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Category: Racing
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Narain Karthikeyan wins Super GTx DTM Dream Race
Narain Karthikeyan celebraes on the podium on Sunday in Fuji. Photos NK’s twitter handle. By Darshan Chokhani
(This story first appeared in FormulaRapida.net)
Fuji, 24 Nov 2019: India’s first Formula 1 racer Narain Karthikeyan won the second Super GT x DTM Dream Race at Fuji Speedway on Sunday. The non-competition Super GT x DTM Dream Race weekend got off to a sound start on Saturday with a win for the Japanese series’ Team Keeper Tom’s Cassidy in the Lexus GT500 car while Sunday had Nakajima Racing’s Karthikeyan doing it in the Honda.
With pole-sitter Loic Duval from DTM’s Audi outfit crashing out in the sighting lap in mixed conditions Cassidy, made good the turn of events and won the race. The Kiwi survived multiple safety car re-starts and a late-charge from Real Racing Honda’s Koudai Tsukakoshi to take the chequered flag by a margin of 0.433 seconds.
The podium was rounded out by Team Kunimitsu Honda’s Naoki Yamamoto as the lead DTM car slotted in sixth, that of Audi’s Benoit Treluyer. All the cars – from both the series – ran the Hankook tyres as opposed to Bridgestone, Dunlop or Michelin used in Super GT.
After the wet weather conditions on Saturday, it was the same on Sunday which provided a crazy end to a dream weekend with Karthikeyan claiming his first Super GT victory – albeit in a non-scoring event – and his first since the 2013 Auto GP series.
The Indian led the way mostly and survived safety car re-starts like Cassidy en-route the win. It looked like the win was to slip away when DTM’s Audi’s Treluyer got his strategy absolutely correct by stopping under the first safety car period.
But a second period helped everyone on the other strategy to pit as Karthikeyan retook his lead and saw through as the DTM pair fought for second with BMW’s Marco Wittmann managing to beat Audi’s Duval by just 0.890s in the Top 3.
It was a much better showing from the DTM cars in Race 2 with as many as six finishing inside the Top 10 as opposed to just the two in Race 1. The second race, though, had more retirements on the Super GT side with six not making it to the finish line.
Narain Karthikeyan in action in the Super GT x DTM dream race in Fuji on Sunday. -
Indian-origin Yuven Sundaramoorthy of US notches up maiden win; Amendola, Young share the other 2
Yuven Sundaramoorthy (29) trailing Joshua Mason (21) before winning the final race on Saturday. Photos: Anand Philar Dubai, 23 Nov 2019: Michelangelo Amendola from Belgium completed a dream week with three wins out of five races as the first round of the FIA-approved MRF Challenge international series concluded at the Dubai Autodrome, here today. Also notching wins were Australia’s Dylan Young and Indian-American Yuven Sundaramoorthy, for both of whom it was their maiden success in the championship.
The 17-year old Amendola dominated the entire round, being quickest in Free Practice and qualifying sessions before winning both the races yesterday and another today besides finishing second in the other two outings, to give himself a great start in the championship stakes.
Young, 30, in his seventh appearance in the MRF Challenge, finally got the monkey off his back by notching his first win in the championship, while 16-year old debutant Sundaramoorthy, whose family roots are entrenched in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, reaped rewards for his persistence.
Young had to work hard for his maiden success. Quick at the start to take the lead, the affable Aussie hung on gamely to hold off pole-sitter Amendola by putting in some solid laps when it mattered. The Belgian had another poor start from pole position and dropped to third behind Young and Joshua Mason (Great Britain) before easing past the British driver in the second lap to catch up with the Aussie. However, Amendola was unable to get past the experienced Young who went on to win.
Reflecting on his success, Young said: “It was a good race and the car felt really good. I got a good start which set it all up. Once I got the lead, I just put my head down and controlled the race from thereon. I am over the moon with this first win in MRF Challenge and will certainly have a few beers with the boys tonight!”
In Race 4 that had a reverse grid, pole-sitter Eriksen was quickly passed by Mason and Sundaramoorthy in the very first lap. The trio held positions until the sixth lap even as behind them, Amendola, who started from fifth, moved up a spot while Young dropped from sixth to seventh. The Belgian made another move to pass Eriksen into third spot. Up the road, Mason came under increasing pressure from Sundaramoorthy. In the ninth lap, Mason spun, allowing Sundaramoorthy, Amendola and Eriksen to get ahead and finish in that order.
