INDIA in F1

Category: Non-F1

  • Indian drag racers `Sonu’ SS Sokhi, Amit Sharma backed by Elite Octane excel at global stage

    Indian drag racers `Sonu’ SS Sokhi, Amit Sharma backed by Elite Octane excel at global stage

    Hyderabad duo excels at world finals in the ManCup Motorcycle drag races in the US. An Elite Octane Inc. image

    By David Bodapati

    Bangalore, 24 Nov 2018: Touching speeds of over 240 kmph, Indian riders Sonu Sundeep Singh Sokhi and Amit Sharma excelled with top-class performance without much seat-time on powerful machines, and still managed to bring unprecedented laurels for the country in the Manufacturers Cup, presented by Vance & Hines, popularly known as Man Cup Motorcycle Drag Race held at South Georgia Motorsports Park from November 16 to 18 in Valdosta of Georgia in America.

    Roy Johnson from Farmville, Virginia (US) won the event and Stanley Russell of Georgia, US, came thousandth of a second ahead of Sonu. As is the wont, the drag racing’s ruthless differences in demoting ranks, the inexperienced Indian still was worth every millisecond in gold. Sonu clocked 9.503 seconds to the tie of the top-two at 9.502.

    Due to the weather conditions changing, everyone picked up a few seconds and Sonu clocked 9.2sec in his final run which was war quicker than the category index.
    Amit was no less in another tough category. “It is indeed an amazing performance by the two fastest Indians. Sundeep Singh Sokhi’s performance was just brilliant. It is certainly not an easy task and that too in the very first experience at this level. Amit was no less by any means when he represented in another tough category with an index of 8.90 sec with a strong field of 64 racers. Undaunted, he was blisteringly quick. It’s been a dream start and Elite Octane looks forward to extending such platforms for creating many more great moments in future with the support of Rickey Gadson Drag Racing School. From Valley Run (Aamby Valley City, India) to World Finals in the USA – it has truly been an amazing journey,” revealed Rongom Tagore Mukerji, Director, Elite Octane Inc.
    The Indian rider, an expert drag racer but without much international exposure, still topped the speeds touching a speed of 243.445 kmph which no one could reach in the world finals but had to settle for a third. Still it was a great achievement and the credit should also go to the team behind him which persisted and put everything together despite the extreme odds in a country, which does not give the importance it deserves for Drag Racing, which became a part of National Racing Championship only a couple of years back after Akbar Ebrahim took over the mantle of FMSCI, the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India, the governing body of Motorsports in the country.
    Sonu (centre), celebrates. A High Octane image

    Run along with the 42nd annual Mann Hill Garage event, the Hyderabad duo representing India in their first-ever World Finals put in an extremely good show with Sokhi qualifying third out of 35 bikes in the Street Fighter class and made it to the eight-bike final.

    Meanwhile, another superlative performance from Amit Sharma saw him clock India’s fastest drag racing time-slip of a stunning 8.87 seconds, but could only manage to the last-16 stage astride a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14Rs in the Seasoned Racers class which had 64 in the fray.

    Supported by Elite Octane, the South Indian duo was fortunate to train at the Rickey Gadson Drag School which offers a drag-prepped surface that sprays a custom-formulated resin that acts as glue for tyres to offer phenomenal grip and the safety that comes with the package. Multiple World Drag champion Rickey Gadson was impressed by the Indians’ skills at the Valley Run at Amby Valley. before saying okay to recruit them.

    High Octane, the team behind the success of Sonu Sundeep Singh Sokhi and Amit Sharma have saluted the “Fastest Indians” for their commitment and dedication to the World’s Fastest Sport.

    Sokhi a picture of concentration before the start: Photo courtesy Elite Octane Inc.

    “All odds were against the duo, as the Indian riders never raced on a Drag Prepped Surface, and had not been used to the Power of the machines which they could lay their hands on, for only two days of training under Rickey Gadson Drag School.

    “That’s a tough ask for anyone to perform with such seasoned racers. But they did it in style and beat the best in the World and earned their respect on a world stage,” said Mukerji.

    The social media was abuzz as the drag giants did the country proud and hashtag #GlobalPlatform showcasing their achievements in the Man Cup achievement was all over. The High Octane team can be followed on twitter  @TheValleyRun ‏and FB @EliteOctane . Other Twitter tags that ran during the event include #WorldFinals #IndianDragRacers #worldisyourplayground #EliteOctane #RickeyGadson #ManCup #DragRacing #rgdrs

    There were over 800 participants from and racers who have more than 20 years of experience competed from all over the world.

    Amit Sharma becomes the `Fastest Indian Rider’ in India’s drag racing history when he stopped the clock at 8.87sec in his class. He earned his way to the last-16 in a seasoned racers class of 64 entries.

