INDIA in F1

Category: Indians Abroad

News about Indians racing in different motorsports events abroad

  • Maiden win for Fukuzumi; Maini finishes 7th: GP3

    Japanese driver victorious in Barcelona
    Nirei Fukuzumi has dominated his rivals for his first GP3 Series win this afternoon at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona, leading a close fight with ART teammate Jack Aitken before the Briton suffered a mechanical gremlin which eased the pressure on the Japanese driver, who then flew to a 7 second victory over Leonardo Pulcini and Alessio Lorandi.
    The race took place under scorching conditions, with front row starters Aitken and Fukuzumi storming off when the lights went out towards turn one: the Honda development driver had the outside line as they ran three abreast with Dorian Boccolacci and nabbed the lead into turn two, with the Frenchman running wide at turn two and allowing Pulcini a run through to P3.
    Aitken and Fukuzumi were swapping fastest laps as they looked for any advantage over the other, pulling away from the rest of the field as they did, while further back Lorandi was on a charge: moving up a spot to P6 off the line, the Italian mugged Arjun Maini for 5th on lap 9 and ran through Boccolacci 4 laps later as the battle for the lead intensified.
    But the fight came to an end on lap 16 as Aitken stuttered on track before being slowly swallowed up by his pursuers as he limped back to the pits and retirement: with the pressure now off Fukuzumi soared to the flag, while the battle shifted to the two Italian rivals behind him. Lorandi was all over the rear wing of his countryman for the closing laps, but to no avail: Pulcini was impervious to attack and punched the air as he crossed the line in P2.
    Behind them George Russell had stayed out of trouble and preserved his tyres to push up to 4th place at the flag, just holding off teammate Anthoine Hubert as he did so, while Boccolacci will have picked up a lot of lessons on his way to P6, denying Maini at the end of the race. Further back Campos pair Raoul Hyman and Marcos Siebert had a huge fight over the closing laps for team bragging rights, with the South African just holding on for 8th and reverse pole when Santino Ferrucci got in the mix, nicking P9 from Siebert at the final corner.
    Race 1 Provisional Classification
    Driver
    Team
    Gap
     
    1.
    Nirei Fukuzumi
    ART Grand Prix
    2.
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Arden International
    7.433
    3.
    Alessio Lorandi
    Jenzer Motorsport
    7.889
    4.
    George Russell
    ART Grand Prix
    11.807
    5.
    Anthoine Hubert
    ART Grand Prix
    12.159
    6.
    Dorian Boccolacci
    Trident
    14.364
    7.
    Arjun Maini
    Jenzer Motorsport
    14.906
    8.
    Raoul Hyman
    Campos Racing
    30.986
    9.
    Santino Ferrucci
    DAMS
    31.314
    10.
    Marcos Siebert
    Campos Racing
    31.357
    11.
    Julien Falchero
    Campos Racing
    31.912
    12.
    Ryan Tveter
    Trident
    32.228
    13.
    Kevin Jörg
    Trident
    32.916
    14.
    Tatiana Calderon
    DAMS
    33.288
    15.
    Niko Kari
    Arden International
    35.996
    16.
    Bruno Baptista
    DAMS
    37.783
    17.
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    38.240
    18.
    Steijn Schothorst
    Arden International
    39.412
    Not classified
    Jack Aitken
    ART Grand Prix

