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Category: Indians Abroad
News about Indians racing in different motorsports events abroad
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Another top-10 finish for Ruhaan Alva in Easykart Italia Championship
Ruhaan Alva Castelletto (Italy), June 4: India’s Ruhaan Alva delivered his second consecutive top-10 finish as he came in eighth in the 100cc category in the fourth round of the Easykart Italia championship here on Sunday.
The 12-year old schoolboy from Bengaluru, supported by Play Factory and Birel Art India, and who had finished ninth in the previous round last month, promised much ahead of the race when he was the quickest in the last practice session that saw 15 drivers separated by just 0.5 seconds.
Starting the pre-final race in sixth spot, just two-tenths off pole position, he qualified seventh on the grid for Sunday’s final. Ruhaan started the final hoping to make places, but lost two positions in the very first lap, but recovered to move back to seventh.
Picking up the pace, Ruhaan managed to join the front-running bunch and was lining up to make few more places when an incident damaged his chassis that slowed him down considerably. As the race progressed, a struggling Ruhaan dropped a couple of spots to eventually finish ninth but was elevated to eighth following a penalty to a driver who was ahead of him.
Ruhaan’s next engagement is the fifth round of the championship to be held at the Pomposa circuit on June 23-24.
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Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik chalk up ERC3 debut win in EKO Rally Acropolis
Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik celebrate their ERC3 win in the EKO Rally Acropolis. Photo: ERC Athens, 03 June 2018: Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik from India scored a fairy-tale underdog victory in the FIA European Rally Championship’s ERC3 category of the EKO Rally Acropolis, winning on their debut in an older-specification Ford Fiesta R2 on Sunday.
Leading his class heading into Sunday, Ghosh simply had to bring his Prospeed-prepared car home in one piece to complete his first ERC appearance – his third outside native India – in first place. He did exactly that, continuing a deliberate approach to prioritise survival over speed in Acropolis’ rough, rock-strewn stages he had taken since Friday.
“Coming here with an older generation R2, the goal was to finish. In the back of my mind, I knew that if we got to the finish we’d be on the podium, but yesterday morning, when I was only two seconds behind [Artur] Muradian in the Peugeot I knew I could do it,” he told ERC Radio at the finish line.
Amittrajit Ghosh on the charge. Photo: ERC TBRacing’s Muradian had been ERC3’s quickest driver throughout all three days, but his PEUGEOT 208 R2 was appropriate battle-scarred from his fast approach. He was fastest in all but one stage he completed, but sheared wheel bolts in SS5 on Saturday morning forced him to retire from the lead.
“[The wheel bolts] sheared, like somebody cut them off. It’s funny because it was the first turn of the stage, 90 metres, sharp right and you can see the wheel flying in front of you! We lifted the car and when we decided to put the tyre back on, we noticed there were no bolts. We found all four of them in the corner later on!” he said.
Despite his speed, Muradian’s Saturday retirement meant he would settle for third place, well behind ERC Ladies’ Trophy frontrunner Emma Falcón in second. She bravely fought through all four of Leg Three’s stages with no brakes, her middle pedal going down to the floor and forcing Falcón to use her handbrake instead.
Chrysostomos Karellis had hoped to return for Leg Three after his retirement in Drossohori on Saturday but did not make it out of service come Sunday morning.
Amittrajit Ghosh….sensational win. Photo: ERC The Indian pair’s victory that saw them finish over 12 minutes ahead of their nearest rivals, was a foregone conclusion at the end of Saturday’s stages when they enjoyed a commanding lead despite treacherous conditions as Ghosh rightly opted for safety-first approach which put him ahead of class rivals.
Ghosh was taking part in only his third rally event outside of his native India, piloting a Baltic Motorsport Promotion-prepared Ford Fiesta R2. Much of the foundation for his victory was laid on Saturday when after Leg Two’s morning loop, he led in ERC3, taking a steady approach as others were caught out by tricky conditions.
“The whole plan for the event was not to take any risks but drive at a decent pace, so we were surprised to see that we were only two seconds off the fastest [in SS3],” said Ghosh. “For the first 7-8 km [in SS4] we took it almost at recce speed as I knew if you go hot there, you’re not going to finish that stage. When I saw our competitor [Chrysostomos Karellis] unfortunately parked, I knew the call was right.”
