest supporter of Motorsport for over three decades.
The two runnings of the 4 Hours of Dubai will take place on February 13th and 14th, respectively.
The series will then move to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit for another round of two, four-hour races on February 19th and 20th.
Racing Team India’s Dubai debut will make it the first outfit with an all-Indian driver line-up to compete in international endurance racing.
If it secures an invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which takes place in June 2021, it will become the first squad flying the Indian tri-color to take part in the iconic twice-around-the-clock endurance classic at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France. The race is considered to be one of the trifectas of legendary motor races alongside the Monaco GP & the Indianapolis 500. It is the world’s oldest sports car race, which has been held every year since 1923. The distance covered in this one single race is equivalent to 18 Formula 1 races, thus making it the most extreme test of man and machine in the world of motorsport.
Fielding the Le Mans-winning ORECA 07 with technical support from reigning Asian Le Mans Series champion team Algarve Pro Racing, Racing Team India has already displayed a promising turn of speed. The car has a 4 litre V-8 engine which produces 600 bhp and has a top speed in excess of 320 kmph.
Karthikeyan ended the first day of testing, also held in Dubai, at the top of the timesheets. The success of the project lies in the combined efforts of the team which are now being synchronized.
Padma Shri Awardee and India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan said, “It is an incredibly proud moment for me to be representing our nation’s first all-Indian endurance racing team. I have flown the flag for our country across various motorsport disciplines from Formula One to NASCAR and SuperGT racing. I’ve raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans once before, and it was an incredible experience, one which I always wanted to repeat. However, I couldn’t have imagined anything better than to compete there for an Indian team. I’m extremely grateful to the ACO for giving us the platform to compete. They have been incredibly supportive from the first time we approached them, and this support has been instrumental in getting our team up and running.
“As for the weekend ahead, I’m looking forward to it. Arjun, Naveen, and I have considerable racing experience between the three of us. Our package has also been quick through testing. We did have some issues on the second day with traffic and difficulty in switching on the new tyres. But there’s a lot of speed in the car and I’m confident we can deliver a strong result on our debut.”
Former F2 and European Le Mans Series racer Arjun Maini said, “Firstly, it’s great to be back behind the wheel again, and to be flying the colours for an all-Indian team makes the experience even more special. Endurance racing is a format I’ve come to enjoy during my time racing in the European Le Mans series. I believe it plays to my strengths as a driver. It feels strange to think that of the three of us I have the most endurance racing experience. I’ve competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and I can tell you it’s an incredible feeling. I’m really looking forward to going back there. We have a strong package, a proven driver line-up and with support from Algarve Pro Racing, who I know well, I believe we have all the ingredients in place to make it happen.”
2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge Champion Naveen Rao said, “My entire career has been spent racing sports cars and for me, Le Mans is the absolute pinnacle of competition. I have spent a long time dreaming about one day driving in this iconic event and I am grateful for the opportunity to do it for a team representing the country in which I have my roots. I’ve got a good feeling for the car, the three of us have struck up a strong relationship and I believe we genuinely have a package that can help us fight at the front.”
Racing Team India is also very proud to be associated with JK Tyre, as one of our inaugural partners. JK Tyres has been and continues to be the largest supporter of Indian motorsport for over 50 years. They have been instrumental in developing and supporting both Narain and Arjun over the past two decades and their commitment to the Racing Team India program demonstrates their commitment to the future of the sport as well.
Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre said, “At JK Tyre we have been steadfast supporters of Indian motorsport over many decades. Not only have we created a robust domestic motorsport ladder but we have always been extremely proactive when it comes to identifying, grooming, and supporting the international racing careers of some of our most talented youngsters. Now, with Racing Team India we have yet another chance to create history for Indian motorsport. We are confident the team has what it takes to be successful and race at Le Mans which would deliver the breakthrough that Indian motorsport needs.”
Note: This article is first published in AutoTrack.
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Jehan Daruvala wins another race; Kush adds some points: Asia F3
Abu Dhabi, 7 Feb 2021: Mumbai Falcons’ Jehan Daruvala brought down the curtain on two back-to-back rounds here on a glorious note, winning Race 3 of Round 3 of the Formula 3 Asian Championship from start to finish on Sunday evening.