“It feels good to win the race especially after the crash yesterday in the previous race. Today, the race went very well. Josh (Mason) drove amazingly and all I could do was to put pressure on him, hoping to force him into a mistake as I was not close enough to pass. I feel great to have scored my first-ever win in the F2000 category,” said Sundaramoorthy.
Dylan Young, Race 5 winner Michelangelo Amendola flanked by 3rd-placed Yuven Sundaramoorthy (right) and Dylan Young on Saturday. The fifth and last race of the Dubai round was a comfortable outing for Amendola once he fought off his rivals at the start before going into a virtual cruise control mode for a comfortable win ahead of Mason and Young. “It’s been a great week and yeah, feels good to win three of the five races. That was my target coming here to Dubai. I had to fend off others early in the last race, but after that, it was fairly comfortable as I opened up a good lead,” said Amendola who was followed home by Mason and Young.
The lone Indian entrant, Chetan Korada, showed some improvement in his pace to pick up some points though he could not offer any serious challenge to the front-runners.
The second round of the championship will be held at the Bahrain International Circuit on December 12-14 before moving on to the grand finale in Chennai in February next year.
The results (all 10 laps):
Race-3: 1. Dylan Young (Australia); 2. Michelangelo Amendola (Belgium); 3. Joshua Mason (Great Britain).
Race-4: 1. Yuven Sundaramoorthy (USA); 2. Amendola; 3. Valdemar Eriksen (Denmark).
Race-5: 1. Amendola; 2. Mason; 3. Young.
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Double delight for Michelangelo Amendola: MRF Challenge
Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF, (left) with Race-1 2nd-placed Joshua Mason (2nd from left), winner Michelangelo Amendola and Dylan Young (right) who came third, on Friday. Photos Anand Philar Dubai, 22 Nov 2019: Belgian teenager Michelangelo Amendola came up with two brilliant drives to win both the races of the day in the eighth edition of the FIA- approved MRF Challenge international series at the Dubai Autodrome on Friday.
The 17-year old Amendola displayed rare character to win both races from difficult positions. In the first race that he started form pole, he dropped to third after a wheel-spin as the lights went off before taking a win and in the next race, he made places from sixth on the reverse grid to take the checkered flag despite stalling his car at Turn-1 in the very first lap.
The race was marked by a Safety Car period following a collision between Aussie Dylan Young and Indian-American Yuven Sunderamoorthy in the first lap.
The Belgian youngster, despite the Turn-1 incident, put his head down and managed to carve his way through the field before passing leader Joshua Mason, the 17-year old from Great Britain on the final lap while Jordanian teenager Manaf Hijjawi came in third.
“I am happy to win both races today. In the morning, I lost places at the start due to a wheel-spin as I did not let go of the clutch, and then had to fight my way into the lead. In the second race, I started sixth on the reverse grid, stalled my car after someone made contact from behind at Turn-1 in the first lap. Luckily, I managed to start the car and then made places to win,” said a delighted Amendola.
In the first race, Amendola, was slowly off the blocks due to wheel-spin and fell behind as Mason and Young led the pack into Turn-1. Mason opened up a sizeable lead before tyre wear slowed him down while Young caught up with him, but could not pass. Meanwhile, Amendola recovered quickly and in the latter half of the race, got a jump on both the front-runners leaving Mason and Young scrap for the minor podium spots.
Behind the trio, the midfield witnessed close battles while India’s Chetan Korada finished ninth and last after a spin in the eighth lap even as he was putting in consistent laps. But in the second race, the Chennai-based Korada was running fourth, but conceded the advantage to finish seventh.Earlier, in the qualifying session, Amendola came up with a late charge to grab pole position ahead of Mason, who briefly led the time sheets, and Young.
The results: Race-1 (10 laps): 1. Michelangelo Amendola (Belgium); 2. Joshua Mason (Great Britain); 3. Dylan Young (Australia). Race-2: 1. Amendola; 2. Mason; 3. Manaf Hijjawi (Jordan).
