INDIA in F1

Category: Karting

JK Tyre Rotax Max Indian Karting Nationals

  • Ishaan Madesh begins campaign in style; Adithiya, Varun share honours: Karting Nationals

    Ishaan Madesh begins campaign in style; Adithiya, Varun share honours: Karting Nationals

    By David Bodapati

    Bengaluru, 13 August 2023: Ishaan Madesh began his 2023 campaign in style bagging a double in the first round even as his team, defending champions Peregrine Racing dominated the proceedings in the Senior Max and Junior Max classes while MSport took the honours in the Micro Max classes at the Meco fmsci National Rotax Max Karting Championship 2023 which got off to a rousing start with a record 27 karts in the Senior section. The Junior and Micro Max classes attracted 15 and 16 competitors respectively.

    Winners All… All the winners of the First round from all the three classes pose after the prize distribution. Photo by Shajahan

    Twenty-year Mumbai’s Raaj Bakhru of Rayo Racing became the fastest driver of the first round clocking a 54.217sec in the Free Practice. He set the record time at Meco Kartopia on “MRF Tyres” from 2020. Earlier Arjun Maini and Yash Aradhya had the honour in their names. Nikhilesh Raju set the quickest time of the week-end in the Junior class. He clocked a 54.747 lap in the qualies but it was young Rivaan Dev Preetham of MSport, who made everyone sit-up and take notice as he commenced the weekend with a stunning lap in the official Free Practice 2. He dipped under one-minute barrier, which is a record of sorts in the Micro Max category as he clocked 59.884 seconds on Saturday, the fastest Micro kart during the weekend.

    Adithiya Aravind winner of the Finals. Photo by Shajahan
    Varun Hari Praveen, winner of Pre-Finals in the Senior Max class.

    Peregrine racing drivers Adithiya Arvind and Varun Hari Praveen, both from Chennai, shared a win each in the senior class as the first round of the Karting Nationals concluded at the 1.2Km Meco Kartopia track here on Sunday. Adithiya, the 15-year 11th grade student SBOA Junior College could only take a 5th place in the Pre-Final but went on to beat a strong field of 27 to clinch the top place on the podium in the Finals beating Mumbai’s Adithya Patnaik of Rayo Racing to second. In the Pre-Finals, it was Varun Hari Praveen, also of Peregrine Racing who took the victory beating teammate Akshat Mishra and reigning Junior champion Abhay M of Birel Art, who graduated to Seniors this year, came third. Defending champion Rohaan Madesh, who will be moving to the MRF2000 Formula cars did not take part, but was at hand to coach the Peregrine youngsters.

    Ishaan Madesh shines in Junior Max class

    Ishaan Madesh, a multiple National champion, who missed last year’s title by a whisker, began in whirlwind fashion bagging both the point-scoring races, the Finals and Pre-Finals as he launched his 2023 campaign on a winning note.  He clocked 11min, 08.545 to win the Pre-Finals beating his staunch rival on track and friend off it, Nikhilesh Raju by a huge margin of over 5 seconds. And he went on to clinch the Finals, pushing aside the challenge of Hunner Singh of Birel Art, who got a double podium. The 15-year Hunner, a Grade 10 student of Pathways International School in Delhi, was consistent throughout the week-end and showed glimpses of his talent. Young Aarav Dewan, only 13 years, also from Gurugram put Leapfrog Racing in third as he completed the podium in the Finals.

    Darsh Nawalgaria and Rivaan Dev Preetham fight in Micro Max class

    Rivaan Dev Preetham, who won the Pre-Finals in the Micro Max class.
    Darsh Nawalgaria, who won the Micro Max Finals on Sunday. Rahul Reghu image

    A 13-year Bengaluru karter, Darsh Nawalgaria, took the championship lead in the Micro Max category after a fierce fight with another 10-year talent Rivaan Dev Preetham, who had to be content with a second place in the table after one round. Rivaan began well with a victory in the Pre-finals and mopping up both the heats and taking the pole in the qualies. But Darsh won the Finals with a clean race with a lead of over a second. Yatharth Gaur of Faridabad came second in the finals followed by Rivaan. In the Pre-finals, Bengaluru’s Rishik Rohit Reddy  of Birel Art came third.

    The second round of the Rotax Max Karting Nationals is scheduled to be held at the same venue, Meco Kartopia from September 1 to 3.

    Provisional Results:

    Senior Max: Finals: (16 laps)

    1. #72 Adithiya Arvind (Peregrine Racing, Chennai) (15min, 08.232);

    2. #76 Adithya Patnaik (Rayo Racing, Mumbai) (15:11.682);

    3. #62 Arjun Chheda (Crest Motorsports, Pune) (15:14.862).

    Fastest Lap: #69 Akshat Mishra (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) 55.359sec.

    Senior Max: Pre-Finals: (14 laps)

    1. #66 Varun Hari Praveen (Peregrine Racing, Chennai) (12:57.636);

    2. #69 Akshat Mishra (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (12:59.187);

    3. #88 Abhay M (Birel Art India, Bengaluru) (12:59.356).