His three victories and two second-place finishes over four days elevated him in the points table to second position after he had briefly slipped to third in the morning. Debutant Mumbai Falcons too climb to the second place in the Team Standings, with 2 rounds and 6 races remaining in the Championship.
“As a new team, we are constantly learning and getting better. For the first time in the championship, we have had both our cars in the points in every race. It’s great to be second in the Team’s Standing, and we hope to get even better,” Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons, said.
“I was happy with the pace we had in Race 3. I was able to control my pace the way I wanted. It feels good to be back on the top step of the podium. The race in the morning was not ideal. I’m looking forward to relaxing for a few days and then focusing on a good Round 4,” Jehan said.
Every racer is allowed two sets of tyres per weekend and India’s top racing star smartly held back his fresh set of tyres for the last race, to make the most of his pole advantage that he had won during the qualifying rounds on Saturday.
Jehan Daruvala, car #19, in action before he won the Race 3 in Round 3 of the Asia F3 series at Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Photo by Ishaan Bhataiya / Red Bull Content Pool Jehan had an excellent start from pole, and led into the first corner. China’s Guanyu Zhou, starting second, followed Jehan while the two Frenchmen behind them were almost side by side. Isack Hadjar, starting from fourth, however, managed to overtake Championship leader Pierre-Louis Chovet to climb into the third position.
Zhou soon mounted a challenge on Jehan and came right beside him, but couldn’t get past him. The Indian held his nerve and soon settled into a good rhythm and reeled out a series of quick laps to open up a small gap on Zhou.
A brief safety car period neutralised Jehan’s lead, though. But once the safety car pulled into the pits, Jehan made an excellent restart and immediately pulled away from Zhou. Jehan posted a couple of fastest laps and cemented his lead to win ahead of Zhou, while Hadjar finished third.
Mumbai Falcons picked up a few more points, thanks to Kush Maini having another good race. Kush also had a good start and quickly gained two positions. He was involved in a thrilling battle with Lorenzo Fluxa, who tried to overtake him for most of the race. Kush drove a highly intelligent, defensive race to keep Fluxa behind and finished eighth.
The grid for Race 2, earlier in the day, was based on the fastest lap from Race 1. Kush Maini continued his fine form from Saturday. He started tenth and soon made up a couple of places. He then made an incredible move to dive down the inside of Williams F1 Junior Driver, Roy Nissany.
Kush somehow made it stick and got ahead of Nissany, who then mounted several overtaking attempts, with the duo banging wheels on more than one occasion. The Indian however held on and eventually Nissany had a separate incident and retired. Kush climbed up to eventually finish seventh, right behind Jehan who had a forgettable race starting and finishing sixth.
Round 4 will take place next weekend at the Dubai Autodrome.
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Jehan Daruvala manages 2nd for fourth podium
Abu Dhabi, 6 Feb 2021: Mumbai Falcons’ Jehan Daruvala continued to sparkle in the Formula 3 Asian Championship, grabbing the second position in Race 1 of Round 3 here at the Yas Marina International Circuit late on Saturday evening.
After winning two out of the three races in Round 2 over the last two days, India’s top racer underlined his form by grabbing a Double Pole in the two qualifying sessions in the morning.
This is his fourth consecutive podium finish over three nerve-wracking days. On Sunday, the last two races of the round will take place.
The Mumbai Falcons duo of Jehan Daruvala and Kush Maini seemed to be in their elements as the action began. Jehan straightaway went to the top of the time sheet, on his first flying lap itself. His laptime of 1:53.399 earned him his third pole position of the Championship.
Chovet, 0.190 slower, came in second while Alpine F1 Junior Guanyu Zhou from China took the third position.
Jehan did well in the second qualifying session too, immediately going to the top of the time sheets to earn his second consecutive Pole position. Zhou and Chovet were second and third respectively.
Jehan did not have the best of starts from Pole in Race 1 though. Chovet made the best of the opportunity to reach the first corner even before Jehan. Zhou also had a sluggish start but managed to retain third.