  • Aitken flies to Barcelona pole; Arjun Maini P6

    Barcelona,  13 May 2017: Jack Aitken emerged on top of this morning’s season-opening qualifying session at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona, finding a gap in traffic and soaring to pole in the closing minutes of the session to deny teammate Nirei Fukuzumi and Dorian Boccolacci by just over a tenth.
    The Briton squeezed onto the top of the timesheets with a stunning lap of 1:34.187, nailing his lap at just the right time to claim the first GP3 pole position of 2017 in a qualifying session that saw the times tumble throughout the 30 minute period, right up until the chequered flag.
    The session opened to dry and sunny conditions, with all of the grid heading straight out on track to make the most of them. Giuliano Alesi set the first competitive time, with his rivals soon on the attack: Santino Ferrucci, Boccolacci, Aitken and Fukuzumi all spent time on the top spot before Boccolacci laid down a challenge just before everyone returned to the pits for fresh tyres, giving his rivals one last time to target.
    The field re-emerged for the final 10 minutes and built up enough heat in the tyres for a final push: in the final 2 minutes George Russell struck before ART teammate Aitken displaced him in P1, with first Boccolacci and then Fukuzumi slotting in just behind him as the clock rolled down to zero.
    Russell, Leonardo Pulcini, Arjun Maini, Alesi and Alessio Lorandi all improved on their final lap to fill out the top 8, with 15 drivers finishing the session within a second of the pole time: the battle recommences in this afternoon’s race 1.
    Provisional Qualifying Results
    Driver
    Team
    Laptime
    Laps
    1.
    Jack Aitken
    ART Grand Prix
    1:34.187
    12
    2.
    Nirei Fukuzumi
    ART Grand Prix
    1:34.358
    12
    3.
    Dorian Boccolacci
    Trident
    1:34.380
    13
    4.
    George Russell
    ART Grand Prix
    1:34.468
    13
    5.
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Arden International
    1:34.602
    13
    6.
    Arjun Maini
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:34.685
    13
    7.
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    1:34.708
    13
    8.
    Alessio Lorandi
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:34.720
    13
    9.
    Marcos Siebert
    Campos Racing
    1:34.788
    14
    10.
    Anthoine Hubert
    ART Grand Prix
    1:34.866
    12
    11.
    Niko Kari
    Arden International
    1:34.964
    13
    12.
    Raoul Hyman
    Campos Racing
    1:35.031
    14
    13.
    Steijn Schothorst
    Arden International
    1:35.041
    13
    14.
    Santino Ferrucci
    DAMS
    1:35.070
    12
    15.
    Julien Falchero
    Campos Racing
    1:35.088
    12
    16.
    Ryan Tveter
    Trident
    1:35.224
    14
    17.
    Kevin Jörg
    Trident
    1:35.423
    12
    18.
    Tatiana Calderon
    DAMS
    1:35.613
    13
    19.
    Bruno Baptista
    DAMS
    1:35.851
    12

  • Arjun Maini second fastest in Free Practice: GP3

    Barcelona 12 May 2017: Nirei Fukuzumi has nabbed the top spot in the opening free practice session of the 2017 GP3 Series this afternoon at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona, leading the way for almost the entire session with a lap of 1:35.933 despite a last minute challenge from Arjun Maini and Marcos Seibert.
    With the session opening under scorching conditions the lessons learned at the recent 2 day test, held in much colder conditions, were not going to help as much as was hoped, leading the entire grid to head out onto the circuit as soon as the lights went green. Ryan Tveter and Maini set the initial pace before Fukuzumi grabbed the top spot just 8 minutes into the session, holding on all the way to the flag.
    With the top 4 places held by the Honda development driver and his ART Grand Prix teammates, attention turned to race simulations in preparation for tomorrow’s Race 1 for the majority of the session. It was only in the final 5 minutes that the drivers were let off the leash, with Tveter and Niko Kari pushing hard but struggling in the final sector.
    With Fukuzumi more than four tenths ahead of George Russell the rest of the field was effectively fighting for P2, with the competition heating up as the clock wound down: Leonardo Pulcini grabbed 2nd with 2 minutes remaining, only to be usurped as the chequered flag dropped by first Seibert and then Maini on the last lap of the day.
    Despite the Japanese driver’s strong push there were 13 drivers within a second of his best time, suggesting the fight for pole position in tomorrow morning’s qualifying session will be as fierce as ever.
    Free Practice Classification
    Driver
    Team
    Laptime
    Laps
    1.
    Nirei Fukuzumi
    ART Grand Prix
    1:35.933
    17
    2.
    Arjun Maini
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:36.286
    20
    3.
    Marcos Siebert
    Campos Racing
    1:36.293
    18
    4.
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Arden International
    1:36.352
    17
    5.
    George Russell
    ART Grand Prix
    1:36.382
    17
    6.
    Jack Aitken
    ART Grand Prix
    1:36.386
    17
    7.
    Niko Kari
    Arden International
    1:36.431
    17
    8.
    Ryan Tveter
    Trident
    1:36.441
    14
    9.
    Steijn Schothorst
    Arden International
    1:36.455
    17
    10.
    Raoul Hyman
    Campos Racing
    1:36.517
    20
    11.
    Santino Ferrucci
    DAMS
    1:36.521
    18
    12.
    Anthoine Hubert
    ART Grand Prix
    1:36.619
    18
    13.
    Kevin Jörg
    Trident
    1:36.669
    16
    14.
    Bruno Baptista
    DAMS
    1:37.047
    17
    15.
    Giuliano Alesi
    Trident
    1:37.254
    14
    16.
    Dorian Boccolacci
    Trident
    1:37.488
    18
    17.
    Julien Falchero
    Campos Racing
    1:37.570
    20
    18.
    Tatiana Calderon
    DAMS
    1:37.606
    19
    19.
    Alessio Lorandi
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:38.227
    16
     eom/GP3 release
  • Arjun Maini takes a big step towards F1 seat, joins Haas team as Development Driver

