INDIA in F1

Category: Indians Abroad

News about Indians racing in different motorsports events abroad

  • Bangalore school-boy Ruhaan third in Easykart Italian championship

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    eom/with inputs from AP Media Comm.

     

  • George Russell is 2017 GP3 Series champion; Maini finishes outside points in both races

    George Russell is 2017 GP3 Series champion; Maini finishes outside points in both races

    George Russell wins GP3 Series title with a P5 in the Sunday’s race. Image from GP3 Series

    Jerez: George Russell managed to finish fifth in Race 2 and grabbed enough points to take a 50-point lead in the championship which virtually sealed his championship on Sunday morning at the Circuito de Jerez. Thus he became the 2017 GP3 Series Champion with one round remaining in the season.

    Meanwhile, Arjun Maini of Jenzer Motorsport finished 13th, 6.576 behind the winner. Earlier in Race 1 on Saturday, Maini could only finish 17th. With no points from these two races, the Indian driver remains on 53 points with one round to go.
    Alessio Lorandi claimed his first GP3 Series win with a strong race from pole to flag , leading home Dorian Boccolacci and Niko Kari. In sunny and warm conditions, Lorandi got away well when the lights went out and easily contained Boccolacci and Kari into turn 1 before the trio ran together all the way round the circuit. Then the Italian started to build a small but significant gap to his rivals as Anthoine Hubert and Dan Ticktum started to close in, with the Frenchman running wide on lap 2 to clear a path into P4 for the Briton.
    If the leaders were focused on their shot at victory, all other eyes were on the fight for the title: Russell started behind Jack Aitken but forced his way past at Dry Sac, with the Renault junior driver running slightly wide at the exit and allowing Nirei Fukuzumi to run through too. When Russell grabbed the fastest lap the potential points difference was 47, 1 short of a title confirmation, but with Giuliano Alesi just 0.5s behind Aitken anything could still happen.
    Up front Lorandi was easily controlling the pace, running his own lines and looking comfortable even if he was unable to break the 1s DRS barrier back to Boccolacci, who had a similar problem with Kari. Aitken was pushing hard to grab the fastest lap but was unable to close down the time set by Russell, and with the laps rolling down it looked as though the fight was going to continue to Abu Dhabi.
    But on lap 13 Ticktum, who had been fast all weekend and was looking for more than another P4, pushed hard and got inside Kari, towing Hubert with him as they ran 3 wide into turn 4, where there was only space for 2: Ticktum was into the gravel and retirement, Kari just held off an attack from Hubert, the safety car was out to allow the marshals to retrieve the stranded DAMS, and the points bump meant that the gap from Russell to Aitken was now 50, enough to claim the title.
    The race restarted for the final lap, with Lorandi comfortably controlling Boccolacci and Kari for his maiden win, with Hubert leading home his ART teammates Russell, Fukuzumi and Aitken, the latter two having a look at Russell at Dry Sac but unable to make anything stick, with Alesi rounding out the points in P8 as Jenzer celebrated their second win of the season and ART basked in the glory of success after claiming the 2017 GP3 Series Drivers’ and Teams’ titles ahead of the final round of the season, in Abu Dhabi on 24-26 November.
    Provisional Race 2 Classification
    Driver
    Team
    Gap
    1
    Alessio LORANDI
    Jenzer Motorsport
    2
    Dorian BOCCOLACCI
    Trident
    +0.743
    3
    Niko KARI
    Arden International
    +1.511
    4
    Anthoine HUBERT
    ART Grand Prix
    +1.696
    5
    George RUSSELL
    ART Grand Prix
    +2.722
    6
    Nirei FUKUZUMI
    ART Grand Prix
    +3.065
    7
    Jack AITKEN
    ART Grand Prix
    +3.617
    8
    Giuliano ALESI
    Trident
    +4.077
    9
    Tatiana CALDERON
    DAMS
    +4.376
    10
    Julien FALCHERO
    Campos Racing
    +5.198
    11
    Steijn SCHOTHORST
    Arden International
    +5.563
    12
    Leonardo PULCINI
    Arden International
    +5.948
    13
    Arjun MAINI
    Jenzer Motorsport
    +6.576
    14
    Bruno BAPTISTA
    DAMS
    +6.960
    15
    Ryan TVETER
    Trident
    +7.229
    16
    Raoul HYMAN
    Campos Racing
    +7.723
    17
    Juan Manuel CORREA
    Jenzer Motorsport
    +8.096
    18
    Marcos SIEBERT
    Campos Racing
    +8.637
    19
    Kevin JOERG
    Trident
    +8.746
    20
    Daniel TICKTUM
    DAMS
    +4 Laps
    Japanese driver wins Race 1
    Earlier, Nirei Fukuzumi reminded everyone of his abilities with a strong, unopposed victory on Saturday morning’s Race 1 at the Circuito de Jerez, making a tremendous start and soaring off into the distance untroubled by the intra-team battle behind him for his first win since Barcelona, leading home an ART 1-2-3 ahead of teammates George Russell and Jack Aitken.
    If most eyes were on the title fight between his teammates, the Honda development driver was determined to make the most of his opportunity and grab the win on offer: under gloriously sunny skies Fukuzumi tore away when the lights went out for a lead which never looked in question, while Aitken made a strong start from P2 but was slightly conservative into turn 1, opening the door to Russell.
    The Series leader didn’t need any further invitation: the Mercedes F1 junior driver slid inside his teammate into turn 1, with the pair running side by side through 2 before Russell edged ahead at turn 3, with Aitken left thinking about DRS strategies and the mounting challenge behind him from newcomer Dan Ticktum, who made a good start and was running on the same pace as his countryman.

