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Category: Indians Abroad
News about Indians racing in different motorsports events abroad
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Gaurav Gill of MRF sets early pace: APRC Rally of Whangarei
Gill with Aussie Glenn Macneall in the co-driver’s seat, clocked a blistering one minute, 4 seconds over the 2.4 Kms long gravel test strip with average speed of 134 Kmph, well ahead of his new team-mate, Germany’s Fabian Kreim (co-driver Frank Christian).Driving the 1.6 litre, turbo-charged (with restrictor) R5 for the first time, Gill, the 2013 APRC champion, covered about 50 Kms through the three-hour session and expressed satisfaction at the car set-up and also the MRF tyres.
“It was a good outing today. It took me a while go get used to the highly responsive car which I am driving for the first time. I had to make a few changes in the way I drove, especially in terms of being more aggressive through the corners so as to work the chassis and the grip to their optimum level.
“The tyres too were excellent and afforded good grip. I had to be more precise in the R5 than in the S2000. The R5 responds well, and with the right kind of a set-up, it is a great car to drive,” said Gill, winner here in 2014.
Meanwhile, 23-year old Kreim, who has had more experience in the R5, having participated in the 2015 German championship for Team Skoda, was still to fully come to grips with the unfamiliar gravel surface, driving last year’s championship winning car of Swede Pontus Tidemand.
“The German championship is a fully tarmac series and so, I am driving on the gravel surface for the first time. I had to make changes in my driving style with so much of sideways movement through the corners, but it was fun today. I am happy with the MRF tyres which offered a lot of traction and mid-corner grip,” said Kreim.
“Testing on Wednesday went really well, with drivers completing around 50kms. The engine is very good and for their first run in the car, both drivers were extremely happy and made only small changes to the set-up,” said Lane Heenan of Race Torque Engineering which prepares both the MRF-SKODA cars.
The International Rally of Whangarei, considered to be one of the quickest on the APRC circuit with its fast straights and flowing corners, will commence on Friday with ceremonial start followed by Special Stages on Saturday and Sunday, totaling about 275 Kms.
eom/AP Media Communications Press Release
CAPTIONS:
Image-1 (April 27): Gaurav Gill and co-driver Glenn Macneall (inset, right to left) blasting through a corner during the test session ahead of the International Rally of Whangarei in New Zealand on Wednesday.
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Second in Championship for Jehan
Feilding (New Zealand) 14 Feb 2016: Sahara Force India Academy Racer, Jehan Daruvala, rounded off his maiden Toyota R
acing Series New Zealand on a high. The Indian teenager finished runner-up in the overall championship after a good weekend where he had one pole position and one second place finish.Jehan entered the fifth and final round lying fourth overall in the championship table and knew it was important for him to finish consistently amongst the top five. Quick in practice at the 3km long Manfeild Autocourse, Jehan topped the timesheets of an extremely close first qualifying session with a time of 1:02.492. The top three were within six hundredths of a second, as Norris was second just 0.03 seconds behind Jehan while Brazilian Piquet, was just 0.062 seconds behind Jehan.
Qualifying two was even closer as the series witnessed its closest qualifying session. This time the top three were all within one hundredth of a second, as Norris topped the timesheet with a lap time of 1:02.145 ahead of Piquet and Jehan who managed to clock the exact same lap time, down to a thousandth of a second! They both had a lap time of 1:02.162!
Jehan, starting on pole for race one, got bogged down a bit as the lights went out and relinquished his top spot to Norris. Soon, Piquet and Markelov of Russia made contact and the safety car was brought out while Piquet had to retire. Jehan lost two places and fell to fourth at the restart, before the safety car was deployed once again. This time Jehan retained his position while race leader Norris fell to third. The race was won by Ferdinand Habsburg while Jehan’s fourth place finish ensured he moved from fourth to second in the championship table.
Race two starting grid was based on the top eight finishers of race one being reversed. Jehan started fifth and had a good start to move into third. The seventeen-year-old was very quick and he proceeded to chase down the front runners. He soon made a good move on Antoni Ptak and moved into second. Jehan then closed the gap to race leader Brendon Leitch but was not able to make a move to pass him. Leitch won less than a second ahead of Jehan, while Ptak was third.