    Arjun Maini takes a big step towards F1 seat, joins Haas team as Development Driver

    Nineteen-Year-Old Racer born and brought up in Bengaluru will be the third Indian to race in Formula One, if he gets a drive, and the position as Development Driver is a right step in that direction

    Bengaluru, 11 May 2017: Motorsports fans and aficionados got a breath of fresh air with the pleasant news this afternoon that Arjun Maini, an Indian GP3 racer, will make an entry into the world of Formula One. After a gap of five years, an Indian will become part of an F1 team again to fulfill the much-awaited dreams of many a racing fan.

    Haas F1 Team announced from Barcelona on Thursday that it has signed Arjun Maini as a development driver ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday. Maini will join the team alongside 18-year-old American Santino Ferrucci. Haas, the American team, has been racing in the F1 2017 season, with Kevin Magnussen and Romain Gorsjean as its main drivers.

     

    Bengaluru boy, the 19-year-old Maini, is competing in the GP3 Series for Jenzer Motorsport after running 14 of the 18 GP3 Series races in 2016. Despite missing the first four races, Maini finished 10th in the championship standings with a best finish of second, the podium he earned on July 23 at the Hungaroring in Budapest.

     

    Maini has interacted with the media today at the Haas F1 Team hospitality in the paddock at Circuit de Barcelona but was not immediately available for comments. However, he sent his quotes through an email through the team.

    “It’s an honor to be a part of Haas F1 Team’s driver development program,” Maini said. “All of my racing to date has been with the focus of becoming a Formula One driver, and this opportunity puts me one step closer to my goal. I am eager to learn, understand and experience how a Formula One team operates. Everything I learn can be used immediately in GP3 while preparing for my ultimate goal of Formula One.”

    Sponsors and big-finance plays a big role in getting a seat initially in F1, even for talented drivers and it is heart-warming to note that Maini made it without paying funds. But apart from the huge money required in the process of gaining an entry into F1, drivers face a huge challenges of different kinds.

    To compete and develop as a competent driver of high standard in India has been a big challenge and the youngster and his supporters, especially his father Gautham Maini, have patiently and painstakingly endured the hardships to see his potential blossom into a development driver slot and the real battle begins now as he makes the last push for an F1 seat.

    A few years back, India’s youngest F1 driver, Karun Chandhok was impressed by the talent and dedication of Arjun Maini and stated that he looks forward to helping the teenager become India’s next Formula One driver. And true to his promise, the current F1 commentator and Le Mans driver played a mentor’s role to get Arjun the break through.

    To put Arjun’s qualities in right perspective, it is best to remember what Karun said when the youngster was just 15: “Arjun has no ego and he is ready to listen to advice from team and people like me who have been there and done it. A lot of drivers are out there, but the only thing that will set you apart in today’s world is the hard work you put in outside the car with the engineers and the dedication you show in fitness training. Arjun has worked sincerely in that direction and grasped the nuances fully and I can assure you that his work ethic is fantastic.”

    In an email message from the Spanish paddock to www.INDIAinF1.com, Karun said: “I’ve been managing Arjun along with his father for the past few years. Since the back end of last year we were working on a link with an F1 te

    Karun interviews Arjun in the paddock. A Haas image

    am and it took a few months for his dad and I to work with Guenther Steiner and the team at Haas F1 to get here. It’s a good first step into the F1 world and Arjun will learn a lot. How we convert this to a race seat in F1 will largely be down to his season in GP3 which starts this weekend.” 


    “Still, I feel very proud to be one of India’s only 2 F1 drivers thus far, and I hope to help him expand that club in the future,” he concluded.

