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Norris takes pole in Abu Dhabi as McLaren lock out front row ahead of Sainz
McLaren edged a step close to the F1 Constructors’ title as Lando Norris took pole position ahead of Oscar Piastro to complete a front-row lock out for the team. Carlos Sainz took third place for Ferrari but the Scuderia’s hopes of challenging for a first title in 16 years were dealt a blow when Charles Leclerc qualified 14th.
In the final top-10 shootout, 2024 Drivers’ champion Max Verstappen claimed provisional pole with a strong first run that was hampered by a slide in the final corner, but while the Red Bull driver had run with new Soft tyres, Norris, just 0.004s off, and Piastri, had run with used tyres on their opening runs.
And with new rubber on board for the final runs, the McLaren pair showed a clean pair of heels to their rivals with Norris taking his eighth pole of the year thanks to a time of 1:22.595, two tenths ahead of Piastri and Sainz.
Nico Hülkenberg grabbed a shock fourth place on the grid for Haas with a superb lap of 1:22.886, while Verstappen failed to improve on his first time of Q3 and was forced to settle for fifth place and the front of row three.
Behind the top five Pierre Gasly kept Alpine’s hopes of staying ahead of Haas in the battle for P6 in the Constructors’ Championship alive as he took sixth place, while George Russell was seventh for Mercedes ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, surprised ninth-place qualifier Valterri Bottas of Kick Sauber, and the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez.
The major absence from Q3 was Leclerc. The Monegasque driver looked to have comfortably secured his spot in Q2 by posting a time that took him to the top of the timesheet in the closing stages of Q2. But within moments of crossing the line the Ferrari man’s time was deleted for exceeding track limits in Turn 1 at the start of his final flyer. And as the order shook out following the chequered flag, Leclerc dropped to 14th. The Ferrari driver is already facing a 10-place grid drop for taking a third Energy Store of the season, so is set to start from the rear of the field.
Also eliminated at the end of Q2 were RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson in 11th and 12th respectively, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in P13 and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen in 15h place.
The major faller as the first hurdle was Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time champion, taking part in his last qualifying session with Mercedes, looked to be improving on his final flying lap. However, he managed to run over a bollard dislodged by Magnussen and with the debris trapped under this car, Hamilton’s pace dropped and he was eliminated in P18 behind Williams’ Alex Albon and Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu and ahead of the second Williams of Franco Colapinto and Alpine’s Jack Doohan.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1’22.595
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1’22.804 0.209
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1’22.824 0.229
4 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1’22.886 0.291
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’22.945 0.350
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1’22.984 0.389
7 George Russell Mercedes 1’23.132 0.537
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’23.196 0.601
9 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1’23.204 0.609
10 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’23.264 0.669
11 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1’23.419 0.824
12 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 1’23.472 0.877
13 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’23.784 1.189
14 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1’23.833 1.238
15 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1’23.877 1.282
16 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1’23.821 1.226
17 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1’23.880 1.285 1.556
18 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1’23.887 1.292
19 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1’23.912 1.317
20 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 1’24.105 1.510 -
Aishwarya Pissay secures third Bajas World Cup medal
Dubai, December 2, 2024: Ace Indian rider Aishwarya Pissay, a proud product of TVS Racing, has once again made history by securing third place in the 2024 FIM Bajas World Cup. The season concluded with the grueling Dubai International Baja, the eighth and final round of the championship, on Sunday.
Aishwarya Pissay receiving the honours after winning her third World Championship medal in Dubai on Sunday night. INDIAinF1 photo by special arrangement Competing in the 450cc and Ladies’ classes, the Bengaluru rider faced technical challenges, including navigation system issues during the final round which kept her out of the final classification. Despite these setbacks, her points from earlier rounds were enough to secure her a second runner-up spot on the Bajas World Cup leaderboard, reinforcing her status as a pioneer in Indian motorsport.
Reflecting on her achievement, Aishwarya said: “This rally was a true test of resilience. Unfortunately, technical issues with the navigation system on both days kept me out of the general classification, but every challenge brings a valuable lesson. Rally life often throws the unexpected at you, and this experience has only fueled my determination to come back stronger. Despite the setbacks, I’m immensely proud to have secured 3rd place in the World Championship for India. This marks my third World Championship podium in the history of the sport, and I’m deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my team, fans, and everyone who continues to believe in me.”
Aishwarya Pissay, the 7-time National Champion in action at Dubai Baja. Aishwarya, who became the first-ever Indian to win a World Championship in motorsport with her 2019 Bajas World Cup victory, now holds three World Cup medals, a record-breaking feat in 2W motorsport. Her journey continues to inspire as she remains a trailblazer, achieving consistent success on the world stage.
Her remarkable efforts have been supported by TVS Racing, as well as co-sponsors IIFL, Micro Labs, and Surana College.