    Elite Octane’s initiative has opened a doorway for India Racers to perform at the highest level in the “World Fastest Sport – Drag Racing”. The initiate which started at `The Valley Run 2017′ at Amby Valley saw multiple world champion Rickey Gadson’s hosted the first-ever Rickey Gadson Drag Racing School in India. The two Indian Racers were selected from this very group by the 11-time World Champion. “The journey from Valley Run to World Finals has been incredible and we certainly see a bright future ahead for Indian Racers,” said Rongom Tagore. Both Sonu and Amit were on Kawasaki ZX14R  which were provided by Rickey Gadson.

    You can watch the video here.

    Street Fighter Class details:

    Street Fighter is the street-bike index class contested at AMA Dragbike National events and is considered the entry point into index racing. Most bikes compete with either big displacement normal-aspirated motors to nitrous or turbocharged machines with a D.O.T street tire without the aid of wheelie bars.

    All compete with a heads-up, pro-tree start. Street Fighter is run on qualified 64 bike field, based on a standard of 9.50/6.10 index. Standard safety is a requirement. During qualifying, runs quicker than the 9.50/6.10 index will be placed at the bottom of the qualifying sheet. During eliminations, runs quicker than the standard disqualify the rider under Handicap “break-out” procedures. All entries must be self-starting. No starter carts or bump starts permitted.

    Updated with quote on 25Nov2018 at 1015am
  • Jehan Daruvala to make GP3 debut in Abu Dhabi driving for MP Motorsport

    Jehan Daruvala to make GP3 debut in Abu Dhabi driving for MP Motorsport

    Jehan Daruvala….all set for GP3 debut in Abu Dhabi over the weekend.

    Mumbai, 21 November 2018: Jehan Daruvala will race MP Motorsport’s third GP3 car in the last round of the GP3 series, in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Formula 3 race winner Daruvala from Mumbai, will debut in the highly acclaimed GP3 series with Dutch team, MP Motorsports. Jehan who last year became the first Indian to win a race in the highly competitive FIA F3 European Championship, completed the 2018 season with 1 win, 1 pole, 1 fastest lap and 5 podiums in total.

    GP3 is considered an important stepping stone to F1. Current Mercedes F1 racer, Valteri Bottas and 2019 Ferrari F1 racer, Charles Leclerc are just some of the F1 stars who have graduated via GP3. This weekend the GP3 series will serve as a support race, to the F1 season finale at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

    MP Motorsport also currently fields a team in the Formula 2 championship and currently lie 4th in the GP3 series. Jehan will partner Dutchman Richard Verschoor and Canadian Devlin Defrancesco.

    Jehan Daruvala

    “I’m pleased to welcome Jehan to our GP3 team for the final weekend in the series’ nine-year history before we move on to the all-new FIA F3 in 2019,” said MP’s team manager Sander Dorsman. “I’m sure Jehan will gel well with Richard and Devlin, and will help us wave goodbye to GP3 by going out on a high.”

    “After my 2017 test, it will be good to gain some more GP3 experience ahead of the 2019 season. I am thankful to MP for giving me this opportunity,” said Jehan. The Mumbai racer first proved his mettle in karts in India, winning the JK Tyre National Karting title in Micro Max. He went on to win the Malaysian Junior Yamaha Title. He then went on to become the first & only Indian to win the CIK FIA Asia Pacific KF3 Championship & subequently the British Superone Karting Championship.

    Having finished third in the 2014 CIK-FIA World Karting Championship, Jehan moved to single-seater racing the next year, finishing fifth in the 2015 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC series & runner up in the Toyota Racing Series 2016. In early 2017, he won the New Zealand Grand Prix (Toyota Racing Series). He then debuted in the FIA F3 European Championship  where he finished 6th in the championship, with a win, a pole and three podiums in total. In his second FIA F3 season in 2018, Jehan copied those results and added two more podiums and a fastest lap.

    Note: The FIA issued specs of the F3 2019 car on Nov 22, 2018.

  • Mick Schumacher to partner Sebastian Vettel on Team Germany at ROC Mexico

    Mick Schumacher to partner Sebastian Vettel on Team Germany at ROC Mexico

    File photo of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel who raced as team Germany in the past. An ROC image
    • This year’s FIA Formula 3 European Champion Mick Schumacher will compete at January’s Race Of Champions in Mexico City
    • Still just 19 years old, Schumacher will team up with four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel for Team Germany in the ROC Nations Cup
    • This will be an emotional occasion as Vettel previously partnered Mick’s  father Michael Schumacher to six consecutive ROC Nations Cup titles from 2007-2012
    • ROC Mexico will be held on January 19-20, 2019 at the Foro Sol, the iconic amphitheatre forming part of Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Formula 1 circuit, where race fans will have a perfect view from every seat
    News image

    The 2018 FIA Formula 3 European Champion Mick Schumacher will make his Race Of Champions debut on January 19-20, 2019 at the Foro Sol, the iconic amphitheatre forming part of Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Formula 1 circuit.

