INDIA in F1

Category: Indians Abroad

News about Indians racing in different motorsports events abroad

  • MRF Challenge 2016 to kick-off in Bahrain

    MRF Challenge 2016 to kick-off in Bahrain

    Bahrain, 17 Nov 2016: The MRF Challenge 2016 season will kick-start this weekend with the first round taking place in Bahrain alongside the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The FIA sanctioned MRF Challenge 2016 championship, which is the only Indian based motorsport series to continuously race internationally, will feature 4 rounds with 14 races in Bahrain, Dubai, New Delhi and Chennai. This will also mark the return to the Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi after a 3 year absence.

    Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Tyres, said: “After a thrilling 2015 season we are excited to launch the fifth season of the MRF Challenge. The MRF Challenge has been a great opportunity for young drivers to establish themselves, and give drivers the best chance to hone their skills on some of the world’s leading circuits. We continue to push the envelope on our R&D capabilities with significant upgrades to the car and huge improvement with the tyres for the season. It is heartening to see the top young drivers choosing to compete in the MRF Challenge 2016 and this year is no different with yet another exciting line-up. We are happy to announce that we will return to the Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi along with a return to Dubai and Chennai.”

    This year the grid will have another promising line-up headed by the returning Harrison Newey, son of legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey, and Mick Schumacher, son of 7 time F1 champion Michael Schumacher. Joining them will be German F4 Champion Joey Mawson, 2015 Italian F4 Champion and F3 race winner Ralf Aron, Japanese F3 Champion Yoshiaki Katayama and Manuel Maldonado, cousin of former F1 race winner Pastor Maldonado. 17 year old French F4 runner up Gilles Magnus will also join the championship the average age being 18 for the MRF Challenge this year.

    India’s first ever Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan, who has played a key role in developing the car, was once again quick to praise MRF and the Challenge in its 5th year. He commented, “I have been working closely with MRF for many years and it is great to see their commitment for the sport only increase season by season. It’s a fantastic package for young drivers to really learn how a high-grip, high-downforce single-seater works and is surely unmatched in terms of the value and track time it offers for experienced drivers as well. A lot of development has been undertaken for the 2016 MRF Challenge with improved tyres and aero package that has made the car significantly quicker and better to drive.”

    In its fifth year, the MRF Challenge will feature 17 MRF Formula 2000 race cars, which have been made in India by JA Motorsport, who are based in Coimbatore. The Formula 3 style car has been built by JA Motorsport in technical collaboration with Dallara, and is considered to be the fastest of its kind in Asia. The new car is powered by a 2 litre Mountune Duratec engine with max power of 230 bhp and shod on MRF Z.L.O. tyres. The car will also feature advanced aerodynamics with underbody diffuser and a Hewland 6-speed sequential gearbox.

    J Anand, Managing Director, JA Motorsports, is looking forward to yet another exciting season of racing ahead. He commented, “The great thing about this championship is that we are constantly trying to improve and better the car. This is a testament to the commitment from MRF Tyres to make this series one of the biggest in Asia. The 2016 MRF Challenge features an all-new car which is faster, more powerful and very exciting to race. We have made some upgrades to the car including a new Mountune engine and many aerodynamic changes. This year has been very intense as the race car will see its greatest evolution since the start of the championship 5 years ago. The MRF Challenge continues to establish itself as the premier series in Asia by attracting big names in the motorsport fraternity, from drivers to engineers. ”

    MRF Challenge 2016 Calendar:

    Round 1: November 17-19, 2016, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (WEC Support Race)

    Round 2: December 7-9, 2016, Dubai, Dubai Autodrome

    Round 3: January 27-29, 2016, New Delhi, Buddh International Circuit

    Round 4: February 17-19, 2016, Chennai, Madras Motor Race Track

    Driver Line-up:

    1. Harrison Newey
    2. Juri Vips
    3. Mick Schumacher
    4. Dylan Young
    5. Kimi Schramm
    6. Manuel Maldonado
    7. Joey Mawson
    8. Ralf Aron
    9. Pavan Ravishanker
    10. Gilles Magnus
    11. Yoshiaki Katayama
    12. Moraes Cardoso
    13. Felipe Drugovich
    14. Rinus Van Kalmthout
    15. Bobby Eberle
    16. Bruna Tomaselli
    17. Christophe Mariot.

