Your basket is currently empty!
Category: Non-F1
-
Armaan grabs third place to begin his Pro-class
Sepang (Malaysia), April 10: India’s dashing racer Armaan Ebrahim overcame rain and technical problems to grab a commendable third-place finish in the Super Trofeo Asia Series here over the weekend.
Armaan, spearheading Team FFF Racing, began in the sixth position in the first race after struggling with the balance of the car in Qualifying. But he showed his skill and speed once again to climb his way up to the third position.
But that’s when his troubles started: the overhead conditions changed suddenly and he was caught racing on slicks while the rain pelted and made the track slippery.
As if that was not enough, he had trouble with his radio and missed out on making his pit stop during the stipulated window, earning his teammate a drive through penalty, which pushed the team down to seventh place at the checkered flag.
In the crucial main race, teammate Jack Bartholomew from the United Kingdom, started the race seventh on the grid. By the time Armaan got into action again, it looked like he had no chance.
But the young Indian made the most of the out lap and the first flying to jump to fifth during the pit stop cycle. He gained two more positions in the rest of the race to finish third overall.
“I am happy with the way we tackled this weekend,” Armaan said. “It’s great to finish on the podium, especially given all our woes today,” he added.
Armaan conceded that they have a lot of work to do on the car to reach their fastest and best speeds. “I am sure that by the time we arrive in Thailand for the second round my team would do the needful and we will come back stronger,” he said.
eom/press release
-
Alonso to race at Indy500, will miss Monaco F1 GP
After an absence of 38 years, McLaren is to return to the Indianapolis 500 next month, using Honda engines.
On May 28th 2017 McLaren will enter a single car in the 101st Indianapolis 500, powered by Honda. The car will be run by the Andretti Autosport team, headed by founder, owner and Chief Executive Officer Michael Andretti, a former IndyCar champion who raced in Formula 1 for McLaren alongside the legendary Ayrton Senna for a single season (1993) and is the son of three-time IndyCar champion and one-time Formula 1 champion Mario Andretti.
The McLaren-Honda-Andretti entry, a Dallara DW12 chassis as used by all IndyCar teams, will be driven by current McLaren-Honda Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso, who has started 275 Grands Prix, has won 32 of those races, has become Formula 1 world champion twice, and has been Formula 1 runner-up three times.
Its engine will be a Honda 2.2-litre twin-turbo V6, limited by IndyCar regulations to 12,000rpm.
Since the Indianapolis 500 will take place on May 28th, the same day as the Monaco Grand Prix, Fernando will not race at Monaco this year. The Indianapolis 500 will be the only 2017 IndyCar race in which Fernando will compete, however, and the Monaco Grand Prix will therefore be the only 2017 Formula 1 race in which he will not compete. Former world champioin, Jenson Button will replace Alonso and will drive his car at Monaco.
Alonso said: “I am immensely excited that I’ll be racing in this year’s Indy 500, with McLaren, Honda and Andretti Autosport.
“The Indy 500 is one of the most famous races on the global motorsport calendar, rivalled only by the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Monaco Grand Prix [which Fernando has won twice, one of those victories at the wheel of a McLaren (in 2007)], and it’s of course a regret of mine that I won’t be able to race at Monaco this year. But Monaco will be the only 2017 Grand Prix I’ll be missing, and I’ll be back in the cockpit of the McLaren-Honda MCL32 for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in early June.
“I’ve never raced an IndyCar car before, and neither have I ever driven on a super-speedway, but I’m confident that I’ll get to grips with it fast. I’ve watched a lot of IndyCar action on TV and online, and it’s clear that great precision is required to race in close proximity with other cars on the far side of 220mph [354km/h]. I realise I’ll be on a steep learning curve, but I’ll be flying to Indianapolis from Barcelona immediately after the Spanish Grand Prix, practising our McLaren-Honda-Andretti car at Indy from May 15th onwards, hopefully clocking up a large number of miles every day, and I know how good the Andretti Autosport guys are. I’ll be proud to race with them, and I intend to mine their knowledge and expertise for as much info as I possibly can.