Aishwarya Pissay, a proud product of TVS Racing About Aishwarya Pissay
Aishwarya Pissay, a 29-year-old motorsports icon from Bengaluru, is a pioneer in Indian two-wheeler racing. She has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the 2017 FMSCI’s Outstanding Woman in Motorsports Award. With a career marked by grit, perseverance, and historic achievements, Aishwarya continues to break barriers and pave the way for future generations in motorsport.
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Shlok Ghorpade emerges triumphant in Supercross Championship 2024; Brings honour to KTM on debut
Kochi, 30 Nov. 2024: India’s top rider Shlok Ghorpade created history emerging triumphant in the MRF MoGrip fmsci Indian National Supercross Championship 2024 to stop the long reign of TVS Factory riders as he won the first moto in the top SX1 class of the final round which concluded at Eloor, near here on Saturday. The Supercross Nationals was promoted by Godspeed Racing and the final round was organised by KMA Motorsports guided by veteran Musa Sherif and Anil Abbas, in collaboration with Bandidos Motorsports, Kerala.
The Satara star thus brought a stunning victory and title triumph for the KTM Factory Racing team which made its debut in the National Championship this year by winning the Overall Championship and the premier class by garnering 201 points, six more than his rival, the talented Ikshan Shanbagh, also from Satara. While Ghorpade won the first moto after taking the hole shot, Ikshan came back to take a win in the second moto of SX1 class, but it was too little and too late, as Ghorpade clinched the well-fought championship by finishing second in the second moto.
Shlok Ghorpade celebrates after winning the 2024 title. INDIAinF1 image The capacity crowd of about 15000, enjoyed a thrilling event, witnessing a supercross after a long time and were rewarded with plenty of action and stunts in the night. The track was one of the biggest among all the six rounds and had fast stretches and technical jumps for riders to showcase their talent and skill.
Shlok Ghorpade, who just completed 17 years on October 18, was astride a KTM 250, and was in his elements maneuvering the jumps and berms with high skills and near-perfect technique. He recently fine tuned his skills in California, USA and showed immense confidence and class in the face of tough and sometimes, ugly competition. TVS Racing team, which has been dominating the Supercross and two-wheeler rally championships for many years now, has won the Motocross/Supercross championships for the last 14 consecutive years. But they were jolted by the young talent and despite Ikshaan providing tough time to him, they had to rope in the newly-crowned road racing champion, Sarthak Chavan to try and beat the marauding Ghorpade. But the latter, stood his ground and won a well-deserving title, his seventh National Championship crown in different sub-classes and dirt Nationals.
Shlok Ghorpade, a 7-time National champion “I have been working and planning for the past four years to win the SX 1 class. I worked hard for this championship victory and it is the fruit for my hardwork and dedication of my team and sponsors,” the 2022 Junior SX1 National champion quipped on the morning after.
However, the season has been a tough one, with the much experienced and strong team like TVS Racing on the other side. He endured falls, the blocking of racing lines in every round and race, and fought as a lone warrior against a huge team and thus, the success is all the more sweet. “I can’t think of a single day where I didn’t think of improving and getting better. I was becoming too serious. That is when I thought I should start enjoying my races and as a result, the points came back,” he felt.
“I banked on my family and knew my potential. I have no legacy to protect and I had nothing to lose. The stakes are high and the tempo increased from the Pune round,” he added. Yes, the blocking too ‘increased’ from the Pune round.
The heat was on and he was boxed so much that for the first time in two years, he was not on the podium in the Bengaluru round. However, the champion rose like a phoenix and won the first moto, to virtually seal the issue and won with a second place in the final moto, as the championship went to wire.
“Physically it was tiring but it was much more a mental game. Once I accepted that my winning streak of over five rounds was broken, it was easier for me to get up, dust myself and relaunch the attack. My core team and I worked on all possibilities, strategised and planned for the worst. I always hope for the best while preparing for the worst. And the results are there, now, for everyone to see,” he spoke as if in nostalgia, of the just-concluded season’s ups and downs.
All commissioned photographs by Siddharth, Hyderabad
Shlok Ghorpade – Roll of honour – 7 National titles
2022: Indian National Supercross Junior SX 1 (under 16 yrs) Champion
2023: Indian National Supercross Junior SX 1 (under 16 yrs) Champion
2023: Indian National Dirt Track Junior SX 1 (under 16 yrs) Champion
2023: Indian National Supercross SX 2 category Champion
2023: Indian national Dirt Track SX 2 category Champion
2024: Indian National Supercross SX1 category – Overall champion
2024: Indian National Dirt Track SX1 category Champion
5 International trophies :
DMX Round 5 – 3rd place
Saturday MX at Glen Helen summer series
Saturday MX at Glen Helen 250cc category
Mammoth qualifiers at Fox
Fall series at Glen Helen
Final Round: The results (provisional):
