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Mahindra Racing unveils Season 8 car: M7 electro-ZF
The Anglo-Indian outfit unveiled its new car with a refreshed identity at the new ZF factory in Birmingham, UK. Team principal Dilbagh Gill, drivers Alexander Sims and Oliver Rowland – a new signing for Season 8 from Nissan e.dams – were joined by Mahindra & Mahindra’s chief customer and brand officer Asha Kharga at the event.
“The new dynamic Mahindra wordmark reflects the sleeker, more tech-focused Mahindra of today,” said Kharga. “The new ‘Born EV’ logo is electric-in-motion, it feels like a force of red and silver energy passed by in high-speed. It reflects our focus and commitment to the electric revolution. By sporting the new identity, the race team has become the first of Mahindra companies to be adorned with the new brand identity elements.”
- Mahindra Racing’s Season 8 charger unveiled: The M7Electro, powered by ZF, features an all-red livery embellished with Mahindra & Mahindra refreshed identity
- The global unveil of the brand-new Mahindra wordmark and Born EV logo reflects the marque’s focus and commitment to the electric revolution
- Shell and Maurice Lacroix extend team partnerships
- Team certified ISO 14001 as it continues to lead the way as Champions of Sustainability
Mahindra’s design division, Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (M.A.D.E.) has been instrumental in creating the ‘Born EV’ platform. Mahindra Racing, competing at the pinnacle of global electric racing, is helping accelerate Mahindra’s global EV vision by bringing knowledge and technology from the sport to road vehicles in its ‘Race to Road’ technology programme.
Continuing to lead the way as Champions of Sustainability, Mahindra Racing is also proud to announce yet another accolade to its rollcall of achievements. Following a successful audit process, the team has received official ISO 14001:2015 certification. ISO 14001 is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for an Environmental Management System (EMS). It helps organisations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste, gaining a competitive advantage and the trust of stakeholders.
The M7Electro will take on its final year of racing before the Gen3 cars replace the current Gen2 from Season 9 onwards. This season will see the continuation of competition of the car powered by the ZF powertrain and utilising the dedicated e-Transmission fluid developed by Shell for optimised on-track performance. These key technical partnerships that debuted during Season 7 saw the team achieve 1 race victory, 4 podiums, 9 Super Pole appearances, 1 Pole Position and 2 Group Qualifying Poles.
Season 8 sees a new phase of the team’s partnership with Shell, as it extends and strengthens its relationship with Mahindra Racing on a multi-year basis. The team is also pleased to announce an extension of its partnership with luxury Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix, which continues as Official Timekeeper.
Dilbagh Gill, CEO & Team Principal, Mahindra Racing said, “On the cusp of a new season, we are thrilled to reveal our new race car. We head into our eighth year of competition reinvigorated and working hand in hand to maximise our package with the fantastic partners we have; including ZF and Shell, whose technology forms key parts of our M7Electro.”
Nick Heidfeld steps away from his previous position as Official Test and Reserve Driver but retains his role as Special Advisor to Mahindra Racing. Jordan King continues for a second year as Development Driver.
Alexander Sims, entering his second year as a Mahindra Racing driver, will compete in the #29 M7Electro, which fans have voted to be named as ‘Rath’ (which means Chariot in Hindi). Alongside him in the #30 will be Oliver Rowland, who joins Mahindra Racing from Nissan e.dams, having achieved 1 victory and 5 podiums in his Formula E career to date. Fans have voted his car to be called ‘Rowl With It’ in this season.
Mahindra Racing will be in action alongside the other teams at the official pre-season test from 29 November to 2 December 2021 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. Season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will start on 28 January 2022 with a double-header in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia and is due to be the longest season in Formula E history, comprising 16 races.
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Kyle Kumaran, Rohaan Madesh dominate
Bengaluru, 16 November 2021: Kyle Aditya Kumaran of Peregrine Racing in Senior Class and Rohaan Madesh in Junior class, dominated the proceedings in the third round of the Meco FMSCI National Karting Championship 2021 Rotax Max Class which concluded at Meco Kartopia here on Sunday.
The 18-year old Chennai born Kumaran of Peregrine Racing won by a mile, in every race he took part, clocked fastest laps and is on top of the standings in Senior Class after three rounds. Ameya Bafna, the 2012 champion, of Rayo Racing and Suriya Varathan, also from Peregrine, shared the spoils behind Kumaran in the Senior class in Round 3. Kyle Kumaran is on top of the standings after three rounds followed by Ameya Bafna of Mumbai and K Suriya Varathan of Chennai.