    Fresh from his victorious season, the 19-year-old Schumacher – son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael – will also team up with his fellow countryman Sebastian Vettel for Team Germany in the ROC Nations Cup.

    This is sure to be an occasion charged with emotion as Vettel partnered Mick’s father Michael to six consecutive ROC Nations Cup victories. The pair started their glorious run at London’s Wembley Stadium (2007-2008), followed by Beijing (2009), two wins at home in Düsseldorf (2010-2011) and a final triumph at Bangkok (2012).

    Race Of Champions

    It was the following year that Michael suffered a serious head injury. The F1 legend has stayed in the thoughts of everyone involved with the Race Of Champions, with a banner in Michael’s honour unfurled before every ROC event in the intervening years (see picture below) along with awareness and funds raised in aid of the ICM Brain and Spine Institute.

    Now Mick will bring the Schumacher family name back where it belongs, racing for glory on the track itself. As one of the trustees of Keep Fighting Foundation inspired by Michael Schumacher he will also help raise awareness of the initiative of Michael’s family wishing to continue his charitable work.

    The young Mick first raced in 2008, initially competing under his mother Corinna’s maiden name Betsch to limit the pressure of his famous surname. After a decade of racing in karts and lower formulae, this year has been his finest yet. He took no fewer than eight victories – five of them in quick succession during one stunning run at the Nürburgring and Red Bull Ring in September – en route to being crowned the FIA F3 European Champion.

    Mick now has the chance to add even more glory when he takes to the track against legends from all the major disciplines of global motor sport in identical supercars at ROC Mexico.

    Schumacher said: “I am overwhelmed that I’ve been invited to participate in the Race Of Champions as the champion of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. And I’m even more overwhelmed that I’m going to form Team Germany with Sebastian Vettel. It’s going to be tough because Sebastian is a big player in the Race Of Champions and of course I want to be a worthy team-mate for him!

    “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to the Race Of Champions weekend, especially as it will be held in Mexico where this year’s F1 World Championship was decided and everyone has seen how much Mexican fans can party in the spectacular Foro Sol. Now the ROC weekend will be just as spectacular for me. Such a debut at such an event is simply sensational.

    “I’m honoured to enter this competition which my father always loved and in which he set the bar very high together with Sebastian. There are so many renowned drivers in action and I’m looking forward to competing against them and getting to know them better; I’m looking forward to the fun we’ll all have together and which we’ll offer for the spectators in Mexico. But of course I’ll do everything to get far in the individual event and to win the ROC Nations Cup trophy with Sebastian for Team Germany!”

    Race Of Champions

    ROC President Fredrik Johnsson added: “We can’t begin to express how thrilled we are that Mick will be racing at January’s ROC Mexico. His father Michael has been a friend of the Race Of Champions for many years, and of course his contribution both on and off the track has been immense. We continue to wish him well in his recovery, and I can’t think of a finer legacy than to have Mick racing with us for the first time.

    “Of course Mick is here entirely on merit, having shown the world what he can do all season en route to the FIA F3 European Championship. Now we are excited to see what he can do in the identical supercars at ROC Mexico. When Mick lines up with Sebastian Vettel for Team Germany in Saturday’s ROC Nations Cup, it is sure to be an emotional moment for everyone involved. Imagine the roar from the crowd if they can find a way to lift the trophy…

    “If you want to be a part of this historic occasion at Mexico City’s stunning Foro Sol, we look forward to welcoming you. See you in January!”

    The Race Of Champions is an annual contest which has a history dating back over 30 years. It brings together many of the world’s greatest drivers from motorsport’s major disciplines – including Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Le Mans, World Rally and RallyX – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery.

    The Foro Sol will join a list of prestigious venues to have hosted ROC since 1988 – including Beijing’s Bird’s Nest and London’s Olympic stadiums, Stade de France in Paris, Wembley Stadium in London, Miami’s Marlins Park plus a wide range of exotic locations all over the world from Bangkok to Barbados to Riyadh.

    The event enjoys a rich record of attracting global superstars from every corner of motorsport. Formula 1 World Champions Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button have raced against NASCAR stars Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Busch brothers Kyle and Kurt, IndyCar’s Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Hunter-Reay, World Rally greats Sébastien Loeb, Sébastien Ogier and Colin McRae, as well as prominent figures from other classes including record Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, X Games legend Travis Pastrana plus MotoGP icons Mick Doohan, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.

    Race Of Champions

    Now the greats of Mexican motorsport have the chance to race some of the world’s best drivers – all in ROC’s identical machinery. The competitors will take to the track in a stunning range of supercars that have been specially prepared for ROC to push them to the absolute limit. To prevail, they will have to master this mix of machines, forcing them to adapt their driving style as they make regular switches between cars and putting all their hard-earned skills to the test.