Jehan started from third in race three, but was overtaken at the start by Markelov. On lap two, Jehan ran wide and fell down to ninth. A few laps before the end he managed to overtake Ferrari Academy racer Zhou to finish the race in eighth. Jehan benefitted and moved up a position into seventh, after Piquet was handed a post-race penalty.
“I knew I couldn’t afford any major mistakes coming into the last round. The two qualifying sessions were the closest I have been in. I really enjoyed climbing up the order in the reverse grid race, to second. Second in the overall championship, amongst a really competitive line-up, means a lot to me. I must thank the Sahara Force India Academy for the valuable support and also a big thank you to M2 Competition for giving me a fantastic car all through the championship,” said Jehan.
Jehan’s quick pace and consistent results in the first two races this weekend ensured he comfortably retained and finished second in the overall championship. Lando Norris was the champion ahead of Jehan, while Brendon Leitch was third. Three victories in addition to multiple podiums, summarise Jehan’s strong and consistent performance in his maiden campaign inthe Toyota Racing Series. The series this year has had one of its most competitive line-ups with racers including Pedro Piquet (Twice Brazilian F3 Champion and son of F1 World Champion Nelson Piquet), Lando Norris (Former World Karting Champion and F4 Champion), Guanyu Zhou (Ferrari Academy Driver), Artem Markelov (Former German F3 runner up and GP2 racer)
Jehan, Vice Runner Up at the World Karting Championship in 2014, made the jump from karting to cars only last year. The Sahara Force India Academy racer’s past important milestones are the British KF3 Champion, CIK FIA Asia Pacific KF3 Champion, Malaysian Yamaha Karting Champion and JK Tyre Indian National Rotax Karting Champion. Numerous channels and magazines have also awarded Jehan, their Motorsport Award.
Next week, Jehan will begin testing in Europe. He will be contending for two separate championship titles, the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup Series and the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC.
Final Championship Standings –
- Lando Norris, England – 924 Points
- Jehan Daruvala, India – 789 Points
- Brendon Leitch, New Zealand – 754 Points
Jehan’s Career so far –
2009 – Started Karting with Rayo Racing
2010 – Champion – JK Tyre Rookie Cup
– Champion – JK Tyre FMSCI National Karting Championship (Micro Max)
2011 – Champion – Malaysian Yamaha Karting Championship (Junior)
2012 – Selected into the Sahara Force India Academy
– Champion – CIK FIA Asia Pacific KF3 Championship
2013 – Retained as sole member of the Sahara Force India Academy
– Champion – British KF3 Championship
2014 – 2nd Runner Up – World Karting Championship
– Vice Champion – German KF Karting Championship
2015 – Enters Formula Car Racing (Formula Renault 2.0)
– 4 Podiums + 5 Best Rookie Trophies2016 – Runner up – Toyota Racing Series
eom/david/Rayo Release
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Armaan second in Lamborghini series
Sebring (Florida – USA), 21 Nov 2015: India’s Armaan Ebrahim ended the 2015 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Asia Series on a high as he finished second in the championship after earning podium and fourth position in the concluding round’s double-header at the historic Sebring International Raceway here on Friday.
Armaan, the 26-year old from Chennai along with his Sri Lankan team-mate Dilantha Malagamuwa, came up with two stunning drives while overcoming gearbox issues which led to a pitlane start for the second race as the duo picked up valuable points to finish creditable second in the championship.
Armaan, the JK Tyre Brand Ambassador, will be participating in the Super Trofeo World Final, a double-header that will conclude on Sunday at the same venue.
Despite the late arrival of the car, Armaan and Dilantha qualified third for both the races, but gearbox problems plagued them through the day while denying them a possible higher finishes.
As part of strategy, Dilantha went out first in Race One, but he struggled with an errant gearbox before handing over the car to Armaan who drove a brilliant second half of the race to come in third.
Amraan all but missed the second race as the team decided to change the gearbox. The work was still in progress when the rest of the cars lined up on the start grid. However, providence smiled on Armaan by way of rains which delayed the start while forcing the cars back to the pits for a change of tyres. The delay provided just enough time for Amraan’s car to be readied for a pitlane start. The pair then carved through the field to finish fourth.
Summing up the final round of the series, Armaan said: “Our car arrived only at 5 am on Thursday. So, there was literally no time to do any work on the car. The three Free Practice sessions went off quite decently for us and we qualified third for both races.