  • Unexpected twist to SS600cc: Asia Road Racing

    The 2017 title chase in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship underwent another drastic change late in the season as the Madras Motor Race Track, host to Round 5, brought an unexpected twist in the championship story. In the SuperSports 600cc class, Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi reignited his title hopes with a convincing victory at the 3.7km circuit.

    The MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing rider started the race second on the grid, behind surprise pole sitter Keminth Kubo of team Yamaha Racing. However, Zaqhwan’s depth of experience clearly showed at the start of the race. The Malaysian easily brushed aside his younger competitor and nipped into the holeshot with Taiga Hada and Kubo hot on his heels.

    But the Malaysian rider was unfazed by the competition behind him. Despite track temperatures soaring up to 63 degrees, Zaqhwan looked cool and comfortable as he controlled the race pace at the front of the group.

    Behind him, Taiga Hada opted for a safe strategy, preferring to follow Zaqhwan around the track as opposed to an all-out 16-lap battle. Hada’s decision to play it safe almost cost him the second place when Yuki Ito came storming in from third position. The last-lap tussle between the two Japanese riders allowed Zaqhwan to run away at the front.

    Zaqhwan picked up his second win of the season with 27’20.721s. Hada successfully defended his second place with 27’21.347, and kept Ito in third place with 27’21.710s.

    Behind the winning trio, championship leader Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman showed amazing drive and determination to finish the race. He was injured after a bad high side at the tail end of Friday’s third free practice session. Off-form, Azlan qualified 15th on the grid. He gritted his way through the entire race and limped home with a very creditable tenth place. 

    The Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing rider picked up enough points to stay in the lead. He holds 124 points while Zaqhwan and Hada are level in second overall with 118 points. However, Azlan’s injury is not expected to recover overnight. Therefore, a new championship leader is expected to emerge from Race 2 on Sunday.

    In the Asia Production 250cc category, Gerry Salim was expected to seal the title in the first race. Uncharacteristically, the Indonesian ace crashed twice during the warm-up lap. The incidents left Gerry out of Race 1. In the absence of the dominating Indonesian rider, Tomoyoshi Koyama picked up his first AP250 win with a time of 22’07.059s. It was not an easy win for Koyama. He was pressured all the way by Thai rider Anupab Sarmoon who eventually finished second. Yamaha Racing Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama crossed the finish line in third place.