Chovet steadily began to openup a small lead and Jehan could not catch him. But Zhou who was close on his tail made sure that he remained alert.
Mumbai Falcons’ Kush Maini, meanwhile, had a good race even though he started from eleventh. He overtook 2 cars on the run down to the first corner moving into ninth. A few corners later Kush managed to overtake yet another car, to move into eighth. A few laps later Kush was up into seventh and drove an excellent defensive race. Eventually he dropped back down to eighth.
The starting grid for Race 2 is based on the fastest lap from Race 1, which means Chovet will start on Pole while Jehan will from sixth position and Kush from tenth. Race 3, though, will see Jehan start from pole.
“After the bad luck I have had with engine issues and a brake pump failure and multiple incidents on track which were out of my control, I just wanted to have a clean race and get some points for the team. I am now much happier and confident of doing better tomorrow.” Kush Maini said.
“After being on pole in both qualifying sessions, it is disappointing to fall to second. I did not have the pace to challenge for the lead. But we will work hard, and I am looking forward to the races tomorrow,” Jehan, who relinquished his championship lead to Chovet, said.
Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons, said: “The championship is very competitive at the top. We have had 3 separate championship leaders before the halfway mark in the championship. Tomorrow’s races are going to be exciting to watch.”
Race 2 and Race 3 will be streamed live from Abu Dhabi, on the Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited YouTube Channel.
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Jehan Daruvala wins a thrilling battle for 2nd Asia F3 win for Mumbai Falcons
Abu Dhabi, 5 Feb 2021: Mumbai Falcons and Jehan Daruvala continued their winning spree with a 2nd consecutive victory in the Asian Formula 3 Championship. A thrilling battle kept fans on their toes as Jehan had to fight tooth and nail to win Race 2 and also completed a hat trick of podiums to finish second in Race 3 and move into the championship lead.
The Mumbai resident and the Red Bull Junior driver, had a near perfect launch from pole position and held his position into the first corner. Behind him, Isack Hadjar of France also held onto second, while championship leader Guanyu Zhou dropped a position to allow Dino Beganovic into third. The first few laps were uneventful and once the top few settled into a rhythm, Hadjar seemed to have more pace than Jehan. He soon started piling on the pressure, with numerous attempts which did not stick. Hadjar then had a good run out of the corkscrew section and came alongside Jehan. The two entered the corner side by side, but Jehan held on.
A few laps later a similar situation repeated, this time however, the duo went side by side for more than one corner. This allowed Beganovic in third, to also pull alongside Jehan. In the run down to the braking zone, it was three cars wide with barely centimetres between the cars. The Mumbai Falcons’ racer in the middle of the sandwich, momentarily fell behind the duo. He was the bravest though, and braked last, allowing him to surge ahead. Jehan somehow managed to stay on track and held the lead.
Proceedings settled for a bit, before Hadjar made another attempt, but Jehan was able to fend that off in spite of Hadjar pulling ahead slightly. Jehan held off a final attempt on the last lap as well, and crossed the finish line to take his second consecutive victory. Hadjar and Beganovic were second and third respectively.
The grid for Race 3 of Round 2 was based on the second qualifying session yesterday. Pierre-Louis Chovet from France started on pole and straightaway went into the lead. Championship leader Guanyu Zhou was unable to get going initially and Jehan from third moved into second, with Hadjar third. The championship format allows only 2 sets of tyres per round, to be used and Chovet was on a fresher set of tyres, while Jehan and Hadjar were on an older set, and therefore unable to challenge Chovet, who comfortably won the race. The Mumbai Falcons’ racer was second, ahead of Hadjar.
“I was under a lot of pressure from behind, and was fighting hard to hold my position. Hadjar drove well and I really enjoyed the moment when we were three wide. It was an enjoyable battle and it is good that we were all able to race close and clean.” said Jehan, the new championship leader.
“We were all on edge, watching the really close battle for the lead in race 2. Jehan drove superbly. We must continue working hard and hope we can build on this momentum we have now. We are really proud to have an Indian from an Indian team, lead the championship.” said Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons.