    It makes for a thrilling spectacle, with head-to-head races often decided by fractions of a second – as the screams of the crowd compete for supremacy with the screams of the engines…

    The Race Of Champions is run over two days: first comes the ROC Nations Cup (on Saturday January 19) when drivers pair up in teams based on nationality – including the hosts Mexico – to bid for the title of ‘World’s Fastest Nation’. Then on Sunday January 20 it’s time for the Race Of Champions itself, when teamwork goes out of the window and it’s a flat-out battle for individual glory.

    But that’s not all. The Race Of Champions is a non-stop show from start to finish and also features stunt shows on four wheels and two plus DJs, cheerleaders and plenty of other entertainment to keep the race fans on the edge of their seats.
  • Splendid double for Max Defourny; Andreas Estner, Patrick Pasma win a race each; MRF Challenge

    Splendid double for Max Defourny; Andreas Estner, Patrick Pasma win a race each; MRF Challenge

    Andreas Estner (No.11) edging past Jamie Chadwick (55) on way to winning Race-3. Photo: Aditya Bedre

    Dubai, 17 Nov 2018: Five races and four winners accurately reflected the highly competitive grid of MRF Challenge as Belgium’s 20-year old Max Defourny achieved a splendid double while Andreas Estner (Germany) and Patrick Pasma (Finland) won the previous two races of the day at the Dubai Autodrome here on Saturday.

    For Defourny, the Round-1 of the MRF Challenge proved memorable as he won Race 1 and 5 apart from podium positions in the other three races. Defourny finished the Round 1 with 106 points, ahead of Great Britain’s Jamie Chadwick (78) and Singapore’s Danial Frost (70), winner of Race 2 yesterday. The MRF Challenge heads to Bahrain (Dec 6-8) for the next round before moving to Chennai (Feb 8-10) for the championship finale.

    Max Defourny. Photo: Aditya Bedre

    Defourny could have done even better, but he messed up his pole-position start in Race-3 where he lost track position by Turn-1 itself in the very first lap, but recovered to finish third. “I think, I could have done better and won a couple of more races. I made a few mistakes, but more important was that I picked up points at the start of the championship. My win in Race 5 was far more satisfying than that in Race 1. I won more comfortably and on tyres that I had used in the previous four races,” said Defourny.

    In the day’s first race, Andreas Estner, was off to a great start, moving from fourth to first as the pack dived into Turn-1, and, thereafter, literally won as he pleased as he left rest of the field, including pole-sitter Max Defourny, scrabbling for positions. While Estner disappeared into the distance, Britisher Jamie Chadwick slotted herself into P2 which she defended gamely against close attention from Defourny with the Belgian first dropping to fourth before tucking himself behind the British girl for the rest of the race.

    Race-4 was all about Pasma who made capital of his reverse grid pole-position start to open up a sizeable lead. Behind him, Defourny set a scorching pace to move from fourth to second and bore down on Pasma. In a tense battle, the Finn defended well to win while Defourny picked up his fourth podium with a second-paced finish ahead of fellow-Belgian Michelangelo Amendola.

    “The pole position gave me a lot of confidence and I managed to open up a good lead. In the last couple of laps, Max (Defourny) was close behind me, but I managed to survive,” said Pasma.

    In the fifth and final race of Round 1, it was Defourny all the way after starting from pole position and with each of the 10 laps, he increased the lead for his second win of the week by nearly 10 seconds. Meanwhile, Chadwick, the only female competitor on the grid, came through a tough midfield battle to finish a deserving second ahead of Singapore’s Danial Frost, winner of Race 1 yesterday.

    India’s Chetan Korada, though finishing way down the grid in all the five races, took some positives from the first round. “I am gradually getting used to the car and this is reflected in my ever-improving timings. I hope to have a better outing in Bahrain next month and hopefully, by the time we get to Chennai in February, I should be more competitive and fighting for mid-grid positions,” said the 32-year old Chennai-based driver competing with a prosthesis leg.

    The results (all 10 laps):

    Race-3: 1. Andreas Estner (Germany); 2. Jamie Chadwick (GBR); 3. Max Defourny (Belgium). Fastest Lap: Defourny (01:57.038). Race-4: 1. Patrick Pasma (Finland); 2. Defourny; 3. Michelangelo Amendola (Belgium). Fastest Lap: Max Defourny (01:58.729). Race-5: 1. Defourny; 2. Chadwick; 3. Danial Frost (Singapore). Fastest Lap: Jamie Chadwick (01:59.402).

     

  • Anderson qualifies 5th; Shaun takes pole: UIM F1h2o World Championship

    Anderson qualifies 5th; Shaun takes pole: UIM F1h2o World Championship

    Anderson on a flying lap which got him the P5 with one minute to go in Q3. Photo Tony Titus

    Amaravati (AP, India), 17 Nov 2018: Sweden’s Jonas Andersson of Team Amaravati, the Indian team for the F1H2O World Championship was the fifth quickest in the Q3 after just managing to enter the last qualyfying session at the fag end with 6th best time. Torrente Shaun clocked the fastest time in the 2.125km circuit doing the fastest of the two laps in 44.54sec.