    Finally, in the Underbone 150cc category, Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam picked up his third win of the season at the Indian leg of the championship. The SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team rider executed a well thought-out strategy throughout the 10-lap race. He clocked 19’14.180s as the race winner, followed by Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues in second place with 19’14.358s. Azroy Hakeem Anuar made it an all-Malaysian podium, finishing third with 19’14.432s.

    RACE 1 RD5 ARRC RESULTS:
    SUPERSPORTS 600cc
    1 Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS) MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing 27:20.721s
    2 Taiga Hada (JPN) RAMA Honda by NTS T.Pro Ten 10 27:21.347s
    3 Yuki Ito (JPN) Yamaha Racing 27:21.710s
    4 Teppei Nagoe (JPN) MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing 27:25.948s
    5 Ratthapong Wilairot (THA) AP Honda Racing Thailand 27:28.595s

    Overall Standings

    1 Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS) Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing 124pts
    2 Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS) MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing 118pts
    3 Taiga Hada (JPN) RAMA Honda by NTS T.Pro Ten 10 118pts
    4 Yuki Ito (JPN) Yamaha Racing 109pts
    5 Ahmad Yudhistira (INA) Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing 103pts
    ASIA PRODUCTION 250cc
    1 Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN) RAMA Honda 22:07.059s
    2 Anupab Sarmoon (THA) YAMAHA Thailand Racing TEAM 22:07.176s
    3 Galang Hendra Pratama (INA) Yamaha Racing Indonesia 22:11.328s
    4 Muklada Sarapuech (THA) AP Honda Racing Thailand 22:14.526s
    5 Reynaldo Chrisantho Ratukore (INA) Yamaha Racing Indonesia Yamaha 22:14.801s

    Overall Standings
    1 Gerry Salim (INA) Astra Honda Racing Team 175pts
    2 Anupab Sarmoon (THA) YAMAHA Thailand Racing TEAM 135pts
    3 Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN) RAMA Honda 127pts
    4 Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN) SIDRAP HONDA IKAZUCHI Racing Team 120pts
    5 Rheza Danica Ahrens (INA) Astra Honda Racing Team 115pts

    UNDERBONE 150cc
    1 Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam (MAS) SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team 19:14.180s
    2 Md Haziq Md Fairues (MAS) UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor 19:14.358s
    3 Azroy Hakeem Anuar (MAS) Yuzy Honda Vietnam Racing Team 19:14.432s
    4 Md. Akid Aziz (MAS) UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor 19:14.543s
    5 Anggi Setiawan (INA) Yamaha Yamalube KYT TJM RACETECH Racing Team 19:14.848s

    Overall Standings
    1 Md Akid Aziz (MAS)  UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor 144pts
    2 Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (INA) Yamaha Racing Indonesia 120pts
    3 Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam (MAS) SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team 102pts
    4 Md Haziq Md Fairues (MAS) UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor 100pts
    5 Md Izzat Zaidi (MAS) RCB KAGE Motobatt Yamaha YY Pang Racing Team 100pts

    eom/TW

  • Thai star Decha Kraisart scorches track for new record: Asia Road Racing

    Thai star Decha Kraisart scorches track for new record: Asia Road Racing

    • Decha Kraisart (No.24), quickest in the SuperSports 600cc class on Sept 22. Image by Anand Philar

      Indian riders improve timings

    Chennai, 22 September, 2017: The high-pitched whine of the SuperSports 600cc bikes reverberated through the MMRT track with as many as nine riders ducking under the lap record here on Friday as the fifth round of the Asia Road Racing Championship, being hosted by the Madras Motor Sports Club, got off the blocks in style.

    Veteran Thailand star Decha Kraisart (Yamaha) clocked a sizzling one minute, 41.305 seconds around the 3.717 Kms track in the third Free Practice session late in the afternoon, bettering the previous best of 01:42.787 set by Kawasaki rider from Malaysia Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman who is also the current championship leader.