“I’ve won the Monaco Grand Prix twice, and it’s one of my ambitions to win the Triple Crown [the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 and the Le Mans 24 Hours], which has been achieved by only one driver in the history of motorsport: Graham Hill. It’s a tough challenge, but I’m up for it. I don’t know when I’m going to race at Le Mans, but one day I intend to. I’m only 35: I’ve got plenty of time for that,” concluded Alonso.
eom/McLaren Honda press release
-
Ruhaan Alva scores another win in Italy
Bengaluru, 10 April 2017: India’s Ruhaan Alva, supported by Italian kart manufacturer Birel Art and representing MLG Racing team, drove brilliantly to overtake two front runners on the last lap and scored a fine win in the Easykart Championship in Lonato, Italy, on Sunday.
Ruhaan, the 10-year old schoolboy from Bengaluru, had won the Mini-60 class race in the first round last month in Castelletto, Italy, but decided to move to the more competitive Easykart 60 category. The Indian youngster did extremely well to qualify for pole position in a field of 27 racers, and in the final, kept his cool on the last lap while storming from third to first in a tight finish where less than a second separated the top three.
Ruhaan was involved in a three-way battle throughout the 12-lap final. Going into the last lap, he was placed third behind Patrese Lorenzo of Italy and Czech Adam Kowalski, but overtook both to clinch victory that put him fourth in the Championship.
Ruhaan’s father, Umakanth Alva, said: “We decided to move Ruhaan from the Mini-60 category which has just six racers to the more competitive Easy Kart 60 category. It is important that Ruhaan learn to fight the competition keeping in mind that he is trying for the WSK Championship (World Championship) this year.”
Birel ART India’s team principal Marco Bartoli said: “We are very proud of Ruhaan’s win today. The top three kept swapping positions until the last lap. With one lap to go, he overtook two drivers and pulled off gap to the chequered flag. He made India very proud!”
eom/AP Media Communications
-
J-Rod win India Baja Rally, Aravind second
In his first rally on the Indian soil, Joaquim Rodrigues blazed through the second leg of the India BAJA rally to come out triumphant, handing Hero MotoSports Team Rally its first win here on Sunday.,
The maiden win for Joaquim Rodrigues and the Hero MotoSports Team Rally as well comes as team completes a year since the its formation in April, 2016.
The final leg of India BAJA comprised of a shorter run of about 286 kms, out of which 140 kms made up the timed sections. The two specials of the day ran for 88 and 52 kms respectively, around the famous “Turkon ki Basti” in San region of Jaisalmer, that offers a fast yet difficult track to the riders with undulating terrain, habitation and thick bushes all along.Joaquim Rodrigues made light of the opening stage of the day to complete the 88-km fifth special in quick time. He followed it up by continuing his winning run in the final stage as well to bring his first win home.
The second place was claimed by the Dakar campaigner Aravind K P of the Sherco TVS team, followed by Tanveer Abdul Wahid from TVS Racing finished who finished overall in the 3rd spot but won the Dakar Challenge, giving him a free entry into the Merzouga and the Dakar rallies.
This is the 2nd back to back podium finish for the Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the first being the Desert Storm 2017. This win gives just the right momentum to the Hero MotoSports Team Rally to go into the Merzouga rally that is scheduled in May, just under a month from now.
Joaquim Rodrigues (Comp No: 01), said “Today was a perfect day for me with no mistakes. I opened the stage today so no dust and that helped me do my own race. It’s really good to go to the end and win the race. I have to thank my Hero MotoSports Team rally for giving me the best bike and I am really happy for me and my team that I could win this. We now looking forward to Merzouga.”
On his first win in the rally circuit, Rodrigues said “It is always nice to win especially because I am new in this rally world. So it’s good to have my first win but I still have a lot to learn and we are on the right track.
