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Category: Indians Abroad
News about Indians racing in different motorsports events abroad
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Sneha Sharma takes lead in women’s category: F4 SEA Championship
Sneha Sharma in Buriram on Sunday 12 May 2019. Photo: Sneha Sharma Buriram (Thailand), 12 May 2019: India’s top woman racer Sneha Sharma jumped into the lead in the ladies’ category after Round 3 of the highly competitive Formula 4 South East Asia Championship, here at the Chang international Circuit, Thailand.
Sneha won the leading trophy in each of the 4 races to grab the Overall Cup for women in the Thailand round. She even clocked the best time of 1:46:6 to finish in the Top Eight against 11 of the finest racers from 10 different countries, most of them from Europe.
The 28-old who is also an airline captain by profession, supported by Indigo Airlines and JK Tyre, raced in a Formula 4 Race car (for Team Mertius) for the first time at Buri Ram but proved to be up for it.
She took part in all four races in the championship and clocked the best time of 1:46:6 with a best Finish of Top 8 in the overall category and top 1 in her category, making her the current leader of her class in the 2019 championship.
The Chang Circuit is famously known for its Moto GP Racing, which has seen the likes of Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez in action. This series of Formula 4 ran alongside the Formula 3 Asia and the Blancpain GT Series, making it one of the biggest events in Asia.
Sneha, one of the first women to break into racing circles in India, took a highly creditable Pole position in Race 2 and P2 in Race 3, giving her the chance to score good points for the overall season.
“I am totally excited with my second international victory this year,” an exultant Sneha said. “I had fun on the track, driving the races back to back and being part of the wheel-to-wheel action all the way till the chequered flag against such competitive drivers.”
She pointed out that a micro-chip in the car analysed her driving all the way to her turning technique, her braking and her top speed which helped her become better with each race. “The data analysis by the engineers and driver coach was amazing. It helped me stay with the pack and put up a great fight,” she explained.
“I was hoping for a good finish in Race 2 in which I began on Pole. But I was hit by another driver and had to work hard to recover and get into the points. I must say it wasn’t easy as the car requires a lot of physical strength, apart from skill to drive.,” she said.
The 4th round of Formula4 SEA is scheduled for June 21, again in Thailand. In all, there will be 7 more rounds through Asia, including 2 in India in July.
“I am already looking forward to the next race weekend. I am working really hard on the simulator, on my physical fitness and mental strength as well. The aim is to dominate my class and get into Top 5 overall for India,” Sneha declared.
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Aitken asserts his ability with first F2 Feature Race win; Mahaveer Raghunathan 11th
Campos driver climbs seven places to seal Feature Race win in BakuBaku, 27 April 2019: Jack Aitken proved unflappable as he sealed his first ever FIA Formula 2 Feature Race win in chaotic circumstances, at Baku, Azerbaijan. The Campos driver remained composed and surged through the pack, to steer clear of the drama playing out behind him, finishing ahead of ART Grand Prix’s Nyck De Vries and MP Motorsport’s Jordan King.Indian driver Mahaveer Raghunathan of MP Motorsport finished 11th.Aitken laid the foundations for his win from the start, on a dry and sunny afternoon at the Baku City Circuit. The Brit started from eighth on the grid, but flew to third on Turn 1, slaloming around his competitors. Also on the up was Dutchman De Vries, who flashed in-front of polesitter Nobuharu Matsushita at the start.Chaos played out behind them, as the Trident drivers collided, forcing Giuliano Alesi into an early retirement. Louis Delétraz had done well to weave through the collision, but Callum Ilott wasn’t as lucky. He was forced into a front wing change, having been caught up in the crash.The Safety Car was deployed and when the track was clear, the race resumed with De Vries keeping the lead. Matsushita then suffered further frustration as issues with his car saw him plummet