    The 600cc riders improved their timings through the three practice sessions before Kraisart led a bunch of nine who broke Kamaruzaman’s record (01:42.785) set in 2013 when the event was last run at this venue. Karmaruzaman (01:41.801) himself was third quickest in FP-3 behind compatriot Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (Honda, 01:41.501).

    Trailing the front-runners was the lone Indian entrant in this class, Shank Sarath Kumar who was about three seconds off the pace, but like other riders, improved his timings through the day.

    The other Indian, 18-year old Rajiv Sethu, taking part in the Asia Production 250cc class, was also off the pace, but improved his timing by nearly seven seconds over three practice sessions.

    Indian wild card entry in the Underbone 150cc class, Prabhu Arungagiri qualified 14th on the grid dominated by Malaysian riders.

    The final round of the two MMSC One-Make Championships (Open class), Honda CBR 250 and TVS Apache 200, also got underway with one practice session apiece.

    Ranchi’s Amit Richard Topno (Pro-Lap Racing), currently lying fifth in the championship, was quickest in the Honda CBR 250 category while leader Rajiv Sethu sat out the practice session while Prabhu V topped the TVS Apache class ahead of Sivanesan S who has already clinched the title, and was the third quickest behind Anand Kumar S.

    eom/press release

  • Jehan Daruvala finishes 5th in Race 3; Trails 2nd in Rookie standings with six races to go

    Jehan Daruvala finishes 5th in Race 3; Trails 2nd in Rookie standings with six races to go

    Jehan Daruvala signing autographs at Nurburgring on Sunday. Image courtesy James Gasperotti
    Action image of Jehan Daruvala on Sunday. Image by James Gasperotti

    Bangalore, 14 Sept 2017:  Touted as the best racer to have a chance to be the next Indian in an F1 car, Sahara Force India Academy Racer, Jehan Daruvala continued his maiden F3 season with another podium miss but he managed to get strong points in Round 8 of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship at Nurburgring in Germany on Sunday, 10th September.

    Meanwhile, at the 3.629 kilometres long Nürburgring sprint circuit, Lando Norris (Carlin) extended his lead in the Championship drivers’ standings. The Brit scored his ninth victory of the season and now has an advantage of 73 points from Maximilian Günther (Prema Powerteam), who is second in the drivers’ standings. Next to McLaren protégé Norris, British driver Jake Hughes (Hitech Grand Prix) and Estonian Ralf Aron (Hitech Grand Prix) stood on the podium for the prize-giving ceremony.

    The third FIA Formula 3 European Championship race at the Nürburgring had a turbulent start. Callum Ilott (Prema Powerteam) took the lead from Norris and Hughes while Guanyu Zhou (Prema Powerteam) and Ferdinand Habsburg (Carlin) collided in the first corner. For both drivers involved in the accident, the race was over and the safety car was deployed. Also on the opening lap, there was contact between Joey Mawson (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Tadasuke Makino (Hitech Grand Prix), after which both drivers had to turn into the pits for quick repair works on their cars.

    According to a press release received here on Tuesday, the Indian teenager and former second runner up in the World Karting Championship started tenth in Race 3 and climbed up the order to finish fifth.

    The famed Nürburgring racetrack, notoriously known as ‘Green Hell’ once upon a time, was the host for Round 8. Jehan put up a strong performance to finish in the points in all three races of the weekend around the 5.148 km long GP Strecke layout. A full grid of 22 drivers battled for top honours in unpredictable conditions as intermittent rain and sunshine made all sessions extremely tricky in terms of tyre choice and setup.  

    The 18-year old from Mumbai showed immense skill and maturity to stay out of trouble throughout and his consistency ensured that he finished in the points in all three races with a best finish of 5th in an incident-filled race three.

    FIA Formula 3 is the toughest junior racing category in the world, having produced some of the best racing talents ever known including Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Ayrton Senna & Michael Schumacher.