In Junior Class, it was Rohaan Madesh, made a comeback winning a double in Round 3 after he suffered some mechanical issues in Round 2, held on Thursday and Friday. Defending champion Ruhaan Alva of MSport, who won the Round 2 suffered a rare loss in Round 3 but retrieved some crucial points with a podium in the Finals to lead the table in Junior Class. Ishaan Madesh, the Junior of Madesh brothers, took the pole but lost out to a jump-start penalty and had to be content with two fastest laps. Abhay M of Birel Art India is second in the standings with two second places in the third round. Rohaan Madesh and Abhay M are second and third on the points table after Round 3.
Aditya Suresh Kamat of Birel Art India and Madurai karter Anuj A of MSport shared honours in Micro Max class in Round 3 with Shrili Mistry of Erda’s Racing, Vadodara, throwing a spanner in the boys’ party with a second in Pre-Finals. Arafath Sheikh (MSport) of Pune came third in the Round 3 finals. Aditya leads the table followed by Anuj in second and Arafath in third after three rounds.
Final Classification: Round 3 – Pre Final
Senior Max (18 laps): 1. Kyle Kumaran (Peregrine Racing) (17:02.325); 2. Ameya Bafna (Rayo Racing) (17;04.130); 3. K Suriya Varathan (Peregrine) (17:04.719); 3. Fastest lap: Kyle Kumaran 55.962.
Junior Max (12 laps): 1. Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing) (11:25.659); 2. Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine) 11:25.834; 3. Abhay M (Birel Art India) (11:31.304); Fastest lap: Ishaan Madesh 56.312.
Micro Max: (10 laps): 1. Anuj A (MSport, Madurai) (10:34.527); 2. Shrili Mistry (Erda’s Racing, Vadodara) (10:35.053); 3. Aditya Suresh Kamat (Birel Art India, Bengaluru) (10:35.866); Fastest lap: 1:01.895 by Shrili Mistry.
Round 3 – Final: Senior Max (15 laps): 1. Kyle Kumaran (Peregrine Racing) (14:12.658); 2. K Suriya Varathan (Peregrine) (14:13.668); 3. Ameya Bafna (Rayo Racing) (14;14.154); Fastest lap: Kyle Kumaran 55.987.
Junior Max (15 laps): 1. Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing) (14:20.599); 2. Abhay M (Birel Art India) (14:21.655); 3. Ruhaan Alva (MSport) (14:24.125); Fastest lap: Ishaan Madesh 56.404.Micro Max: (12 laps): 1. Aditya Suresh Kamat (Birel Art India, Bengaluru) (12:35.033); 2. Anuj A (MSport, Madurai) (12:38.402); 3. Arafath Sheikh (MSport) (12:38.632); Fastest lap: 1:01.822 Anuj A.
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Hamilton wins from P10, says one of his finest wins
Lewis Hamilton took an emphatic victory after receiving multiple grid penalties and labeling it as one of his finest drives of his career. With the victory he closed up the championship battle as Max Verstappen finished second on the road and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas completed the podium.
London, 15 November 2021: Lewis Hamilton started the race P10 after finishing P5 for the sprint qualifying- starting last (P20) for the sprint qualifying due to his car failing rear wing technical requirement. Mercedes chose to take a new Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) for Hamilton, hence, the Briton getting a five place. Teammate Valtteri Bottas started on pole as title rival Max Verstappen started alongside on the front row.
Verstappen returned the favour to Bottas as he stole the lead of the race from Bottas by virtue of a better launch off the grid- Bottas doing the same in sprint qualifying. Behind Perez made it past Bottas into turn 4 making it a Red Bull one-two, the worst possible start for Mercedes. Meanwhile, at the start Lando Norris had a better start than Ferrari rival Carlos Sainz. He tried to sneak past Sainz on the outside but brushed his rear tyres against Sainz’s front giving Norris a puncture and dropping to last place as he nursed his car back to the pits.
By the end of lap 1, Hamilton was already in P6. By lap 4 he was already past Sainz and Charles Leclerc, with only 2s behind teammate Bottas. Bottas dulylet him by on lap 5 to go and attack Perez and Verstappen.Behind, AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda made an ambitious lunge on Lance Stroll resulting in the Japanese rookie losing his front wing and the Aston Martin car shedding its aerodynamic bodywork on the track. A safety car was called out to clear out the debris.