    Fastest Lap: #76 Adithya Patnaik (Rayo Racing, Mumbai) (54:946sec).

    Qualifying session on Saturday:

    1. #76 Adithya Patnaik (Mumbai) (00:54.706);

    2. #69 Akshat Mishra (Bengaluru) (00:54.720);

    3. #77 Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (00:54.749).

    Junior Max: Final: (14 laps)

    1.  #55  Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (13min, 02.610seconds);

    2. #52 Hunner Singh (Birel Art India, Gurugram) (13:04.347);

    3. #45 Aarav Dewan (Leapfrog Racing, Gurugram) (13;05.018).

    Fastest lap: #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) 55.170sec.

    Junior Max: Pre-Final: (12 laps)

    1.  #55  Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (11:08.545);

    2. #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (11:14.246);

    3. #52 Hunner Singh (Birel Art India, Gurugram) (11:16.765);

    Fastest lap: #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) 55.014sec.

    Qualifying session on Saturday:

    1. #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (54.747);

    2.#55  Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (54.837);

    3. #44 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (54.998).

    Micro Max: Finals: (12 Laps)

    1. #6 Darsh Nawalgaria (MSport, Bengaluru) (12:15.006);

    2.  #21 Yatharth Gaur (Leapfrog Racing, Faridabad) ( 12:16.103);

    3.  #12 Rivaan Dev Preetham (MSport, Chennai) (12:16.519).

    Fastest Lap: #12 Rivaan Dev Preetham 1:00.248.

    Micro Max: Pre-Finals: (10 Laps)

    1.#12 Rivaan Dev Preetham (MSport, Chennai) (10:09.634);

    2. #6 Darsh Nawalgaria (MSport, Bengaluru) (10:11.471);

    3. #5 Rishik Rohit Reddy (Birel Art India, Bengaluru) (10:13.502).

    Fastest Lap: #6 Darsh Nawalgaria 1:00.061.

    Qualifying session on Saturday:

    1. #12 Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai) (1:00.158);

    2. #06 Darsh Nawalgaria (Bengaluru) (1:00.227);

    3. #08 Hamza Balasinorwala (Mumbai) (1:00.44).

  • Rivaan Dev Preetham makes a stunning debut, takes pole

    Rivaan Dev Preetham makes a stunning debut, takes pole

    Bengaluru, 12 August 2023: Rivaan Dev Preetham of Chennai qualified on pole for the Micro Max class in the first round of the Meco fmsci National Karting Championship for Rotax Max 2023 at Meco Kartopia on Saturday.

    He is the son of Preetham Dev Moses, a six-time National champion and a celebrated rider in the early years after the turn of the century. He now let the junior debut in karting. His son Rivaan began the 2023 National Championship well and took the pole position beating a strong field of 16 drivers. He also won both the heats on Saturday. He clocked 10:14.687 for 9 laps in the first heat beating Yatharth Gaur of Faridabad, while he timed 10:45.940 for the second heat over 6 laps defeating Gaur again to second place. Darsh Nawalgaria of Bengaluru came third. In heat 1, Rishik Rohit Reddy of Bengaluru came third.

    In the Senior Max class experienced drivers like Akshat Mishra and Abhay M, the defending champion lost to Adithya Patnaik from Mumbai. However, Akshat Mishra won both the heats.

    Rivaan Dev Preetham of Chennai qualified on pole for the Senior Max class. All photos Rahul Reghu, exclusively commissioned by INDIAinF1.com

    Reigning champion Nikhilesh Raju of Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru, kept his cool and bagged the pole position in the Junior Max category.

    In the Senior class, Adithya Patnaik of Mumbai defeated Akshat Mishra of Bengaluru by hundredths of a second while another experienced Mumbai karter Raaj Bhakru took the third place.

    The Pre-finals and Finals of the first round will be held on Sunday. A record number of over 50 drivers including a huge grid of 27 drivers in the Senior Class were seen competing in the 2023 opener, a record in the last 10 years.

    Provisional Results: Qualifying sessions:

    Junior Max:

    1. #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (54.747);

    2.#55  Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (54.837);

    3. #44 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (54.998).

    Micro Max:

    1. #12 Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai) (1:00.158);

    2. #06 Darsh Nawalgaria (Bengaluru) (1:00.227);

    3. #08 Hamza Balasinorwala (Mumbai) (1:00.44).

    Senior Max:

    1. #76 Adithya Patnaik (Mumbai) (00:54.706);

    2. #69 Akshat Mishra (Bengaluru) (00:54.720);

    3. #77 Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (00:54.749).

    Adithya Patnaik on pole in the Senior class.
  • FIA ropes in Mumbai Falcons for World Karting meet

    FIA ropes in Mumbai Falcons for World Karting meet

    The FIA announces an official partnership with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited to support the FIA Karting World Championships in 2022

    Le Mans, 24 August 2022: Mumbai Falcons becomes the official partner of FIA CIK Karting World Championship, FIA announced on Wednesday.

    The Le Mans event will feature over 300 drivers competing in categories including the KZ World Championship, the KZ2 World Cup, the KZ2 Masters Super Cup, the Academy Trophy and demonstrations runs in the Historic Super Cup.