    In his 8th season, he got his third pole from 45th start and being third in the championship with 53 points, will be gunning for a victory to take the lead as the Formula 1 H2O goes into the final stages with three more rounds left.

    Anderson of Team Amaravati was 0.68 seconds behind in P5, timing 45.22. Stromoy Merit timed 44.72 to qulify in P2 while Stark Erik did 45 dead for the third place.

    Earlier in the second practice session on Saturday morning. Driving the Powerboat in Yellow and Red Amaravati colours in the #14 livery, Anderson clocked 47.22sec for P5 even as top guns Team Abu Dhabi’s Erik Stark grabbed top spot in the closing stages of an intriguing second practice session with a handful of drivers enjoying a spell at the top of the time sheets.

    Stark’s teammate Shaun Torrente ousted Victory’s Alex Carella from top spot and went quickest with 10 minutes of the 60 remaining but was then eclipsed by Ahmed Al Hameli who looked to have put Victory back on top with a 46.42s lap.

    But with a minute to go Stark produced his best run with a 45.97s lap and was the only driver to go sub 46 seconds.

    Team Amaravati’s Jonas Andersson was again in the mix and on the pace in fifth place, with Marit Stromoy, who topped the session early on, ending the morning in sixth spot.

    SECOND PRACTICE – results (top six):

    1. 35 Erik Stark (swe) – 45.97s
    2. 3 Ahmed Al Hameli (uae) – 46.42s
    3. 6 Shaun Torrente (usa/*uae) – 46.74s
    4. 1 Alex Carella (ita/*uae) – 46.84s
    5. 14 Jonas Andersson (Swe- Team Amaravati) – 47.22s
    6. 50 Marit Stromoy (nor) – 47.29s

    (*denotes international racing super license)

    POS COUNTRY BOAT DRIVER Q1 Q2 Q3
    1 6 Shaun Torrente 0:47.85 0:45.82 0:44.54
    2 50 Marit Stromoy 0:47.63 0:46.38 0:44.72
    3 35 Erik Stark 0:47.50 0:46.04 0:45.00
    4 5 Thani Al Qemzi 0:47.02 0:45.91 0:45.06
    5 14 Jonas Andersson 0:46.81 0:46.58 0:45.22
    6 3 Ahmed Al Hameli 0:48.08 0:46.55 0:45.23
    7 8 Peter Morin 0:47.89 0:47.04
    8 1 Alex Carella 0:47.65 0:47.25
    9 37 Francesco Cantando 0:48.24 0:47.50
    10 7 Philippe Chiappe 0:47.95 0:47.52
    11 10 Duarte Benavente 0:48.56 0:47.91
    12 51 Bartek Marszalek 0:48.09
    13 9 Grant Trask 0:48.82
    14 12 Filip Roms 0:48.98
    15 11 Sami Selio 0:49.37
    16 73 Cédric Deguisne 0:50.84
    17 36 Simone Bianca Schuft 0:54.85
    18 74 Suttiphan Sookbuangbon 0:55.00
    19 15 Erik Edin 0:57.03

    For full classifications:

    https://www.f1h2o.com/results/2018/grand-prix-of-india/f1h2o

  • Abu Dhabi’s Shaun Torrente on pole for Grand Prix of India; Team Amaravati’s Anderson 5th

    Abu Dhabi’s Shaun Torrente on pole for Grand Prix of India; Team Amaravati’s Anderson 5th

    Shaun Torrente of Sweden take pole position for the Grand Prix of India. Photo Tony Titus

    Amaravati (AP, India) 17 Nov 2018: Team Abu Dhabi’s Shaun Torrente produced a stunning final run in today’s top-six shootout to cap a thrilling BRM Official Qualifying session, setting the fastest time with a 44.54s lap around the five-pin 1.125km circuit on the Krishna River and will start tomorrow’s Grand Prix of India from pole position.

    Norway’s Marit Stromoy produced her best qualifying session of the season and went second quickest for Emirates Racing with a 44.72s lap, Abu Dhabi’s Erik Stark sealing third spot with a time of 45.00s.

    Torrente was made to work hard for his seventh career-pole and his third of the season, leaving it late into Q2 and sitting outside the top six before jumping to the top of the time sheets to progress into the shootout on his final lap as the clock timed out the 20 minute session, his Abu Dhabi teammates Thani Al Qemzi and Stark locking out the top three spots.

    Victory Team’s Alex Carella was the big loser in the middle session after having his best lap time of 46.27s deleted for cutting the course, dropping him to eighth and elevating Stromoy to fourth, Victory’s Ahmed Al Hameli to fifth and handing a lifeline and shootout slot to Team Amaravati’s Jonas Andersson.