Racing resumed on lap 10 with Red Bull still holding one-two and Hamilton fast in pursuit of them. On lap 18 Hamilton got a good run on Perez on the start finish straight as he broke late and overtook the Mexican. But Perez got a better run out of the opening corners and returned the favour on the back straight to Hamilton. A lap later Hamilton went past Perez on the main straight, this time holding position as Verstappen was 3.8s ahead in the lead.
Hamilton pitted first to undercut Verstappen on lap 26 for a set of hard tyres. Verstappen followed suit on the next lap as he emerged only 1.6s ahead of Hamilton this time, the Briton hot on his tail. Behind Perez pitted on lap 28 as he was in a fight with Bottas for P3. Another Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed on lap 30 to clear debris left by Stroll’s car. This helped Bottas pit and emerge ahead of Perez in P3.
Verstappen lead by about a second before the Dutchman bit the bullet first this time around to avoid the undercut from Hamilton and pittedat the end of lap 40 for another set of hard tyres. Bottas pitted on lap 41 and Perez on lap 42 for their respective second pitstops. Meanwhile, Hamilton carried on for three more laps than his championship rival, finally pitting at the end of lap 43 for hard tyres and emerging in P2 1.5s behind Verstappen. The undercut was not particularly powerful around the Interlagos track.
Hamilton turned up the pace on lap 48 as he closed in on Verstappen and attempted to get past around the outside of turn 4. Verstappen was not having any of it as he broke late and forced both Hamilton and himself wide and off the track. The incident was reported to stewards as they deemed it not necessary for investigation. Hamilton responded on the radio saying “of course”, unhappy with the steward’s decision.
Hamilton stuck on Verstappen’s tail hovering around under 1s behind.Hamilton trying the same move in turn 4 as Verstappen weaved on track to break the slipstream. This time Hamilton bided his time not lunging on the outside, instead waiting for the next lap. Once again the Briton getting a much better exit than the Dutchman out of the opening set of corners as they raced down towards turn 4. This time Hamilton made the move stick, completing it even before they reached turn 4 as the crowd went euphoric with this move.
The epic comeback was complete as Hamilton overcame not one but two grid penalties to win the Sao Paulo Grand Prix with Red Bull having no answer to his and Mercedes’ pace. For Verstappen it was damage limitation as his championship lead was reduced to 14 points. Bottas completed the podium which helped Mercedes pull 11 points clear of Red Bull in the constructor’s championship with Perez finishing in P4, albeit taking the fastest lap on the last lap and with that an extra championship point.
In the midfield Ferrari duo of Leclerc and Sainz finished in P5 and P6 respectively, increasing their lead over McLaren in the constructor’s championship to 31.5 points as Norris was the sole McLaren that got points in P10. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly finished in P7, ahead of Alpine’s duo of Esteban Ocon in P8 and Fernando Alonso in P9. Alpine and AlphaTauri tied on points in the constructor’s championship with this result.
Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel just missed out on points by 1.2s as he finished in P11 ahead of Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo, the Finn winning his 2007 championship at the same track. Williams’ George Russell finished in P13 and teammate Nicholas Latifi finished in P16. Antonio Giovinazzi finished in P14 with his Alfa Romeo seat for next year still uncertain while AlphaTauri rookie Tsunoda finished in P15. Haas’ Nikita Mazepin outraced teammate Mick Schumacher as they finished P17 and P18 respectively. Stroll had to retire due to extensive damage to his car after contact with Tsunoda while McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo retired due to a power unit issue, a worrying sign for Mercedes.
Mercedes had the outright pace on this track over Red Bull, especially mega straight-line speed compared to the Austrian team, enabling Hamilton to do an impressive comeback. Mercedes dominated qualifying while they had the faster race car as well, as evident by Hamilton getting past Verstappen and finishing 10.4s ahead in the lead. Red Bull could not match Mercedes’ pace especially on the straights and hence, were vulnerable to their chief rivals. It remains to be seen if Mercedes will hold this advantage going into the last three races of the season or will Red Bull be faster as they have been for more than two-thirds of the season.
Ferrari cemented their position in P3 in the constructor’s championship as they had a faster car than AlphaTauri and McLaren, especially in race pace, helped in part by their new hybrid system introduced a few races ago. AlphaTauri showed best in midfield qualifying pace again in the hands of Gasly, but lost out in the sprint race to the Ferrari cars. Gasly still managed to outrace the McLaren and more importantly the Alpine cars with whom they are tied in the constructor’s championship. McLaren had another disaster race as they lost yet more ground to Ferrari in the constructor’s championship. Ricciardo retired due to reliability problems and Norris suffered puncture on lap 1. They may have had the pace to challenge the squad from Maranello but these problems meant they have only scored two points in the last two races.