“In Race One, we went with a different strategy and sent out Dilantha first. Right from the start, we had a gearbox problem with inconsistent shifts and sometimes, loss of gears. Soon as the pit window was open, we made our stop. I got in and made my way up to third.
“Our gears were getting worse as it even struggled to go up the box and not only down. The race finished behind safety car which came out with 10 minutes left.
“Race Two was even more stressful. After the first race, by the time the car came into the garage from Parc Ferme, we had lost a bit of time. It was decided that the gearbox needed to be changed. At first, it looked like we will miss the race, but thanks to God literally, as it strated raining when the rest of the field was on the grid.
“The rains forced a delay in the start and the whole field had to get back to the pits to change tyres. This brought us loads of time and we still only just made for a pitlane start. It meant, we had to get through again and we did most of it to finish fourth.”
eom/AP M
Armaan Ebrahim takes a podium again. Image courtesy APMC edia Communications release
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Picariello dominates MRF Challenge in Bahrain; Tarun crashes out
Bahrain, 20
Picariello on his way to another win in Bahrain on Friday. Image by MRF/AdrennaNov 2015: Debutant Alessi Picariello continued his dominance at Round 2 of the MRF Challenge 2015 with his second win of the weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on Friday.
Picariello, who started 6th on the grid, won comfortably setting fastest lap along the way. Pietro Fittipaldi took the lead of the championship with his 2nd place after a close fight with Nikita Troitckii. He now leads the championship by 12 points over Troitckii with Tatiana Calderon in 3rd position, 18 points away from the leader.
The MRF Challenge 2015, which is the support race for the 6 Hours of Bahrain, had its second night race in succession after having a flood lit race in Abu Dhabi in Round 1. In the reverse grid race, Sean Walkinshaw started in pole position along with Matheus Leist. Walkinshaw was slow off the line which allowed Leist to come down the inside and take the lead. It did not last for long as Race 1 winner Picariello had a storming start from 6th on the grid to be in 2nd position after the 3rd corner. He wasted no time getting past Leist in corner 5 and started to pull away from the rest of the pack. Fittipaldi also had a great start and moved up to 3rd position behind Leist.
Tarun Reddy’s weekend went from bad to worse when he crashed out of the race after contact with Calderon on lap 1. Calderon managed to stay on track with a damaged car in 7th position. Fittipaldi passed Leist for 2nd place with Troitckii also getting past a lap later. Picariello set the fastest lap on the penultimate lap before taking the chequered flag after another flawless performance. Fittipaldi beat Troitckii to 2nd position by 0.091 seconds to take the lead in the championship. Harrison Newey, son of legendary F1 engineer Adrian Newey, had his best finish of the season in 4th place, ahead of Leist and Calderon.
Belgian driver Alessio Picariello had the perfect weekend with pole position, fastest lap and 2 race wins. He commented, “Everything has been perfect this weekend. I have not raced for a year now but felt comfortable with the car straight away. I had a good start, moved into 3rd position in the second corner, then to 2nd two corners later and finally into the lead. After that it was just about managing the pace. I worked well with my engineer so very happy with this weekend.”
Russian driver Nikita Troitckii was happy to be 2nd in the championship after a double podium this weekend. He commented, “My start was good and I quickly moved up to 4th place behind Fittipaldi. We both passed Leist and then it was a close battle with him till the end but could not find a way past. It has been a very good weekend for me and am now 2nd in the championship. I look forward to going to Dubai for the next round.”
Championship leader Pietro Fittipaldi was relieved to end the weekend on a high. He commented, “The weekend has been tough but am happy to finish in 2nd place. Towards the end of the race I started having some gearbox problems but managed to just stay ahead at the finish line. This championship is really competitive and close but can’t wait to head to Dubai for the next round.”