    Jehan qualified 10th for the final race of the weekend and had a good start as the lights went out. The Mumbai teenager did well to keep out of trouble as drivers clashed and clattered around him. Going into the steep downhill turn one, he stuck to the inside while Ferdinand Habsburg and Guanyu Zhou came together and retired instantly. With chaos reigning all around him, Jehan kept his head down, picking off his opponents one at a time. Shortly thereafter, the safety car was deployed and by then Jehan was already in a strong sixth place.

    As the field circulated behind the safety car for a few laps, attempting to keep their tyres and brakes warm for the restart, it was clear that the bunched-up field would result in more overtaking opportunities as drivers prepared to go racing once again. Jehan ensured that he placed his car perfectly behind Japanese racer Marino Sato in fifth place; and managed to overtake almost as soon as the race went green.

    The top five group including Jehan proceeded to break away from the rest of the pack and Jehan was embroiled in a close dual with Callum Illot, but the British racer defended strongly. As the race progressed, a yawing 10-second gap separated Jehan from the sixth place finisher by the time he crossed the chequered flag. McLaren Junior – Lando Norris won the race ahead of Jake Hughes.

    “It was a pretty tough weekend in terms of conditions which were never consistent but we were able to stay in the points and finish in the top five in the last race so I think it was good work all around”, said Jehan.

    The Indian driver is now sixth in drivers’ overall standings and second in rookie standings with two rounds to go and while there is a considerable gap to fifth placed Briton Jake Hughes in the overall tally, Jehan is focused on finishing his rookie Formula 3 season in the top five. “With only Spielberg and Hockenheim remaining, I want to finish in the top five in the championship. There are still six races to go and so I am really looking forward to concluding the season on a strong note”, he added.

    Jehan will now race at the Redbull Ring at Spielberg in Austria on the 23rd & 24th of September.

    eom/press release from Rayo Racing

  • Ruhaan Alva wins EasyKart60 race in Italy; finishes 2nd in championship

    Ruhaan Alva wins EasyKart60 race in Italy; finishes 2nd in championship

    Ruhaan Alva won the race on Saturday. Image by Ruhaan’s team

     

    Bengaluru, 11 Sept 2017: Aided by a win and a fourth place finish in the back-to-back rounds, Bengaluru schoolboy Ruhaan Alva emerged vice champion in the Easykart 60 category of the Easykart Championship which concluded at the Lignano Sabbiadoro circuit in Italy on Sunday.

    Ruhaan, supported by Italian kart manufacturer Birel Art, finished the nine-round championship tied with Patrese Lorenzo on 136 points. However, on count-back (number of wins), Ruhaan was adjudged vice champion, just 18 points behind overall winner Daniele D’Uroso. Ruhaan, in his debut season, had three wins, as against Lorenzo’s one.

    Ruhaan’s final tally of points was all the more creditable considering that he missed the first round of the “60” category as he took part in the Mini before switching to the higher and more competitive class.

    In Round 8 run on Saturday, Ruhaan qualified fourth in the heats, second in the pre-final with fastest lap. He came in second behind Adam Kowalski who, however, was docked 10-second penalty for starting the race on the wrong side of the grid and was shunted to eighth position. It elevated Ruhaan to first spot.

    Going into Sunday’s Round 9, Ruhaan was third in the championship, trailing Lorenzo by just three points. He was ninth in the heats, fifth in the pre-final and fourth in the final. More crucially, he finished ahead of Lorenzo in the concluding round to earn 13 points as the two ended the championship tied on points, thus requiring the count-back which favoured the Indian.

    “Overall, it was a fine performance by Ruhaan on debut in such a competitive championship. He started the season in the Mini category and won the opening round easily. We then decided to move him to the higher Easykart 60 category which had a bigger and more competitive grid.