Qualifying (top 4): 1. Amendola (01:58.409); 2. Mason (01:58.499); 3. Young (01:58.518); 4. Largim Ali (Denmark) (01:58.527).
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Belgian Amendola dominates practice sessions; Chetan Korada 9th: MRF Challenge
Michelangel Amendola (Belgium) who topped both the Free Practice sessions on Thursday. Photo by Anand Philar Dubai, 21 Nov 2019: Belgium’s 17-year old Michelangelo Amendola set the early pace by dominating both the free practice sessions as the eighth season of the International MRF Challenge commenced at the Dubai Autodrome, here today.
Amendola, who had finished fifth overall in the 2018-19 championship, topped the time sheets in the first of the two Free Practice sessions by clocking one minute, 58.551 seconds and followed it up with a 01:58.806 in the next outing.
Finishing second behind Amendola in the red-flag interrupted FP1 were two other 17-year olds, Great Britain’s Joshua Mason (01:59.882) and Yuven Sundaramoorthy from the United States (01:59.912).
Amendola continued his consistent run in FP2 with a best of 01:58.806 which he set barely minutes from the close of the session ahead of Sundaramoorthy (01:59.524), who has some experience of driving two-litre cars having taken part in F2000 races in the US and Australian veteran Dylan Young (01:59.618) who shrugged off a spin in FP1 that led to the red flag as the marshals removed his car stranded in one of the corners.
The lone Indian in the fray, Chetan Korada struggled in both the sessions, finishing last in the nine-car field. “I had some issues with the car today, but hopefully, I will be able to do better tomorrow’s qualifying session,” said the 33-year old Chennai-based Korada.
Amendola was pleased as punch with his performance today. “It went pretty well considering that I was driving after a long time. To be honest, the last time I drove was in Chennai in February (2018-19 season), so I had no preparations. I only did a lot of physical and mental training. However, it felt like home, getting back into the car!” said Almendola.
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MRF Challenge to begin in Dubai on Nov 21; Season finale at MMRT in Feb 2020
File photos of MRF Challenge action in 2019. Photos by Anand Philar Dubai, 19 Nov 2019: The MRF Challenge, India’s only FIA-approved international championship and one of Asia’s premier single-seater competitions, conveniently slotted in the winter months, and now in its eighth season, will kick-start here at the Dubai Autodrome on Thursday, November 21.
The MRF Challenge 2018-19, organized by the Madras Motor Sports Club, will comprise 15 races spread over three rounds to be run in Dubai (Nov 21-23), Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain (Dec 12-14) and the MMRT, Chennai (Feb 14-16, 2020).
Over the years, the MRF Challenge has featured quite a few high-profile racers like Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher; Harrison Newey, son of Formula 1 design guru Adrian Newey; Manuel Maldonado, cousin of former Formula 1 driver Pastor Maldonado; female Formula 1 test driver with Alfa Romeo Racing Tatiana Calderon; last season’s champion Jamie Chadwick, who is also the first-ever champion of the W Series and the first-ever female driver to win an international race at Bahrain International Circuit.
The Formula 2000 car, prepared by Coimbatore-based Jayem Automotives, is powered by 2-litre Mountune Duratec engine producing 230 BHP while almost matching Formula 3 in speed and power. The car boasts of a Hewland six-speed sequential gearbox equipped with Integrated dash and paddle-shift system.
Mr. Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Tyres said: “It has been an exciting journey for us as we present the eighth edition of the MRF Challenge. 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 slicks and wet tyres that are specially manufactured for this championship.
“We have positioned the MRF Challenge in the winter months between November and February to enable drivers to keep themselves race-fit during the off-season. We thus look forward to another season of exciting races.”
Chennai-based Chetan Korada, who turned 33 on November 14, is the lone Indian on the grid that includes teenagers from Europe and Australian veteran Dylan Young who has been a regular fixture in MRF Challenge.
Looking ahead to the season, Korada said: “This will be my second international season, also with MRF Challenge. My approach this year would be completely different. Last year was all about learning the car. I didn’t take part in the National championship this year, but did four days of testing in Malaysia in the summer. I have been studying the data, as to where I can improve. I am continuing with MRF Challenge as they have been very supportive.