Wolfgang Fischer, Team manager, HeroMotoSports Team Rally, said “it was a great adventure to participate in the BAJA India and to finally bring home the first victory for Hero MotoSports Team Rally. Hopefully it is also a big step for the future of the motor sports in India. We would like to thank the organisation for putting up a great race and also for the cooperation extended to us. We also congratulate Tanveer for winning the Dakar Challenge and hopefully we will see many more riders coming from India in the future”
eom/HeroMotoSports release
-
Sarath Kumar scores points in Round 1
Sarath Kumar in action at Johor Bahru on Sunday. A Honda Ten10 image Johor Bahru (Malaysia), 3 April 2017: Shankar Sarath Kumar, representing RAMA Honda Racing by NTS T.Pro Ten10 team, and supported by Honda 2Wheelers India, made a promising start to his campaign in the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship by picking up points in the SuperSport 600cc class double-header here over the weekend.
Chennai-based Sarath, coming back from a knee injury, improved his time and consistency, and appeared more comfortable with the bike, Honda CBR 600WR, especially in Race 2, while scoring points in both the races.
The other Indian in the fray, Rajiv Sethu, also in the RAMA Honda Racing team by NTS T.Pro Ten10 team livery, and participating in the Asia Production 250cc class,became the first rider from his country to race a Honda CBR 250RR.
With limited development time and test, the Chennai-based youngster made good use of the platform to finish ahead of few bikes on the grid to hold out great promise at the start of the new season.
Sarath and Sethu are part of a five-rider contingent in two classes, backed by John Sudheer of RAMA Group of Companies and who is also the team ambassador.
For RAMA Honda Racing team by NTS T.Pro Ten10 team, it was a fruitful weekend in the SuperSport 600cc class as Japanese ace Tiga Hada delivered two podium finishes in the double-header. He finished second in Race-1 and won Race-2 to take an early lead in the championship.
Reflecting on his performance in the first round, Sarath Kumar said: “Although I fell down in preliminary tests and hurt my right shoulder, I was able to ride without any problem. We communicated well with the new mechanics and I hope to improve step by step. I am happy that I scored points in both the races.”
Rajiv Sethu said: “I am thankful to the team for able to finish the race safely. It was a learning curve for me, racing with quality riders. It was a first time for me and my team and I hope to grow as the season progresses.”
Team Owner, Yusuke Teshima: “We appreciate the cooperation of many people and I am thankful that the season of the Asia Road Race Championship has started in this way. We are proud that Tiga Hada achieved victory in the first round and it is a good start to the season. We are also thankful to our supporters RAMA, NTS, Honda, WebikeMSK.”
eom/AP Media Comm press release
-
Honda supported Sarath, Rajiv for 2017 ARRC;
Johor Bahru (Malaysia), 31 March 2017: India’s top two-wheeler racers, Shankar Sarath Kumar and Rajiv Sethu, representing RAMA Honda Racing team by NTS T.Pro Ten10 team, and supported by Honda 2Wheelers India, are taking part in the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship which commences here tomorrow, April 1, with the first round.
Sarath Kumar, coming off a knee injury that severely impacted his 2016 season, will continue his campaign in the SuperSport 600cc class on a Honda CBR 600WR while Rajiv Sethu, riding the all new Honda CBR 250RR, has moved to Asia Production 250cc after a season in the Asia Dream Cup. Both are supported by Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India and Honda Motorsports Japan as a key talent development from India in the international racing series.
Sarath and Sethu, both Chennai-based, are also part of a five-rider contingent in two classes, backed by John Sudheer of RAMA Group of Companies and who is also the team ambassador.
The team also includes three experienced riders led by “pocket rocket” Tomoyoshi Koyama who shifts to the crucial AP250 class from SS600. While Tiga Hada takes up the mantle in SS600 to lead the championship fight for Honda, ARRC rookie Sena Yamada begins his Asian stint with vast experience in the European Moto3 and Moto2 circuits and is the dark horse to watch out for.
Looking forward to the 2017 season, Sarath Kumar said: “I am happy to get back to riding the SS600 this year. Personally for me, 2016 was a challenging year with injuries. This season, I have worked very hard and want to put up a strong performance.
“Throughout my career, Ten10 Racing with Honda 2Wheelers India always had faith in me and powered my dreams. I hope to deliver my best for them. I also thank Mr John Sudheer who has come forward to support this sport and a talent like me.”
Making his debut in the ARRC is the 2016 Indian National champion and former Asia Dream Cup participant, is Rajiv Sethu, the young rising talent from Chennai.