    Mumbai Falcons plan to develop a world-class racing and karting facility in India which will serve as a hub for motorsport. Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited was founded in 2019 by the Gadhoke Group with the objective of developing a next-generation, sustainable motorsport team and to accelerate growth in the Indian motorsport landscape. 

    The team is part of Racing Promotion Private Limited, the promoter and organiser of the newly-created Formula Regional Indian Championship and the Formula 4 Indian Championship, due to launch at the end of 2022. Both championships are certified by the FIA.

    Mumbai Falcons will be an official partner for the 2022 FIA Karting World Championship events at Le Mans, France from September 1-4 and Sarno, Italy from September 15-18. The agreement also includes official partner status for two World and four European Championship events in 2023. 

    FIA Karting Commission President, Akbar Ebrahim said: “Guided by the new Presidential team at the FIA, one of the missions is to double motorsport participation and cultivate awareness and engagement in under-developed and developing territories. It is my goal as President of the FIA Karting Commission to harness the passion and enthusiasm among youngsters and guide them on the pathway to a career in motorsport with karting as the first step on that journey. 

    The collaboration with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited is central to that mission, particularly in a country like India, where the capacity for growth is enormous. We are seeking to provide cost-effective entry points and offer training, operational and technical support in order to expand the FIA Karting footprint globally in alignment with the FIA’s over-arching commitment to expansion.”

    Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited CEO, Moid Tungekar said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity of partnering with the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile  for the 2022 and 2023 FIA World Karting Championship. Karting is the first essential step when entering into motorsport and is responsible for teaching drivers and teams race craft.

    “We at MFRL are focusing on developing international standard infrastructure and providing world class facilities to facilitate the growth of motorsport within our nation.  The Gadhoke Group founder, Ameet Gadhoke, has an ambitious vision to create a world champion Indian driver in the near future and to make India a destination for motorsport developmental activities. We thank the FIA for their trust, support, guidance and look forward to a long and prosperous partnership.”   

  • Peregrine Racing’s Madesh brothers sweep honours; Nikhilesh shines in Micro Max

    Peregrine Racing’s Madesh brothers sweep honours; Nikhilesh shines in Micro Max

    Bengaluru, 17 July 2022: Madesh brothers, Rohaan and Ishaan, led the Peregrine Racing charge in the Meco fmsci Rotax Max National Karting Championship 2022 in an aggressive manner bagging full honours while Nikhilesh Raju bagged enough points with a win the finals to lead the Micro Max class in Round 1 which concluded at the Meco Kartopia circuit here on Saturday.

    The eldest of the Madesh brothers, from Peregrine Racing, also became the fastest driver of Round 1 clocking a blistering 55.357 in the fourth lap of the Official Practice 2. He virtually dominated the week-end winning everything on offer in the Senior Max class as he qualified first and won both the Finals and Pre-finals.

    On his part, his younger brother and former champion, Ishaan, likewise, brooked no challenge in the Junior Max category. He too made a sweep of all the races, save one heat which saw a Red Flag and a re-start. He also clocked the fastest time in his class logging a 56.088 seconds for the third lap in Official Practice 2. He won both the Finals and the Pre-Finals to take a substantial lead in the Junior class championship. He also set the best laps in both the races and was the only driver in his class to dip under 57-sec, reeling out blistering lap after lap in both the finals and the pre-finals. Fourteen of his laps were under 57-sec mark.

    In the Pre-finals, Ishaan, had a brilliant start and made his dash to the front look so easy, in the words of commentator, Vivek Abraham, and never disappointed the expectations of the small crowd with his pole to flag exploits. He displayed enough skill and race craft and soon increased the lead substantially to leave the drivers behind to fight for the second place where the battle was between Sai Shiva Makesh and Anshul Sai. Ishaan won a comfortable race to begin his campaign on a positive note full points from Round 1 in the 12-lap race which had a grid 12 karts of 22HP 2stroke engine.

    Nikhilesh Raju, the bespectacled defending champion began on the right note dominating the Micro Max class. Shrugging off initial hiccups in the Practice sessions, he qualified at the top and won the finals and came second in the Pre-finals races in the 8 to 12 years category.

    Starting P2 in the finals, Nikhilesh Raju had a bad start and went down to P5 but quickly recovered making up two positions. Later, after a good fight between the top two, he found the opportunity on Lap 8 as he made a move at the fourth corner but it proved to be futile. However, in the next corner he found a better exit as he went wide and took the other line and dashed to the front taking both the leading karts at a go. In the Pre-finals, Nikhilesh started P4 and had the pace but good defence by poleman Anuj kept him behind for eight laps with Eshan leading the pack. In the eighth lap Nikhilesh moved to 2nd with a brilliant move and retained the second place till the end. He earned enough points with a win in finals and a second in pre-finals to take the championship lead in the Micro Max class after the first round.

    The year began on a promising note as the Nationals for the first time in the recent past saw grids of over 20. With new teams entering the fray, the Senior grid saw 21 karts while the Junior grid boasted of 16 drivers including three girls, who kept the women in motorsport challenge alive with Shriya Lohia running close to the frontline boys. The Micro Max too saw better numbers this year with 13 karts on the start gird.