“Also, a lucky charm has come into my life now with the birth of my daughter two months ago. So, overall, I am feeling good and hope to put in much better performances this season.”
The final list of drivers confirmed for the championship will be announced on completion of documentation process.
ABOUT MRF TYRESMotorsports in India is synonymous with MRF. In fact, the development and popularity of various forms of the sport could be directly attributed to the pioneering efforts of the company, be it racing, rallying, motocross or karting. To encourage motorsport enthusiasts MRF has spared no resources in offering World-class facilities. The development of MRF Power House – a modern motorsports facility has been a boon to the Indian drivers, who wished to compete and test themselves against international standards. The centre is a testament to the commitment of MRF to raising the bar of Indian motorsports.
Being the largest promoters of motorsports in India, MRF has the added advantage of being able to use the racetrack to test the tyres.
MRF is the only tyre company in India to have developed Formula car tyres, world- class rally tyres for tarmac and dirt, motocross tyres and also FIA-CIK karting tyres. Today, the company caters to almost all segments of the tyre industry and is proud to be the manufacturer of the largest range of tyres. Heavy-duty truck and bus tyres, passenger car tyres, two-wheeler tyres and farm tyres are just some of the tyres that MRF manufactures.
The one thing that puts MRF head and shoulders above its competition is the fact that MRF is the only tyre company in India without any foreign technical collaboration. The company is where it is today, thanks mainly to its know-how and its ability to develop indigenous technology. With this technology, MRF now supplies original equipment tyres to multinational manufacturers such as Honda, Hyundai, Renault, Nissan, Mahindra, Tata, Volkswagen, Toyota, Suzuki and Ford. In total, MRF exports to more than 90 countries. MRF has been the undisputed leader in the tyre industry for more than three decades now, notwithstanding the competition from various multinational and Indian tyre brands.
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X1 league round 2 at MMRT on Dec 8
Chennai, 12 Nov 2019: About 30 top drivers, representing a city each, will take part in the inaugural edition of the motorsports league to be held at Delhi and Chennai this year.
The X1 Racing League will have about 30 drivers from across the world available for bidding by six franchises, before the league starts on November 30 and ends on December 1. The six franchises are from Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Delhi.
The X1 Racing League, a franchise-based motorsports competition will have six teams representing a city each. Son of legendary F1 driver Niki Lauda, Mathias was picked by the Delhi franchise (AD Racing) while India’s Arjun Maini and Gaurav Gill will race for Bengaluru (Bangalore Racing Stars) and Delhi teams respectively. The league is powered by JK Tyre Motorsports.
The league will be held between November 30-December 1 in New Delhi at the Buddh International Circuit and December 7-8 in Chennai at the Madras Motor Race Track. There will be four drivers and two cars in each team. Of the four drivers in each team there will be one international male, one international female, one India international and domestic racer. Of the two domestic racers picked in each team one will get to represent the franchise. Each race will last for 30 minutes and will have three unique team-based race formats per day.
Team Hyderabad (Blackbirds Hyderabad) was the first to pick in the draft which started off with India’s International racers in the first round, they chose Akhil Rabindra. The next to pick was Team Bengaluru who chose Arjun Maini after which Team Mumbai (Mumbai Falcons) went on to choose Arjun’s brother Khush Maini. The others picked in the round were Krishna Mahadik by Team Ahmedabad (DG Racing), Gill by Team Delhi and Chennai team (NK Racing) auto-picked their team owner Narain Karthikeyan.
In the male international racers draft, Bengaluru was the first pick and chose English racer Oliver James Webb. The other male international racers who were picked in the draft include Malaysian F1 driver Alex Yoong by Ahmedabad, Mathias joined Delhi franchise, China’s Frankie Cheng went to the Chennai team, former F1 racer Tonio Luizzi by Hyderabad and Danish racer Mikkel Jensen by Mumbai.
As both male and female drivers would be racing against each other, it was important for each franchise to make sure they had a strong female driver as well. The first female international racer to be picked was Denmark’s Michelle Gatting by Bengaluru. While, English racers Pippa Mann and Alice Powell joined Mumbai and Chennai respectively, Switzerland’s Rahel Frey went to Ahemedabad, Denmark’s Christina Neilsen to Delhi and Polish racer Gosia Rdest to Hyderabad.