1. Ikshan Shanbhag (TVS Racing) 37 points (17, 20);
2. Shlok Ghorpade (KTM Factory Racing India) 40 points (20, 17);
3. Sarthak Chavan (TVS Racing) 28 (15, 13).
Class 2 – SX 2: Group A:
1. Ryan Haig (Kochi) 40 (20, 20);
2. S. Kathiroli (Coimbatore) 34 (17, 17);
3. Wilmer Valentino (Kochi) 23 (8, 15).
Class 3 – Novice, Group B: (only one moto)
1. Karan Kumar (Hero Motorsports) 20;
2. W.N. Jayden (TVS Racing) 17;
3. Shaun Chhangte (Aizawl) 15.
Class 5 – Indian Experts, Group B:
1. D. Sachin (TVS Racing) 37 (17, 20);
2. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing) 33 (20, 13);
3. Karan Kumar (Hero Motorsports) 28 (11, 17).
Class 6 – Private Experts: Group B:
1. Subramanya (Bengaluru);
2. Shreeraj H (Kerala);
3. Arshad Muhammed (Cheruthuruthy); (Points not received)
Class 7 – Jr. SX1: Group A:
1. Jinendra Sangave (Ichakaranji) 40 (20, 20);
2. Ector Ezak (Kochi) 34 (17, 17);
3. Faiz Sayyed (Pune) 30 (15, 15).
Class 8 – Jr. SX2: Group A:
1. Yash Shinde; KTM SX 85;
2. Akshat Hupale; KTM SX 85;
3. Sujan J. Kawasaki; (All from Pune).
Class 9 – Jr. SX3: Group A:
1. Bhairav C. Gowda (Bengaluru);
2. Chaitanya Joshi (Pune);
3. Nandan Das 30 (15, 15).
Demo class:
1. Vismay Ram (Blr);
2. Rithin Sai (Cbe);
3. Shyam Aditya.
(Complete results are not received yet from the organizers)
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Verstappen takes controlled Qatar Grand Prix win after Norris was penalised: F1
Lusail (Qatar), 1 Dec. 2024: Max Verstappen took a controlled Qatar Grand Prix after chief race rival Lando Norris dropped to last place and recovered to 10th following a penalty for failing to heed yellow flags. Second place for Charles Leclerc ahead of Oscar Piastri means that Ferrari clawed points back against McLaren to take the fight for the Constructors’ Championship to the final round in Abu Dhabi next week.
When the lights went out, Mercedes’ polesitter George Russell made a good start from pole, but Verstappen swiftly drew alongside and then outdragged the Mercedes driver into Turn 1. As the battling pair edged towards the outside of the corner, Norris, starting from third, tried to sneak through on the inside. The McLaren driver was briefly ahead as he and Verstappen went towards Turn 2 but the Red Bull driver resisted to held the lead.
However, at the rear of the field, Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg lost control in Turn 1 and hit the Alpine of Esteban Ocon and the Williams of Franco Colaptino. The latter two ended up beached and the Safety Car was deployed.
Verstappen controlled the lap 4 restart perfectly to hold the lead ahead of Norris and Russell and Piastri, who made his way back past Leclerc after losing the position at the start. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was in sixth place ahead of the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez.
Verstappen then settled into his first stint, though the champion was never truly comfortable as Norris repeatedly nibbled away at a gap that hovered around 1.6 seconds for the first 20 laps.
Russell was the first of the front runners to make a pit stop, on lap 24, but a stuck right rear wheel mean that after spending seven seconds in his pit box, the Mercedes driver dropped down to 11th place.
Tyre changes for the other front runners should have followed, but before any other pit stops could take place there was drama. On lap 32 Alex Albon’s Williams shed a mirror on the pit straight and while there were yellow flags in place Verstappen noted that Norris had closed the gap. He asked his team to check whether the McLaren driver had reduced speed for the flags.
Two laps later, though, Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas ran over the mirror, and debris was strewn across the track. Both Sainz and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton picked up punctures and the Safety car was deployed.
Verstappen pitted for Hard tyres and emerged in the lead behind the SC. His rivals also made their pit stops and Norris slotted back into second. Leclerc, however, managed to jump in front of Piastri, while Pérez also profited from the timing of the SC and he made his way to P5 ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Russell and Sainz.
The Safety Car left the track at the end of lap 39 and Verstappen was almost caught out by Norris. The McLaren driver stuck with the leader and aided by a slipstream on the straight he attacked around the outside. Verstappen defended hard and he was able to hold the lead as they went through the opening corners. Behind them Leclerc fought off the hard-charging Piastri but Gasly was passed by Russell.
There was disaster for Pérez though. Just ahead of the SC leaving the track the Mexican seemed to lose power and then suddenly spun in the final corner. He was forced to retire from the race.