down the grid, before pitting. He eventually returned but was already a lap behind the rest of the racers.Aitken’s first sight of the race lead was handed to him by De Vries, after the ART Grand Prix driver fell foul to a slow pit stop. Tatiana Calderon was the only driver to opt for the alternate strategy and the Colombian led the way after the rest of the cars pitted. The safety car was deployed once more to clean up Mick Schumacher’s PREMA Racing car, after he had spun to a stop in sector 3.Aitken was back on top after he passed Calderon who lost further places to drivers on fresher tyres. The Campos driver was fast being chased by De Vries, who had squeezed past Nicholas Latifi for P2. Further back, King was on the attack and had already stolen P8 from Anthoine Hubert, when Dorian Boccolacci went wide on the final corner, to gift him P7.The front three were in a league of their own at the front and race leader Aitken had built up a healthy gap to De Vries, but a third safety car period after Guanyu Zhou had slammed into the barrier after getting too close to the back of Juan Manuel Correa reduced that gap to almost nothing.With the safety car still out there, Calderon slowed to a stop down the main straight, with the BWT Arden team ready for her to pit. Further chaos ensued after the Safety Car came in and the race restart was aborted when two more cars were lost: Sérgio Sette Câmara spun on track and was forced to clamber out of his car, while, further behind him Louis Delétraz made contact with the back of Boccolacci and was out of his car too.Sean Gelael had taken advantage of the turmoil on track to finish off his ascent from the back of the grid. The PREMA man had started P19, but by the time racing resumed, he was up to seventh.King soared around Latifi at the restart, with Aitken looking to re-increase the gap between himself and second placed De Vries. The Dutchman briefly got to within touching distance of DRS range with just a minute to go, but the Brit found further speed from his Campos and couldn’t be touched by the ART driver at the chequered flag. Behind them, King kept his place in third, for his first ever F2 podium. Also in the points were Latifi, Boccolacci, Luca Ghiotto, Gelael, Correa, Nikita Mazepin and Anthoine Hubert.Racing will recommence tomorrow in the Sprint Race, as Juan Manuel Correa starts on pole in the reverse place grid, with further drama almost a certainty on this unpredictable Baku City Circuit.2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship – Baku Feature Race Provisional ClassificationDRIVERTEAM1Jack AitkenCampos Racing2Nyck de VriesART Grand Prix3Jordan KingMP Motorsport4Nicholas LatifiDAMS5Dorian BoccolacciCampos Racing6Luca GhiottoUNI-Virtuosi Racing7Sean GelaelPREMA Racing8Juan Manuel CorreaSauber Junior Racing by Charouz9Nikita MazepinART Grand Prix10Anthoine HubertBWT Arden11Mahaveer RaghunathanMP Motorsport12Ralph BoschungTrident13Nobuharu MatsushitaCarlinNOT CLASSIFIEDSérgio Sette CâmaraDAMSLouis DelétrazCarlinCallum IlottSauber Junior Racing by CharouzTatiana CalderonBWT ArdenGuanyu ZhouUNI-Virtuosi RacingMick SchumacherPREMA RacingGiuliano AlesiTridentOVERALL FASTEST LAPNobuharu Matsushita – 1:56.778 – Lap 25FASTEST LAP ELIGIBLE FOR POINTSJack Aitken (Campos Racing) -
Ghiotto fires to Bahrain pole; Mahaveer fumbles to last on grid: F2
Italian tops qualifying on UNI-Virtuosi debutSakhir, 29 March 2019: Luca Ghiotto has claimed the first points of the 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship season with a storming lap in the closing stages of this afternoon’s qualifying session at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, holding his nerve while his rivals pushed early to claim pole by almost four tenths from of Louis Delétraz and Nyck de Vries.The Italian held tight to his plan despite a mid-session red flag messing up everyone’s timings: Ghiotto waited until late in the session before posting a 1:40.504 flyer with just 2 minutes remaining, and his rivals had no rubber left with which to compete.The temperature was still high despite the setting sun as the green lights lit to release the drivers, with Delétraz setting the early running before DAMS teammates Sergio Sette Câmara and Nicholas Latifi usurped the Swiss driver at the top of the timesheets. The fight was brought to an early end when Callum Ilott lost his car and found the barriers, prompting a red flag period