Race 2 Results:
- Alessio Picariello
- Pietro Fittipaldi
- Nikita Troitckii
- Harrison Newey
- Matheus Leist
- Tatiana Calderon
- Sam Dejonghe
- Sean Walkinshaw
- Nerses Isaakyan
- Max Fewtrell
Championship Standings:
- Pietro Fittipaldi – 98 points
- Nikita Troitckii – 86 points
- Tatiana Calderon – 84 points
- Nobuharu Matsushita – 80 points
- Alessio Picariello – 56 points
- Jake Dennis – 53 points
- Nobuharu Matsushita – 80 points
- Pietro Fittipaldi – 68 points
- Tatiana Calderon – 61 points
- Nikita Troitckii – 53 points
- Tarun Reddy – 47 points
About MRF Challenge
In its fourth year, the MRF Challenge 2015 will feature 16 MRF Formula 2000 race cars, which have been made in India by JA Motorsport based in Coimbatore, in collaboration with Dallara, world’s largest racing car manufacturer and also Jayem Automotives Ltd. 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 MRF Formula 2000 is powered by a 2.0 litre 210 BHP Renault Sport Engine and will have a Hewland 6-Speed sequential gearbox. The race car has also been crash tested to FIA F3 safety standards and will race with MRF ZLO slick and wet tyres.
The MRF Challenge has fielded a strong driver line-up in the last two seasons, with drivers going on to win races in GP2 and British Formula 3. The MRF Challenge Alumni include GP2 drivers like Arthur Pic, Tio Ellinas, Jon Lancaster, Conor Daly, GP3 drivers like Ryan Cullen and Carmen Jorda, Former Formula 2 Champion Luciano Baccheta and British Drivers Harry Tincknell (WEC) and Rupert Svendsen-Cook.
MRF Challenge 2015 Calendar:
Round 1: October 29-31, 2015, Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina Circuit
Round 2: November 18-20, 2015, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (World Endurance Championship Support Race)
Round 3: December 17-19, 2015, Dubai, Dubai Autodrome
Round 4: January 29-31, 2015, Chennai, Madras Motor Race Track
eom/MRF release
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Russian driver Nikita Troitckii leads Tarun Reddy in practice
File photo of Nikita courtesy MRF Bahrain, 19 Nov 2015: Debutant and 2013 Formel 3 ADAC Masters driver Alessi Picariello took a stunning pole position at Round 2 of the MRF Challenge 2015 at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. Russian driver Nikita Troitckii and India’s Tarun Reddy will start 2nd and 3rd on the grid after missing out on pole position by 0.044 and 0.048 seconds respectively in one of the closest qualifying sessions ever in the MRF Challenge. Championship contenders Tatiana Calderon and Pietro Fittipaldi will start 4th and 5th on the grid.
With an action packed motorsport weekend in Bahrain, the MRF Challenge drivers only got one practice session ahead of the 30 minute qualifying session. After a sunny morning session, qualifying was totally different with cool temperatures and the night sky greeting the drivers. Fittipaldi was quick to top the times after putting in a 2:06.587 followed by Troitckii with a 2:06.786. The times started to tumble with all drivers going faster. With 5 minutes to go is where all the action started with Picariello going fastest with a 2:03.390. Troitckii was on course to better it but just fell short. Reddy set the fastest time in the first two sectors but just missed out as well. Fittipaldi could do no better but Calderon started setting purple sectors as well, threatening Picariello’s pole position. She fell 0.080secs short, which put her in 4th place.
The MRF Challenge 2015 started first in one of the biggest motorsport weekends in the region, with the GP2, GP3 and World Endurance Championship (WEC) also on display this weekend. In the only practice session of the weekend, Troitskiy lapped in a 2m02.766s to set the fastest time of the session. He was 0.297s ahead of Reddy, who had completed the most laps in the session. Fittipaldi slotted in at third, while Sean Walkinshaw was fourth and Picariello completed the top five. Tatiana Calderon was in 6th place, with Indycar and Formula 1 winner Juan Pablo Montoya helping out his fellow Colombian.
Belgian driver Alessio Picariello was surprised to be in pole position in his first ever race in the series. He commented, “In the morning practice session it took me some time to get used to the car and tyres. With only one practice session I knew I had to learn things fast. I felt comfortable straight away and was able to push in the qualifying. I am thrilled to be on pole position and amazed at how competitive this series is. Tomorrow will be tough but I am confident of going for the win”
Russian driver Nikita Troitckii felt he could have been on pole but was happy to start from the front row. He commented, “I had a good session in the morning and just worked on getting more comfortable with the car. I felt we had the pace for pole position but we just missed out. My race pace this morning was good so am looking forward for the race tomorrow.”