Visibly excited at his debut, Rajiv Sethu, said: “For any Indian racer, getting global exposure is a big opportunity. Honda 2Wheelers India has made my dream come true. I look forward to ride and learn from riders like Koyama San who is among the most experienced racers in the World.
“The 2017 season for me is all about improving my riding and presence in international races. This is my first exposure in ARRC and it’s a big deal for me. I will do my best to make my team and country proud.”
HMSI Statement by Prabhu Nagaraj: “India is making gradual but consistent progress in motorsport and our boys going international arena is great for the sport. As part of our rider development program two young talented Indian riders Sarath and Rajiv will be seen in action in ARRC this year. We are extremely delighted to have them in our international mix and are confident that they will put up a great show. I’m sure these riders will be creating and supporting dreams for many more young riders to make a career in Racing. Also, the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) will return to India later this year and this will be another great opportunity for the riders as well as the motorsport fans in India.”
Team Owner, Yusuke Teshima: “I am so happy to put together such a big team across two classes this season in FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in collaboration with India. The team comprises of very talented racers from India and Japan and this will be a great platform for them to grow to the next level of professional motorcycle racing. We are confident of putting up some good performances for Honda and our sponsor, RAMA, this year.”
Team Ambassador, John Sudheer: “I have been associated with the team for one year during the 2016 season and I have been to all their races. The kind of passion and commitment they have towards this sport made me decide to continue my support for the 2017 season, this time with my own brand RAMA (Royal Asia Movie Awards). I see this as a perfect platform for Asian collaboration, uniting Asia through motorcycle racing. Moreover, with Indian talents involved and benefiting through this sport, it is something exciting to see especially when they carry my brand across Asia.”
2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship: The FIM Asia Road Racing Championship is the regional motorcycle road racing championship for Asia, held since 1996. This championship is part of the production-based category of racing, similar to the Supersport World Championship, British Supersport Championship and AMA Supersport Championship. Modified versions of production motorcycles that are available to the public are featured in the race. The Championship is currently divided into three open-make classes and two mono-brand developmental classes. The open-make categories are the SuperSports 600cc, Asia Production 250cc and Underbone 130cc. The developmental classes race on single-make motorcycles.
eom/AP Media Comm release
-
Newey wins MRF Challenge 2017 by a whisker
MRF Challenge championship winner Harrison Newey (centre) flanked by Joey Mawson (right) and Mick Schumacher on 19 Feb 2017. Image by Anand Philar Chennai, 19 Feb 2017: In a thrilling finish, British teenager Harrison Newey snatched a dramatic victory for a brilliant treble to emerge champion in the MRF Challenge 2016 that was run concurrently with the second round of the MRF MMSC Fmsci Indian National Racing Championship which concluded at the MMRT track, Sriperumbudur, near here on Sunday.
The highlight of the day’s proceedings was the presence of cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar who put in a few laps of the circuit in a twin-seater racing car much to the delight of the crowd.
In a tight finish, Harrison and championship leader Joey Mawson from Australia tied on 277 points, but the British driver was adjudged champion on the basis of his six wins. Mawson had three wins, including the one on Saturday. Mick Schumacher of Germany finished third in the championship with 213 points.
Harrison, the 18-year old son of noted Formula One engineer Adrian Newey, trailed Mawson by 27 points going into the fourth and concluding round of the MRF Challenge, but the British youngster won three of the four races this weekend to pip Mawson at the post.
Going into the fourth and last race of the weekend, Newey, who had won Race 3 in the morning session, trailed Mawson by 15 points. The Aussie looked certain to clinch the championship when he led until the 11th lap when he conceded track position to Newey and then to Schumacher, son of seven times F1 champion Michael Schumacher, to eventually finish third
in the race that saw Safety Car being deployed following an on-track incident.
Newey did himself a favour by putting in the fastest lap of the race which fetched him two crucial points that helped him tie with Mawson before the deadlock was broken on the basis of number of wins.
Earlier, starting from pole on the reverse grid, Sandeep Kumar scored an emphatic win in the MRF Formula 1600 to make up for his fourth place finish in the first race on Saturday. He drove a near-flawless race to win from Raghul Rangasamy and former champion Karthik Tharani.