while the marshals cleared up the mess.Most of the drivers returned to the pits earlier than intended, potentially missing out on some improved times but also prompting a rethink on qualifying strategy: with longer than usual left on the clock, should they head out early and use a clearer track, or stay in and stick to the plan?The DAMS pair decided a change was as good as a holiday, with the Brazilian the first driver on track when the green lights returned, but on his first push lap he had a big moment at turn 1 and had to abort the lap, while behind him Latifi set the pace to grab provisional pole from his teammate by half a second.Jack Aitken was soon in P2, with Sette Câmara closing in behind him on worn tyres, and then it was time for those who waited: de Vries sliced off a tenth from Latifi, with Delétraz shaving it even finer, but there was no denying Ghiotto, who topped the tricky middle sector to claim the top spot.Latifi and Aitken led the best of the rest ahead of Nobuharu Matsushita, Sean Gelael, Sette Câmara, Ralph Boschung and Mick Schumacher, who were all within a second of pole and will be looking for more in tomorrow afternoon’s feature race in Bahrain.2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship Round 1 Qualifying session: Sakhir, BahrainDRIVERTEAMLAPTIMELAPS1Luca GhiottoUNI-Virtuosi Racing1:40.50492Louis DelétrazCarlin1:40.87193Nyck De VriesART Grand Prix1:40.88994Nicholas LatifiDAMS1:40.96495Jack AitkenCampos Racing1:41.11596Nobuharu MatsushitaCarlin1:41.13797Sean GelaelPREMA Racing1:41.25488Sérgio Sette CâmaraDAMS1:41.310119Ralph BoschungTrident1:41.505910Mick SchumacherPREMA Racing1:41.583811Anthoine HubertBWT Arden1:41.596912Juan Manuel CorreaSauber Junior Team by Charouz1:41.7221013Nikita MazepinART Grand Prix1:41.848914Jordan KingMP Motorsport1:41.857915Giuliano AlesiTrident1:41.864916Dorian BoccolacciCampos Racing1:41.918917Guanyu ZhouUNI-Virtuosi Racing1:42.123818Callum IlottSauber Junior Team by Charouz1:42.280519Tatiana CalderonBWT Arden1:42.810920Mahaveer RaghunathanMP Motorsport1:43.34310 -
Aishwarya’s superb show at FIM Bajas World Cup 2nd round gets her a well-deserved podium
Aishwarya Pissay finishes third in the FIM Baja World Cup on 24th March 2019 Sunday. A TVS Racing image Proença-a-Nova (Portugal), 25 March 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay, 23, came up with a gritty performance to finish on the podium with a third-place finish in the women’s category as the Baja do Pinhal, the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup concluded here on Sunday after the riders completed a grueling course of 364.69 Kms over two days.
Though Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, a former Indian National girls racing and rally champion, finished 29thOverall in the two-wheeler class, she was placed third and fourth in the women and junior categories, respectively, but not before enduring a nerve-pull on her right hand on Saturday that cost her a lot of time. The podium finish here fetched her 15 points which took her World Cup tally to 40, following the 25 she received in the first round in Dubai, earlier this month.
Summing up her performance here, Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, who is supported by TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, BigRock Dirt Park (Bengaluru) and Scott Motorsports India, said: “I am extremely thrilled to have completed this rally and collect points for the Baja World Cup. The rally was quite challenging with lots of enduro sections, but I managed to avoid any crashes.
“With the nerve strain on my hand, I couldn’t push up my speeds and that affected my overall performance. I will continue to train and learn from this experience to be fully prepared for the Baja Aragon, the third round of the World Cup, in July 2019.”
Aishwarya’s hopes of a strong finish were dashed on Saturday when she suffered a nerve damage on her right hand which severely affected her pace, but survived the long Special Stage of 191.27 Kms.
“I had problems using the throttle and because of that, I could not have the pace that I wanted. Otherwise, it was a good day of riding for me as I managed to finish the stage without any crashes. My performance could have been a lot better but I hurt the nerve on my right hand forcing me to take it easy on the bike,” said Aishwarya who completed Sunday’s Special Stage of 173.42 Kms with a strapped right hand.