    With a rich heritage in Indian Motorsports, J.K.Tyre has supported Arjun since the age of 9. The company seeks to promote and nurture young racing talent in India and have backed almost all the Indian drivers who have made a mark globally. Arjun is proud to continue his association with the company that has backed since his karting days into 2015, and has seen him race primarily across Europe.

    Talking to this website, Sanjay Sharma, Head of Motorsport, JK Tyre Motorsport, said: “The kid is on the right track. A good opportunity has come his way. I only pray he proves his worth going forward and convert this prospect into a seat in the highest echelon of motor sports.”

    Like Ferrucci, Maini will be embedded with Haas F1 Team at every opportunity, attending races and tests throughout the year while also participating in the team’s simulator program.

    Haas F1 Team made its debut in 2016, becoming the first American Formula One team in 30 years. Now in its second season, Haas F1 Team is looking to build upon its impressive first year, where it finished eighth in the constructors standings with 29 points.

    “As Haas F1 Team continues to mature, we must look toward our future and develop potential talent,” said Guenther Steiner, team principal, Haas F1 Team. “Arjun was successful in karting and has transitioned well to various Formula series and now GP3. We’ll keep a keen eye on his progress this year.”

    The GP3 Series runs in conjunction with Formula One May 12-14 at Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya, July 7-9 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, July 14-16 at Silverstone Circuit in England, July 28-30 at the Hungaroring, Aug. 25-27 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, Sept. 1-3 at Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy and Nov. 24-26 at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The only non-companion race weekend is the penultimate round Oct. 6-8 at Circuito de Jerez in Spain.

    Maini earned his first title in 2007 when he won the Rotax Mini Max National Championship. Numerous wins and podiums followed before Maini began the transition to open-wheel machines. He won the 2013 Formula BMW Super Six Series in Asia and finished second overall in the 2014 BRDC Formula 4 championship with four wins, 10 podiums, five poles and six fastest laps. In 2015, Maini competed in the Toyota Racing Series New Zealand and finished fourth in the standings with two wins, five podiums, three poles and two fastest laps – a performance that led him to GP3 in 2016.

    Haas F1 Team debuted in the Formula One World Championship in 2016, becoming the first American-led Formula One team since 1986. Founded by industrialist Gene Haas, Haas F1 Team is based in the United States on the same Kannapolis, North Carolina, campus as his championship-winning NASCAR team, Stewart-Haas Racing. Haas is the founder of Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America, and he is chairman of Haas F1 Team.

    eom/Haas press release

  • Karun Chandhok to return to Le Mans and WEC

    Karun Chandhok to return to Le Mans and WEC

    File photo of Karun Chandhok at Le mans with Indian flag. Image courtesy Karun Chandhok

    Chennai, 3 May 2017: Former Formula One driver Karun Chandhok has confirmed that he will participate in this weekend’s 6 Hours of Spa Francorrchamps and next month’s prestigious Le Mans 24 Hourswith the English team Tockwith Motorsport, which is set to make its Le Mans debut in June in the LMP2 class.

    Both races are currently part of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).Chandhok is thus far the first and only Indian to compete at the Le Mans 24 hour race and the 2017 edition will be his fifth appearance the world‘s biggest endurance racing event. His fellow drivers will be teenage debutant Philip Hanson and Nigel Moore.

    Speaking about the deal Karun said “I’m really excited to be going back to Le Mans. It’s one of the biggest races in the world and I feel very privileged to be the only person from my country to have raced there. It’s a race you have to take seriously as it’s a fast and dangerous track but that makes it a great challenge.”

    “The team owner Simon Moore called me and was very keen to have me involved. They’ve shown their commitment by investing in a brand new Ligier car and infrastructure which is a clear sign of their intent for the future. They offered me Le Mans but we were very keen to also do something before the big race, so the WEC round at Spa will be a great way to kick off things with the team. It will be good to get behind the wheel after a little time away.” Karun added.

    The 6 hour race at Spa in Belgium on the 6th of May will be Chandhok’s first taste of the new LMP2 machinery, and a good chance to gain some experience racing with the team before Le Mans week. Spa is known as one of the ultimate driver’s circuits and Karun has driven at the historic venue in Formula 3, GP2, Formula 1 and in the World Endurance Championship in 2012.