India’s Tarun Reddy had his best qualifying in the series with 3rd position. He commented, “I really enjoy driving on this circuit. I have been quick from the start but not enough for pole position. To be 3rd on the grid here is great, especially with all the GP2 and WEC guys in attendance. I will push for the win tomorrow.”
Qualifying: 1. Alessio Picariello – 2:03.390; 2 Nikita Troitckii – 2:03.434; 3. Tarun Reddy – 2:03.438; 4 Tatiana Calderon – 2:03.470; 5 Pietro Fittipaldi – 2:03.503
Practice 1: 1. Nikita Troitckii – 2:02.766; 2 Tarun Reddy – 2:03.063; 3. Pietro Fittipaldi – 2:03.262; 4 Sean Walkinshaw – 2:03.429
eom/MRF release
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Round 2 of MRF Challenge to take place in Bahrain this weekend
Bahrain, 17 Nov 2015: The MRF Challenge 2015 season will head to the Bahrain International Circuit this weekend with Round 2 set to take place as the support race for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 6 Hours of Bahrain. The FIA sanctioned MRF Challenge, is one of four international and regional racing series that that will be backing the headlining WEC. The GP2 Series, GP3 Series and Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle are the others. The international field of up-and-coming drivers will showcase their talents this coming weekend in the MRF Challenge, in front of team bosses and manufacturers of the WEC and GP2 series.
Challenge leader Nobuharu Matsushita will return to his GP2 duties with ART Racing team. Brazilian driver Pietro Fittipaldi and female F3 driver Tatiana Calderon will resume their battle for the championship with only seven points separating them. Russian driver Nikita Troitckii and Indian Tarun will be hoping to mount a challenge and get themselves into championship contention. This will also be the first time that the MRF Challenge cars will race under lights in Bahrain.
Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Tyres, commented, “We are extremely excited to return to Bahrain for Round 2 of the MRF Challenge 2015. This will be our third year in Bahrain as we continue our association with the World Endurance Championship. The drivers have always enjoyed the circuit and I am sure that this year will continue to provide some close wheel-to-wheel racing. We are constantly evolving so am also happy to announce that this will be our first race under lights in Bahrain which should be great for the drivers and fans. We have an 18 car grid this year with some exciting talent so looking forward to another interesting round in Sakhir.”
Round 2 in Bahrain will have 18 cars on the grid with upcoming young drivers from across the world racing. 2-time F1 World Champion Emmerson Fittipaldi’s grandson, Pietro Fittipaldi impressed with a win and two podium finishes in Round 1 in Abu Dhabi. Harrison Newey, son of famed Formula One engineer Adrian Newey will be hoping to make amends to a tough opening weekend. The star of Round 1 was undoubtedly F3 driver Tatiana Calderon, who pulled off three brilliant overtaking moves on the last lap of 3 of the 4 races. Former MRF Challenge race winner Sam Dejonghe returns to the series and will definitely be one of the favourites and podium finishes in Bahrain. She will not be the only woman on the grid with Alice Powell and Laura Tillett also returning to the series.
The Indian contingent will be led by Tarun Reddy. Also joining him will be 2015 MRF 1600 Champion Karthik Tharani Singh, who impressed on his first ever time in the MRF Challenge car. He will be joined by Arjun Narendran.
J Anand, Managing Director, JA Motorsports, is looking forward to yet another exciting round. He commented, “We have a great bunch of talented youngsters this year and it will be interesting to see how they fare in Bahrain. This round offers a unique opportunity for our drivers to showcase their talent in front of some of the top teams and names in the world of motorsport. To support the WEC and GP2 races is a huge honour for us and a testament to how the MRF Challenge continues to grow.”
In its fourth year, the MRF Challenge 2015 will feature 16 MRF Formula 2000 race cars, which have been made in India by JA Motorsport based in Coimbatore, in collaboration with Dallara, world’s largest racing car manufacturer and also Jayem Automotives Ltd. 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 MRF Formula 2000 is powered by a 2.0 litre 210 BHP Renault Sport Engine and will have a Hewland 6-Speed sequential gearbox. The race car has also been crash tested to FIA F3 safety standards and will race with MRF ZLO slick and wet tyres.