The domestic racers who will be part of the action include Arjun Balu and Yash Aradhya for Chennai, Raghul Rangaswamy and Ashwin Datta for Delhi, Chittesh Mandody and Ameya Walavalkar for Ahmedabad, Sohil Shah and Karthik Tharanisingh for Mumbai, Nayan Chatterjee and Vishnu Prasad for Bengaluru and Arjun Narendran and Anindth Reddy for Hyderabad.
“All teams are equally balanced and look strong. As all the cars are of the same make, it will be up to the drivers to show their skills and win the race for their team. We hope that the best team wins the league. We are happy with how the draft concluded and the owners are also happy with their teams. We can’t wait for racing to begin,” said co-founder of X1 Racing, Armaan Ebrahim.
“Some of our domestic Indian drivers will get a chance to rub shoulders with the best of the best. This a chance for the domestic racers who were picked in the draft to make it to the next level and prove themselves against other established International driver. I hope they come out on top,” said co-founder of X1 Racing, Aditya Patel.
The X1 Racing League follows the X1 Racing eSports Racing season 1, a digital-simulator based racing competition that is currently being held in cities across India. The eSports competition was created by X1 Racing in a bid to tap out talent from different strata of the society and also increase the fan following for motorsport in the country.
Team Hyderabad: Akhil Rabindra, Tonio Luizzi, Gosia Rdest, Arjun Narendran, Anindth Reddy
Team Bengaluru: Arjun Maini, Oliver James Webb, Michelle Gatting, Nayan Chatterjee, Vishnu Prasad
Team Mumbai: Khush Maini, Mikkel Jensen, Pippa Mann, Sohil Shah, Karthik Tharanisingh
Team Ahmedabad: Krishna Mahadik, Alex Yoong, Rahel Frey, Chittesh Mandody, Ameya Walavalkar
Team Delhi: Gaurav Gill, Mathias Luada, Christina Neilsen, Raghul Rangaswamy, Ashwin Datta
Team Chennai: Narain Karthikeyan, Frankie Cheng, Alice Powell, Arjun Balu, Yash Aradhya
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Gaurav Gill to race for Delhi; Bengaluru picks up Arjun Maini: X1 Racing League set to begin Nov 30
From left: Zulfiquar Ghadiyali, CEO private office of sheik Tahnoon Al nahyan (AD Racing Delhi),Yohan Sethna (Team Principal, NK Racing Team), Dhaval Gada(promoter of DG Enterprises, owner DG Racing), Moid Tungrekar (CEO, Mumbai Falcons), Avi Jain (Co-owner, Bangalore Racing Stars), Akhil Reddy (owner, Blackbirds Hyderabad) during the racers draft of the inaugural edition of the X1 Racing League held in Mumbai. Mumbai, 11 Nov 2019: The much anticipated drivers draft for the inaugural edition of the X1 Racing League, a franchise based motorsports competition concluded here today as 30 international and domestic racers were drafted by six teams. Son of legendary F1 driver Niki Lauda, Mathias was picked by the Delhi franchise (AD Racing) while India’s Arjun Maini and Gaurav Gill will race for Bengaluru (Bangalore Racing Stars) and Delhi teams respectively. The league is powered by JK Tyre Motorsports.
The league which is to be held between November 30-December 1 in New Delhi at the Buddh International Circuit and December 7-8 in Chennai at the Madras Motor Race Track will have four drivers and two cars in each team. Of the four drivers in each team there will be one international male, one international female, one India international and domestic racer. Of the two domestic racers picked in each team one will get to represent the franchise. Each race will last for 30 minutes and will have three unique team-based race formats per day.
Team Hyderabad (Blackbirds Hyderabad) were the first to pick in the draft which started off with India’s International racers in the first round, they chose Akhil Rabindra. The next to pick were Team Bengaluru who chose Arjun Maini after which Team Mumbai (Mumbai Falcons) went on to choose Arjun’s brother Khush Maini. The others picked in the round were Krishna Mahadik by Team Ahmedabad (DG Racing), Gill by Team Delhi and Chennai team (NK Racing) auto-picked their team owner Narain Karthikeyan.