Racing action will resume tomorrow with Round 3 also in Abu Dhabi, on the same corkscrew layout of the Yas Marina Circuit. Fans can watch the races live on Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited YouTube Channel.
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Jehan Daruvala creates history with Asian F3 win for Mumbai Falcons; Kush 12th
Abu Dhabi, 4 Feb 2021: India’s top racer Jehan Daruvala created history in the Formula 3 Asian Championship, scoring a victory for Mumbai Falcons, all Indian-outfit, here on Thursday evening.
He started on pole and led every lap to comfortably win Race 1 of Round 2 in the continent’s premier championship.
In the first Qualifying session, earlier in the day, Jehan was the only racer on the grid to dip below the 1 min 52 second mark to grab the Pole position ahead of Isack Hadjar from France, who clocked 1:53.051. Chinese racer Guanyu Zhou and championship leader was a close third, posting a lap-time of 1:53.070.
The Mumbai Falcons racer had a good start from pole but Hadjar managed to pull alongside Jehan before braking into Corner 1. Jehan outbraked Hadjar and held his lead exiting the corner. Jehan made no mistakes with a series of consistent laps, preventing any overtaking attempts on him. He soon opened up a lead of 1 second.
Right behind Jehan there was plenty of action. Zhou was on a charge and overtook Hadjar. He soon posted a couple of fast laps and reduced the gap to Jehan to under 0.7 seconds. Soon Jehan was under pressure and the two battled it out for a couple of laps. It was then Jehan’s turn to reel out a series of quick laps and he sped away to consistently lap quicker than the cars behind. Jehan managed to open a gap of over 3 seconds at one point before backing off, to cool his tyres.
On the penultimate lap, Jehan once again gave it everything, and posted the fastest laptime of the race which gives him pole position for race 2 tomorrow. The Indian comfortably crossed the finish line to win Mumbai Falcons their first International victory and the first for an Indian Team in the Asian Formula 3 Championship.
“Qualifying well was crucial. I am happy that I could control the pace from the start. It was important that I get the fastest lap because it puts me on pole for race 2. I want to thank the entire team at Mumbai Falcons for the effort put in.” said an elated Jehan
“We are proud to be the first Indian Team to have won in the Asian F3 Championship. The sleepless nights have finally paid off. We hope to continue the strong showing and have both our cars on top soon.” said Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons.
Kush Maini meanwhile has endured a tough weekend. He qualified fifteenth but had a good start to quickly make up positions to eventually finish twelfth.
Race 2 and Race 3 will be conducted tomorrow on the same corkscrew layout of the Yas Marina International Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The 4.730 km version of the F1 circuit has produced more overtaking opportunities than the previous rounds. Indian fans can watch the races live on the Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited YouTube Channel.
Jehan Daruvala, the Red Bull Junior driver in action at Asia F3 in Yas Marina on Thrusday. Photos by Ishaan Bhataiya courtesy Red Bull Content Pool
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Jehan Daruvala, Kush Maini to spearhead Mumbai Falcons chellenge: Asian F3
Dubai, 28 Jan 2021: India’s F1 hope and top international racer Jehan Daruvala of Mumbai, and talented youngster Kush Maini of Bengaluru, who excelled in British F3 last year, will spearhead the Mumbai Falcons challenge in their maiden campaign as the Formula 3 Asian Championship begins here on Friday with a 23-car entry list at the Dubai Autodrome here.
After unveiling the team’s livery on Thursday, which proudly incorporates the colours of the Indian Tricolour, the two young racers expressed their delight at being pitted against a world-class field in the continent’s premier International Single-Seater Championship.
“We have prepared very well for this and are thrilled about the way the cars have turned out. We are particularly excited about racing for an Indian team and are looking forward to the challenge.” Jehan Daruvala, an F2 and F3 race winner, said.
“We raced against each other as kids in karting and now, after 12 years, we are racing as teammates. It’s amazing. We are going to make India proud,” Kush Maini, runner-up in the BRDC F3 Championship, declared. Like his Indian F3 champion father Akbar, Team Principal Armaan Ebrahim had a successful formula career, contesting three seasons of the FIA F2 championship.