    eom/MRF press release

    File photo of Fittipaldi leading a race last year. An MRF image
    File photo of Fittipaldi leading a race last year. An MRF image

     

  • Aishwarya, Shruthi for FIM Asia Cup in Taiwan

    Aishwarya, Shruthi for FIM Asia Cup in Taiwan

    Chennai, 1 Nov 2016: Aishwarya Madhusudhan and Shruthi Nagarajan are about to make the country proud by representing FMSCI Team India in the 2016 FIM ASIACUP of Road Race in Taiwan, at the Penbay International Circuit, organised by CTMSA.
    The race would take place between November 4th -6th and the race machine that is used for this race is YAMAHA Cygnus 125.

    The FIM Asia Cup of Road Racing is three-round championship to promote young and upcoming talent in the Asia region. In this championship the host nations provide the bikes and bring riders from Asian countries. India hosted a round of this Asia Cup of Road Racing in 2011 and 2013.

    Shruthi Nagarajan, a 22year-old delicate-looking girl to the eyes, is a racer at heart. Learning to ride gear bikes at the ages of 12, Shruthi started out on her motorcycle enthusiasm as a writer for Bikes on road, moving on to racing in the year 2016 and has already emerged as one of the finest female racers in India.  “This is like a dream. Representing the country, as a woman, is very special. There is lots of exposure in every other field. Women compete in various other sports internationally but not in motorsports. This is the first time women are competing at this level”.

    Aishwarya Madhusudhan is the other female inspiration, who is a constant seeker of the “adrenaline rush” as she calls it. When asked if she had always wanted to race, she says she was more of a traveller but a “fast” one. When the racing spirit in this 21 year- old was getting too evident, she began her career at the month of May in 2016, and has sought podium finishes in various series.   “I want to break the stereotype. There were many who told me this is not my cup of tea. But I say, follow your heart”.

    Sujith Kumar, Chairman of 2w Racing Commission, expressed his happiness about the nominations and conveyed his wishes to these budding women racers. “We are very happy to nominate two female racers to participate in the ACCR. This is the first time in the history of FMSCI that two female riders are nominated. These two girls are very talented and this is a very big exposure for them to ride with some of the fastest young racers in Asia and I’m sure they would perform well too. We wish them the very best for the upcoming races”.

    Zayn Khan, President of FMSCI, wished the lady participants the very best saying, “We are seeing a big jump in women participants in our motorsport events. This is a wonderful initiative by our two-wheeler racing commission”.

    Gone are the days when motorsports was a man’s sport. These two stirring women are rewriting the story by breaking barriers and creating a path on their own.

    eom/FMSCI press release

  • Gill is APRC champ again

    Gill is APRC champ again

    Johor Bahur, 30 October 2016: Gaurav Gill of Team MRF scripted a momentous chapter in the history of Indian motorsport by sealing the 2016 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship title with a round to spare as he wongaurav-gill-right-and-glenn-macneall-celebrating-victory-oct-30 the Malaysian Rally here on Sunday. It was Gill’s second APRC crown following his success in 2013.

    Having won the previous four rounds of the APRC this season, Delhi-based Gill went into the Malaysian Rally with a 42-point advantage over team-mate Fabian Kreim whose retirement yesterday due to gearbox problems effectively ended the championship battle between the two.

    The 34-year old Gill, driving the MRF Skoda Fabia R5, took no chances and comfortably won the event sparing 31 minutes, 35.7 seconds to compatriot Sanjay Takale (Cusco Racing) while Kreim, who rejoined for Leg-2, finished a distant third after Michael Young who was placed second overnight crashed out.

    The victory took Gill’s tally to 184 as against Kreim’s 126 for an insurmountable lead. The APRC season concludes with the India Rally in Chikkamagaluru (December 3-5).

    Team MRF also clinched the APRC team championship in the wake of Gill’s clean sweep which also helped Skoda to annex the manufacturers’ title.