Though he lost 17 seconds to previous leader Artur Muradian in SS4, he then moved to the front when a wheel bolt failure ended Muradian’s day in the following stage. “In the next stage at the first corner he was parked,” said Ghosh “I immediately backed off because it doesn’t make any sense to push, and this car can’t take it. If you drive anything more than 70%, I don’t think any car is going to finish.”
His nearest competitor Emma Falcón suffered a puncture in SS5, allowing him to extend his gap and potentially set him up for a sensational debut ERC3 win.
Source: ERC
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Team Honda Racing India’s Hada scores 9 points in Japan, ARRC; Anish Shetty and Rajiv finish in Top 25
Anish Shetty…a tough debut at Suzuka Suzuka, 03 June 2018: The Sunday finale race of round 3 of Asia Road Racing Championship 2018 (ARRC) at Japan’s legendary Suzuka circuit was a mixed bag for IDEMITSU Honda Racing India team by T.Pro Ten 10 Racing. The team’s solo entry in Supersport 600cc class, Taiga Hada won nine points in the two races of Japan round. Meanwhile, the Indian duo of Rajiv Sethu and Anish Shetty maintained their rhythm and closed in the top 25 for race 2 as well.
Honda 2Wheeler India team’s third rider, 19-year old Japanese rider Taiga Hada finished 11th which is one improvement over his 12th finish yesterday. Overall, Hada gained nine points in the Suzuka round, taking his total points tally to 29 in three rounds.
In the Race 2 of Asia Production 250cc class, Indonesia’s Honda rider Rheza Danica Ahrens starting from the pole position continued to build on his lead. The race, which saw as many as five crashes, turned out to be a highly competitive one with as many as seven riders having less than one second gap.
Rajiv Sethu…..picking up pace Still learning the ropes of international racing as part of the debutant Honda Racing India team, rookie Anish Shetty and Rajiv Sethu consistently picked up pace and completed the 8-lap race in top 25 of 33 riders. Still recovering from his wrist injury and less lap practice due to crash in practice 1, Rajiv Sethu gained seven positions to finish at 24th. Anish, despite experiencing the Suzuka track for the first time ever, worked his way up to 25th, gaining five positions.
Sharing overview of the Indian team’s performance in Japan round, Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President – Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd said: “After the warm up today morning, our boys had entered the race with a positive frame of mind. Despite riding a completely new machine for him (CBR 250RR) and first time riding in the tough Suzuka track, Anish has consistently improved his time daily. We have high hopes for Rajiv and look forward to better performance as he recovers fully. Our Indian riders maintained rhythm and finished in top 25 in Japan round. With the national championship starting next weekend, our boys will have more practice before the next Chennai round of ARRC. We want to ride on the home advantage.”
Anish Shetty said: “Japan was a tough one for me. I started on a good note but couldn’t keep up the pace in second half. I’m now better adapted to the new bike (CBR 250RR) and this is where I feel that the next round will be critical. With more laps under the belt, I look forward to the home advantage in Chennai. For me, the countdown starts today.”
Rajiv Sethu said: “It’s less than a month since my wrist surgery and getting my momentum on track back is top priority. I entered the race on a very positive note after the morning warm up. However I, touched another rider in lap 3 of the race which unsettled my rhythm and I couldn’t recover fast enough. But moving ahead, I want to score in the next Chennai round. From now to August, it will be time for intensive training. First on my target is to win podium at National Championship and then better my craft when I compete in the Thai Talent Cup in this month itself.”
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MRF Tyres unveils M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 to be driven by Gaurav Gill in WRC 2
Gaurav Gill (right) and co-driver Glenn Macneall pose before their M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 Bengaluru, 31 May 2018: The MRF Tyres today unveiled their M-Sport Fiesta R5 car that will be driven by Indian champion Gaurav Gill with Australian Glenn Macneall as the co-driver. The pair will take part in four rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC 2 category) this season, beginning with the Rally Italia Sardegna (June 7-10).
The distinctive red and white livery of the Indian tyre manufacturer has been retained as MRF Tyres moves onto the World stage in the non-priority R5 category.