    Provisional official classification – Round 1 2022:

    Junior Max: Finals (14 laps):

    1. #55 Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing);

    2. #27 Anshul Sai Shivakumar (Birel Art India);

    3. #46 Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran (MSport);

    Junior Max: Pre-Finals (12 laps):

    1. #55 Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing);

    2. #27 Anshul Sai Shivakumar (Birel Art India);

    3. #46 Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran (MSport);

    Junior Max Qualifying:

    1. #55 Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing);

    2. #45 Abhay M (Birel Art India);

    3. #46 Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran (MSport);

    Micro Max Finals (12 laps):

    1. #11 Nikhilesh Raju D (Peregrine Racing);

    2. #17 Eshanthn Vengatesan (MSport);

    3. #10 Aditya Suresh Kamat (Birel Art India);

    Micro Max Pre-Finals (10 laps):

    1. #17 Eshanthn Vengatesan (MSport);

    2. #11 Nikhilesh Raju D (Peregrine Racing);

    3. #25 Anuj Arun (MSport);

    Micro Max Qualifying:

    1. #10 Aditya Suresh Kamat (Birel Art India);

    2. #11 Nikhilesh Raju D (Peregrine Racing);

    3. #17 Eshanthn Vengatesan (MSport);

    Senior Max Finals (16 laps):

    1. #69 Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing);

    2. #96 Nigel Abraham (Peregrine Racing);

    3. #62 Rishon Rajeev (Birel Art India);

    Senior Max Pre-Finals (14 laps):

    1. #69 Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing);

    2. #63 Ruhaan Alva (MSport);

    3. #96 Nigel Abraham (Peregrine Racing);

    Senior Qualifying:

    1. #69 Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing);

    2. #96 Nigel Abraham (Peregrine Racing);

    3. #63 Ruhaan Alva (MSport);

    (Editor’s Note: The results were updated with Official version on 18 July 2022 6pm)

  • Akbar Ebrahim welcomes Mondokart as sponsor for FIA Karting Worlds

    Akbar Ebrahim welcomes Mondokart as sponsor for FIA Karting Worlds

    Paris, 25 May 2022: The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile is pleased to announce a partnership with the Mondokart organisation which will see the Italian karting supplies e-commerce platform become the title sponsor of the two FIA Karting World Championship events later this year.

    Under the terms of the agreement, the world championship events in Le Mans, France from September 1-4 will be known as the Mondokart.com FIA World Championship KZ-KZ2. The world championship event in Sarno, Italy from September 15-18 for OK-OK Junior will be similarly titled.

    In addition, Mondokart will extend its support to selected rounds of the FIA Karting European Championship from 2023.

    Akbar Ebrahim, the President of the FIA International Karting Commission (CIK-FIA), welcomed the backing of Mondokart at a time of growth and ambition for karting worldwide.

    “We are delighted that Mondokart has thrown its support behind karting in the shape of their title sponsorship of the FIA Karting World Championships,” he said. “As we look to expand the footprint of karting globally and attract more youngsters to the sport by making it more accessible and affordable, commercial partners like Mondokart will play a pivotal role in achieving our aims. We look forward to a strong collaboration together.”

    Simone Colombo, the CEO of Mondokart, said: “Passion for karting is the core of what we do. Through this agreement, Mondokart Racing S.p.A. wants to invest in karting and become a partner in the development of the sport that over time has produced numerous champions.

    “Mondokart Racing was born as a physical store in the 90s and thanks to the development of online sales since 2013, has become a reference point for 30,000 customers in 96 countries. At Mondokart, we see this agreement as a starting point to a collaboration with the FIA which we hope will continue with mutual satisfaction as a long-term partnership.”

    Mondokart was founded by the Lidonnici brothers (Enrico and Giulio) in the early 1990s and specialized in karts and spare parts sales in the province of Milan. The company was acquired by Simone Colombo in 2013 and was re-born as an online operation. The Mondokart Megastore in Pogliano, Milan was inaugurated in 2017.

  • Ishaan Madesh sparkles in FP3, gains international exposure: FIA Academy karting

    Ishaan Madesh sparkles in FP3, gains international exposure: FIA Academy karting

    Genk (Belgium) 13 May 2022: Indian karting champion Ishaan Madesh of Bengaluru bounced back brilliantly to mingle with the cream of talent from all over the world as he stood in the top-8 showing resilience amidst adverse weather conditions in the practice sessions here on Friday.

    The Peregrine Racing talent is representing India in the first round of the FIA Karting European Championship which is hosting the FIA Karting Academy Trophy where 53 countries were accommodated with one driver representing each country.

    The conditions were ideal for local drivers but with no time for acclimatisation, the Indian made the best out of the practices sessions on Friday. In the first two practice sessions, the Indian had teething troubles and had issues with the kart but not the one to give up so soon, the determined Ishaan made amends and put in a stunning session to shoot to the top eight clocking 54.357 seconds and was just off 0.162sec off the leader to finish 8th. The event turned out to be very competitive with 19 karters within half-a-second at the top. For the record, Harry Arnett of Australia topped the session with a best lap clocking 54.195.