    Speaking on the World Championship race Karun said, “Spa is a great yardstick. It’s a track I love, having won there in GP2 and it’s a good race to do for us to gauge ourselves against the competitors in the World Endurance Championship before Le Mans. Doing a 6 hour race is obviously only a quarter of the time we will need to cover when compared to Le Mans but it will give us plenty of very good data before we head to Le Mans.

    The 24 hours of Le Mans draws a live audience of 300,000 spectators and forms part of the trio of blue ribband events in motorsports, along with the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500. The race starts at 3pm on Saturday the 17th of June and runs until 3pm on Sunday the 18th. The grid is divided up into four different categories – LMP1, LMP2, GTE-Pro and GTE-Am.

    The LMP2 class where Tockwith Motorsport are competing is having something of a resurgence and the grid for the class at Le Mans is arguably the most competitive it’s ever been. With 25 cars on the grid, Karun will be racing alongside several drivers that he’s competed against over the years including Bruno Senna, Nico Prost, Nelson Piquet jnr, and Jean Eric Vergne.

    Backed by the AVT Group once again, Karun sums up “The grid in LMP2 this year is going to be incredibly strong. There are a lot of experienced teams and drivers and I’m under no illusions of how difficult the task ahead will be as a rookie team heading to Le Mans. I think we have to aim to get in the top 5 and achieving that will be a great result for us this year.”

    Karun made a return to the track last weekend by competing in the British Championship for LMP3 cars. Joining his old F3 team T-Sport on their Sportscar debut, Karun and team-mate Steve Tandy finished 3rd and 4th in the two races held at Donington Park. Speaking on the event Karun said “It was a last minute deal – I first drove the car at 10:30 in the morning and a few hours later we were on the podium so that was nice. It was very useful for me to do the race weekend and get warmed up before Spa next weekend.”

    eom/Karun Chandhok’s press release

     

    eom/Karun Chandhok release

  • Maiden F3 Podium for Jehan in Monza

    Maiden F3 Podium for Jehan in Monza

    Jehan Daruvala takes podium in F3 on Sunday. A Rayo Racing Motorsport image
    Jehan Daruvala celebrates on the podium in Monza. A RR Motorsport image

    Monza (Italy), 1 May 2017: Sahara Force India Academy racer Jehan Daruvala, earned his maiden podium at the second round of the FIA F3 European Championship.

    It is the first time that an Indian was seen on the F3 podium. Earlier in the weekend, Jehan had created history by becoming the first Indian to qualify on pole in the competitive series, considered as one of the important stepping stones to F1.

    Jehan had a good start from pole, and entered the crucial first corner ahead of British racer Jake Dennis. Jehan made no mistakes in the first few laps and quickly opened up a gap of over 2 seconds to the chasing pack. Behind Jehan, a bunch of four racers – Dennis, McLaren Junior – Norris, championship leader – Joel Eriksson, and Ferdinand Habsburg were battling hard for second. Numerous changes of position ensued before Norris broke away and slowly started catching Jehan. On lap 15 Norris was right on Jehan’s tail coming around the last corner. The long start finish straight allowed Norris to take advantage of the slipstream from Jehan’s car and overtake him into the first corner.

    Jehan stayed with Norris and immediately tried to get his place back, but he wasn’t successful. The Indian teenager continued fighting but had to eventually settle for 2ndand took the chequered flag, just 0.65 seconds behind Norris, to earn his maiden podium in F3. Habsburg claimed 3rd, a further 4.7 seconds behind Jehan.

    Qualifying for Race 2 and 3 was held after Race 1. On his quick lap, Jehan unfortunately made a crucial mistake which cost him half a second and he dropped down the order. So close was the entire field that although Jehan was just 0.38 seconds slower than the fastest, he ended up tenth !

    Jehan started tenth for race 2 and was soon making his way up the order and found himself in eighth position. He soon caught the experienced Callum Illot and managed to muscle his way past. However, Illot retook the position back from Jehan and he had to settle for eighth. Swedish racer Joel Eriksson won the race.

    Race 3 saw Jehan start from eighth, based on his second fastest lap in the second qualifying session. Jehan had a good start and managed to hold position, but a few corners later another racer dived down his inside. Jehan was then pushed wide and deep into the gravel, which dropped him down all the way to 16th. Jehan luckily managed to rejoin, but dirty tyres meant it took him more than a lap to regain race pace which dropped him further away from the cars in front.