    “It was a steep learning curve for Ruhaan, but we are happy that he performed so well with three wins and a couple of podium positions to finish the championship as the vice champion,” said an elated father Umakanth Alva.

     eom/david/press release
  • Mahaveer gets another podium finish

    Mahaveer gets another podium finish

    Mahaveer Raghunathan in action at BRNO. Image by Mahaveer Racing team

    Emerging Indian racer Mahaveer Raghunathan ended his eventful outing in the six round of the Boss GP on a high in Brno, CZ by clinching yet another podium finish. The 18 year old came home third in Race 1 on Saturday, to claim his momentum continue on successive podium finishes in all the races of this season.

    Mahaveer who represents Indian Team PS Racing with Collaboration by Coloni Motorsport remains Top in the championship fight with 233 points. The young lad from Chennai is 11 points championship lead from Johann Ledermair of Austria who won race 1 at Brno, CZ this morning.

    The 11 lap Race 1 saw Mahaveer fighting hard with De Plano from the Start of the race. After driving sensibly fighting hard, Mahaveer posted his fastest lap in Lap 1 with a time of 1:49.005.

    “The start of race 1 was not that easy, but everything worked out well. Finally If was a tough race again, but I did my best. The goal was, to increase speed and improve the lap record from Saturday’s race. That worked out well, so finally I’m happy with the performance this week and my overall results,” commented Mahaveer.

    Results: Round 6, Race 1: 11 laps: 1. Johann Ledermair, Austria 20:59.913; 2. Salvatore De Plano, Italy 21:15.262; 3. Mahaveer Raghunathan India 21;16.339.

    Championship Standings (top three, after 11 races out of 14 races)

    1. Mahaveer Raghunathan (India) 233 points
    2. Johann Ledermair (Austria) 222 points
    3. Salvatore De Plano (Italy) 221 points

     eom/MahaveerRacing press release

  • Russell wins; Maini bumped by teammate, fares badly: GP3 Series

    Monza, 3 Sept 2017: George Russell put the long wait for the start of Race 1 behind him by claiming a strong win in this morning’s race at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, keeping his head while chaos reigned behind him to head home an ART 1-2-3 ahead of teammate’s Jack Aitken and Anthoine Hubert to claim the team’s 7th title in 8 seasons.
    Meanwhile, India’s Arjun Maini of Jenzer Motorsport could only finish 16th and  last as he was bumped from behind by his teammate which ended his aspirations for a better placing.
    The Briton’s job was made easier when poleman Nirei Fukuzumi failed to make the start after getting stuck at the pit exit with an electrical gremlin: when the lights went out Russell eased away from the line with Hubert and Aitken squabbling behind him. At the Variante della Roggia Leonardo Pulcini and Alessio Lorandi came together, with the former riding the latter’s rear wheel all the way to the barriers: the safety car was straight out on track as the medical team extracted Pulcini from the car, who emerged shaken before heading to the medical centre for the usual checks.
    Repairs to the barriers meant it took until lap 9 for the race to run live, with Russell making an early getaway to lead his teammates down to turn 1, while behind them Steijn Schothorst and Niko Kari squabbled over best of the rest status, touching at Roggia but continuing the fight. Hubert had the pace over Russell after the safety car and squeezed by him at Rettifilo on lap 11, but it wasn’t to last as the Briton responded in kind 2 laps later, just before Juan Manuel Correa missed his braking and flew into the rear of teammate Arjun Maini, bringing out the VSC boards for the clean up.
    There was a huge gap back from the ARTs to Kari in P4, who now had Raoul Hyman and a gaggle of drivers circulating ominously behind: the South African dropped like a stone at the restart while up at the front Aitken made a great restart at Parabolica to run side by side with his teammates before grabbing the lead at turn 1. But Russell was not going to accept it without a fight, running all over his teammate’s rear wing all lap long before getting a better run at Curva Grande and reclaiming the lead at Roggia on lap 16.
    With the laps running down the race switched to a timed one, but the impact from Correa was starting to show on Maini’s rear wing: on lap 19 it disintegrated, forcing the Indian into the pits and retirement from P7, and when Kari tripped over the kerbs at Lesmo 2 and found the wall there was little choice but to bring out the safety car once again for the final lap of the race.
    Russell claimed the win to extend his lead in the drivers’ championship over 2nd placed driver Aitken, 162 points to 119, with Hubert P3 in the race and 4th in the title fight behind Fukuzumi, 99 points to 97. Siebert threaded his way through the chaos for an impressive 4th on track ahead of Ryan Tveter, Giuliano Alesi (5th in the championship on 95 points), with Tatiana Calderon finishing in P7 ahead of Julien Falchero, Kevin Joerg and Bruno Baptista.
    In the teams’ title fight ART is untouchable with two rounds remaining on 463 points, from Trident on 222 and Jenzer on 116: following the rain delays yesterday the GP3 Race 2 was cancelled, with the teams now looking ahead to Round 7 of the championship in Jerez on 6-8 October, the penultimate round of the 2017 season.
    Provisional Race 1 Classification
    Driver
    Team
     