    Andersson opened the shootout with a best lap of 45.22s which Al Hameli was unable to better, missing out by a mere one hundredths of a second.

    Next out was Stromoy and targeting a first pole position since Portugal in 2011 and immediately posted the fastest time of the day with a staggering 44.72s lap to take the provisional pole. Stark followed and produced his best time on his first run but missed out by 0.26s with Al Thani’s time of 45.06s eventually putting him fourth.

    Torrente was last out and the tension mounted as he pulled out of his first run and was suddenly under massive pressure to deliver the team its fourth pole of the season, but then produced a simply breath taking run to snatch pole position from Stromoy by 0.18s. “The whole day was a series of mistakes by me and then to get it done at the last second is great,” Torrente said. “In Q2 I changed to a bigger propeller which I thought I needed and I did. But with less than 30 seconds to go I was out. But I made a good solid lap and went P1. Then in Q3 having seen Marit’s time which was huge I pressed too hard and made a mistake so I aborted and just had to pull out a near perfect lap, which I did.”

    It was another massively frustrating day for the CTIC Shenzhen China F1 duo who have been struggling with engine issues and ahead of a race that they really need to be running in the top three or four to keep any flickering title hopes alive, but now face a huge mountain to climb with Peter Morin qualifying in seventh and Philippe Chiappe in tenth behind Blaze Performance’s Francesco Cantando, the man who won in Mumbai in 2004.

    Today’s result, with the Abu Dhabi trio starting one-three and four tomorrow, brings the likelihood of them all but closing out the title race a step closer as they bid for an unprecedented third successive Grand Prix podium lockout, the woman standing in their way is Marit Stromoy who is bidding for a second Grand Prix win.

    BRM Official Qualifying – Top Six Shootout

    1. 6 Shaun Torrente (usa/*uae) – 44.54s

    2. 50 Marit Stromoy (nor) – 44.72s

    3. 35 Erik Stark (swe/*uae) – 45.00

    4. 5 Thani Al Qemzi (uae) – 45.06s

    5. 14 Jonas Andersson (swe) – 45.22s

    6. 3 Ahmed Al Hameli (uae) – 45.23s

    (*denotes international racing super license)

    For full classifications:

    https://www.f1h2o.com/results/2018/grand-prix-of-india/f1h2o

  • F1 powerboat racing champinship inaugurated; Team India’s Anderson 2nd fastest in extra FP

    F1 powerboat racing champinship inaugurated; Team India’s Anderson 2nd fastest in extra FP

    Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu poses with Amaravati Team India after inaugurating the event on Friday. An F1inIndia image

    Amaravati (AP, India), 16 Nov 2018:  US driver Shaun Torrente representing Abu Dhabi team was the fastest topping the time-sheets in the Extra Free Practice session that was held after the inauguration in the as the UIM F1H2O Grand Prix of India in Amaravati, started on Friday.

    After a colourful inauguration by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, the event began with an extra FP. Free Practice and Qualification will be held on Saturday while the races will be on Sunday. F4 race will also be on Saturday.

    Team Abu Dhabi trio was the best in the opening session and  Torrente ran 16 laps with a best time of 45.64s around the 2.125km 5-pin circuit on the Krishna River waters, I.40s quicker than teammate and championship leader Thani Al Qemzi. “The session went well and backed up the testing that we did earlier this month in Abu Dhabi,” Torrente said. “I didn’t have to run too many laps and the engine is not a 100 percent yet and as it was practice I didn’t want to push too much or take any risks. Now we just have to try to figure out what the weather is going to do over the next couple of days. Today it wasn’t great!”

    Erik Stark who sits between the two in the overall standings was limited to just two laps due to an electrical issue and failed to post a competitive time.

    Team India’s Anderson finishes opening session time sheets in second

    Jonas Andersson gave the enthusiastic home crowd something to cheer posting a 46.25s lap in his Team Amaravati DAC to go second quickest, 0.61s off top spot, with teammate Erik Edin struggling with engine issue and down in 14th. “I took it easy at the beginning and was struggling to find the right setting on the engine but in the end it was good,” he said. “Now I am just going to check everything is okay and decide which engine to use tomorrow.”

    Alex Carella gave Victory Team a much-needed boost of confidence running 32 laps in the new boat and setting the third fastest time of the session with a 46.58s lap, teammate Ahmed Al Hameli four-tenths back in eighth. “Today was really encouraging for us. I have a very good feeling in this new boat which we tested in Dubai and then shipped out here,” said Carella. The set-up was pretty good and I just really felt comfortable in the boat. For me it is the best boat we have run this season.”

    Despite some issues with a power drop off when she went tight into the turns Emirates Racing’s Marit Stromoy was still able to pull off the fifth quickest time with a 47.13s lap and edging teammate Bartek Marszalek by 0.06seconds.