Looking ahead to the next round, Aishwarya said: “With the experience and confidence I gained by completing the courses in Dubai and here, I hope to perform better in the third round in Aragon in July. I would like to thank by sponsors TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, Big Rock Dirtpark (Bengaluru), Scott Motorsports India for showing belief in me.”
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Bengaluru girl Aishwarya Pissay set for Portuguese round of FIM Bajas World Cup
Aishwarya Pissay file photo courtesy TVS Racing Proença-a-Nova (Portugal), 21 March 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay will resume her campaign in the FIM Bajas World Cup, here on Friday when the Baja do Pinhal gets underway with a ceremonial start followed by a Prologue run of 9.57 Kms.
Looking ahead to the Portuguese Baja which also doubles up as the second round of the World Cup, Bengaluru-based 23-year old Aishwarya said: “The Portugal rally will be a fantastic learning experience for me as the stages will have more enduro than fast sections. I have been training with BigRock Spain team for the past couple of weeks in similar terrain and have improved my riding technique.
“I am here to learn and develop my skills as a racer and the more rallies I participate in, the better I get. I am thankful to my sponsors TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, BigRock Dirt Park (Bengaluru) and Scott Motorsports India for supporting and believing in me.”
After Friday’s Prologue, the riders head out on Saturday for the 191.27 Kms Special Stage-1. The event concludes on Sunday at the end of the 173.42 Kms Special Stage-2.
Aishwarya picked up full complement of 25 points after completing the course in the first round in Dubai earlier this month astride a 450cc bike and she is hoping to add to her tally here in Portugal.
“I am hoping to perform much better here in Portugal where, unlike in Dubai, navigation is not a major issue. I am focused on securing as many World Cup points as possible by completing the course,” said Aishwarya who is set to compete in only her third international event following her debut in Baja Aragon (Spain) last year and Dubai earlier this month.
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Aishwarya Pissay tops among women in FIM Bajas World Cup at Dubai
Aishwarya who topped the women’s field in action on Saturday. A TVS Racing image Dubai, 9 March 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay completed a highly successful run in the first round of the FIM Bajas World Cup as she topped the women’s category and also picked up useful points in the junior category as the two-day event, covering 400 Kms of Special Stages across sand dunes, concluded here today.
Aishwarya Pissay, 23, from Bengaluru, and supported by TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, Scott Motorsports India and Big Rock Dirt Pack, not only achieved her immediate target of completing the grueling two-day event but also collected useful championship points.
After crossing the finish line on completing the day’s 204 Kms Special Stage, Aishwarya, said: “I am thrilled to have finished the rally as it is a confidence booster. Day 2 was much better for me as I made fewer mistakes and looked to pick up my pace.
“All the training from the past few weeks really made a difference in the dunes. I will definitely be back next year and look to improve my performance.”
Aishwarya, India’s first-ever women’s National Racing champion, finished the World Cup 26th in Overall classification with a much-improved performance on Day 2.
Aishwarya was competing in only her second international event after her debut in Spain last year ended with a heavy cash leading to injuries and lengthy rehabilitation.
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Aishwarya completes Day 1: FIM Bajas World Cup
Aishwarya Pissay survives Day 1 at Bajas World Cup on Friday. Images: TVS Racing Dubai, 8 March 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay completed Day 1 of the FIM Bajas World Cup despite a few crashes on the 201.6 Kms stage as she also battled the sand dunes and navigation here on Friday. The event concludes tomorrow with the competitors negotiating another Special Stage of 204.93 Kms.
Aishwarya, the 23-year old from Bengaluru, sponsored by TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, Scott Motorsports India and Big Rock Dirt Park, picked up the pace in the latter half of the day and was placed 31st among 37 starters.
“It was a tough start to the rally. I fell multiple times in the first 60 kms and lost lots of time. Also since the cars started ahead of bikes, the tracks were all quite deep and so I had to set my own track.
“Using the GPS Navigation took some time to get used to, but I was confident by the end of the stage. I am Looking to better my performance on Day 2 and end the rally on a high,” said National women’s rally champion Aishwarya, who holds the unique record of being India’s first women’s National racing champion before switching full-time to rallying.