The Delhi-based 36-year old Gill, a three times FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion, said: “It is a huge honour for me to represent Team MRF at World Rally Championship level.
“MRF tyres has evolved a lot over the years and being the best tyre manufacturer in the region and the WRC is the best platform to showcase the product development. To achieve what no Indian tyre manufacturer has ever done before and compete in what is considered to be the most difficult motorsport championship in the world, is a huge achievement.”
For Macneall, who has competed in 100 WRC events, Rally Italia Sardegna is a return to MRF after many successful years partnering Gill in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship.
The car will be run by the UK-based WRC World Championship winning M-Sport outfit. The MRF Tyres Fiesta R5 will be one of four cars they service at Rally Italia Sardegna, alongside the three works WRC cars, including the one piloted by World champion Sebastien Ogier.
Besides the Rally Italia Sardegna, the MRF Tyres M-Sport Fiesta will also compete in the Neste Rally Finland (July 26-29), Dayinsure Wales Rally GB (October 4-7) and Kennards Hire Rally Australia (November 15-18).
Prior to joining the WRC, MRF Tyres won nine Asia Pacific Rally Championships and supplies tyres to rally championships across the World.
A side-on view of the MRF Tyres M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 The M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 specs:
ENGINE:
M-Sport developed 1.6 Turbo, direct injection powerplant, FIA regulated 32mm restrictor. Life Racing engine control unit and power management systems.
BODYSHELL:
M-Sport designed bespoke roll cage as per FIA R5 regulations. R5 Aero Package
TRANSMISSION:
Sadev 5 Speed Sequential Gearbox mated to Sadev front and rear differential units.
SUSPENSION:
Front and Rear MacPherson struts with Reiger external reservoir dampers, three way adjustable. Front and rear antil roll-bar options.
UPRIGHTS:
Machined Aluminium uprights of a universal design – strengthened suspension links.
INTERIOR:
FIA 8862 Standard Competition Seats with 6 point HANS compatible harnesses. AP Racing ‘fly by wire’ fully adjustable pedal box. Life Racing fully functional drivers display controlled by a membrane switch panel.
FUEL SYSTEM:
ATL 80 Litre competition standard fuel tank, centrally mounted.
BRAKES:
AP Racing Forged 4 piston front and rear calipers. Gravel 300 x 28mm ventilated discs / Asphalt 355 x 32mm ventilated discs. Hydraulic Handbrake.
WHEELS:
7”x15” wheels – Gravel / 8” x 18” wheels – Asphalt.
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F2: Fuoco clinches victory in dramatic Monaco Sprint Race; Arjun Maini 6th
Monaco, 26 May 2018: Antonio Fuoco held his nerve in a dramatic FIA Formula 2 Championship Sprint Race at Monte Carlo, Monaco, absorbing a swathe of challenges for the lead from Lando Norris and overcoming a flurry of safety
An F2 image courtesy FIA! cars to claim a maiden victory for Charouz Racing System. Norris followed home in second to extend his championship lead, while Louis Delétraz took his first F2 podium finish in third place after a stunning defensive drive. Indian racing prodigy Arjun Maini of Trident team managed to finish 6th.