    “While every win is special, the second title is even more so. I had no clue at the start of the season. There were so many variables, like a new car (Skoda Fabia R5) that I had not driven before and with Fabian who last week won the German championship and had more miles in the R5, as team-mate.

    “Luckily, I had a perfect car and the MRF tyres worked well. Overall, I put in consistent performances through the season and I now look forward to the last round in Chikkamagaluru in December where I will be driving in front of home crowd,” said Gill who opined that he had improved tremendously over the past few years.

    “Like wine, Rally drivers get better with age. Today, I am much quicker than I was in 2013, but there is more finesse to my driving,” he commented.

    Mr Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Ltd, said: “Congratulations to Gaurav Gill on winning the APRC title for the second time. It has been a tremendous APRC season for Team MRF and our success is another testimony to the high quality of our tyres. Overall, it has been a great team effort.”

    Gill felt that the season turned decisively in his favour when he won the fourth round in Japan with a new co-driver. Belgian Stephane Prevot came in for regular co-driver Glenn Macneall who skipped the round.

    “I had never sat with Stephane and that we still managed to win in Japan was a huge boost for me. I think, that was the highlight this season as far as winning the championship was concerned,” Gill said.

    On his performance in the Malaysian Rally, Gill attributed his success to mature driving that saw him dominate the first day before easing off today as the terrain turned slushy and slippery following heavy overnight rains.

    “Just five minutes before I left the Service Park for the Special Stages today, I asked the team to slap on full wet tyres instead of the half-cut rubber the car was fitted with. It was a gut feeling and it proved to the correct choice as the conditions were pretty tough because of overnight rains. I knew that Fabian was pushing hard, but I drove pretty conservatively since I had huge overnight lead,” Gill said.

    Provisional classifications (After Leg-1):

    Asia Pacific Rally Championship: 1. Gaurav Gill / Glenn Macneall (Team MRF) (02hours, 48mins, 22.5secs); 2. Sanjay Takale / Noriko Takeshita (Cusco Racing) (03:19:58.2); 3. Fabian Kreim / Frank Christian (Team MRF) (05:47:45.3).

    Asia Cup: 1. Gill / Macneall (02:48.22.5); 2. Yuya Sumiyama / Takahiro Yasui (Cusco Racing) (03:06:23.8); 3. Takale / Takeshita (03:19:58.2).

    Overall: 1. Gill / Macneall (02:48.22.5); 2. Jari Ketoma / Mikko Luka (Pvt) (02:57:32.7); 3. Sumiyama / Yasui (03:06:23.8).

    =========

    Anand Philar
    AP Media Communications
    +91-94835 48185

    ​ / +60-62257792​
    Alternate email – apmediacom@yahoo.com

  • Gaurav Gill moves closer to APRC title

    Gaurav Gill moves closer to APRC title

    Gaurav Gill image by Anand Philar
    Gaurav Gill image by Anand Philar

    Johor Bahru, 30 October 2016: Gaurav Gill of Team MRF took a giant stride towards regaining the coveted FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship title as he completed Leg-1 of the Malaysian Rally with a seven-minute lead even as team-mate and his closest challenger Fabian Kreim retired with a gearbox problem here today.

    While the rains stayed away, Gill (co-driver Glenn Macneall) drove his MRF Skoda Fabia R5 with great maturity to survive some tough moments and looked set to win his fifth consecutive APRC round this season which will ensure him the title that he last won in 2013.

    Delhi-based Gill tempered his aggressive driving style to suit the conditions as he nursed the car to the finish after surviving turbo and overheating problems due to grass clogging the radiator grill for a seven-minute advantage over second-placed Michael Young (Malcolm Read) of Cusco Racing.

    “I am very lucky to be at the finish. It was a tough day. We had issues with overheating of the turbo leading to lack of boost after grass blocked the radiator grill in the very first Stage. The water temperature went through the roof. So, I had to nurse the car all the way through. We had a better run in the second half of the day when it was cooler.

    “It was not just about competing against others but also driving according to the conditions. Like I said, I am happy to be here at the finish. Hopefully, I will be able to finish the rally tomorrow without any problems,” said a relieved Gill.