    However, in the qualifying session Ishaan Madesh could not have the result he wanted as he suffered issues again but managed to finish 19 among 27 karters in his heat. Guillaume Bouzar (LUX) took the pole in Academy but the Indian is confident to put up good performance on Saturday and Sunday.

    Shod on LeCont tyres in an identical Exprit/Vortex karts, Ishaan was allocated a kart by drawing of lots. He was able to familiarise with the equipment but it was too short a seat time to get used to the international standards that the event beckons. The Indian did adapt quickly and is eager to make a mark in the next two days.

     “I love to race abroad as international events require more focus as the standards are very high. I am enjoying my sessions here and it is a good learning experience. I missed being in the front, in the early sessions but did have fun coming 8th in FP3. I am looking forward to the next session,” said Ishaan Madesh, from Belgium.

    54 ENTRIES IN THE ACADEMY

    “The FIA wanted to open up additional places in the FIA Karting Academy Trophy. So now the FIA Karting’s global talent-detection programme will have drivers from 53 nations. Formula Medicine, a Driver training organisation created more than 30 years ago by Dr. Riccardo Ceccarelli, returns to the Academy with an educational programme designed to improve the skills and knowledge of the young drivers,” said CIK FIA chief Akbar Ebrahim, who was instrumental in karters for more countries taking part in the Academy trophy.

    Among the 54 drivers, five are competing in their second season in the Academy, including Caleb Gafrarar (USA), 11th in 2021 and Nicolas Roos (ZAF) 18th in 2021. Nine drivers are also entered in the FIA Karting European Championship – OK-Junior, including Arthur Dorison (FRA) currently seventh in the provisional rankings and Guillaume Bouzar (LUX) 12th. Among the three women, Chiara Bätig from Switzerland is supported by the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission.

  • Many values can be learned from Karting, it is a good education for life: FIA Chief

    Many values can be learned from Karting, it is a good education for life: FIA Chief

    Bengaluru, 10 May 2022: Following the election last December of Emirati Mohammed Ben Sulayem to the position of FIA President, there have been a number of changes in the FIA Karting organisation chart. Felipe Massa left the CIK-FIA presidency, which he had held since 2018, to take up the post of FIA Drivers’ Commission President. Akbar Ebrahim from India is the new CIK-FIA President from February 4, 2022, with Britain’s John Ryan as Vice President. With Frenchman Alban Martinet succeeding Kay Oberheide as CIK-FIA Executive Secretary in October 2021, an entirely new team will take the reins for the 2022 season.

    At 58 years of age, Akbar Ebrahim combines a great deal of experience in motor sport and business. In an interview at the end of March, he revealed extensive knowledge of the many aspects of karting today and a longer-term vision of its evolution in close collaboration with the main stakeholders of the discipline.

    MR. PRESIDENT, COULD YOU START BY TELLING US ABOUT YOUR CAREER IN MOTOR SPORT?

    I have mainly raced single-seaters. I raced in Formula 3 in India for a number of years and then raced in Formula Asia and Formula Ford before competing in British F3 and some F2 events. I also did the occasional rally and touring car race in India. After that, it was time for me to focus on my professional business career.

    HAVE YOU STILL KEPT IN TOUCH WITH MOTOR SPORT?

    Yes, I have. I started to set up structures to support and develop young talent in my country. That’s when I became more interested in karting. There was a lack of training structures to provide them with the technical bases concerning chassis, engines and tyres. I got involved in the concept of an academy for young people, particularly with regard to organisational aspects. I had the opportunity to experience driving a kart because I wanted to understand the whole process. Thanks to karting, young people who wanted to progress in motor sport could familiarise themselves with driving, of course, but also with teamwork, collaboration with technicians and other drivers, everything that is important for the future. I am convinced that karting is also a good education for life and that many values can be learned from it. The projects carried out in India have greatly increased the visibility of the sport and encouraged parents to consider karting for their children.

    WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF KARTING COMPETITION TODAY?

    The top level of competition is concentrated in Europe with the FIA Karting events and some private series. The organisation is of a high quality, and the standard of competition is impressive among very professional teams. Events are well attended and the media coverage is interesting. The collaboration with the promoter RGMMC provides very good results. The current categories are well defined and their stability is geared towards success. It is a good platform for drivers who aspire to pursue their careers in motor sport. Of course, the question of budgets remains if there is to be an increase in the number of participants. The FIA Karting Academy Trophy plays an important role in this area and its success is only growing. We have also increased the number of karts of the Academy from 2022 with the agreement of our partners.

    It’s not a revelation to say that the lower echelons deserve our full attention. There is much to be done to broaden the base of the pyramid. The FIA has already started to invest in discovery and education programmes in countries without infrastructure on the African and Asian continents. I am convinced of the importance of these initiatives, whose success depends on the structuring of the programmes and their effectiveness on the ground.