In the male international racers draft Bengaluru were the first pick and chose English racer Oliver James Webb. The other male international racers who were picked in the draft include Malaysian driver Alex Yoong by Ahmedabad, Mathias joined Delhi franchise, China’s Frankie Cheng went to the Chennai team, former F1 racer Tonio Luizzi by Hyderabad and Danish racer Mikkel Jensen by Mumbai.
As both male and female drivers would be racing against each other, it was important for each franchise to make sure they had a strong female driver as well. The first female international racer to be picked was Denmark’s Michelle Gatting by Bengaluru. While, English racers Pippa Mann and Alice Powell joined Mumbai and Chennai respectively, Switzerland’s Rahel Frey went to Ahemedabad, Denmark’s Christina Neilsen to Delhi and Polish racer Gosia Rdest to Hyderabad.
The domestic racers who will be part of the action include Arjun Balu and Yash Aradhya for Chennai, Raghul Rangaswamy and Ashwin Datta for Delhi, Chittesh Mandody and Ameya Walavalkar for Ahmedabad, Sohil Shah and Karthik Tharanisingh for Mumbai, Nayan Chatterjee and Vishnu Prasad for Bengaluru and Arjun Narendran and Anindth Reddy for Hyderabad.
“All teams are equally balanced and look strong. As all the cars are of the same make, it will be up to the drivers to show their skills and win the race for their team. We hope that the best team wins the league. We are happy with how the draft concluded and the owners are also happy with their teams. We can’t wait for racing to begin,” said co-founder of X1 Racing, Armaan Ebrahim.
“Some of our domestic Indian drivers will get a chance to rub shoulders with the best of the best. This a chance for the domestic racers who were picked in the draft to make it to the next level and prove themselves against other established International driver. I hope they come out on top,” said co-founder of X1 Racing, Aditya Patel.
The X1 Racing League follows the X1 Racing eSports Racing season 1, a digital-simulator based racing competition which is currently being held in cities across India. The eSports competition was created by X1 Racing in a bid to tap out talent from different strata of the society and also increase the fan following for motorsport in the country.
Team Hyderabad
Akhil Rabindra
Tonio Luizzi
Gosia Rdest
Arjun Narendran
Anindth ReddyTeam Bengaluru
Arjun Maini
Oliver James Webb
Michelle Gatting
Nayan Chatterjee
Vishnu PrasadTeam Mumbai
Khush Maini
Mikkel Jensen
Pippa Mann
Sohil Shah
Karthik TharanisinghTeam Ahmedabad
Krishna Mahadik
Alex Yoong
Rahel Frey
Chittesh Mandody
Ameya WalavalkarTeam Delhi
Gaurav Gill
Mathias Luada
Christina Neilsen
Raghul Rangaswamy
Ashwin DattaTeam Chennai
Narain Karthikeyan
Frankie Cheng
Alice Powell
Arjun Balu
Yash Aradhya -
Arjun to race back to back in Macau and Shanghai
File photo of Arjun Maini. INDIAinF1.com Bengaluru, 4 Nov 2019: Ace Indian driver Arjun Maini will be racing in Macau on the weekend from November 15 to 17 and in Shanghai from November 22 to 24.
Arjun, the JK-Tyre backed, Bengaluru-based driver, is returning to the 2019 FIA F3 Macau Grand Prix with Jenzer Motorsport. After two GP3 seasons in 2016 and 2017 with Jenzer where he won the Barcelona sprint race in 2017, Arjun moved up to F2 in 2018 and 2019, and also drove in the complete European Le Mans Series in 2019. He also competed in the 24-hours Le Mans. Arjun Maini, who drove in Macau in 2015 and 2016, is excited to take up this special challenge once more.
Andreas Jenzer said: “It’s fantastic to have our race winning driver back for our Macau campaign. We will all be working to achieve a top result!”
Maini said: “I am looking forward to racing in Macau again and to be back with Jenzer Motorsport. It is a challenging circuit especially now with the new generation cars as it will be a challenge for everyone to adapt quickly.”