Three rookie drivers, Arya Singh (DTS Racing) from Kolkata, Mumbai’s Bhushan Thareja (Momentum Motor Sports) and Hyderabad’s Arun Showry (Momentum Motor Sports) dominated the Formula LGB 1300 race by finishing the race in that order and the trio also topped the Rookie Cup class to complete a fruitful weekend.
Arya Singh made capital of the pole position and managed to hold off stiff challenge from Thareja while Bengaluru’s Yash Aradhya (Wallace Sports), who started from seventh on the grid, came up with a fine performance as he cut through the field to finish on the podium, but was subsequently excluded for “technical infringement”. Showry thus gained a spot from fourth to third.
Narendran of RAD Racing yet again underlined his supremacy in the Saloon car category by comfortably winning the race for a fine double, having won the first outing on Saturday. The race was interrupted by a Safety Car period, but Narendran, who had started fourth on the reverse grid, timed his run to near perfection for a comfortable victory.
Provisional results:
MRF Challenge (F2000) – Race 3 (15 laps): 1. Harrison Newey (Britian) (23mins, 19.855secs); 2. Juri Vips (Estonia) (23:27.768); 3. Ralf Aron (Esonia) (23:28.971).
Race 4: Newey (27:33.142); 2. Mick Schumacher (Germany) (27:36.826); 3. Joey Mawson (Australia) (27:38.411).
National Championship – MRF F1600 (Race 2, 8 laps): 1. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (13:35.993); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Mahabalipuram) (13:36.536); 3.Karthik Tharani (Chennai) (13:40.090).
Formula LGB 1300 (Race 2, 8 laps): 1. Arya Singh (DTS Racing) (18:00.626); 2. Bhushan Thareja (Momentum Motor Sports) (18:09.998); 3. Arun Showry (Momentum Motor Sports) (18:10.725). Rookie Cup: 1. Arya Singh; 2. Bhushan Thareja; 3. Arun Showry.
Saloon cars – Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race 2, 8 laps): 1. Hisham KP (DTS Racing) (19:29.060); 2. Kamlesh Parmar (Team N1) (19:44.851). Super Stock: 1. Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) (18:52.938); 2. Veeresh Prasad (Race Concepts) (18:55.226); 3. RP Rajarajan (Performance Racing) (19:11.183). Esteem Cup: 1. Narendran (RAD Racing) (18:51.292); 2. Anant Pithawalla (Team N1) (18:53.144); 3. Sudanand Daniel (Red Rooster Racing) (18:53.754).
About Madras Motor Sports Club
The Madras Motor Sports Club has been the pioneer in developing and promoting motorsport in India since 1953, and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is the club’s endeavor to provide more opportunities for competitors and to this end, it has chalked out a progressive program for 2016. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2015, making it the only club which owns such a facility. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the Asian 2-wheeler racing championships besides a host of other motorsport events over the years. The club also has active participation for its events from vehicle manufacturers who also use the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) extensively for testing their products.
eom/AP Media Comm. press release
-
Jr Schumy beats Harry Newey to go fastest at MMRT
Chennai, 17 Feb 2017: Mick Schumacher struck back in Free Practice 2 to go fastest ahead of Harrison Newey at Round 4 of the MRF Challenge 2016 at the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai. He was fastest overall and ahead of Newey and championship leader Joey Mawson in Free Practice 2. In the opening practice session of the weekend Newey had beaten Schumacher and championship leader Joey Mawson. Mawson currently leads the championship by 27 points over Newey with Schumacher a further 40 points behind. Raghul Rangasamy and Sandeep Kumar topping FP1 and FP1 in the MRF 1600 championship.
In the opening practice session of the weekend the drivers took their time as they familiarized themselves in one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar. Newey was the first to set a competitive time as he did a 1:33.249. Brazilian driver Felipe Drugovich was quick to respond and did a 1:32.398 to go on top. Meanwhile Schumacher continued to make steady progress and jumped to the top of the charts. Newey struck back to do an impressive lap of 1:31.799. Schumacher was close behind with a 1.31.813 with Mawson a further tenth behind. Drogovich ended up in 4th place ahead of Australian driver Dylan Young. Behind them was Juri Vips, Daniel Ticktum and Ralf Aron.