At the back of the field, Hülkenberg spun off and the SC was released yet again. This time Verstappen’s getaway was flawless and he his lead comfortably as Norris was forced to resist pressure from Leclerc.
Norris’ challenge then evaporated. The Briton was hit with a 10 second stop/go penalty for failing to slow for the yellow flags ahead of the first SC period and after pitting on lap 45 he dropped to last place. He would recover to 10th place at the flag.
At the front, Verstappen was comfortable and with no further incidents he was able to cruise home six seconds ahead of Leclerc and Piastri, who were separated by less than a tenth of a second.
Fourth place went to Russell, while Gasly took a well worked fifth place. Sainz crossed the line in sixth ahead of Alonso, Guanyu Zhou took Sauber’s first points of the season with eighth place and Kevin Magnussen finished in ninth place ahead of Norris.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 57 –
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 57 6.031
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 57 6.819
4 George Russell Mercedes 57 14.104
5 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 57 16.782
6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 57 17.476
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 57 19.867
8 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 57 25.360
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 57 32.177
10 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 57 35.762
11 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 57 50.243
12 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 57 56.122
13 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 57 –
14 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 57 –
15 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 56 – 1 lap
Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 39 – Retirement
Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 38 – Retirement
Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 8 – Retirement
Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 0 – Retirement
Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 0 – Retirement -
Norris on pole for Sprint ahead of Russell and Piastri: F1 Qatar GP
Qatar, 29 Nov. 2024: McLaren’s Lando Norris will start the Sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix from the front of the grid with the McLaren driver beating Mercedes’ George Russell to top spot by just 0.063s in a tight Sprint qualifying session at Lusail Circuit. Oscar Piastri took third in the other McLaren as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished fourth and fifth respectively.
At the start of the session, in SQ1, Norris topped the timesheet, posting a lap of 1:21.356 to beat Sainz by almost half a second, with Russell third ahead of Verstappen.
At the wrong end of the order, Sergio Pérez once again failed to match the pace of his Red Bull team-mate and he exited the session in P16, just over a hundredth of a second behind Williams’ Alexz Albon. Pérez Red Bull stablemate Yuki Tsunoda was another surprise faller and the RB driver, who complained of a “rushed” final run finished in P17, 0.04s behind the Mexican. Esteban Ocon was eliminated in 18th place ahead of Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu and last place Williams driver Franco Colapinto.
Verstappen set the opening pace of S2 with a time of 1:22.188, but that was quickly eclipsed by Leclerc who went five hundredths of a second quicker to take P1 and by Norris who slotted into second place 0.015s ahead of the Dutchman. Piastri was going quicker than all three, however, and he claimed top sport with a lap of 1:22.050.
Norris’s second run was even quicker and the Briton moved to the top of the order with a lap of 1:21.231 that put him ahead of Russell who climbed to second thanks to a lap of 1:21.4988. Piastri went again but time lose when he went wide late in the lap saw him take third place just over three tenths off his team-mate. Hamilton took fourth ahead of Verstappen and Sainz, with Leclerc in P7 ahead Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and RB’s Liam Lawson.
However, there was no place in the top-10 shootout for Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso who exited in P11, just four hundredths of a second off Lawson’s time. Also eliminated at the end of SQ2 were Williams’ 12th-placed Alex Albon who went out ahead of Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.
Norris was in imperious form in the opening runs of SQ3. The McLaren driver set a blistering lap of 1:21.012 on his first attempt on Soft tyres, more than 0.015s clear of team-mate Piastri and almost three tenths ahead Russell.
Norris pushed more on his second run but the Briton clipped the gravel at Turn 2 and he backed out the attempt. That left the door slightly but while no one could go quicker, Russell close to within a tenths and Piastri ended the session just 0.159s off his team-mate.
Sainz will start the Sprint from fourth ahead of Leclerc, with Verstappen in sixth place. Hamilton was seventh fastest, half-a-second clear of Gasly. Hülkenberg was ninth ahead of Liam Lawson, who had a better lap deleted for a track limits violation.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix – Sprint Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:21.012 – –
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:21.075 0.063 0.078
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:21.171 0.159 0.196
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:21.281 0.269 0.332
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:21.308 0.296 0.365
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:21.315 0.303 0.374
7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:21.474 0.462 0.570
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:21.978 0.966 1.192
9 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:22.088 1.076 1.328
10 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 1:22.577 1.565 1.932
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:22.433 1.421 1.754
12 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:22.526 1.514 1.869
13 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:22.538 1.526 1.884
14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:22.599 1.587 1.959
15 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1:22.738 1.726 2.131
16 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:22.718 1.706 2.106
17 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:22.722 1.710 2.111
18 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:22.906 1.894 2.338
19 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:22.948 1.936 2.390
20 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1:23.423 2.411 2.976 -
Aishwarya Pissay of Sherco TVS Rally team all set for FIM Bajas WC final round
Dubai, Nov. 28, 2024: TVS Racing’s star racer, Aishwarya Pissay, the only World Cup winner from India in motorsports is raring to go at the final round of the FIM Bajas World Cup here from Friday.