    Jehan quickly recovered and started making his way up the order around the 5.793km  Monza Grand Prix Circuit which is one of the fastest circuits on the calendar. Jehan soon in thirteenth, made an excellent move for twelfth, but the other racer shut the door on Jehan resulting in contact and the other car being launched in the air momentarily, to retire from the race. Jehan fortunately survived but once again lost considerable time to the cars he was chasing. He soon got his rhythm back and reeled off a series of quick laps to catch the cars in front. He overtook one by one eventually crossing the line in ninth and also clocking the second fastest laptime of the race. Callum Illot was the winner ahead of Norris.

    “A much better weekend for me in terms of pace. I have been right up there in almost all sessions. Pole position was fantastic and I am also happy with my 2nd place. A mistake on my flying lap in Q2 proved to be very costly. Starting mid grid and overtaking is not easy with all drivers being really quick. However I enjoyed the racing and have also learned a lot. I’m now focusing on the next weekend” said Jehan reflecting on the weekend.

    The Sahara Force India Academy racer once again finished all races in the points and earned himself three rookie trophies, besides his 2nd place trophy. He moves up from 8th to 7th in the championship but continues to remain 3rd in the Rookie Championship. Jehan’s next event will be held at the street circuit in Pau, France on 20th and 21st May.

    eom/Rayo Racing press release

  • Gill leads 1-2 finish for MRF Tyres in New Zealand

    Gill leads 1-2 finish for MRF Tyres in New Zealand

    Whangarei (New Zealand), 30 April 2017: India’s Gaurav Gill of Team MRF Tyres made the most of the misfortune to overnight leader and team-mate Ole Christian Veiby and turned back a 33-second deficit to win the International Rally of Whangarei, the first round of FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, here on Sunday.

    Veiby (co-driver Stig Rune Skjærmoen), who eventually finished second behind Gill, led by 23 seconds at the half-way mark today after first loop of three Special Stages, but suffered brake failure on his Skoda Fabia R5 in the very first Stage after service which cost him one minute, 22.6 seconds.

    The 20-year old Norwegian was then doc

    Gaurav Gill on way to his APRC victory on Sunday. Image by Anand Philar

    ked a penalty of one minute, 30 seconds for reporting nine minutes late to the start of the next Stage which effectively ruined his chances of scoring a win in his maiden APRC appearance.

    Reigning champion Gill (co-driver Stephane Prevot), also in a Race Torque-prepared Skoda Fabia R5, seized the chance and cruised home sparing two minutes, 02.8 seconds to Veiby. In the process, Gill notched his third New Zealand crown and seventh APRC win in a row, following his clean sweep of six last year when he took his second championship title.

    Delhi-based Gill was obviously elated at his success, though he admitted that he would have enjoyed the win much more had Veiby not suffered brake failure.

    “Obviously, I am delighted by today’s victory, but it would have been sweeter had OC (Veiby) stayed in the fight till the end, but his car had some issues. Anyway, that is the nature of motorsport. Importantly, I showed that I was on pace with a WRC-2 driver that OC is and for me, personally, it was a statement that I have the speed to compete at the highest level.

    “The conditions were much better today and like I said last night, I love a challenge which brings out the best in me. Although it rained a bit today, last night’s showers had washed away much of the gravel. I used tyres with different grooving which again helped me to up my pace after we had sorted out the damper issue overnight that had cost me time yesterday.

    “It is a good start to the new APRC season. I can say that becoming a champion is much easier than staying as one! I now look forward to the next round in Canberra, Australia, in a month’s time,” signed off Gill.

    Veiby could barely hide his disappointment. “Like I said yesterday, though I was leading by 33 seconds, anything could happen. After service at the end of three Stages today, there was a hole in the brake tube in the rear and I lost lot of fluid, leading to brakes failure. It cost me a lot of time and I couldn’t really make up the deficit over the last two Stages.

    “Anyway, I take a few positives from my debut run in APRC. I have learnt a bit more about driving on gravel surface and hopefully, I can perform better in Canberra next month.

    Finishing third in the APRC category was Sweden’s Robert Blomberg (co-driver Lars Andersson) of Mpart Sport in a Mitsubishi Mirage, some 17 minutes behind Gill.