    Despite the problems with the car, Gill was still far quicker than the rest of the field that included World Rally Championship driver Jari Ketoma from Finland who drove a Mitsubishi Mirage.

    “I am happy to finish four minutes ahead of Ketoma in the overall classification. Ketoma is one of the finest rally drivers in the World, but the weather conditions, hot and humid, so typical of Malaysian Rally, proved too much for him,” Gill said.

    Meanwhile, German champion Kreim (co-driver Frank Christian), trailing Gill by 42 points in the APRC stakes, pushed his MRF Skoda Fabia R5 to the limit in a bid to stay with the Indian. In the process, he went off the road into a ditch on SS-6, and while trying to reverse the car, broke the gearbox.

    “That is the nature of the sport. I was pushing hard, but we went into a ditch in SS-6. I engaged the reverse gear trying to get back on the road, and it damaged the gearbox,” said Kreim who will rejoin the Rally tomorrow in a bid to garner crucial leg points.

    The Rally ends tomorrow when the remaining six of the 14 Special Stages will be run.

    Provisional classifications (After Leg-1):

    Asia Pacific Rally Championship: 1. Gaurav Gill / Glenn Macneall (Team MRF) (01hour, 38mins, 59.6secs); 2. Michael Young / Malcolm Read (Cusco Racing) (01:46:20.09); 3. Sanjay Takale (Cusco Racing) (01:54:19.6).

    Asia Cup: 1. Gill / Macneall (01:38.59.6); 2. Young / Read (01:46:20.09); Yuya Sumiyama / Takahiro Yasui (Cusco Racing) (01:49:18.2).

    Overall: 1. Gill / Macneall (01:38.59.6); 2. Jari Ketoma / Mikko Luka (Pvt) (01:43:16.5); Young / Read (01:46:20.09).

    eom/AP Media Communication release

  • Outright speed, not the key in Malaysia: APRC

    Outright speed, not the key in Malaysia: APRC

    gaurav-gill

    Johar Bahru, 27 Oct 2016: Rally crews from eight countries around the world are getting ready to tackle the fifth round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) this weekend at the Malaysian Rally, held in Johor Bahru, which is already promising to be the most challenging event of the year.

    Daily thunderstorms have swept through the region and while this hasn’t caused damage to the roads, teams say it will be difficult to get car setup right due to the constantly changing conditions. Stages can start completely dry with loose surface gravel before turning into a mud bath later in the same section.

    Tyre choice, car setup including suspension settings, tyre wear and mental alertness could all play a huge part in this rally but teams say they relish the challenge and can’t wait to tackle the 14 special stages.

    After 3 wins out of 4 events, current APRC championship leader Gaurav Gill is hoping to continue his dominant charge in Malaysia, especially after his Team MRF Skoda Fabia R5 has undergone routine upgrades and parts replacements following the last round in Japan.

    “At the end of Rally Hokkaido the team decided to change the engine as a precaution so we put a new one in for this rally knowing it’s a difficult event. So they [team engineers and mechanics] have been at it for the past couple of days preparing everything,” said Gill.

    The test held on Wednesday was Gill’s first chance to test the new engine and ensure everything is set right for the upcoming rally, which he also says is incredibly difficult on the car, mind and body.

    “The first run of the new engine has been quite good. We had to do a bit of tuning for the suspension to make it softer because there are so many junctions, and it’s better to have good speed in and out of the junctions. But it’s a long rally and it’s very difficult, probably the most difficult of the year so we have to be very careful,” Gill continued.

    Meanwhile Gill’s Team MRF team-mate, Fabian Kreim of Germany, is keen to continue his momentum in the APRC Championship and will be looking to push for another podium finish, especially after the high of winning the German Rally Championship last weekend.

    “We will push for sure. I have a very good feeling in the car after the test and I hope that we can drive as fast as Gaurav [Gill],” said Kreim.

    Although Kreim admits this rally is completely different to any other rally he has done in the past and is looking to extend his experience on various road surfaces around the world.

    “It’s hot and the humidity is quite high here. It’s a very different rally to all the other APRC rounds and I think this will be a very big challenge for us. But already the feeling in the car is better than Japan so we feel confident,” he said.