The MRF Challenge has fielded a strong driver line-up in the last two seasons, with drivers going on to win races in GP2 and British Formula 3. The MRF Challenge Alumni include GP2 drivers like Arthur Pic, Tio Ellinas, Jon Lancaster, Conor Daly, GP3 drivers like Ryan Cullen and Carmen Jorda, Former Formula 2 Champion Luciano Baccheta and British Drivers Harry Tincknell (WEC) and Rupert Svendsen-Cook.
MRF Challenge 2015 Calendar:
Round 1: October 29-31, 2015, Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina Circuit
Round 2: November 18-20, 2015, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (World Endurance Championship Support Race)
Round 3: December 17-19, 2015, Dubai, Dubai Autodrome
Round 4: January 29-31, 2015, Chennai, Madras Motor Race Track
Championship Standings:
- Nobuharu Matsushita – 80 points
- Pietro Fittipaldi – 68 points
- Tatiana Calderon – 61 points
- Nikita Troitckii – 53 points
- Tarun Reddy – 47 points
File photo of MRF Challenge in Abu Dhabi, Oct 2015. Courtesy MRF eom/MRF release/david
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Aditya Patel takes lights-to-flag victory in spectacular fashion at Shanghai
Aditya Patel wins the Audi R8 LMS cup in Shangai on Sunday. An Audi team image Shanghai, 1 Nov 2015: Audi India race talent, Aditya Patel, racing in the Audi R8 LMS Cup, took a lights to flag victory in spectacular fashion in Shanghai on Sunday.
Round 6 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup played host to 2 races and ran as a support race to the World Endurance Championship in Shanghai. Aditya went into the final race sixth in the driver’s standings and still had a slim chance of clinching the title.
Race one however, did not go as plan for the driver backed by Audi India, JK Tyres and Jubilant Motorworks. After having engine trouble in practice, the mechanics worked extremely hard to change the car’s engine in no more than two hours. Patel then went out and qualified second, alongside Alex Yoong.
However, his joy was short lived. The stewards took a decision to penalize Aditya for a minor technical infringement, thereby putting him 17th on the grid for the first race of the weekend. Patel remained undeterred and put in a stellar performance to move up to 9th place and set the fastest lap of the race which put him on pole position for race two.
Being a standing start, Patel shot off and never looked back. The Indian quickly built a comfortable gap over championship rivals Alex Yoong, Franky Cheng and Marchy Lee. From there on, Patel kept his calm and crossed the chequered flag in spectacular fashion to win the final race of the season ahead of Marchy Lee and Franky Cheng. Former Formula one driver, Alex Yoong was crowned Champion of the Audi R8 LMS Cup. Aditya Patel ended the championship fourth overall.
“It’s been a crazy year and there’s no better way than to top it off with a pole to flag victory in the final race! The team did a fantastic job to get the car ready for qualifying. The penalty after qualifying meant a change in strategy, and it turned out to be perfect! I’d like to thank Audi China for giving me the opportunity to race in the cup as well as my sponsors, Audi India, JK Tyres and Jubilant Motorworks for their support through the years,” said an ecstatic Aditya after the race.
eom/Audi press release
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Team MRF wins APRC 2015 title at China; Gill loses again this year to teammate
Pontus-and-Emil-APRC-China-win-trophy-APSM-1nov2015-MRF-imageLongyou/China, 1 Nov 2015: Team MRF’s Pontius Tideman / Emil Axelsson roared to a commanding win at the China Rally here today. In the most adverse of track conditions the team had the best times on all 13 stages as they dominated the field comprehensively to win with ease.
Tidemand/Axelsson drove to victory in their red Skoda Fabia R5 on approximately 230 kilometres of muddy gravel tracks and slippery concrete streets.
“This rally demanded everything from us once again and showed what a fantastic set to tyres we had, that mastered the toughest of terrains” said Tidemand delighted with the perfect end to the season. “Two such important wins in Spain and China within a week – Emil and I didn’t dare dream of that. Winning the title in the APRC is our highlight and a big thanks to the whole team.”
Team MRF’s Pontus Tidemand and his navigator Emil Axelsson were also crowned champions in the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings of the APRC. MRF Skoda also won the manufacturers’ standings of the APRC for the fourth time in a row.
With Pontus Tidemand, MRF Skoda celebrates its fourth title win in a row in the drivers’ standings of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). The winning streak began in 2012 with the victory of Australian Chris Atkinson. India’s Gaurav Gill won the title in 2013, before Jan Kopecký (CZ) became the first driver in history to become European Champion and Asia-Pacific Champion in consecutive years last year. In the new Fabia R5, Tidemand got MRF’s third win in a row at the China Rally Longyou.