    Peter Morin was the best of the CTIC F1 Shenzhen China duo in seventh with Philippe Chiappe in tenth and ahead of Mad Croc BABA Racing’s Sami Selio who ran both his boats and was relieved to get through a session without breaking anything.

    Today’s session, which marked the return of the UIM F1H2O World Championship to India for the first time in 14 years, was flagged off by the Chief Minister of the State of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naido, who was accompanied by Nicolo di san Germano, President of H2O Racing and Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, President of the Union Internationale Motonautiqe (UIM), the sport’s World Governing Body and who was recently confirmed as the new head of The Council of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF).

    Saturday’s practice session is at 11:15hrs [local] with BRM Official Qualifying starting at 15:30hrs.

  • Danial Frost, Max Defourny share honours on Day One in MRF Challenge

    Danial Frost, Max Defourny share honours on Day One in MRF Challenge

    Danial Frost, winner of Race-2 on Friday. Photo: Anand Philar

    Dubai, 16 Nov 2018: Danial Frost from Singapore and Belgian Max Defourny scored a race and a podium apiece to open their accounts in the first round of MRF Challenge at the Dubai Autodrome, here on Friday. Three more races are scheduled for tomorrow.

    Frost, 17, in his second season in the championship, thus notched his maiden win by topping Race-2 after having finished third in Race-1 that Defourny, 20, won from pole position.

    In Race-1, Frost made five places to come in third and in the next outing, climbed from fourth on the reverse grid to win. In contrast, Defourny dominated Race-1 with a lights-to-flag victory and in the next race, sliced his way through from sixth on the reverse grid to finish third behind pole-sitter Czech Republic’s Petr Ptacek who did well to hold off the Belgian over the last couple of laps.

    “I had a good start and made positions in the very first lap before taking the lead. Thereafter, I consolidated my track position and it was quite comfortable in the end,” said Frost.

    Earlier, Defourny put his pole position start to best use in Race-1 and was never seriously challenged even as he nursed his early lead though eschewing risk. Behind him, Jamie Chadwick, 20, who started second, slipped a bit, losing a couple of track positions, but recovered to regain her second spot while Frost drove well to finish third from eighth on the grid.

    India’s Chetan Korada, making his debut in the championship, was placed 10th and 12th in the two races. He started Race-1 from the pitlane following an engine change, but said he was pleased to improve his lap times while getting used to the car.

    After Race-1, Defourny said: “The race wasn’t too bad. Missed the fastest lap as I was trying to be a bit cautious on the tyres because it was the first race of the season. Was saving my tyres in the beginning and was expecting more track improvement as the race progressed. I opened a comfortable gap and did not want to make any mistakes, though I missed the fastest lap in the last two laps, wanting to save the tyres.”

    Earlier, the qualifying session in the morning gradually developed into a two-way battle between Defourny and Chadwick who was provisionally on pole with just a few minutes left on the clock with a 01:57.177. The 20-year old Belgian’s response was a 01:56.819 which eventually ensured him the pole position. Chadwick, also 20, then replied with her best lap of the session, 01:56.937, but had to be content with the second spot on the grid.

    “It was my first time out here and it was ok. We managed to get pole for Race 1 and Race 3. So we are positive. We had some issues with the gearbox leading to loss of speed, but we managed to sort it out. I already have two points for pole position and we hope to take as many points as possible from this round,” said Defourny.

    The results:

    Race-1 (10 laps): 1. Max Defourny (Belgium); 2. Jamie Chadwick (GBR); 3. Danial Frost (Singapore). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Frost; 2. Petr Ptacek (Czech Republic); 3. Defourny.

    Qualifying (30 minutes): 1. Max Defourny (Belgium) (01:56.819); 2. Jamie Chadwick (UK) (01:56.937); 3. Andreas Estner (Germany) (01:57.502); 4. Dylan Young (Australia) (01:57.730).

  • Jamie Chadwick sets the pace in MRF Challenge

    Jamie Chadwick sets the pace in MRF Challenge

    Jamie Chadwick, who topped the free practice sessions on Thursday . Photo: Aditya Bedre.

    Dubai, 15 Nov 2018: Jamie Chadwick, the only female driver on the 12-car grid, put the marker down for the first round of the MRF Challenge championship by topping both the Free Practice sessions at the Dubai Autodrome, here on Thursday.

    Chadwick, 20, from Bath, England, came out on top in the two, 30-minute practice sessions, clocking a best of one minute, 59.218 in the first outing and 01:59.774 in the next around the 5.390 Kms circuit as she made her debut in the MRF Challenge on a high. She survived a tough battle with Czech Republic’s 16-year old Petr Ptaceck who was second fastest in both the sessions, clocking 01:59.581 (FP1)and 01:59.918 (FP2).