    New Zealander Mike Young will continue to chase down the R5 Skoda’s at this event in his Cusco EZY Racing Subaru Impreza but maintains this rally is not about speed, but is rather about survival.

    “You have to have a level head and approach this rally a little differently. You can’t go flat out all the time and have to keep a bit in reserve for places that could catch you out, especially because you get so hot and don’t concentrate as much as you should,” Young explained.

    “It’s certainly going to be very tough out there but that’s what we have been training for. Mentally you also have to be quite strong and just focus on the game.”

    His Cusco EZY Racing team-mate Sanjay Takale of India, who has extensive experience in this region, is also looking forward to the challenge of the notoriously difficult stages although said his goal is to simply finish.

    “This rally is a game of surviving,” said Takale. “You have to be neat and tight on all the corners so you have to balance that with the speed. Of course my first aim is to finish and then we see if I can climb up [the leader board] from there.”

    “Plus I really enjoy this rally because it is like a second home to me. I won the Malaysian Rally Championship here in 2011 so hopefully that works to my advantage this year,” he continued.

    Finnish driver Jari Ketomaa is also joining the international field at the Malaysian Rally this year in the newly built Mitsubishi Mirage. While this car is built to R5 specifications, it’s not yet FIA homologated but the team still saw the Malaysian event as a good opportunity to test the car in the difficult conditions, giving them a chance to truly test its reliability and strength.

    Two time winner of the FIA Asia Cup Yuya Sumiyama from Japan returns to Malaysia in a Cusco prepared Subaru Impreza, who will also be hunting for a top result here. After competing in the Malaysian Rally several times, and scoring as high as second in the past, Sumiyama will be a force to be reckoned with here.

    Fellow countryman Makoto Kawahara also returns to the APRC in Malaysia after competing in other rounds including New Zealand. His focus is on finishing and getting more points in FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Cup powered by WÜRTH where he currently sits in seventh.

    The Malaysian Rally gets underway on Friday evening from 8.45pm at the Angsana Complex before crews tackle 234 kilometres of closed special stages on Saturday and Sunday around the palm oil plantations near Kota Tinggi. The rally then finishes up back at Angsana Complex in Johor Bahru at approximately 4.00pm on Sunday.

    eom/FIA press release
  • Another podium for Tarun Reddy at British F3

    Another podium for Tarun Reddy at British F3

    Snetterton, 8 August 2016: Young Indian racing driver Tarun Reddy took his third successive podium in a race weekend when he finished 2nd at the penultimate round of the BRDC British F3 championship in Snetterton. Reddy came in 2nd in race 2 behind Force India development driver Nikita Mazepin. Reddy had finished 7th in race 1 and 9th in race 3.

    Reddy had a tough start to the seasoTarun Reddy, Nikita Mazepin, Scottn but has come back strongly over the last three rounds, finishing on the podium in both Silverstone and Spa. He qualified on only 10th place on Friday after topping testing times on Thursday. In race 1 Reddy had a slow start but managed to stay in 10th place. He got past Eugene Denyssen and Huovinen to move into 8th place with three laps to go. On the final lap he made a daring move on Mazepin and passed him to finish 7th and earn himself a front row start for the reverse grid race 2.

    In race 2 Mazepin led the field into turn 1, with fellow front-row starter Reddy closely following behind in second. The Indian managed to get his nose ahead at Riches, but Mazepin fought back to regain the lead, establishing a nine-tenths buffer by the end of the opening lap. While the gap between the pair remained steady over the early stint, Mazepin started to extend his advantage at the halfway mark, eventually taking beating Reddy to the chequered flag by 1.976s.

    Race 3 saw Reddy finishing 9th in an uneventful race. The top two drivers were in a league of their own with the rest of the cars following each other across the finish line, with overtaking at a premium at the circuit.

    Reddy, who drives for Fortec Motorsports, was happy to be on the podium again as he got more comfortable with the car. He commented, “Another good weekend for me and the team. We have had good pace all weekend but not enough to match the front runners. Snetterton is a circuit where overtaking is tough so qualifying position is crucial. I am extremely happy to be on the podium again and it is a true reflection of the improvement we have made over the last few races. I wish the season was longer as we are just getting comfortable with the car. I will give it my all in the final round at Donington.”