Pontus-and-Emil-APRC-China-win-trophy-APSM-1nov2015-MRF-imageeom/MRF press release through Adrenna
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Armaan Ebrahim pairs with Lankan teammate to finish third overall in Trofeo Asia series in Shanghai
Shanghai, 17 October 2015: India’s Armaan Ebrahim finished third overall along with teammate for another podium and finished second in Pro-Am class in the fifth and concluding round of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Asia series, here on Saturday.
Chennai-based Armaan along with his Sri Lankan partner Dilantha Malagamuwa qualified third Overall and second in the Pro-Am class for the first race of the weekend.
Going out first, Armaan did well to hold his grid position till he came in to hand over the car to Dilantha. The Sri Lankan also managed to maintain the position to come in third.
However, with the race winner Afiq from Malaysia not classified as he drove without a partner, Armaan and Dilantha were placed second which fetched the pair 12 crucial points that put them third in the championship, just four adrift of the second spot and nine behind the leader.
Armaan had a good run in the qualifying session as he put in his fastest lap and looked set to improve in the next loop, but ran into traffic.
Armaan made a good start in the race to keep pace with the front runners while opening a sizeable gap to the car behind him. After the change-over, Dilantha was under pressure and lost a place, but recovered well to regain the position.
Reflecting on his performance, Armaan said: “In the first qualifying session which decides where we start in the first race, I did my fastest lap on my first flyer. The next lap should have been the lap, but I was blocked. Nevertheless, I was happy with P3, just three-tenths off the pace.
“The race start was ok. I ran through with the leaders and opened a gap to the guy in fourth. After the pitstop, Dilantha was under some pressure and actually lost a place, but did well to fight back and regain the position.”
eom/AP Media Comm release
Armaan finishes third overall and second in Pro-Am along with Lankan teammate on Saturday. An AP Media Comm image -
Mugello victory seals double CIV title for Mahindra Peugeot
Mugello, 13 October 2015: Top teenager Marco Bezzecchi (16) took another hard-fought victory in the final race of the five-round national Italian CIV championship at the classic Mugello circuit on October 11, to seal his first championship crown, and also secure the Constructors’ championship for Mahindra Peugeot.
Riding a Mahindra for Team Porto Maggiore, the 16-ye
Marco Bezzecchi (16) takes the victory. A Mahindra image ar-old from Rimini – the heartland of Italian motorcycle racing – triumphed by inches after a race-long battle with rival Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Bezzecchi’s Mahindra MGP3O was strikingly painted in the red, white and green of the Italian Tricolore, and he was draped in the national flag as he celebrated his race and championship win.
Bezzecchi and Giannantonio had exchanged the lead over and over again as they battled round the scenic circuit, venue for the prestigious Italian MotoGP race; but clever tactics and the sprinting power of his Mahindra gave Bezzecchi the crucial edge past the chequered flag, and the points he needed to confirm his championship title.
The Italian CIV national championship is an important series in Europe, and has been the springboard for many famous riders including Valentino Rossi, who hails from the countryside near Rimini.
Mahindra, the only Indian constructor in international championship racing, has forged strong links with Italy, with Mahindra Racing’s European headquarters in Varese.
Mahindra has taken part in the CIV series since 2012, when the machines were still 125cc two-strokes; winning the Constructors’ crown at the first attempt. Mahindra won it again in 2013, when the series was opened to Moto3, 250cc, machines.
The current Mahindra MGP3O ridden to victory by Bezzecchi is a 250cc four-stroke, as campaigned in the Moto3 World Championship.
Mufaddal Choonia: Mahindra Racing CEO
“That was a very exciting way for our young rider to win the championship, for himself and Mahindra Peugeot; and a very satisfying achievement for both. With our strong connection to the racing scene in Italy, this victory means a lot. This championship is important of course for our continuing development of our grand prix machine, but also a chance for Mahindra Peugeot to put something back by supporting young talent – and there is a lot of young talent in Italy. This is in line with the Mahindra Group’s Rise philosophy that strives to Drive Positive Change by using Alternative Thinking and Accepting No Limits. We believe Marco has a big future in racing.”
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