Making a strong start off the line, Fuoco and Norris surged ahead as Jack Aitken bogged down from second place, dropping down the order as Delétraz and Artem Markelov swarmed past. Almost immediately, a virtual safety car was called to clear the cars of Tadasuke Makino and Luca Ghiotto; Makino struggled to get away, leaving Ghiotto to run into the back of the Japanese driver out of the blocks.Once the VSC period was declared over, Norris set about challenging Fuoco at the restart, carving into the Italian’s advantage before a safety car was called at the end of the fourth lap; Sean Gelael had clipped the kerb while passing through the Piscine section, subsequently becoming airborne before the PREMA driver careened into the barrier. The debris was hastily swept away for a restart at the end of the ninth lap, with Fuoco adeptly holding the lead from Norris and Delétraz.Behind the leading trio, Markelov was running Arjun Maini incredibly close, attempting a move around the outside of La Rascasse but ultimately running out of room to pass the Trident driver. This was a precursor to his next-lap assault, with Markelov once again using La Rascasse to launch his attack. Diving down the inside, the Russian driver found just enough space to complete the pass, with Delétraz next in his sights. Closing the Swiss ace down, Markelov once more attempted a move in the penultimate corner, but was ultimately unsuccessful.Fuoco, after absorbing Norris’s challenges in the first half of the race, had charged into a two-second lead by lap 20, before a second VSC was introduced after George Russell hit the wall on the exit of Piscine. Full-speed running returned a lap later, with Fuoco nailing the restart to open the lead out by a further second over the Carlin driver. Markelov meanwhile resumed his attack on Delétraz, and seemed set to clear him as they ran side-by-side through Massenet, but the Charouz driver’s sterling efforts in defence kept Markelov at bay.With four laps remaining, another safety car was called after Alexander Albon collided with Roy Nissany on the exit of the tunnel; attempting a move, the Thai driver fired into the back of Nissany’s car and ended up in the opposite wall after the Nouvelle Chicane – with Nissany left facing the wrong way. As the cars were quickly cleared, green flag running resumed with Fuoco once more preserving his lead over Norris as Delétraz found breathing space over Markelov.No sooner had the race restarted, the safety car made its third and final appearance to close out the race; Nirei Fukuzumi had mistimed his braking into La Rascasse and drifted into the wall, with Santino Ferrucci doing likewise seconds later. Although the safety car pulled in at the end of the final lap, Fuoco was unchallenged and clinched his second F2 victory ahead of Norris, while Delétraz ensured both Charouz drivers would stand on the podium.Markelov’s best efforts to clear Delétraz came to no avail, and had to be content with fourth as Roberto Merhi cleared Maini to take fifth place.Maximilian Günther grabbed his first points since Bahrain with seventh, as Nicholas Latifi took eighth – with it, the points for the fastest lap.Norris reaches 100 points to extend his championship lead, as Markelov and Albon complete the top three with 71 points each. ART Grand Prix pair Russell and Aitken complete the top five, currently standing at 62 and 49 points respectively. Carlin continue to lead the teams’ championship with 146 points, 35 points ahead of ART while DAMS sit on 91. After winning yesterday’s race, RUSSIAN TIME move up to fourth with 75 points.The FIA Formula 2 Championship will resume next time out from the 22-24 June at Le Castellet, France, a new venue for the calendar. The drivers clocked in plenty of mileage in pre-season testing at the Circuit Paul Ricard, but the long straights and mixture of corners should provide a stern challenge in racing trim.2018 Round 4 Sprint Race classificationDriverTeam1Antonio FuocoCharouz Racing System2Lando NorrisCarlin3Louis DelétrazCharouz Racing System4Artem MarkelovRUSSIAN TIME5Roberto MerhiMP Motorsport6Arjun MainiTrident7Maximilian GüntherBWT Arden8Nicholas LatifiDAMS9Nyck De VriesPERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing10Luca GhiottoCampos Vexatec Racing11Nirei FukuzumiBWT Arden12Santino FerrucciTridentNot classifiedRoy NissanyCampos Vexatec RacingAlexander AlbonDAMSRalph BoschungMP MotorsportGeorge RussellART Grand PrixSean GelaelPERTAMINA PREMA Theodore RacingTadasuke MakinoRUSSIAN TIMEJack AitkenART Grand Prix -
F2: Artem Markelov scores stunning victory in feature race; Arjun Maini finishes fifth
Monte Carlo, 25 May 2018: Artem Markelov produced a masterclass performance in the FIA Formula 2 Championship Feature Race at the Circuit de Monaco, as the RUSSIOAN TIME driver weathered drama and a pair of safety car periods to secure victory by 10.7 seconds over Sean Gelael. The PREMA driver took advantage of the alternate strategy to take second, as Roberto Merhi did likewise to grab the final podium place available.
Nineteen cars took to the grid after Sergio Sette Camara was ruled unfit to start following his incident in Thursday’s qualifying session. In a hot, humid Monte Carlo, the race was put on ice almost immediately after the start; the safety car was brought out after Luca Ghiotto was helped into the wall by Antonio Fuoco off the line, as polesitter Alexander Albon preserved his lead of the race from Nyck de Vries and Markelov. Once Ghiotto’s stricken Campos Vexatec Racing car was cleared, Albon dictated the restart to remain ahead of de Vries, while Markelov was left to fend off from Arjun Maini after Fuoco was quickly handed a drive-through penalty.