Free practice 2 saw the top drivers wasting no time in getting up to speed and Newey was one of the front runners to go fastest with a 1:31.883. The three title protagonists traded fastest laps through session with Mawson, Newey and Schumacher all being on top at some point through the session. It was Schumacher who finally finished on top with a 1:30.861. Newey finished in 2nd place ahead of Mawson. Vips finished in 4th place ahead of Red Bull junior driver Dan Ticktum, British driver impressing on his first visit to the circuit. It is very close at the top with 4 drivers within three tenth off a second of each other.
The MRF 1600 was also in action with Raghul Rangasamy setting the fastest time in FP1. He set a 1:40.401 to be comfortably ahead of Sandeep Kumar and 2015 champion Karthik Tharani. Anindith Reddy was in 4th place ahead of a returning Siddharth Trivellore. In FP2 it was Sandeep who set the fastest lap on his final lap to just beat Raghul. Sandeep did a 1:39.787 to beat his closest rival by 0.024seconds. Behind them was Tharani, Anindith and Chetan Korada.
Qualifying and Races 1&2 will take place on Saturday, February 18, with Races 3&4 taking place on Sunday, February 19. All the action will be streamed live this weekend and can be seen at www.mrfracing.in
eom/MRF press release
-
Mawson, Newey, Schumacher in frame for title: MRF Challenge
Chennai, 16 Feb 2017: There is plenty of high octane action on cards as the second round of the MRF MMSC Fmsci Indian National Racing Championship kicks off at the MMRT track in Sriperumbudur, near here this weekend along with the grand finale of MRF Challenge (Formula 2000) which boasts of a highly competitive grid containing young guns from abroad, some of them boasting rich racing pedigree.
In all, 10 races have been scheduled over Saturday and Sunday after Friday’s free practice sessions. Much of the attention will be on the four MRF Challenge races where Australian Joey Mawson (211 points), Harrison Newey of the UK
File photo of MRF Challenge in progress. Image by Anand Philar. (184) and German Mick Schumacher (171) are locked in a three-way battle for the championship. The MRF Challenge returns to Chennai after previous rounds in Bahrain, Dubai and Greater Noida (Buddh International Circuit).
One of the highpoints of the weekend will be the presence of MRF brand ambassador Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar who is expected to do a few laps of the circuit in a twin-seater racing car on Sunday.
The MRF Challenge is being run concurrently with the National Racing Championship that includes MRF F1600, a revamped Formula LGB 1300 and the Saloon cars which comprise the Indian Junior Touring Cars and the Super Stock while the Esteem Cup will be making its debut, but not counting towards the National championship. The high-end Indian Touring Cars will be joining the championship in the next round to be run in March.
The entry-level Formula LGB 1300 which also has a Rookie class provides an option for youngsters moving up from karting to open-wheel racing. The Rookie class is part of MMSC’s continuing efforts to attract fresh and young talent, especially among students and the initiative has met with an encouraging response with 22 entries.
Chairman of the Meet Vicky Chandhok said: “Now that we have the single-seater category in place as a platform for talent to move up the ladder, we decided to focus on saloon cars in our effort to encourage participation of more car manufacturers in the National Championship in keeping with MMSC’s vision.
“With this in mind, we have thrown open the Super Stock to all comers and not just restricted to the Maruti Esteem.
“The production of Esteem cars has been stopped, but considering that many have already invested in this make, we decided to have a separate Cup for this make. We hope that this move will see bigger grids and more manufacturers coming aboard.”
The MRF F1600, where the champion at the end of the season will be eligible to participate in the Mazda Road To Indy shootout in the United States, is no doubt the flagship of the National championship with a very competitive grid.