RLR MSport, with whom Arjun raced the 24 hours of Lemans and also the ELMS season in LMP2, is set to expand its reach to China, South East Asia and Australia with an assault on the 2019-20 Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 Am Trophy, in a bid to secure a coveted entry to the 88th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Bolton team will field a sole ORECA 05 Nissan for European Le Mans Series (ELMS) regulars John Farano and Arjun Maini, and New Zealand’s LMP2 debutant Andy Higgins for the duration of the four-part season that takes in some of the greatest racetracks in the Asia-Pacific region.
RLR MSport welcomed Arjun Maini to the fold for its much-anticipated return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the ELMS’s LMP2 class in 2019.
The young Indian was impressive during his maiden season of endurance sportscar racing, transitioning seamlessly from Formula 2 single-seaters to Le Mans Prototypes, and he views the Asian Le Mans Series as an opportunity to continue his development through the winter.
“The idea behind racing in the Asian Le Mans Series is to get as much driving time as possible and to win the AM Trophy to earn an entry to the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Maini. “It would be good to win for John (Farano), who has improved a lot throughout the year, and I feel the class will be fair for the Bronze drivers and give a good reflection of how they’re getting on relative to each other.
“I know the ORECA 05 is a little slower than the 07 we race in the ELMS, so we will have to get our heads around the speed and the grip levels, but I think we will all be fine with that. I’m looking forward to returning to Sepang, as I have experience of the circuit from GP3 and Formula BMW and I really like Malaysia as a country, although I’ve never been to Australia and The Bend looks mega, so I’m expecting that to be a highlight.”
Higgins, meanwhile, is a second-generation racer from Auckland and a stalwart of New Zealand’s historic motor racing scene.
Arjun Maini file photo The 2019-20 Asian Le Mans Series commences at the Shanghai International Circuit in China (22-24 November) before moving on to The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia (10-12 January), and it concludes with back-to-back races at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit (14-15 February) and Thailand’s Chang International Circuit (21-23 February).
RLR MSport Director of Motorsport Operations, Nick Reynolds, said: “The Asian Le Mans Series is growing in size and stature every year, and we believe there’s a lot of value in an entry. It isn’t only the calibre of the field that makes the series attractive, but the fact it’s held during the European winter months makes it a fantastic platform for teams and drivers who wish to stay fresh all year round.
“For John (Farano) and Arjun (Maini), it’s an opportunity to continue developing their skills, albeit in slightly older LMP2 machinery, in a competitive environment with all the variables of a race weekend. Of course, it’s fantastic to have Andy (Higgins) on-board; while he is yet to sample modern LMP2 machinery, he will be an asset. The aim is simple – win the Asian Le Mans Series Am Trophy and secure that automatic entry to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and gather plenty of momentum for the 2020 season.”
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Afridza Munandar killed in Sepang accident during Idemitsu Talent Cup
Sepang, 2 Nov 2019: Following an incident in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup race at Sepang International Circuit on Saturday, it is with great sadness that we report the passing of Afridza Munandar.
The incident occurred at Turn 10 on Lap 1, with the race Red Flagged immediately thereafter. The 20-year-old Indonesian first received medical attention by the side of the track before being transferred to Kuala Lumpur Hospital by helicopter.
Despite the best efforts of circuit medical staff and those at the hospital, Munandar sadly succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.
Munandar was a standout rider in the 2019 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (IATC) season, taking two wins, two second places and two third-place finishes in a season that had seen him poised to fight for the Championship this weekend.
The FIM, FIM Asia, Dorna Sports, and all those in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup pass on our deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Munandar.
The Repsol Honda Team would like to extend their deepest condolences to the friends and family of Indonesia’s Afridza Munandar, who passed away today while racing in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup at the Sepang International Circuit.
The INDIAinF1 team sends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family and to the entire racing fraternity and friends of the talented Indonesian rider.
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Mohamed Mikail selected for Asia Talent Cup
Mohamed Mikail of India (standing – centre) is selected for the 2020 Asia Talent Cup grid. INDIAinF1 image Sepang, 1 Nov 2019: Honda 2Wheelers India announced that Mohamed Mikail, the Indian National NSF250R Champion and the 2018 Idemitsu Honda India Talent Hunt find is selected to join the prestigious 2020 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (IATC) grid.