De Vries began to throw the kitchen sink at Albon, before yellow flags flooded the Rascasse hairpin for George Russell, who hit the wall having botched an overtake on Nirei Fukuzumi. With the threat of a safety car – which remained off-track after the ART Grand Prix car was quickly put out of harm’s way – the supersoft runners began to filter into the pits; Lando Norris, Gelael, Louis Delétraz and Merhi peppering the pitlane with stops for soft tyres.
Norris then brought out a second safety car on lap 13, attempting an overtake on Ralph Boschung at the Anthony Noghes corner and bundling the Swiss driver into the wall – Norris earning a drive-through as a result. Subsequently, leading pair Albon and de Vries both attempted to pit under the safety car; the two found the pitlane entry too tight for both cars and collided – Albon ending up facing the wrong direction and de Vries sustaining damage.
The end of the safety car period shuffled Markelov to the front of the field, and he began to fire in a series of hot laps to build a gap over Maini. De Vries, the lead runner to have completed their mandatory stop, lost eighth to teammate Gelael before haemorrhaging a further raft of positions – the Dutchman calling it a day after 20 tours of the circuit. This left Gelael as Markelov’s benchmark as he sought to build a gap ahead of his own pitstop.
Dropping the hammer, Markelov had preserved sufficient life in his soft tyres to open the gap up to Gelael, eking out as much time as possible to complete his stop. Behind him, Fuoco, Aitken and Fukuzumi all blinked first, pitting while Markelov was setting further hot laps. With his lapped teammate Tadasuke Makino looming larger in his sights, Markelov came in for supersofts at the end of lap 34, crucially emerging ahead of Gelael.
Gelael had soon slashed the deficit to two seconds as Markelov needed time to bring his tyres up to temperature, but the Russian soon took advantage of his softer-compound rubber to light the timing boards up with best sectors, opening up his advantage to cross the line with a 10.7s advantage over the Indonesian. Having also pit before the safety car on the alternate strategy, Merhi capped off a well-managed drive to clinch third – he and Gelael claiming their first F2 podium finishes.
Having also benefitted from the option-prime strategy, Louis Delétraz swept home in fourth for his first points of the season, while Maini emerged ahead of Norris after his stop to grab fifth. Jack Aitken was seventh, while Fuoco recovered from his drive-through to eighth. Nicholas Latifi, having stopped the latest of anyone, clinched ninth from the final row of the grid, while Fukuzumi beat BWT Arden teammate Maximilian Günther to 10th.
Fuoco will start Saturday’s Sprint Race from eighth position and, without mandatory pitstops to make, drivers will undoubtedly have to take more risks to progress through the field. With the streets of Monaco keen to punish the slightest mistake, Saturday’s race promises to be just as exciting.
Albon handed grid penalty for Sprint Race
Following today’s FIA Formula 2 Feature Race, Alexander Albon was found guilty of causing a collision. When entering the pit lane for his mandatory pit stop, the DAMS driver collided with Nyck de Vries, who was making his entrance to the pits at the same time. The contact sent Albon into a spin, before he later retired from the race. The Dutchman from PERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing also stopped his run a few laps later, his car sustaining damage after the collision.
As a consequence, Albon was handed a five-place grid drop for tomorrow’s Sprint Race in Monaco. He will henceforth start from last position.