    Bridges must then be put in place towards the top level. This will be one of the priorities of my mandate. There is no shortage of ideas, but we must focus on viable solutions. I am fortunate to be able to count on the experience of my Vice-President John Ryan and his in-depth knowledge of the subject.

    HOW WILL YOU START YOUR PRESIDENCY IN CONCRETE TERMS?

    It is essential in my position to go to the competitions and meet the key players. I plan to attend many FIA Karting events to see how they are run on the ground. I want to establish productive contacts with the manufacturers and teams. I am well aware that this cannot be done effectively during a race weekend. I have therefore planned additional trips to establish close relations with the karting industry in order to understand the various issues. I also need to familiarise myself with the workings of the CIK-FIA working groups and team in Geneva under the responsibility of Executive Secretary Alban Martinet.

    I am happy to have been chosen for this mission which includes many aspects. I am fortunate to take on this responsibility at a time when the FIA Karting is well structured with an excellent grasp of the top level and varied perspectives. It will be a significant support to diversify its actions towards new audiences.

  • Shriya Lohia gets PM Bal Puraskar award for excellence in sport

    Shriya Lohia gets PM Bal Puraskar award for excellence in sport

    New Delhi, 24 Jan 2022: Karting girl Shriya Lohia of Himachal Pradesh made the motorsports world proud by winning the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) award and interacted with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi via video conference on Monday, the National Girl Child day on Jan 24.

    Shriya, the 13-year old, became the second motorsports athlete to get the award, after Yash Aradhya got the award last year. She is the only motorsports athlete among the eight sportspersons awarded today along with 28 in other disciplines. The youngster is from Sundarnagar of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh and is a regular at Meco Kartopia in Bengaluru for the last five years, where the National Karting Championships are held. Shriya was the “Outstanding Woman of the Year 2018”, awarded by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) in her early career along with two other senior girls Mira Erda and Sneha Sharma. Shriya made her debut in 2018 as a 9-year old 5th class girl at Kartopia. She went on to win the fmsci award for a second year in 2019. Though many feel, that it is a long road ahead for Women in Motorsports, the Federation in tune with the international federation, FIA, and the Government of India, of late, have been recognising women, as part of the overall motorsports fraternity. Only recently, motorsports athletes started finding their names in the National awards starting with an Arjuna Award for rally driver Gaurav Gill.

    The Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about her today. On his official Twitter handle, he said: “The young and talented ShriyaLohia is an International Motorsports Karting Racer! She has won several national trophies and represented the country in international racing. Proud of her achievements. Congratulations to her for receiving the Rashtriya Bal Puraskar.” He tweeted with the following graphic at 8pm on Monday.

    A keen learner, who always competed with boys, with mixed results, she finally honed her skills attending trainings in Malaysia and also competed in Italy. Her big day came when she won a race in the JK Tyre X-30 Karting Nationals on 13th July 2019 in her Class VI. In the same year, the Indira National School student, finished first in the FIA Girls on Track, also in Bengaluru. Now in a Delhi school, she used to frequent the Garden City, Pune and Hyderbad to take part in karting events. Shriya expressed her interest recently to move back to her ancestral home in Sundarnagar, local Himachal paper quoted her saying.

    Twenty nine children have been conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar this Year, selected from all regions of the country for their exceptional achievements in Innovation (7), Social Service (4), Scholastic (1), Sports (8), Art & Culture (6) and Bravery (3) categories.  There are 15 Boys and 14 Girls among the awardees belonging to 21 States and UTs.

    In view of the unprecedented circumstances emerging due to COVID-19 situation in the country, it was not possible to organise a physical ceremony at New Delhi. In order to felicitate and motivate the exceptional works of children, a function was held virtually on the occasion of National Girl Child Day today and also as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Awardees of PMRBP 2021 and 2022 along with their parents and concerned District Magistrate of their respective district joined the event from their district Head Quarters. 

    During the function, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave digital certificates to the 61 winners of PMRBP 2021 and 2022 using a Block Chain-driven technology developed by IIT Kanpur under the National Blockchain Project.  The digital certificates are stored on digital wallets installed on the mobile devices of the recipients. The digital certificates issued using the blockchain driven technology are unforgeable, globally verifiable, selectively disclosable and sensitive to user content. Block Chain Technology is being used for the first time for giving certificates to the awardees.

    The cash prize of Rs.1,00,000/- was given to the awardees of PMRBP 2022 which was transferred online to the respective accounts of winners during the programme by the Hon’ble PM.

    The Hon’ble Prime Minister interacted virtually with the winners of PMRBP 2022. Union Women and Child Development Minister Smt Smriti Zubin Irani and Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Minister of State were among those present on the occasion.

    Interacting with Kumari Tarushi Gaur from Chandigarh, the Prime Minister enquired about her opinion on the balance between sports and studies. The Prime Minister asked why Tarushi idolises Boxer Mary Kom. She informed the Prime Minister that she likes her because of her commitment to excellence and balance that she strikes as a sportsperson and as a mother. The Prime Minister said that the government is committed to providing all the facilities to the sportspersons and creating a mindset of winning at every level.

    Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister noted that these awards become all the more significant in the light of the fact that they have been conferred during the important period when the country is celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. He said this is the time to draw energy from the past and dedicate oneself to achieving great results in the coming 25 years of the Amrit Kaal. He also greeted the daughters of the country on the National Girl Child Day. The Prime Minister remembered the glorious history of the Freedom Struggle and the contribution of Birbala Kanaklata Barua, Khudiram Bose and Rani Gaidinilu. “These fighters had made the country’s freedom the mission of their lives at a very young age and had dedicated themselves to it” the Prime Minister noted.

    The Prime Minister said that in any sector, policies and initiatives are keeping youth at the centre. He cited initiatives like Start Up India, Stand Up India, Digital India, Make in India along with Jan Andolan of Aatmnirbhar India and creation of modern infrastructure. This, he said, is in sync with the speed of the youth of India who are leading this new epoch both in India and outside. The Prime Minister underlined the growing prowess of India in the innovation and start-up sphere. He conveyed the nation’s pride in the fact of major global companies being led by Indian young CEOs. “Today we feel proud when we see the youth of India excelling in the world of startups. Today we feel proud when we see that the youth of India are innovating, taking the country forward”, the Prime Minister said.

    The Prime Minister said in areas where daughters were not even allowed earlier, daughters are doing wonders in them today. This is the new India, which does not hold back from innovating, courage and determination are the hallmarks of India today.

    Minister Smriti Irani also tweeted about Shriya and said: Resident of Himachal Pradesh, Shriya started her journey as motorsports karting racer at the age of 9 years. She is the only girl in her age category to compete in the national championships. Shriya is awarded PMRBP 2022 in the field of Sports. #BetiBharatKi

  • Kyle Kumaran makes India proud at World stage: Rotax Karting Grand Finals

    Kyle Kumaran makes India proud at World stage: Rotax Karting Grand Finals

    Sakhir (Bahrain), 16 Dec 2021: Peregrine Racing’s Kyle Aditya Kumaran made India proud winning the silver medal at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals, the annual Karting competition for National Rotax champions from 72 countries around the world, which concluded here at the Bahrain International Karting Circuit on Saturday.

    THE RACE

    RMCGF, Final DD2, Van Leeuwen precedes Kumaran
    Kumaran, Barbaroux, Van Leeuwen and Locmelis are the quartet that characterises this final since the beginning. Continuous changes do not allow those who follow to catch up with the leading group. A few laps to the finish line and van Leeuwen and Barbaroux manage to pull away about ten meters from Kumaran and Locmelis. The Dutchman closes the gaps and Barbaroux doesn’t manage to slip through. The chequered flag thus sanctions the victory of Van Leeuwen over Kumaran. While Barbaroux will find himself 11th after a 10″ penalty. Third place goes to Locmelis. Courtesy VroomKart.

    Kumaran loves Indian flag

    The 18-year-old Kyle Kumaran, took part in the DD2 category, a step higher than the Senior class, and finished third in the pre-finals to qualify for the 36-grid Finals where he was crowned vice-champion to make sure that the Indian flag flies at the F1 circuit in Bahrain.

    Kyle Kumaran, #401, on his way to become vice-champion from a field of 72 countries on Saturday. Photo credit: INDIAinF1 by special arrangement

    Kyle Kumaran, racing with Peregrine team, became the 2021 Senior National Karting Champion last month and booked his ticket for Grand Finals. Kumaran, races with Team DojoMoto internationally and is managed by Anjum Shaik. He finished the 21-lap Final race in third clocking 18minutes 41.392seconds and was promoted to second place as Antoine Barbaroux was slammed a ‘bumper penalty’. Thus Kumaran became the Vice-Champion in the DD2 shifter class. Martun van Leeuwen of the Netherlnads won the gold and Patriks Noels Locmelis came third. Starting from P4, Kyle was just 0.198sec behind the gold winner Martun’s time of 18:41.194.

    Kyle Aditya Kumaran with his mom Denys Kumaran at Sakhir track before the Finals. An INDIAinF1 photo courtesy Peregrine Racing.

    “Getting a silver medal at the Grand finals which is very competitive with National Rotax champions from 72 countries taking part is a fantastic achievement. Kyle Kumaran made India extremely proud. It is a proud moment for all of us at FMSCI. I congratulate the racer and his family,” said Akbar Ebrahim, President of the Federation of Motor Sports Club, the governing body for Motorsport in India. Ebrahim was the brain behind introducing Rotax Max karting Nationals in Indian in 2003. “This is the first time in the Indian history of Rotax Max that we are getting a medal at the World stage,” added the former racing champion.

    “A disciplined and talented driver, always had his head down and focused. It is a proud moment for India. He has a bright future and I wish him all the best,” said Shyam Kumar, the Chief Steward at the Rotax Max Indian National Karting Championship.

    Peregrine team Principal Madesh Lakshman was facilitated Kumaran’s participation and winning the Senior National championship said: “I am always confident with Kyle’s ability and his race craft. We were expecting a podium in the Grand Finals from the beginning. He is talented and his hard work and dedication brought laurels for India. It is a proud moment for all of us at Peregrine.”