The Bengaluru champion who re-launched her international campaign at the Baja Spain Aragon, the third round and finished a creditable second, also took part in the gruelling 590-km of Hungarian Baja this year and kept her good standing on the table.
The Baja season will end with the medal ceremony for the winners of the FIM Bajas World Cup in the Moto, Quad, Women, Junior, veteran and Trail categories on Sunday. Twenty-nine bikes will line up on the start on the final weekend in the Dubai desert.
After a long break due to an injury, Aishwarya worked hard on rehabilitation and plunged into high-performance training abroad for about 45 days. The final round of the FIM Bajas World Cup is set to be an exhilarating showdown, with Aishwarya Pissay aiming to cement her place among the elite. Competing in the Women’s Category, she brings a wealth of experience and adaptability to varying terrains, which will be crucial in this climactic event. This round will feature gruelling stages that test navigation, endurance, and strategy, providing a platform for Aishwarya to showcase her growth and determination. With 29 riders set to participate in the race, she will be a part of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team. The winner of 2019 World Cup Baja is all geared up for the final hurray and is eager to make the podium of the World Cup once again.
The multiple Indian National rally champion who became the first Indian woman to make her international debut at Baja Spain in 2018 at the age of 22, this will be Aishwarya’s third shot at the World Cup. The Indian rider supported by TVS Racing, co-sponsored by Scott, Ultrahuman, IIFL and Micro Labs, looks to turn tables astride a Sherco 450 SEF. She trained hard, setting up a short base in Dubai, to fine-tune her physical fitness and riding skills.
“Getting back into shape both mentally and physically, is of utmost importance. It was a high-performance training focussed on fitness and mental conditioning but also on identifying and fine-tuning my riding skills and learning the terrain and the art of navigation. Staying focussed and calm are some other interesting aspects that I learnt and enjoyed,” said Aishwarya, who continues to get support from Surana College, her alma mater.
“The training abroad has given me much confidence and now is the time to utilise these skills and continue learning. I will focus on the Baja for the next three days. Every incident has taught me lessons and made me stronger and I am ready to go,” said the 28-year-old, who bounced back after the life-threatening accident in 2018 to bag the World Cup.
On Thursday, The riders did the administrative and technical checks at Dubai Festival City Mall and then took part in the start ceremony. On Friday, a short 4.32km Prologue will determine the starting order for the first 195km special stage on Saturday.
On December 1, at the finish of the second stage, which will also run for 195km, the winners of the various categories will be crowned after a long season in Europe and the Middle East. Only the best six results will be counted towards the final standings from the eight Bajas.
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Max Verstappen Clinches Fourth Consecutive F1 Title in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (US), 24 Nov. 2024: Max Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive Formula One Drivers’ Championship with a fifth-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Dutchman now joins legends Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel with four titles, trailing only Juan Manuel Fangio (5), Lewis Hamilton (7), and Michael Schumacher (7).
Mercedes’ George Russell won the Las Vegas Grand Prix, having led the race from pole position, with teammate Lewis Hamilton coming home second. Ferrari’s Carlo Sainz Jr rounded out the podium, edging out teammate Charles Leclerc who finished in fourth.
Verstappen arrived in Nevada following a remarkable comeback win at the São Paulo Grand Prix, where he charged from 17th on the grid to victory. In Las Vegas, his task was clear: finish ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris to clinch the championship. Starting fifth, one position ahead of Norris, Verstappen expertly managed his race, crossing the finish line in fifth, while Norris placed sixth.
With this milestone, Verstappen becomes only the fifth driver in F1 history to win four consecutive titles—an achievement surpassed only by Schumacher’s unprecedented five.
Christian Horner, CEO and Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, praised Verstappen’s dominance:
“Max has been in a league of his own this year. With eight Grand Prix wins—more than double anyone else—his consistency, teamwork, and sheer determination have been extraordinary. He’s handled the pressure with the poise of a true champion.”
Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Pérez delivered a gritty performance, climbing from 16th on the grid to 10th, securing a vital championship point.
Meanwhile, in a strong showing for Visa Cash App RB, Yuki Tsunoda impressed with a ninth-place finish, securing vital points for the team, with Liam Lawson finishing 16th.
With two races remaining in the season, Verstappen has cemented his status as one of Formula One’s greatest drivers. The spotlight now shifts to the remaining battles on the grid, where teams and drivers fight for crucial points to close out the 2024 season.
Find out more about Max Verstappen’s winning mentality by listening to the world champion speak in the Mind Set Win podcast HERE.