    1.
    George Russell
    ART Grand Prix
    2.
    Jack Aitken
    ART Grand Prix
    3.
    Anthoine Hubert
    ART Grand Prix
    4.
    Marcos Siebert
    Campos Racing
    5.
    Ryan Tveter
    Trident
    6.
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    7.
    Tatiana Calderon
    DAMS
    8.
    Julien Falchero
    Campos Racing
    9.
    Kevin Jörg
    Trident
    10.
    Bruno Baptista
    DAMS
    11.
    Raoul Hyman
    Campos Racing
    12.
    Steijn Schothorst
    Arden International
    13.
    Daniel Ticktum
    DAMS
    14.
    Dorian Boccolacci
    Trident
    15.
    Niko Kari
    Arden International
    16.
    Arjun Maini
    Jenzer Motorsport
    Not Classified
    Juan Manuel Correa
    Jenzer Motorsport
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Arden International
    Alessio Lorandi
    Jenzer Motorsport
    Nirei Fukuzumi
    ART Grand Prix
    Fastest Lap
    Anthoine Hubert
    1:40.232 on lap 11

  • Arjun Maini on P8; Qualifying session cancelled due to rain; GP3 Series

    Nirei Fukuzumi has been handed pole position for this afternoon’s Race 1 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza after this morning’s qualifying session was cancelled due to track conditions: the grid will be formed using yesterday’s free practice times, with the Japanese driver to line up ahead of ART Grand Prix teammates George Russell, Anthoine Hubert and Jack Aitken.
    Heavy rain greeted the teams as they took their place in the pitlane: an early message advised that the session was delayed due to the conditions, and following a review by the track officials the call was made to cancel the session due to the excessive standing water and continuing rain.
    As there is no time available between now and the race, qualifying could not be rescheduled: accordingly the grid will be formed from the classifications of free practice.
    Behind the ART teammates Dorian Boccolacci, Steijn Schothorst, Leonardo Pulcini, Arjun Maini, Alessio Lorandi and new driver Dan Ticktum round out the top ten. Race 1 is set to take place today at 17.50 local time.
    Fukuzumi noted: “Normally I want to get pole position in qualifying, but the conditions are quite bad for driving now. For the race it is a good opportunity for us to start from P1, and it is good for the Japanese fans with Nobuharu-san also in P1 from yesterday: I am used to racing in the rain from Japan, and I will look for a good result.”
    Free Practice/Qualifying Classification
    Driver
    Team
    Laptime
    Laps
    1.
    Nirei Fukuzumi
    ART Grand Prix
    1:38.594
    17
    2.
    George Russell
    ART Grand Prix
    1:38.693
    18
    3.
    Anthoine Hubert
    ART Grand Prix
    1:38.776
    19
    4.
    Jack Aitken
    ART Grand Prix
    1:38.786
    19
    5.
    Dorian Boccolacci
    Trident
    1:38.933
    21
    6.
    Steijn Schothorst
    Arden International
    1:38.963
    20
    7.
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Arden International
    1:38.971
    19
    8.
    Arjun Maini
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:39.033
    21
    9.
    Alessio Lorandi
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:39.148
    17
    10.
    Daniel Ticktum
    DAMS
    1:39.232
    20
    11.
    Marcos Siebert
    Campos Racing
    1:39.298
    20
    12.
    Juan-Manuel Correa
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:39.470
    20
    13.
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    1:39.518
    22
    14.
    Niko Kari
    Arden International
    1:39.565
    18
    15.
    Raoul Hyman
    Campos Racing
    1:39.776
    20
    16.
    Bruno Baptista
    DAMS
    1:39.860
    17
    17.
    Ryan Tveter
    Trident
    1:39.923
    22
    18.
    Julien Falchero
    Campos Racing
    1:39.968
    19
    19.
    Tatiana Calderon
    DAMS
    1:40.411
    18
    20.
    Kevin Jörg
    Trident
    1:41.112
    20