    The final round of the championship will take place in Donington Park on September 10-11.

    eom/Adrenna Comm. release

  • First point for Sarath Kumar in ARRC

    Sentul (Indonesia), 8 August 2016: India’s Sarath Kumar, recovering fast from a knee injury, scored his first point in the Asia Road Racing Championship when he finished 15th in the first of the two SuperSport 600cc races here over the weekend.

    Having qualified 20th for the first race on Saturday, Chennai-based Sarath Kumar, supported by Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India, Ten10 Racing and WOW Digit HK, gained places in the wake of retirements of riders ahead of him and finished 15th which won him his first point in the ARRC this season.

    In the second race, Sarath, riding for T-Pro Yuzy NTS Honda Racing team, finished 17th to complete a satisfying weekend after missing the first round in Malaysia, skipping both races in Thailand and taking just one start in Japan, as he improved his lap times with each outing here.

    Summing up the weekend, Sarath said: “I am very happy with the progress and this is the first time I was able to the ride the bike to its fullest potential. I am still having problems with my knee which bothers me towards the end of the races, after about 10 laps. However, it is a good sign that the recovery is happening.

    “I have managed to get closer to the experienced guys with about five seconds off pace in my first full race weekend. I think I will be in good shape for the India round in October. We have already planned a few training methods to improve my confidence and performance on the bike as from this point, it is about learning the nuances and tricks of riding a bigger bike which not the same as riding a 250cc.

    “The team T-Pro Yuzy NTS Honda Racing with WOW helped me a lot especially my team owner Yusuke Teshima who just returned from the Suzuka 8-Hour race and also my teammate Tomoyoshi Toyama who gave a lot of inputs.

    “Now I am lot more excited and preparing for my home race in Buddh International Circuit on the 1-2 October. Once again, a long break and I will be working hard on my recovery and more practice to get to good pace at the BIC.”

    eom/AP Media comm. release

  • Sarath Kumar set for Sentul races

    Sarath Kumar set for Sentul races

    SENTUL (Indonesia), 4 August 2016Sarath Kumar AP media comm file pic 4aug2016: After a near month-long season break, India’s Sarath Kumar, supported by Ten10 Racing and WOW Digit HK, will get back into action in the fourth round of the Asia Road Racing Championship here this weekend, astride a Honda CBR600WR for Team T. Pro Yuzy Honda NTS Racing.

    Having missed the season-opener in Malaysia due to a knee injury that he suffered during pre-season training, Sarath Kumar entered for the second round in Buriram, Thailand, but could not take a start as the knee acted up. The third round in Suzuka, Japan, saw Sarath finally make his debut run in the championship, but skipped the second race of the double-header on medical advice due to severe pain in the injured knee.

    The break between the rounds has helped Sarath to work on his fitness and also undergo physiotherapy sessions to prepare for the Sentul round where he will be facing strong competition.

    Looking ahead to this weekend’s double header, Sarath said: “It’s been a long break away from racing, although we have been busy with Indian National Championship.

    “I have been working hard to get back into shape for the ARRC Super Sport 600 races in Sentul. The recovery process of my knee is even more painful than expected. However, with the help of my team and physiotherapy sessions with Quantum Leap’s Ramji Srinivasan, the knee has shown great improvement.

    “Although I was not able to ride frequently as advised, I feel much better compared to Thailand and Japan rounds and I am going into this weekend with great confidence. I hope to improve my performance this round.

    “The main target for me is to participate and complete both the races which I couldn’t do in Suzuka because of the wet conditions and my knee problem.”

    “The SS600 is a tough grid in ARRC. The learning process come from every race and I am doing it with an open mind and with the help of my team.

    “Finally, I cannot thank enough my sponsors WOW Digit, Honda Racing and Ten10 Racing for their unconditional support through my tough times of recovery.”

    eom/AP Media Comm release

     

  • Double podium for Armaan in Thailand

    Double podium for Armaan in Thailand

    Buriram (Thailand), 24 July 2006: India’s Armaan Ebrahim along with Sri Lankan Dilantha Malagamuwa notched a fine double in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Asia series here this weekend.