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Sizzling Gaurav Gill wins Robusta Rally, back in contention for INRC title
Ammathi (Kodagu), 24 Nov. 2024:Seven times National champion Gaurav Gill displayed enough speed and skill to emerge triumphant in the Robusta Rally, the fifth and penultimate round of the Blueband Sports fmsci Indian National Rally Championship 2024 organised by Robusta Adventure and Sports Academy here, on Sanday.
Notching up his second straight win after the success in the Rally of Hyderabad last month, Arjuna Awardee Gill, along with co-driver Aniruddha Rangnekar, was in superb form and exhibited controlled aggression on the final day for a comfortable win and bagged full 40 points.
The win saw Gill drawing closer to table topper Karna Kadur (Musa Sherif) of Arka Motorsports, who finished second overall. 2021 champion Aditya Thakur (Virender Kashyap) upped the game in the last stage to pip local favourites Jason Saldanha (Thimmu Uddapanda) by a second to take overall third place.
“It is a nice feeling to win back-to-back. I must thank my team, probably the smallest with just four mechanics, who have put in a lot of hard work to give me a perfect car. JK Tyre also deserves commendation for the tyres they specially developed for my car. I think I am getting better as a driver. I would say I was in total control in both Hyderabad and here. My first aim this season has been to bring the car home and I am happy that I managed to do that in two consecutive rallies this season.”
Himachal Pradesh duo Aditya Thakur and Virender Kasyap won the INRC2 class beating the Karnataka pair of Jason Saldanha and Thimmu Uddapanda while Mangaluru’s Dean Mascarenhas (Gagan Karumbaiah) powered his way from 11th to third in the class.
In INRC 3 class, Daraius Shroff (Mumbai) and Arjun Dheerendra of Chettinad Sporting, the championship leaders won by over a minute to stay at the top. Gurugram-Bengaluru pair of Arnav Pratap Singh and Rohin N of Snap Racing came second and Jeet Jhabakh of Hyderabad with Sekar of Erode as co-driver, also from Chettinad Sporting, pushed his way to the third place. Arnav Pratap also won the Junior INRC.
Dehradun’s Anushriya Gulati (co-driver Karan Aukta) won the Ladies class followed by talented Nikeetaa Takkale (Raghuram Saminathan) in second and Shillong’s Phoebe Nongrum (Nash Ross).
Provisional Final Results:
INRC Overall:
1. Gaurav Gill (privateers, Delhi)/ Anirudha Rangnekar (Pune) (01 hour, 40 minutes, 36.6 seconds);
2. Karna Kadur (Arka Motorsports, Bengaluru)/ Musa Sherif (Kasargod) (01:41:57.0);
3. Aditya Thakur (Chettinad Sporting Solan) / Virender Kashyap (Shimla) (01:44:27.3);
INRC2:
1. Aditya Thakur (Chettinad Sporting Solan) / Virender Kashyap (Shimla) (01:44:27.3);
2. Jason Saldhanha (Arka Motorsports, Hassan)/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Kodagu) (01:44:28.5);
3. Dean Mascarenhas (Pvt. Mangaluru)/ Gagan Karumbaiah (Virajpet) (01:44:51.8);
INRC3:
1. Daraius Shroff (Chettinad Sporting, Mumbai)/ Arjun Dheerendra (Bengaluru) (01:45.02.4);
2. Arnav Pratap Singh (Snap Racing, Gurugram)/ Rohit N (Bengaluru) (01:46:10.3);
3. Jeet Jhabakh (Chettinad Sporting, Hyderabad)/ V. Sekhar (Erode) (01:46:53.8);
Ladies Class:
1. Anushriya Gulati (Arka Motorsports, Dehradun)/ Karan Aukta (Jubbal) (01:52:20.9);
2. Nikeetaa Takkale (Pvt, Pune)/ Raghuram Saminathan (Coimbatore) (01:55:07.3);
3. Phoebe Nongrum (Snap Racing, Shillong)/ Nash Ross (Hyderabad) (02:05:49.0);
Junior INRC:1. Arnav Pratap Singh (Snap Racing, Gurugram)/ Rohit N (Bengaluru) (01:46:10.3);
2. Abhin R Rai/ Arvind Dheerendra (Ideal Racing, both Bengaluru) (01:47:53.2);
3. Arjun Rajiv (Chettinadu Sporting)/ Vinay Padmashali (Both Bengaluru) (01:49:14.6);
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Max seals 4th F1 title; Russell wins at Las Vegas, Hami makes it 1-2 for Mercedes
Las Vegas (US) 24 Nov. 2024: Max Verstappen coolly sealed his fourth consecutive FIA Formula One World Drivers’ Championship title with a measured drive to fifth at the end of a Las Vegas Grand Prix won in commanding style by George Russell. Lewis Hamilton made it a 1-2 for Mercedes, while the final podium place went to Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
Red Bull driver Verstappen only needed to finish ahead of sole remaining title rival Lando Norris to take the crown and after fending off a challenge from the McLaren driver at the start of the race, the Dutchman stretched away to rise as high as second in the race. And with Norris lodged in sixth for the bulk of the race Verstappen was comfortable enough to drop behind Hamilton, Sainz and the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in the closing stages.