  • Kyle Kumaran to start P4 for Pre-finals; Ruhaan, Aditya Kamat begin well

    Kyle Kumaran to start P4 for Pre-finals; Ruhaan, Aditya Kamat begin well

    Sakhir (Bahrain), 16 Dec 2021: Senior National Rotax Max Indian champion from Peregrine Racing, Kyle Aditya Kumaran, began his campaign at the World Finals on the right note finishing third in the DD2 category here on Thursday. Ruhaan Alva of MSport in Junior class and Aditya Suresh Kamat of Birel Art India in Mini Max are the other two who are flying the Indian flag at the World championship, and they too managed to do well in the heats and qualifiers.

    You can watch the finals live here from 7pm IST on Friday starting with the 10-lap Mini Max class. The 11-lap Juniors pre-final A is at 7.48 pm and Pre-final B at 8.01 pm. The 14-lap DD2 live will be from 9.30pm IST (pre-final A) and 9.53pm IST (Pre-final B).

    Kumaran, from Trichy, is representing Team India for the first time but the senior champion in India is clubbed in the higher DD2 category. He races with Peregrine in India and with team DOJOMOTO internationally and is managed by Anjum Shaikh. Another Junior champion Ruhaan Alva, also from Bengaluru, is donning the Team India colours again in the Junior section while Rotax Micro Max Indian champion for 2021 Aditya Kamat, also in his maiden Worlds, is pitted against many experienced karters though he is placed in the Mini Max class for the World finals at the famed F1 circuit here. The final race will be on Saturday.

    You can watch the finals live on Saturday here.

    DD2 Class

    Kyle Kumaran who began with a bang coming out in the top-3 in Heat 1 clocking a 52.792sec but faced some issues but still managed to finish fifth in the second heat. Heat 3 did not go as expected but still the talented karter salvaged a P8 despite his best lap of 56.762. Overall he qualified P3 in the combined standings but will start on Row 2 (P4) for the Pre-finals on Friday.

    Juniors Class

    Meanwhile, Ruhaan Alva found himself up with a talented bunch of youngsters from all over the world but did his best to qualify 25th in his group for an overall 50th place out of 72 drivers in Rotax World Finals junior category. Heat 1 also was a bit tricky on the Sodi chassis he got but without any seat time except the practice sessions, he managed to avoid a couple of crashes in the chaotic run but was bumped and damaged his nose. Thus he was awarded a 5-second penalty for ‘front fairing drop’ following a contact with another driver, and ended up 31st.

    Ruhaan fought back in the second heat and went on from 25th to 8th and set the fastest lap of the race. In the 3rd heat, he again dashed from 25th to take a well-deserved 7th. In the Pre-final, he will start from 15th place. Since only a limited number will take the finals, Ruhaan hopes to make the top-10 in the Pre-Finals.

    File photo of the three Indian champions. From left: Kyle Kumaran, Aditya Suresh Kamat, Ruhaan Alva taken after the Indian championship finals at Bengaluru in November.
    Photo by David Bodapati.

    Mini Max

    Aditya Suresh Kamat, the Indian National champion in Micro Max, was placed in the Mini Max category as he is too young. The 5th Standard student of Sudarshan Vidya Mandir in Bengaluru, who celebrated his birthday at the start of the Worlds on Dec 11, completed 11 years. The Birel Art India karter, racing a Praga chassis, qualified 29th among 72 best karters in the world clocking a time of 58.575seconds. In Heat 1 he came 24th but recovered to 20th in Heat 2. His best came in Heat 3, as he made up four places clocking 4.328 to finish P11. He will take part in the pre-finals today and of the 72 karters, only half of them will qualify for finals in all the classes.

    Grand Finals begin on Dec 11

    A lot of our drivers took the opportunity for the early sporting check-in on Friday Dec 10. After the registration at the main entrance for the access to the event, they found their way to the big dome at the Formula 1 area, which is really impressive from in- and outside. Nearly the half of the competitors already were checked-in on Friday and the rest followed on Saturday and then enjoyed their time in the paddock area, checked out the huge drivers tent or had some fun with the rental cars at the track.

    As soon as the sun set at 05:00 pm on Saturday, the set up and alignment of the Karts started. And they made an appearance the next day to impress everyone in attendance. This amazing line-up causes goosebumps even on long-term RMC Grand Finals participants and although the worlds are happening for so many years, all at the circuit are truly overwhelmed.

    Aditya Suresh Kamat with team members at Sakhir on Thursday. INDIAinF1 photo by Special Arrangment

    The kart raffle draw took place on Dec 12 and is one of the starting highlights of the RMC Grand Finals, where all drivers will be given equal machinery to compete with, promoting their skills to their very best.

    A total of 378 karts provided by the official chassis partners, BirelART, Praga from IPK and SodiKart, were handed out under the Bahrain sun high in the sky, ahead of preparations for the first free practice sessions that get underway on Dec 13 morning.

    The raffle for picking up the karts made the show of the happy faces of all the drivers of the seven categories as the shiny new karts sparkled.