    In the double header, Armaan and Malagamuwa, driving team Dilantha Racing, finished third in the first race on Saturday and went one better on Sunday with a second place finish.

    Armaan had qualified second for the first race, just a tenth off the pole position while Dilantha, suffering from an indisposition, was placed sixth for the second outing.

    Armaan was off a fine start and went into the lead exiting

    Turn-1 and maintained the one-second advantage till he pitted for Dilantha to take over.

    Dilantha, however, lost one spot and eventually finished third which was creditable considering that the Sri Lankan was on drips going into the weekend due to food poisoning.

    In the second race, Dilantha, feeling much better, jumped two spots to move into fourth and gained another place when the car in front ran wide. After the mandatory pit-stop, Armaan took over and put in some blistering laps to move into second spot, but could not make any progress as he had too much a gap to make up.

    Reflecting on his weekend, Armaan said: “We were a bit unfortunate in the first race after I came in when in the lead as Dilantha had not fully recovered from food poisoning that had him on the drips. Considering this, we were happy to finish second.

    “In race two, Dilantha had to start since he qualified and luckily was feeling better. He got a good start and moved into fourth and after a couple of laps of applying pressure.

    The car in front of him ran wide allowing him to get through.

    “Dilantha held third for the rest of his stint, but the gap to the leaders was considerably huge. Once I got in, I had to drive like a quali and managed to catch the car in P2 and pass him. I started making time on the leader, but the gap was too big and we ran out of time which meant we finished a strong second.”

    eom/AP Media Communications release

    Armaan in action on Sunday. An AP Media Comm image
    Armaan in action on Sunday. An AP Media Comm image
  • Karun Chandhok returns to Murphy Prototypes

    Karun Chandhok returns to Murphy Prototypes

    Le Mans, 12 July

    2016: The Murphy Prototypes Racing Team today confirmed that Indian racing driver Karun KC at LeMans 2015 file pic by Adrenna 13Jul2016will join them this weekend for the European Le Mans (ELMS) Race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. Chandhok will return to drive for Murphy Prototypes for the first time since he helped the team score an impressive fifth in the LMP2 class at Le Mans last year.

    One of only two drivers from India to compete in Formula 1, Karun was the first ever Indian driver to start Le Mans in 2012 and went on to race for the Murphy Prototypes team there in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

    Having confirmed his intentions, Chandhok, who is supported by JK Tyre, AVT Premium, Sidvin and Tag Heuer, said, “It’s great to be back ‘super-subbing’ for Murphy Prototypes this weekend. I haven’t had the chance to compete in Sportscars since Le Mans last year, so when Greg called to ask if I could fill in for him, I was happy to take the opportunity to race with the team again. It’s always great fun working with the guys from Murphy Prototypes.

    “I was at the Red Bull Ring just two weeks ago for the F1 weekend, so it’s going to be great to actually go back to drive there. I had a run around the track when I was there and, having never competed at the circuit before, I’m really looking forward to it. With so many strong teams and new cars in the ELMS this year it’s a really competitive place to be, but this is endurance racing and anything can happen.”

    After confirming the team’s driver line up for this weekend’s Austrian round of the European Le Mans Series, Team Principal Greg Murphy said, “I’m very pleased to have Karun back with us for this event. We know him well and he just slots back into the team and always does a great job for us. We’re fortunate to be able to attract such high profile drivers. It’s something we’re very proud of. ”

    Chandhok will be joined by Guglielmo Belotti and Seán Doyle. The three drivers will compete in the team’s familiar #48 Nissan-engined Oreca 03R LMP2 car, which has been fully rebuilt having successfully completed the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the third time last month.

    Action at the 4.326 km (2.688 mile) circuit that is located near Spielberg in the Styrian Mountains and hosts the Austrian Grand Prix, begins with a 90-minute Free Practice session on Friday afternoon followed by another on Saturday morning. Qualifying for the LMP2 category takes place between 13.30 and 13.40 on Saturday, with the four-hour race getting the green light at 14.00 on Sunday (all times are CEST).

    eom/Adrenna press release