Red Bull Junior Daruvala and Maini will have their task cut, though, with a number of talented young racers, most of whom have links with F1 teams, in fray. They include big names like Dino Beganovic (Swedish-born) of the Ferrari Driver Academy, Guanyu Zhou (China) and Williams Junior Roy Nissany (French-born) of Renault F1’s Junior drivers and Ayumu Iwasa (Japan) and Daruvala himself of Red Bull’s Juniors.
Round 1 will take place at the Dubai Autodrome and will see 23 racers from 17 different nationalities competing for honours. Mumbai Falcons, incidentally, will become the first full fledged 2-car all-Indian Team to compete in it.
Indian racing fans can watch the Championship races live on Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited YouTube Channel at 5pm on Friday, and 12pm and 5pm on Saturday.
Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons, said, “We are looking at raising the profile of motorsport in India. Our racers can be at the very top and we are sure that Jehan and Kush will inspire many more to take up the sport.”
Seventeen nationalities spanning four continents represent the grid for opening triple-header. Eight teams join championship for compact five-round fourth season, a unique proving ground which gives fledgling talent sound international benchmark.
Among the entries are some of the sport’s most promising up-and-coming talents, while their more experienced rivals will provide a credible and useful international benchmark.
Reigning team champions BlackArts Racing, who won the 2020 championship with Dutchman Joey Alders, defend their title with a four-car entry comprised of 16-year-olds Lorenzo Fluxa of Spain – 2020 F4 UAE series runner-up – and Venezuelan-born Czech Zdenek Chovanec, and Mexican Rafael Villagomez and Turkish driver Cem Bolukbasi.
The Zhuhai-based outfit has also bolstered its management team, enlisting former F1 driver Alex Yoong and F1 and IndyCar engineer Greg Wheeler in the roles of Team Manager and Technical Director respectively.
Two-time F3 Asian team champions Hitech Grand Prix return for a fourth season, their four-car entry combining both experience and fledgling talent. With two seasons in the FIA F2 Championship, Israel’s Roy Nissany is one of the most experienced drivers in the field this year, while Red Bull Junior Team driver and reigning F4 French champion Ayumu Iwasa is without doubt one to watch. Joining them are Reece Ushijima of Japan and Czech driver Roman Stanek.
Also with a four-driver entry are Pinnacle Motorsport, second in the team and driver classification last season with Red Bull Junior Team driver Jack Doohan. Returning to the series with Pinnacle having made his debut last season with Hitech Grand Prix is Italian Alessio Deledda, the 26-year-old recently confirmed for the 2021 FIA F2 Championship with HWA Racelab.
Pinnacle’s championship newcomers are Frenchmen Pierre-Louis Chovet and Alexandre Bardinon, both 18 years of age, who are joined by Matthias Luethen of Germany.
Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema marks the championship debut of Prema Powerteam, one of the most successful outfits in all junior formulae below F1. Amna Al Qubaisi continues to develop her pioneering motorsport career with Prema, having made her racing debut in the 2018 Italian F4 Championship and a front runner in this year’s F4 UAE series.
Race Timings (Indian Standard Time)
Race 1 – 5 pm on Friday
Race 2 – 12 pm on SaturdayRace 3 – 5 pm on Saturday -
Flash: Harith Noah, first Indian to finish Dakar Rally in top-20
Yanbu (Saudi Arabia), 15 Jan 2021: Ace Indian rider Harith Noah Koitha Veettil successfully completed the Dakar Rally 2021, the most-challenging and tough endurance rally, the mother of all Cross-Country rallies in the world with aplomb becoming the first Indian to finish in the top-20 after he finished the last and final Stage 12 in 19th place in 2 hours, 43 minutes and 20 seconds to finish the 447-km stage.
Harith Noah, the TVS Racing factory rider, entered the Dakar 2021 as a privateer, with TVS not entering as an official team but only supporting him along with Sherco Rally Factory Team, which provided the service. He bettered the mark of CS Santosh who is the first Indian to finish Dakar in 36th place.