    Provisional classification (after Leg-2):

    APRC: 1. Gaurav Gill / Stephane Prevot (Team MRF Tyres, Skoda Fabia R5) (02hrs, 35mins, 06.8secs); 2. Ole Christian Veiby / Stig Rune Skjærmoen (Team MRF Tyres, Skoda Fabia R5) (02:37:09.6); 3. Roberter Blomberg / Lars Andersson (Mpart Sport, Mitsubishi Mirage) (02:52:52.3).

    eom/AP Media Communication release

  • Vishwadev performs well in Race 1: Malaysia Superbikes Championship

    Vishwadev performs well in Race 1: Malaysia Superbikes Championship

    Udipta Kumar Rath. Image by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Sepang (Kuala Lumpur), 29 April 2017: Former Indian Group D champion, Vishwadev Muraleedharan had a good outing at Sepang International Circuit here on Saturday in the second round of the Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship 2017. He was promoted to fourth place in the revised official result for the first race with a

    Vishwadev Muralidharan, astried a Kawasaki 250, on way to 4th place in the Open 250 category in the Malaysia Superbikes Championship at Sepang on Saturday. Photo By Srinivasa Krishnan

    time of 21:35.855. Vishwadev’s teammate Md Jazil Juraimi of Malaysia won the race in 21:18.758.

    Vishwadev, the 25-year-old MBA graduate from Coimbatore promoted by Lod Racing in India, is taking part in the Open 250 Category for the second year and there are three other Indian riders in the fray in different categories. Vishwadev, who finished 4th twice last year, for his best placing in the Malaysian Super Bikes Championship in 2016, has qualified in 5th today and completed the race in sixth place astride a Kawasaki 250 with Chia PJ Kawasaki team. However, a penalty on the riders who finished in P2 and P3, pushed the ace Indian rider into a creditable fourth place. The second race will be held on Sunday. “I have not performed up to my satisfaction today and I look forward to better racing on Sunday,” said Vishwadev. Dinesh Kumar Devadoss of RACR finished 7th with a time of 21:44.241 also on a Kawasaki 250.

    Another young Orissa lad, Udipta Kumar Rath, had a mixed day as he survived a couple of mistakes and difficult handling of the bike to qualify 11th. But he did make up and switched up a bit in the race conditions to finish 9th in his class and 14th overall in the 12-lap race of the Supersport A class after starting from 20th on the grid. Riding on a completely new layout, the Jyote Group and Motoziel Retail, is on a new Suzuki Gixxer600 bike. The Indian did well to complete the race without any further hiccups as in the qualies. “I have tried to work-out the faults and have experimented today. This will put me in a better frame for the Sunday’s race. I am looking forward for a better performance,” said the ARD Performance Motorsports team rider.

    Rajini Krishnan K is taking part in the Superbike A class for Chia PJ Kawasaki team in a ZX10R.

    The final races will be on Sunday.

    eom/David

     

  • Veiby grabs lead as Gill suffers damper issues

    Gaurav Gill in action on Saturday in the first round of the APRC. Image by Anand Philar

    Whangarei (New Zealand), 29 April 2017: India’s Gaurav Gill of Team MRF Tyres, struggling with an errant damper, saw his slender advantage vanish as team-mate Ole Christian Veiby from Norway literally splashed his way to a 33.2-second lead in the International Rally of Whangarei which is also the first round of the 2017 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, here on Saturday that marked by heavy rains in the afternoon.

    Gill (co-driver Stephane Prevot), the reigning APRC champion and Veiby (Stig Rune Skjærmoen) were locked in a thrilling and close battle through the morning. Delhi-based Gill, winner here last year, led Veiby by just 1.7 seconds on completion of four of the day’s eight Special Stages, one of which was cancelled in the afternoon following an accident that blocked the route.

    On the second loop of the same Stages in the afternoon, Gill encountered problems with the front dampers that led to lack of grip, while in contrast, Veiby had a flawless run that helped him not only move to the front, but also finish the day with a sizeable lead.

    With another 108 Kms spread over six Special Stages to be run on Sunday and more rains forecast, Veiby and Gill, both piloting the Skoda Fabia R5, are way ahead of the field. Third-placed Jari Ketomaa (Ville Mannisenmaki), in a Mitsubishi Mirage, trails Gill by one minute, 42.5 seconds as Team MRF Tyres eye a possible 1-2 finish.