On Thursday evening, HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum flagged off the competitors at the ceremonial start.
While on Friday, the competitors headed out from Dubai Autodrome into the Al Qudra desert to tackle the 201.6lkm Special Stage, the riders will negotiate the second Special Stage (204.93 Kms) on Sunday before the event returns to the Autodrome at 12.30 pm with the ceremonial finish taking place at 5 pm (local time).
Aishwarya Pissay in action on Friday, 8 March 2019. -
Aishwarya set for FIM Bajas World Cup in Dubai
Aishwarya Pissay at the official press conference in Dubai on Wednesday, Image: TVS Racing Dubai, 6 March 2019: India’s Aishwarya Pissay, having fully recovered from the injury she suffered last year in Spain, is all set for her second international event, the first round of the FIM Bajas World Cup commencing here on Thursday with a ceremonial flag-off.
Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, 23, sponsored by TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, Scott Motorsports India and Big Rock Dirt Park, will be competing in the 450cc, women and junior categories, astride a non-TVS bike. The event has attracted over 100 riders from 25 countries.
Aishwarya, who was injured after a crash in the Spanish Baja last year and was out of action for nearly six months, said: “This is an exciting start to my international racing season. I have been training really hard over the last few weeks in the sand dunes, which has been a tremendous learning experience. I am thankful to my sponsors TVS Racing, Mountain Dew, Scott and Big Rock Dirt Park for believing and supporting my dreams to represent India on the global motorsport stage.”This will be Aishwarya’s second attempt at an international rally. In 2018, she competed in the Baja Aragon. However, her debut on the global stage ended with a crash that required lengthy rehabilitation. In the past couple of months, she has been training at the Big Rock track run by ace cross-country rider CS Santosh, on the outskirts of Bengaluru. She also went in advance to Dubai to train on the sand dunes.
The first rider will leave the start at 06.45hrs on Friday, March 8th for a 50kms liaison section before starting the opening selective section of 201.60km, one hour later. The second timed section of 204.03km takes place on Saturday, March 9th. In a total of 607km, 407km will be timed against the clock.
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Prema Racing signs up Jehan Daruvala for new FIA F3 Series 2019
Mumbai, 6 Dec 2018: Jehan Daruvala will step up to the new FIA F3 championship in 2019, with team Prema Racing. The all-new F3 car will be considerably faster than the car Jehan raced in 2017-2018, with a completely new Dallara chassis mated to a 3400cc Mecachrome engine, capable of touching 300 km/hr. The car will also incorporate the halo, a safety mechanism to enhance driver protection which was introduced in F1 this year.
Importantly for Jehan, all races of the new FIA F3 Championship will be support races during F1 race weekends, allowing him the opportunity to learn all the F1 circuits. The new F3 car will also enable racers to get used to F1 features like DRS (Drag Reduction System) & Virtual Safety Car. Pirelli will be the official one make, tyre supplier for all 30 cars on the grid.
As early preparation, the 20-year-old Indian recently tested the outgoing GP3 car in Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina F1 Circuit. He dominated the 3 days of testing, posting the fastest time in 4 sessions and the 2nd fastest time in the remaining 2 sessions. Jehan’s pace was obvious, in spite of testing with 2 separate teams – MP Motorsport & Campos racing.
Jehan has been signed up by Prema Racing, one of the most successful Junior Racing Teams ever. Prema has won 6 drivers & team titles, in 7 years of the F3 European Championship’s existence, Mick Schumacher being the current champion. F1 racers – Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, Antonio Giovinazzi have all raced with Prema on their way to F1.
“The new F3 series is going to be very exciting and a different experience for me. Driving on an F1 weekend, on Pirelli tyres and an expected grid of 30 drivers, is going to be fun and challenging. I am extremely excited and proud to begin this journey with Prema and I am confident that we can achieve great results together. I would like to thank Prema for having the confidence in me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of this successful team.“ said Jehan.