Following in the footsteps of CS Santosh, who competed in seven Dakar rallies and finished three of them, and teammate KP Aravind, who completed the Dakar once, Harith Noah, the Malayalee from Shoranur, achieved the honour in his second attempt but his stunning performance, where he improved after every stage got him as high as 16th in a stage, when he pushed the limits in Stage 10.
Except in Stage 5, where he had a fall and bravely continued to finish the stage in 39, Harith preserved his best and delivered the knock-out punch in the last four stages to achieve top-25 finished which pushed him to a final 20th place, a best by an Indian.
CS Santosh who fell and hit his head in Stage 5 is now hospitalised and fmsci made a statement; “S Santosh was transferred by Air Ambulance from Riyadh to Bengaluru on Thursday. He has been brought out of induced coma successfully. He will continue go to be in CCU and receive treatment.”
On Friday, Harith Noah had issues in Waypoint PK99 where he lost some places but bounced back before he crossed the next waypoint gaining those and reached the ASS closing competitive section in 19th and finished the transport section without any issues to achieve his dream of finishing the Dakar Rally. After Stage 11, Harith Noah said: `Stage 11 was quite difficult. Not so happy with how the day went. Did a good job in beginning but made a few costly mistakes towards the later half. Made a pretty big navigation mistake towards the end and lost about 10 mins or so. Also lost some time because I rode slow in a speed zone that wasn’t there in the GPS and only in the road book. Today, felt physically exhausting, at least in the head. Done with the last long stage and happy to have finished it. On to the next, it’s not over until the last… last km is done.” He tagged the following on his Instagram Account.
@tvsracing_official
@tvsmotorcompany
@sherco_racing_factory@camelbakindia
@scottsportsindiaBrief Bio of Harith Noah:
Harith Noah had a solid grounding in things that matter and had a fond liking for nature as he studied at Sholai School, in Kodaikanal, an alternate school in Tamil Nadu based on the philosophy of Jiddu Krishnamurthy. He started racing local dirt track events at the age of 16, in 2009 while practicing in the backyard of his farm in Shoranur. Later, in 2011 he started taking part in the National supercross championship. He won the title the same year and caught the eye of TVS Factory Racing officials who recruited him in 2012. He is a graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Science, which helps him design his own schedules for fitness training. He has a coach for Mental training, though.
Acheinvements: Harith Noah raced and won his first National Supercross title in 2011 in the SX2 category as a privateer. He won four more national championships winning Group B in 2012, and SX1 in 2014, 2017, and 2018. Thus he became a five-time National champion*, in a way next only to Shyam Kothari, the Promoter who runs the MRF MoGrip Supercross National Championship. Shyam was a famed rider winning seven motocross and rally titles in his hey days. However, both Noah and Shyam won in different classes in different era.
In 2018, Harith Noah raced his first-ever international cross-country race, the Rallye Du Maroc. In 2019, he participated in Baja Aragon and finished 7th overall. In 2020, he finished Dakar Rally in the `Dakar Experience’ Category as his bike stopped on Day 4, but the new rule then allowed him to gain valuable experience, which stood in good stead this year.
Harith Noah’s top-20 in the Dakar Rally, the world’s toughest cross-country rally, will be the new bench mark for all Indians henceforth.
Note*: A National newspaper wrongly reported that Noah won seven national titles. In fact, he won only five and the rider himself confirmed it to this reporter.
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India’s F1 hope, Jehan Daruvala, to continue as Red Bull Junior
Milton Keynes (UK) /Fuschl am See (Austria), 15 Jan 2021: Red Bull Racing have confirmed the extension of their support to Jehan Daruvala in 2021. The Indian racing star created history last month, when he successfully culminated his maiden FIA Formula 2 Championship with a well-deserved victory. The 22 year old’s victory in his rookie season was preceded by a hard fought podium a week prior.
Importantly for Indian motorsport fans, a successful season would be the right opportunity for an F1 seat for the Indian. The Red Bull Junior program has been instrumental in producing some of the world’s best F1 racers over the years including, four-time World F1 Champion – Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz and many others.