    Reflecting on his day’s performance, Veiby who started with a 2.5-second deficit following Friday night’s Super Special Stage, said: “We started at a comfortable pace initially, but stepped up the speed in the second loop. I particularly enjoyed the long Stages which were amazing and I could make time on Gill, but he was quicker on the shorter tight and twisty Stages.

    “Overall, I am happy as we didn’t have any issues with the car. The last Stage was very difficult as it was raining very heavily and we could barely see. The MRF tyres worked extremely well today in difficult conditions and I have become more comfortable with them.”

    On his part, Gill felt that there was still a big battle ahead on Sunday despite the deficit he faced. “I had a good run in the morning though I started first and had to sweep the gravel off the track.

    “In the afternoon when it rained heavily, I had problems with the dampers due to which there was no front-end grip. I lost confidence thereafter and couldn’t really push. Also, there was plenty of water on the route and every time I went through at speed, I lost pace while the going was much clear for those behind me. Tomorrow is another day and I am up for the challenge.”

    Provisional classification (after Leg-1):

    APRC: 1. Ole Christian Veiby / Stig Rune Skjærmoen (Team MRF Tyres, Skoda Fabia R5) (01hr, 31mins, 33.8secs); 2. Gaurav Gill / Stephane Prevot (Team MRF Tyres, Skoda Fabia R5) (01:32:07.0); 3. Jari Ketomaa / Ville Mannisenmaki (Mpart Sport, Mitsubishi Mirage) (01:33:49.5).

    eom/AP Media Comm press release

  • Gill, Team MRF geared for APRC title defence

    Gill, Team MRF geared for APRC title defence

    Gauvrav Gill in Whangarei, New Zealand, on Thursday. Photo by Anand Philar

    Whangarei (New Zealand), 27 April 2017: India’s Gaurav Gill of Team MRF Tyres appears well primed to begin the defence of his FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship crown as the first round, the International Rally of Whangarei, commences here Friday evening with a ceremonial flag-off followed by a 1Km Super Special Stage that will be run twice.

    Delhi-based Gill along with Belgian veteran Stephane Prevot in the co-driver’s seat, has Norway’s 20-year old Ole Christian Veiby as his new team-mate. Veiby is making his debut in the APRC partnered by co-driver and compatriot Stig Rune Skjærmoen.

    Both Gill and Veiby, a regular in the World Rally Championship (WRC)-2, are driving similar Skoda Fabia R5 cars, prepared by Race Torque.

    Gill enjoyed a phenomenal 2016 season when he won all the six rounds for his second APRC title even as Team MRF Tyres stretched their domination, but he expected a challenging outing over the weekend.

    Speaking after a 14-hour reconnaissance run today, Gill said: “The Stages are a mix of new and old, some of which I had driven on a few years ago. However, it will be very challenging and tyre choice will play a crucial role since there is far more gravel on the road than previously. So, it is important to nurse the tyres, especially in the long Stages.

    “As I am first on the road on Saturday, I will be doing the sweeping, but in 2014 and 2016 when I won here, I had started first. I want to continue that performance.

    “Rains are forecast for Saturday and if it does, then it will help us. Our car, run on India’s MRF tyres, will be up against competition using WRC-spec tyres. But I am confident that we will do well.

    “As for my new team-mate Ole, he has more miles in the car than me. He is into his sixth Rally of the year, while this will be my first in four months. So, it is going to be a challenging task overall, but I am up to it.”

    Veiby said: “I have some extra butterflies in my stomach ahead of this Rally, and honestly, I don’t know what to expect, but I hope to put in a good performance.”

    The super-fast Special Stages totaling 260.64 Kms with flowing corners would see average speeds of about 120 Kmph, but they demand precision driving in view of the loose off-line surface especially on the corners where mistakes will be punished.

    The International Rally of Whangarei will be contested over 16 Special Stages totaling 260.64 Kms with a liaison distance of 528.40 Kms. After Friday’s Super Special Stage, the cars head north out of town on Saturday to complete two loops of four Stages. On Sunday, the cars will move south of Whangarei for six more Stages before heading back to the finish at the iconic Quayside Town Basin near the harbour.

    eom/AP Media Comm press release