Just two years into racing with Honda, the 15-year-old Mohamed Mikail from Chennai was among the five young riders from India to participate in the selection for 2020 season of IATC at Sepang circuit of Malaysia that concluded on Nov 1. These included 13-year-old Sarthak Shrikant Chavan from Pune, 14-year-old Kavin Samaar Quintal, 15-year-old Geoffrey and 16-year-old Varoon S from Chennai.
Since its inaugural season in 2014, the Asia Talent Cup is Dorna’s development platform for young riders in the Asia and Oceania region. One of the key objective is to ensure development of future generations of such new talented riders, who will eventually take the place of current stars of MotoGP and WorldSBK.
Honda Racing India’s Mikail journeys from 90 registrations to final 12:
This year’s the Selection Event saw drier skies than last year, allowing nearly 90 young riders from over 15 countries to prove their racing mettle throughout the day around Sepang Go-Kart track. After 3 consecutive short listings based on actual riding, the Selection Committee, led by Talent Promotion Director Alberto Puig (a former premier class racer and renowned talent scout) selected a total of 17 riders from India, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan and Turkey. While 12 selected riders including India’s Mikail are selected to join the grid next year, another 5 are on the reserve list.
Talking about Honda’s plans to nurture Indian riders Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President – Brand and Communications, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India said: “In 2018, Honda announced its biggest racing shift. Since then, our focus is to develop next-generation Indian rider for the world. Our first step was to identify high-potential riders as young as 13 years with our Idemitsu Honda India Talent Hunt. These stars of future were further armed with the world class racing infrastructure. We were the first to bring NSF250R, Honda’s Moto3 race machine for Indian riders. In our journey to develop a top Indian rider for MotoGP, we are giving young Indian riders international racing opportunities like ARRC and Thailand Talent Cup. We are confident that, boosted by his team, Mikhail will make India proud at world stage and inspire young riders like him.”
Mohamed Mikail’s racing journey began in 2018, when the Chennai racing prodigy was first identified by Honda 2Wheelers India in the Season 1 of Honda Talent Hunt.
In his inaugural year itself, 15 year-old Mikail showed raw racing talent and closed the season as Champion of in CBR 150R class. Spotting his potential earlier on, Honda put him on an accelerated growth path.
In 2019, Mikail got his first international racing taste in the ongoing Thailand Talent Cup. In the national road racing scenario too, Mikail was also among first 8 next-gen Indian riders to get the opportunity to race on NSF250R – Honda’s legendary Moto3 race machine platform. Showing true challenging spirit, Mikhail created a new best ever lap time record on a 250cc motorcycle at MMRT circuit (Chennai) and ultimately won the inaugural Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup in NSF250R class too.
Mohamed Mikail said: “First, I would like to thank Honda 2Wheelers India, my team and our sponsors for giving me this big opportunity to race on the world stage. My racing journey ever since Honda 2Wheelers India shortlisted me in 2018 season of Honda Talent Hunt has been nothing short of a dream come true. With Honda giving wings to me, I got the opportunity to improve my skills internationally with best of Thai riders in 2019 Thailand Talent Cup. Thanks to NSF250R bikes, Honda’s Moto3 platform machine, I feel more confident on this world class race machine. As the solo Honda rider from India, I will work hard with the team and do my best in every race.”
2020 Asia Talent Cup race calendar:
For Mohamed Mikail and the other Asia-Oceania stars of the future, racing action starts from February 2020 with pre-season testing. This will give Mikail a closer look at the characteristics of the Honda NSF250R Moto3 bikes and his competition. This will also help him learn the trajectories, response of the suspension, and also better his understanding of the limits of braking – a challenge for the talented young riders as they take a step up onto this more demanding machinery.
Overall, the 7th edition of Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup will be a 12-race championship held over 6 rounds from March to November 2020. The 2020 season kick-starts from Qatar (Losail circuit) and then travels to Thailand (Buriram) in the MotoGP weekends. Round 3 at Australia (Bend) and Round 4 at Malaysia (Sepang) will be staged alongside the Australian & Malaysian Superbike Championships. The last 2 rounds will once again see Asia’s young stars battle it out in Japan (Motegi) and then Malaysia (Sepang) in MotoGP race weekends.