Jehan’s continuation in the Red Bull Junior Program was inevitable, given his stand out performances in arguably one of the most competitive F2 seasons ever. 16 different drivers were on the podium while 12 of them won a race. Jehan was also fastest overall in the official post season testing, besides finishing on top, in 2 out of the 3 days of testing.
Jehan will continue with Carlin for his second season. His excellent points haul in the last two rounds last season, helped Carlin rise to 3rd in the Team’s Championship.
Speaking about Jehan, Team Principal Trevor Carlin added, “We’re extremely pleased that we have the opportunity to carry on the great progress we have been making with Jehan and have another attack on the FIA F2 Championship. Jehan did a great job last season as an F2 rookie, to really show his true potential by the second half of the season. To finish the year off with a third place and then a win really confirms what we knew from the start. I expect Jehan to continue where he left off – challenging for wins from the outset in the new season.”
“I am very thankful to Red Bull for their continued faith in me. I’m extremely excited to be staying in F2 and with Carlin for 2021 as a Red Bull Junior. We made a lot of progress last year. It was great to end the season on such a high with my first F2 win and then back that up with front running pace in post-season testing.” said Jehan.
He added, “I’m extremely proud to be carrying Red Bull colours again this season and thank Dr Marko and my sponsors for their continued support and belief in me which I will be looking to repay from the very first race.”
The 2021 season kicks off in Bahrain on 26th March and will now have three races at each weekend. All eight weekends continue to be run concurrently with Formula 1, ending on 12th December in Abu Dhabi. Prior to the F2 campaign, Jehan will participate in the Asian F3 Championship for the all Indian team – Mumbai Falcons.
Indian motorsport fans have been tracking Jehan’s progress from a young age and have seen him achieve milestones never achieved by any other Indian in motorsport. Everyone is waiting for the start of the 2021 season hoping that Jehan will follow Narain and Karun to become only the 3rd Indian in Formula 1.
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Strong show by Sunderland and Al Attiyah; Harith Noah displays stunning show for 19th in Stage position
Neom (AlUla 15 Jean 2021: Slightly shortened due to rainfall rendering a fifty-kilometre portion impracticable, the 11th stage of the Dakar had been heralded and continued as a theatre conducive to dramatic turns in events with over 8 taxi drivers on a Golden day for India when TVS Racing product Harith Noah, who entered as a privateer, with Sherco Factory team support, managed the best performance by an Indian ever, finishing the Stage 11 in 19th position for an overall 22nd place. In his second year, the Keralite who made steady progress stunned better riders and safely completed the stage and is in for his first Dakar finish, the third Indian to do so.
As this of is complex and comprehensive stage threw up both navigational difficulties, for which total concentration was required at the start of the special, and a vast zone of dunes on the last third, where experts in taming the sandy mounds would hold a strong hand. This is exactly what Sam Sunderland and Nasser Al-Attiyah applied themselves to doing, without however managing to break their respective rivals’ resolve.
Meanwhile, the only Indian left in the field that is, Noah completed the stage with aplomb despire some setbacks after he crossed the last but one Waypoint where he lost a few places. But he recovered and his resilience saw him gain the places back to finish 19th in the Stage and 20th overall for an Indian record surpassing that of CS Santosh. He is the third Indian following the footsteps of Santosh and teammate KP Aravind.