“What a season. Four times. Thank you, guys,” Verstappen said on the radio after crossing the line. “Thank you to everyone. I mean, it was a little bit more difficult than last year, but we pulled through and we gave it all.”
At the start, polesitter Russell got away well to take the lead but it was Leclerc who best reacted to the lights and as the field went through Turn 1 the Ferrari driver slipped past third-place starter Pierre Gasly and Sainz to take P2.
Behind the top four, Verstappen and Norris got away well from fifth and sixth, but going into Turn 1, Norris drew alongside on the inside. Verstappen held a wide line, however, and emerged from Turn 2 ahead.
On lap four Verstappen closed right up to Gasly and on the way into Turn 14 the Dutchman muscled his way past the Frenchman to take fourth place. Further ahead, Leclerc, who had been pushing hard to get past Russell, began to struggle for grip and after being passed by team-mate Sainz, the Monegasque fell back towards Verstappen who wasted no time in dispatching the Ferrari driver on lap 8 to claim a podium position. Behind him Norris made his way past Gasly to take fifth place but the gap to Verstappen was growing.
On lap 10 both Leclerc and Norris were called to the pits for fresh tyres and both took on Hard tyres. On the following lap Sainz was also called in but Verstappen was already past and into second place.
The Red Bull driver then made his own pit stop on lap 12 and after bolting on a set of Hard tyres I just two seconds he rejoined in sixth place, in backmarking traffic, but crucially ahead of both Ferraris and ahead of Norris.
As the Medium-tyre starters began to flood into pit lane, Verstappen again rose to third place, behind Hard-tyre starting team-mate Sergio Pérez. At the front, Russell was now stretching away and in such control that he was comfortably able to put and emerge in the lead.
Verstappen was soon past Pérez who then began to drop back before his own stop. Verstappen then made his second stop on lap 28, taking on another set of Hard tyres. Behind him, Sainz went to pit ahead of Hamilton, but at the last second Ferrari told him to stay out. The Spaniard was already across the white line of the pit entry and he had to swerve right to stay on track.
The second round of stops then began to play out and when the order shook out once again Russell still led, 11 seconds clear of hard-charging team-mate Lewis Hamilton with Max in third ahead of Sainz, Leclerc and Norris.
At the front, Hamilton, showing dazzling pace, began to reel in Verstappen and after easily passing the Dutchman, who offered little resistance, the seven-time champion set off in pursuit of Russell.
The younger Mercedes driver was now in management mode, however, and though Hamilton closed the gap to five seconds at one point, Russell was always in control and after 50 laps crossed the line with seven seconds in hand over Hamilton to seal his third career win.
Behind the Mercedes pair, Verstappen was also playing a sensible game. With a dozen seconds in hand over sixth-placed Norris, the Dutchman didn’t resist when Sainz and Leclerc closed in. On lap 42 he allowed Sainz to ease through and five laps later, Leclerc made his way past to drop the champion elect to fifth place.
He crossed the line more than 24 seconds clear of Norris, who had made a late stop for fresh tyres and to seal the point for fastest lap, and claimed his fourth title.
“It’s been a long season,” Max reflected afterwards. “Of course, we started off amazing. It was almost like cruising, but then we had a tough run. But as a team, we kept it together. We kept working on improvements. And yeah, we pulled over the line. I’m incredibly proud of everyone, what they have done for me. And to stand here as a four-time world champion is of course something that I never thought was possible. So yeah, at the moment, just feeling relieved in a way, but also very proud”.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix – Race
1 George Russell Mercedes 50 1:22’05.969
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 50 1:22’13.282 7.313
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 50 1:22’17.875 11.906
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 50 1:22’20.252 14.283
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 50 1:22’22.551 16.582
6 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 50 1:22’49.354 43.385
7 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 50 1:22’57.334 51.365
8 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 50 1:23’05.777 59.808
9 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 50 1:23’08.777 1’02.808
10 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 50 1:23’09.083 1’03.114
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 50 1:23’15.164 1’09.195
12 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 50 1:23’15.772 1’09.803
13 Zhou Guan Yu Sauber/Ferrari 50 1:23’20.054 1’14.085
14 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 50 1:23’21.141 1’15.172
15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 50 1:23’30.071 1’24.102
16 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 50 1:23’36.974 1’31.00
17 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 49 1:22’08.029 1 lap /2.060
18 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 49 1:22’17.254 1 lap /11.285
Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 25 42’12.021 Power Unit
Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 15 25’36.973 Power Unit -
Gaurav Gill takes lead on Day1: INRC Robusta Rally
Ammathi (Kodagu), 23 Nov. 2024: Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill and co-driver Aniruddha Rangnekar overcame initial hiccups and performed admirably to take the lead after Day 1 in the Robusta Rally, the fifth and penultimate round of the Blueband Sports fmsci Indian National Rally Championship 2024 organised by Robusta Adventure and Sports Academy here, on Saturday.