The first round in Noida last month saw Bengaluru’s Ananth Shanmugam and Nayan Chatterjee from Mumbai winning a race apiece. The two share the top spot with 40 points apiece, ahead of 2015 Volkswagen Vento Cup champion Anindith Reddy (36) from Hyderabad. The grid also has 2016 Vento Cup champion Ishaan Dodhiwala (Hyderabad) who is in his first single-seater season and managed just six points in the previous round.
eom/AP Media Comm. press release
-
Jehan Daruvala, first Indian to win New Zealand GP
Jehan Daruvala (centre) becomes the first Indian to win New Zealand GP on Sunday. 12 Feb 2017. Image courtesy Rayo Racing. Manfeild (New Zealand), 13 Feb 2017 : Sahara Force India Academy Racer, Jehan Daruvala registered the first Grand Prix victory for 2017 when he won the New Zealand Grand Prix in style at the Chris Amon Circuit here on Sunday.
Jehan’s brilliant lights-to-flag feat makes him the first and only Indian to win a Grand Prix in motorsport. Keke Rosberg, Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Jack Brabham, Sir Stirling Moss, John Surtees, Bruce McLaren are some of the illustrious past winner of this Grand Prix.
Earlier in the weekend of the Toyota Racing Series, Jehan bagged pole position for Race 1 and the New Zealand GP as well. The extremely close qualifying sessions saw four racers within two tenths of a second in each session. Jehan lapped the 3-km circuit to bag pole in race 1, just seven hundredths of a second in front of former Brazilian World F1 Champion’s son, Pedro Piquet. Ferrari Academy Racer Marcus Armstrong of New Zealand was a further eight hundredths of a second adrift. The top two remained the same for the New Zealand GP, while Thomas Randle bagged third.
Jehan started well from pole for race 1, but relinquished his position to Piquet, after having to brake on the dirty side the circuit into turn one. Piquet held his lead which remained for the entire race. Jehan followed him home with another second place, ahead of Marcus Armstrong.
The result meant that Jehan had to start third due to the reverse grid regulations for race 2. Jehan lost a position and eventually finished in seventh after damage to his car after contact from another driver.
The New Zealand Grand Prix was the main feature race and the third race of the weekend. This Grand Prix is the only other ‘Grand Prix’ besides the Macau GP, in motorsport, outside of Formula 1 and therefore very prestigious for all racers. Jehan had a good start from pole and went on to open up a lead while the racers behind him fought for position. Jehan was able to stay ahead of the pack while continuing to make no mistakes up in front. An incident then brought out the red flag, but Jehan kept up his rhythm by getting a good re start and leading once again. The 35 lap long race was the longest of the season and towards the end of the race Marcus Armstrong pulled closer to Jehan. Jehan was able to keep his cool and won the Grand Prix with a margin of less than a second ahead of Armstrong. Thomas Randle was less than half a second further behind in third.
Jehan is the first Indian to ever stand on the podium in any FIA World Championship, when he was second runner up at the FIA CIK World Karting Championship in 2014. Prior to that, he became the first and only Indian to win a Karting Championship in Europe when he won the British KF3 Championship. In 2012 he became the first and only Indian to win a CIK Championship when we won the FIA CIK Asia Pacific KF3 Championship in Macau. Now, Jehan has earned another feather in his cap by becoming the first and only Indian to win a Grand Prix in Motorsport.
Jehan’s brilliant lights to flag Grand Prix victory, is in addition to his 9 podiums in the Toyota Racing Series. Jehan’s tally meant that he had the most number of podiums and also the most number of pole positions in the 2017 series. Unfortunately a few incidents contributed heavily to his loss of points in the middle of the series and Jehan ultimately finished fifth overall.
“I am happy with the pace I have had throughout the series. Winning the Grand Prix is absolutely fantastic and is a proud moment in my racing career so far. I am thankful for everyone around who has helped me achieve this. I am completely focused on what lies ahead and I am confident of a good first year in Formula 3. I will be continuing to work hard with testing and fitness as well” said the Indian teenager.
Jehan will now graduate to the ultra-competitive FIA F3 European Championship where some of the world’s best Formula 1 stars have graduated from. Numerous racers from the previous years will be competing in their second or third seasons, ensuring that Jehan will have a lot to learn in his rookie season. The Sahara Force India Academy racer has however shown, he is comfortable with the higher powered car in early testing with competitive times in testing.
eom/Rayo Racing press release