    Jamie Chadwick. Photo: Aditya Bedre

    Chadwick, who created history in 2015 when she became the first female and youngest winner of the British GT Championship, and Ptacek exchanged fastest laps in the closing minutes of FP-2. However, Chadwick went quicker on last flying lap to top the time charts. Less than a second separated the top eight drivers.

    “I learnt a lot today – new circuit, new car. I am happy with the way we ended up today in these conditions and I look forward to the races,” said Chadwick.

    In the first free practice session this morning, one second covered 10 of the 12 drivers, promising a close contest over the five races scheduled for the first round of the championship.

    Chadwick recorded her fastest lap of the session on her 14th and final lap as did the rest who all went quicker through the 30-minute practice. The top four, Chadwick, Ptacek, Defourny and Young, all posted sub-two-minute laps.

    For the lone Indian entry, Chetan Korada, 32, from Chennai, it was his first run at the Dubai Autodrome and he focused more on learning the tricky track with its blind crests leading into corners.

    Korada, who was 11th on the time sheets in both the sessions clocking his best laps of 02: 03.734 and 02:04.100, said: “It was my first run on this track and so, it was more about learning the circuit. However, with each lap, I managed to cut my timing. Overall, it was a reasonably good outing, all things considered. I hope to improve as we go along over the next couple of days.”

    The results (Free Practice):

    FP-1: 1. Jamie Chadwick (UK) (01min, 59.218secs); 2. Petr Ptacek (Czech Republic) (01:59.581); 3. Max Defourny (Belgium) (01:59.656); 4. Dylan Young (Australia) (01:59.697).

    FP-2: 1. Jamie Chadwick (UK) (01:59.774); 2. Petr Ptacek (Czech Republic) (01:59.918); 3. Danial Frost (Singapore) (02:00.115); 4. Andreas Estner (Germany) (02:00.276).

  • MRF Challenge 2018-19 to be held in Dubai, Bahrain and Chennai

    MRF Challenge 2018-19 to be held in Dubai, Bahrain and Chennai

    MRF Challenge file photo by Anand Philar/MRF

    Dubai, 13 Nov 2018: The MRF Challenge, one of Asia’s premier single-seater championships, and an FIA-approved series, is again set to light up the winter season with a clutch of young, exciting talent from Europe and elsewhere in the fray as the seventh edition commences at the Dubai Autodrome here, on Thursday, November 15.

    The MRF Challenge 2018-19, organized by the Madras Motor Sports Club, will comprise three rounds, to be run in Dubai (Nov 15-17), Bahrain (Dec 6-8) and Chennai (Feb 8-10, 2019) with a total of 15 races, and offers cars powered by 2-litre engines producing 230 BHP while almost matching Formula 3 in speed and power

    Mr. Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Tyres, said: “It has been an exciting journey for us as we present the seventh edition of the MRF Challenge which, among other things, offer young drivers a platform to showcase their racing talent. We provide identical cars to all the drivers and so, the key differentiating factor is the driving ability. It has also been our constant endeavour to develop the car which is now among the fastest single-seaters in Asia. The MRF Challenge also offers us rich data that in turn helps us to develop further the MRF Z.L.O. slicks and wet tyres.

    “The positioning of the MRF Challenge in the winter months between November and February also offers an opportunity for drivers across the World to keep themselves race-fit during the off-season. As such, we have had some very exciting talent taking part in the MRF Challenge over the years and it will be no different this time around.”

    Mr. J Anand, Managing Director, JA Motorsports, who built the car in technical collaboration with Dallara, said: “We carried out lot of improvements for last year. From the data we collected, we have only refined the aerodynamics package for this season. Apart from that, the car remains the same as last year.”

    The MRF F2000 car with Dallara chassis, is powered by a 2-Litre Mountune Duratec engine producing 230 BHP with advanced aerodynamics. The car boasts of a Hewland six-speed sequential gearbox equipped with Integrated dash and paddle-shift system.

    Europe is expected to have a strong representation as in the previous seasons of MRF Challenge. Several young hopefuls with exposure to junior Formula racing are likely to participate.

    Chennai-based Chetan Korada is the lone Indian in the fray. A regular in the Indian National Championship and one of handful of racers in the World competing with a prosthesis leg, Korada is making his debut in the MRF Challenge. “I have been racing in India for over a decade now and I thought I should step outside to race in higher categories. The MRF Challenge car is far more comfortable in terms of space for leg movement than the F1600 I have been driving in India. My target for MRF Challenge is to be in in front. I am putting in lot of time on the simulator at home, besides daily gym work. So, I feel I am fit and ready for MRF Challenge,” said Korada.

    This year’s MRF Challenge grid will have Australian Dylan Young who has been participating in the championship since its inception. Returning for a second season of MRF Challenge is Singapore’s Danial Nielsen Frost along with Belgian Michelangelo Amendola.