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Albon grabs third successive pole in Monaco qualifying, beating de Vries by 100th of a second
Monaco, 24 May 2018: Alexander Albon took his third consecutive pole position in an action-packed FIA Formula 2 Championship qualifying session at Monte Carlo here on Thursday. The DAMS driver clocked a 1:21.727 lap to stave off Nyck de Vries by 0.01s for the fastest time while Artem Markelov (Russian Time) will start from third in tomorrow’s feature race. Indian racer Arjun Maini who clocked fourth fastest in the second group of the split qualifying session for an overall 8th. He will start in P8 and will be looking to turn the trend of the past couple of races.Group A Qualifying sessionQualifying was split into two groups, with Santino Ferrucci leading the first half of the field out onto the circuit, with Markelov and Lando Norris in hot pursuit. Norris soon passed the pair to record the first flying lap, Jack Aitken challenging his compatriot’s time, but the pack soon retreated to the pits to put on sets of fresh supersoft tyres.Markelov – one of the first to make the switch to new tyres – beat Norris’ time, but the Carlin driver seemed destined to put the Russian in the shade with a pair of purple opening sectors. However, the Brit hit the wall on the exit of the Piscine complex, breaking his front wing and ending his hopes of securing pole position. Ferrucci briefly led the session before Markelov reclaimed top spot, the RUSSIAN TIME driver looking busy at the steering wheel throughout the lap.Albon then hurled his way to the head of the timesheets, overcoming Markelov’s benchmark by a tenth to grab first place – the Thai driver’s time holding firm in the final stages of the session.Group B Qualifying sessionThe second group then took to the circuit moments later, Arjun Maini first on scene ahead of George Russell and Sergio Sette Camara – Maini opening with the first flying lap. Sette Camara challenged with a quick first sector, but the Trident driver’s time was ultimately beaten by de Vries before the mid-session pitstop phase.Once the field had collected new tyres, Sette Camara dipped below de Vries’ time before the Dutchman attempted to charge back, but came across a slow Luca Ghiotto while on a quick lap. Undeterred, de Vries used the next lap to surge to the top of the timesheets of the second group, just one hundredth of a second behind Albon’s previous benchmark. With little chance of anyone improving, the second session came to an abrupt end with moments left on the clock after Sette Camara hit the wall at turn 1 to bring out a red flag.With the results aggregated, Albon and de Vries occupy the front row, with Markelov starting alongside Sette Camara behind them. Antonio Fuoco starts from fifth, ahead of countryman Luca Ghiotto. Maximilian Günther and Arjun Maini start tomorrow’s race from seventh and eighth, while Ferrucci and Ralph Boschung complete the top ten.As the current title contenders are dispersed among the grid, and with the potential for a drama-filled event, tomorrow’s race promises to provide plenty of intrigue amid the streets of Monte Carlo.2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship Round 4 Qualifying – Monte Carlo, MonacoGroup ADriverTeamTimeLaps1Alexander AlbonDAMS1:21.72792Artem MarkelovRUSSIAN TIME1:21.834113Antonio FuocoCharouz Racing System1:21.948104Maximilian GüntherBWT Arden1:22.194105Santino FerrucciTrident1:22.408106Roberto MerhiMP Motorsport1:22.569117Jack AitkenART Grand Prix1:22.597118Sean GelaelPERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing1:22.654119Lando NorrisCarlin1:22.663710Roy NissanyCarlin1:23.79610Group B1Nyck de VriesPERTAMINA PREMA Theodore Racing1:21.737102Sergio Sette CamaraCarlin1:21.901103Luca GhiottoCampos Vexatec Racing1:22.241104Arjun MainiTrident1:22.263105Ralph BoschungMP Motorsport1:22.307106Tadasuke MakinoRUSSIAN TIME1:22.42097Nirei FukuzumiBWT Arden1:22.70798Louis DelétrazCharouz Racing System1:22.717109George RussellART Grand Prix1:22.9771110Nicholas LatifiDAMS1:23.15710 -
Jehan Daruvala opens European Formula 3 season with podium at Pau
Photo courtesy Jehan’s twitter handle @DaruvalaJehan Pau (France) 14 May 2018: Sahara Force India Academy racer Jehan Daruvala began his 2018 campaign in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with a podium in Race 3 of the season opener. Jehan created history last year, when he became the first Indian ever to win a race in the FIA F3 European Championship when he dominated and won at Nuremburg in Germany.
The first round of the 2018 season was held on the famous street circuit of Pau in southern France. Jehan, the 19-year old from Mumbai and driving for Carlin team, qualified just 0.29 seconds off the quickest, but the extremely competitive grid meant that he would start seventh.
In the next qualifying session, Jehan was supremely quick. He was all set to bag pole position, but a slower car in front of him meant Jehan was blocked and he qualified down in seventh and fifth for the remaining races.