René Rosin – Team Principal of Prema commented, “Jehan is definitely a promising prospect. We have known and respected each other for a while now and we are happy that all the dots finally connected to start what we expect to be a great relationship. He always impressed when he had the right chance in the past, and our goal will be to put him in the right position to express his full potential. We are confident that he will make great progress while providing us with valuable insight heading into the challenging season ahead.”
Jehan Daruvala won the Indian Karting Championship in 2010, before becoming the first and only Indian to win the Malaysian Yamaha Karting Championship, the CIK FIA Asia Pacific KF3 Karting Championship, and the British Super One Karting Championship. Till date, he remains the only Indian on the podium of any FIA World Championship, when he finished 2nd Runner-up in the 2014 CIK FIA World Karting Championship. He also remains the only Indian to have ever won an official Grand Prix, when he won the New Zealand Grand Prix (Toyota Racing Series). Jehan has also won two races of the FIA F3 European Championship.
The 8-Round (16 Races) FIA F3 Championship kicks off on May 10, 2019, in Barcelona, Spain, when the F1 Championship begins its European races.
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Five racers get a drive: MRF Challenge Round 2 in Bahrain from Thursday
Sakhir (Bahrain), 4 Dec 2018: The young racers in the MRF Challenge 2018-19 championship are in for a rare treat of getting to drive on a full-fledged Formula One Grand Prix track when the state-of-the-art Bahrain International Circuit here plays host to the second round from December 6 to 8.For the first-timers on the 12-car grid that is brimming with talented young and fearless drivers, it will be an unforgettable experience to race on a GP track which has three straights and 15 corners, not to mention the subtle gradient changes. The idyllic setting is expected to provide more of thrilling and closely contested races that were witnessed in the first round at Dubai last month.
The MRF Challenge is now in its seventh season and comprises od three rounds of five races each in Dubai, Bahrain and Chennai. It proved to be a nursery of racing talent. Several drivers, notably Mick Schumacher who is all set for Formula 2 next year after two seasons in MRF Challenge, have graduated to higher levels or used Asia’s premier winter championship offering cars with F3 Dallara chassis and powered by 2-litre engines, to further hone their skills. All cars are fitted with specifically designed MRF Z.L.O. racing tyres.
Mr Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Ltd, said: “The first round of MRF Challenge in Dubai last month, dished out some exciting fare as the drivers fought it out up and down the grid, while happy at the opportunity the championship has provided them to move to the next level of racing. In fact, it reflects MRF Challenge’s primary objective of offering young racing talent an ecosystem that help nurture their ambitions. Over the years, the MRF Challenge has proved to be a big stepping stone for racing aspirants who have gone on to fare well at the highest levels of racing. We now look forward to the second round in Bahrain and I am sure, the competitors will be eager to race on a full-fledged Formula One circuit.”
The Dubai round saw 20-year old Belgian Max Defourny, a graduate of Formula Renault 2.0 Euro Cup, underlining his talent by winning two of the five races and finishing on the podium in the other three. The strong performance fetched Defourny 106 points, well ahead of Britisher Jamie Chadwick, the lone female racer on the grid, who picked up 78 points with three podium finishes after close battles with Singapore’s Danial Frost (70), the winner of Race-2.
Ranged behind the trio are four drivers separated by just three points – 18-year olds, German Andreas Estner (50 points) and Finland’s Patrick Pasma (49), who won a race apiece, Belgian teenager Michelangelo Amendola (49) and Czech Republic’s Petr Ptacek (47).
For India’s lone representative on the grid, MRF Challenge debutant Chennai-based Chetan Korada, it has been a steep learning curve after several years in the Indian National Racing Championship. He managed to score two points in the Dubai round, but more importantly, improved his lap timings with each outing. “I hope to do much better in Bahrain after the seat-time I had in Dubai. I need to work on a few aspects of my driving, like braking, but I am confident of a better show in Bahrain,” said the 32-year old after the Dubai races.
Two Free Practice sessions and qualifying round are scheduled for Thursday (Dec 6) while two races will be run on Friday (Dec 7) and three more on Saturday (Dec 8).