  • Arjun Maini 8th fastest in Free Practice: GP3 Series

    Monza 1 Sept 2017: Indian racer Arjun Maini of Jenzer Motorsport was 8th fastest in the  even as Nirei Fukuzumi grabbed the top spot late in the afternoon’s GP3 Series free practice session at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, setting his best lap on the last tour to stop the clocks at 1:38.594 and lead home an ART Grand Prix ahead of George Russell, Anthoine Hubert and Jack Aitken.
    The session opened with the circuit bathed in sunshine despite large, ominous looking clouds overhead, with all the field taking straight to the track to get some laps under their belts. Dorian Boccolacci, Leonardo Pulcini and Fukuzumi set the early pace before Hubert grabbed P1 with a 40.009 as most of the field looked for some race run information.
    Giuliano Alesi took over the top spot at the 30 minute mark, with teammate Ryan Tveter playing rear gunner in P2 ahead of the ARTs, until it was all change in the final 5 minutes of the session with Hubert, Boccolacci, Fukuzumi, Aitken, Russell and then finally Fukuzumi taking the top spot again as the flag dropped for the end of the session.
    There were 14 drivers within a second of P1, with Boccolacci, Steijn Schothorst, Pulcini, Arjun Maini, Alessio Lorandi and new driver Dan Ticktum rounding out the top ten. Qualifying promises to be equally tight: the session starts tomorrow morning at 9.45 local time.
    Provisional Free Practice Classification
    Driver
    Team
    Laptime
    Laps
    1.
    Nirei Fukuzumi
    ART Grand Prix
    1:38.594
    17
    2.
    George Russell
    ART Grand Prix
    1:38.693
    18
    3.
    Anthoine Hubert
    ART Grand Prix
    1:38.776
    19
    4.
    Jack Aitken
    ART Grand Prix
    1:38.786
    19
    5.
    Dorian Boccolacci
    Trident
    1:38.933
    21
    6.
    Steijn Schothorst
    Arden International
    1:38.963
    20
    7.
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Arden International
    1:38.971
    19
    8.
    Arjun Maini
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:39.033
    21
    9.
    Alessio Lorandi
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:39.148
    17
    10.
    Daniel Ticktum
    DAMS
    1:39.232
    20
    11.
    Marcos Siebert
    Campos Racing
    1:39.298
    20
    12.
    Juan-Manuel Correa
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:39.470
    20
    13.
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    1:39.518
    22
    14.
    Niko Kari
    Arden International
    1:39.565
    18
    15.
    Raoul Hyman
    Campos Racing
    1:39.776
    20
    16.
    Bruno Baptista
    DAMS
    1:39.860
    17
    17.
    Ryan Tveter
    Trident
    1:39.923
    22
    18.
    Julien Falchero
    Campos Racing
    1:39.968
    19
    19.
    Tatiana Calderon
    DAMS
    1:40.411
    18
    20.
    Kevin Jörg
    Trident
    1:41.112
    20
    eom/GP3 Series press release