The Speed Maestro from Delhi, Gill, was forced to start on a cautious note as their intercom failed resulting in no calls and he had to drive from memory. After losing 17.4 seconds to Karna Kadur, who was fastest in Stage 1, Gill bounced back brilliantly to clock the fastest times in the remaining five Stages and took a handsome lead of over 53 seconds by the end of the day.
“It has been a perfect day. The stages were rougher than I expected with massive stones and boulders but we managed to overcome all odds as our tyres performed well. We had decent speeds and the goal is to bring back the car home tomorrow,” said the seven-time National champion, Gill.
Championship leaders Karna Kadur and co-driver Musa Sherif of Arka Motorsports were second overall followed by Hassan’s Jason Saldhanha and local co-driver Timmu Uddapanda. He who overtook former National champion Aditya Thakur (Chettinad Sporting) in the final Stage of the day, was also leading in INRC2 class with Thakur in second place ahead of Jahaan Singh Gill of Snap Racing.
Chettinad Sporting’s Daraius Shroff from Mumbai, the championship leader in INRC3 category took a 20-second lead over Abhin Rai.
Fabid Ahmer, Harkrishan Wadia, Philippos Matthai and Chetan Shivram were some of the top casualties on Day 1. Of the 61 cars that took the start, only 43 cars finished the day.
On Sunday, the rally will run another six Special Stages at Woshully and Margoli estates.
Provisional Results after Day 1 (Leg 1 – Saturday):
INRC Overall:
1. Gaurav Gill (privateers, Delhi)/ Anirudha Rangnekar (Pune) (00, 57 minutes, 35.1 seconds);
2. Karna Kadur (Arka Motorsports, Bengaluru)/ Musa Sherif (Kasargod) (00:58:28.3);
3. Jason Saldhanha (Arka Motorsports, Hassan)/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Kodagu) (00:59:05.1);
INRC2: 1. Jason Saldhanha (Arka Motorsports, Hassan)/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Kodagu) (00:59:05.1);
2. Aditya Thakur (Chettinad Sporting Solan) / Virender Kashyap (Shimla) (00:59:36.7);
3. Jahaan Singh Gill (Snap Racing, Chandigarh)/ Suraj K Prasad (Bengaluru) (01:00:31.5);
INRC3: 1. Daraius Shroff (Chettinad Sporting, Mumbai)/ Arjun Dheerendra (Bengaluru) (01:00.44.3);
2. Abhin R Rai/ Arvind Dheerendra (Ideal Racing, both Bengaluru) (01:01:06.6);
3. Arnav Pratap Singh (Snap Racing, Gurugram)/ Rohit N (Bengaluru) (01:01:33.8);
Ladies Class: 1. Anushriya Gulati (Arka Motorsports, Dehradun)/ Karan Aukta (01:04:08.0);
2. Nikeetaa Takkale (Pvt, Pune)/ Raghuram Saminathan (Coimbatore) (01:05:52.8);
3. Phoebe Nongrum (Snap Racing, Shillong)/ Nash Ross (Hyderabad) (01:08:18.2);
Junior INRC: 1. Abhin R Rai/ Arvind Dheerendra (Ideal Racing, both Bengaluru) (01:01:06.6);
2. Arnav Pratap Singh (Snap Racing, Gurugram)/ Rohit N (Bengaluru) (01:01:33.8);
3. Arjun Rajiv (Chettinadu Sporting)/ Vinay Padmashali (Both Bengaluru) (01:04:44.9);
Fmsci Classic Challenge:
1. Harish KN Gowda/ Mahesh Nandi (Privateers, both Bengaluru) (01:10:15.1);
2. Praveen Dwarakanath/ Kariyappa (Kass Motorsports., both Bengaluru) (01:10:29.9);
3. Thejas S Reddy/ Ravindra Kumar (Pvt. Both Bengaluru) (01:14:32.2);
Fmsci Gypsy Challenge: 1. Darshan Nachappa/ Abinav Ganapathy (Pvt. Both Kodagu) (01:08:08.4);
2. Sanjay Aggarwal/ Dheeraj Manae (Pvt. Both Bengaluru) (01:09:00.8);
3. Dr Akarsh Sundar (Pvt., Chikmagalur)/ Ravi Kumar (Bengaluru) (01:10:14.8);