Outline
In several years’ time, perhaps rally aficionados will excitedly recount the battle of Yanbu. It was surely on this special that the title up for grabs between Sam Sunderland and Kevin Benavides in the bike category was decided. The Argentinean remains at the top of the general standings with a theoretically sufficient lead of 4’12’’, all the more so given that tomorrow he will enjoy a more favourable place in the starting order to defend his position. However, the Honda rider had to make a serious effort in opening the way with Ricky Brabec in order to withstand the attack of Sam Sunderland. The British rider’s show of force on the route of the special temporarily brought him within approximately forty seconds of his target, before he faltered slightly. In the car category, Nasser Al-Attiyah also found himself in this role, but with a much more distant focus of his attention. Despite his 41st stage victory and a time gain of 1’56’’, it was impossible for him to reverse the trend and block the way of Stéphane Peterhansel’s march to a 14th title. Tomorrow, the Frenchman will start with a time cushion of 15’05’’. In the quad race, Manuel Andújar headed for Yanbu with the same mind-set and his Chilean rival Giovanni Enrico only closed in to within 25’52’’ by winning his second stage of the fortnight. In the lightweight vehicle category, the battle could have been much trickier for “Chaleco” López behind the wheel of his Can-Am, with a lead of only 10 minutes over Austin Jones, but the American let the pressure get to him rather than exerting it. As for Seth Quintero, he proved that his feat of last week was by no means down to chance as he won his second special. Anton Shibalov moved the counter up to 5 successes in total since his debut on the Dakar and should finish second, like last year, but this time behind Dmitry Sotnikov.
Performance of the day
In 2020, Wei Han finished his second Dakar in 10th position, becoming the best Chinese representative in the rally’s history. Currently occupying 18th place, he will not be able to improve his own record this year, but Han demonstrated that he was able to shine behind the wheel of an SMG buggy that is now prepared by the team he created alongside Philippe Gache. He proved this by achieving the sixth best time on today’s special, ten minutes behind Nasser Al-Attiyah, slotted in between none other than Cyril Despres and Giniel De Villiers! As a result, Han picked up is second top ten finish and his best stage result on the Dakar. This bodes well for the Chinese driver, who hopes to line up with a reinforced team on the Dakar as from 2022.
A crushing blow
There is reason to wonder whether the day’s bad luck encountered by Joan Barreda is due to an unfortunate chain of circumstances, or merely just a major blunder. Either way, the Honda rider, who had posted the best time after 215 km, got muddled up reading his road-book and did not stop at the refuelling point, exposing himself to a severe penalty and especially to the likelihood of running out of petrol. This is exactly what happened as he ground to a halt after 267 km. Since he requested a medical examination, he was airlifted to the bivouac in Yanbu. Although he had the chance to equal his best finish on the rally so far, namely the 5th placed finish in 2017, “Bang-Bang” well and truly tore up all the benefits of his performance which had, until today, been in phase with his objectives and the hopes of his Honda team to see their bikes paint the upper reaches of the general standings red. As a result, his 11th participation on the Dakar finishes with the 5th withdrawal of his career on the rally.
Stat of the day: 7
In the absence of Toby Price, there were several riders ready to lay claim to the place of best KTM representative, but it was Sam Sunderland who came up trumps. By reacquainting himself with stage victory for the first time since 2019, the British rider also put a halt to a series of seven successive successes by the Honda clan, started on stage three by Joan Barreda and then continued by Kevin Benavides, Ricky Brabec and Nacho Cornejo. This sequence marked a shift in the balance of power to the Japanese constructor, which had taken time to rock the KTM boat but which had started, over the last few years, to prevent the Austrian brand becoming rapid-fire stage winners. Indeed, it is necessary to go back to 2016 to find a similar performance from KTM riders, with none other than Toby Price, alongside Antoine Meo and Štefan Svitko.
The makings of a Classic
Spanish drivers Antonio Gutiérrez and Luis Heras took part in the last African edition of the Dakar in 2007 in a truck that reached Lake Retba, the pink lake, in 47th position. This time, they are about to complete their Dakar Classic adventure on the shores of the Red Sea in a Mercedes G 320.
Quote of the day
Sam Sunderland: “I gave my all”
By winning stage 11 on the Dakar, the winner in 2017 has climbed into 2nd position, 4’12’’ behind Kevin Benavides before the final special.
“I knew that today was one of my last chances to try to win and I gave my all, all day. The boys up front did a great job and, you know, I cannot be sad, because I give everything I have and try my best. I didn’t quite manage to take enough time, but I’m happy with my effort. We still have one day to go and many things can happen on one stage. What a really tough day and a really difficult Dakar, but I’m super grateful for the team and everybody that put all the work in. Even to be able to be racing our bikes in the desert with the situation as it is in the world everywhere else, I can’t complain and I’m going to be happy to go and get some rest now”.