The highlight of Jehan’s weekend was when he made a brilliant start from fifth on a completely wet circuit in Race 3. The Indian teenager climbed two places before corner 1 and thereafter made no mistakes in the treacherous conditions around the tight street circuit.
Jehan was comfortable in third, when the race was stopped 13 minutes before schedule due to the un-driveable wet conditions, sealing Jehan’s podium.
Jehan Daruvala (Carlin) in action at Pau, France Jehan said: “At the start, I was able to move up from fifth to third place. Initially, the two drivers in front of me were faster and were able to pull a gap. Later on, I made a mistake: I hit a kerb and from then on, I was afraid that my suspension could break. That had happened to me in the first race already and it was always in the back of my mind. Therefore, perhaps it was good for me that the race was stopped, because nobody was able to take third place away from me.”
Earlier in the weekend, Jehan had a poor start for Race 1 and lost a couple of places before climbing up to seventh. A mechanical failure with the suspension due to no fault of his own saw Jehan retire from the race. In Race 2, Jehan started seventh and ultimately finished sixth after another racer crashed.
Jehan’s podium in Race 3, popularly known as the Pau Grand Prix, was the highlight of his weekend which was otherwise compromised due to situations beyond his control. His pace has been right up there in the series which is arguably one of the most important steps to Formula 1 and certainly one of the most competitive.
“I made a mistake in the first qualifying which cost me pole. In the second qualifying, I was unfortunately held up which again cost me pole position. I am very happy with my pace, especially in the wet. I am now much more confident and up there. After all the things that went wrong, I am relieved with the podium this weekend. It’s time to put this behind me and continue working hard for the rest of the season,” said Jehan.
The second of the 10-round championship will be held at the Hungaroring F1 circuit in Hungary on June 2-3.
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A big win for Rajini Krishnan in Race 1: Malaysian SBK 1000cc Open Class
India’s Rajini Krishnan holds aloft the winner’s trophy. Sepang (Kuala Lumpur), 14 May 2018: Indian racer Rajini Krishnan won the opening round Race 1 of the Pirelli Malaysian Superbike series Round 1 of the 2018 season at Sepang International Circuit here on Sunday.
Krishnan started from P3, but the 2015 Malaysia Super bike champion in the 1000cc open class, took the lead early by Lap 2 and won with ease for a big win in almost one year.
The Indian talent suffered a high slide and fell on Lap3 while in second position and fell back to 18th place. However, he managed to race hard to climb back into the fifth place and had to be content with the same position in Race 2 for some valuable points.
The RACR Team also had racers taking part in the Super 250 , 600cc Supersport and the Superbike 1000cc open categories.
Another talented racer, Vishwadev Muralidharan finished 8th in Race 1 of the Super 250cc category and improved to 7th place in the second race in the evening.
In the Supersport 600cc class, Abhijith Prasad came 5th in Race 1 while another RACR racer Ritesh Sapre came 11th. Prasad, however, could only finish 9th in Race 2 while Sapre ended up 18th.
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Bengaluru’s Ruhaan Alva finishes 9th in Round 3 of Easykart Italia championship
Lonato (Italy), 14 May 2018: India’s Ruhaan Alva did well to finish ninth (100cc category) in the third round of the Eastkart Italian Championship at the famed South Garda karting circuit here on Sunday.In the 18-lap final, Ruhaan, the 11-year old schoolboy from Bengaluru, supported by Play Factory and Birel Art, started ninth on the 25-kart grid. He made two places to seventh by the end of the second lap, but could not make further progress and eventually finished ninth.
Earlier, starting ninth in the pre-final, Ruhaan, who opted for the more competitive Easykart 100 category after finishing second runner-up in the Cadet class last season, did well to jump four spots to fifth, with sights trained on a possible podium finish. However, a shunt from the back saw him slip to 11th before fighting back to finish ninth.
Ruhaan will next take part in the fourth round of the championship scheduled for June 2-3 at the International Circuit 7 Lakes in Castelletto.
Lonato (Italy), 14 May 2018: India’s Ruhaan Alva did well to finish ninth (100cc category) in the third round of the Eastkart Italian Championship at the famed South Garda karting circuit here