Alpine had a positive weekend as both cars finished in the points and they are still locked in for a fight in the constructor’s championship with AlphaTauri. Aston Martin had race pace similar to Alpine but with the midfield being tight and being difficult to overtake they finished just outside the points. Alfa Romeo too had decent race pace as Raikkonen after starting from the pitlane managed to finish P12, gaining eight positions in the process.
Williams had another scoreless weekend but achieved their best result of P13 with Russell in the last four races. An encouraging result going into the last three races of the season as they still head Alfa Romeo in the constructor’s championship. Haas’ Mazepin outraced teammate Schumacher for the first time in a long while. Both drivers had positive feedback of the car on this track, a rarity for Haas in such a difficult season for the American team.
Saturday Sprint Qualifying results were:
P1: Valtteri Bottas- 77 (Mercedes) P2: Max Verstappen- 33 (Red Bull) P3: Carlos Sainz- 55 (Ferrari) P4: Sergio Perez- 11 (Red Bull) P5: Lewis Hamilton- 44 (Mercedes) P6: Lando Norris- 4 (McLaren) P7: Charles Leclerc- 16 (Ferrari) P8: Pierre Gasly- 10 (AlphaTauri) P9: Esteban Ocon- 31 (Alpine) P10: Sebastian Vettel- 5 (Aston Martin) P11: Daniel Ricciardo- 3 (McLaren) P12: Fernando Alonso- 14 (Alpine) P13: Antonio Giovinazzi- 99 (Alfa Romeo) P14: Lance Stroll- 18 (Aston Martin) P15: Yuki Tsunoda- 22 (AlphaTauri) P16: Nicholas Latifi- 6 (Williams) P17: George Russell- 63 (Williams) P18: Kimi Raikkonen- 7 (Alfa Romeo) P19: Mick Schumacher- 47 (Haas) P20: Nikita Mazepin- 9 (Haas) Note – Hamilton penalised 5 grid places for use of additional power unit element. Raikkonen required to start from the pit lane, as car modified whilst under Parc Ferme conditions.
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Rossi named MotoGP Legend
An extra special awards ceremony brings the curtain down on another spectacular season, including one final surprise…
Valencia, 14 Nov 2021: Already a legend, Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) has been inducted into the MotoGP™ Hall of Fame and is now an official MotoGP™ Legend! The nine-time World Champion was surprised with the honour at the FIM MotoGP™ Awards Ceremony, adding to a roll call of celebrations throughout the day as he hangs up his racing leathers.
The emotional lap of honour after the race and hero’s welcome were only the start on Sunday, and those came after a weekend already painted yellow in the number 46’s honour. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta presented Rossi with the MotoGP™ Legend trophy on the stage, celebrating 26 seasons of history made and hearts captured around the world. Nine World Championships, 115 wins and 235 podiums across all classes are incredible numbers, but the legend is even more than those.
The Italian joins a long list of greats that have been made MotoGP™ Legends that includes Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan, Geoff Duke, Wayne Gardner, Mike Hailwood, Daijiro Kato, Eddie Lawson, Anton Mang, Angel Nieto, Wayne Rainey, Phil Read, Jim Redman, Kenny Roberts, Jarno Saarinen, Kevin Schwantz, Barry Sheene, Marco Simoncelli, Freddie Spencer, Casey Stoner, John Surtees, Carlo Ubbiali, Alex Crivillé, Franco Uncini, Marco Lucchinelli, Randy Mamola, Kork Ballington, Dani Pedrosa, Stefan Dörflinger, Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez and the late, great Nicky Hayden.
#GrazieVale!
Valentino Rossi, MotoGP™ Legend: “I always think of this day like a nightmare, because it’s the end of the a long career and I think it would be in Valencia but in the end I enjoyed it a lot so I have to thank everyone, everyone who has worked with me, the whole paddock, the other riders… it was an unforgettable day and I enjoyed it. It was a long career, and always a pleasure.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “The only thing I can say to Vale is thank you very much. It’s been amazing since 1997 in Malaysia, we saw a guy doing fantastic races but also very special for so many reasons. We started to talk with him and since that time, everything we’ve done together, with everyone who works in MotoGP it’s been amazing.
Rossi was presented with the medal by Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta “First of all Valentino has been an incredible rider, even yesterday, at 42, he was within tenths of Fabio. But also his personality, the situation he’s helped us to create, the Safety Commission, it’s something very special. These are all the words I can say. Grazie, Valentino!”
FIM MotoGP Awards Ceremony brings 2021 to a close
Sunday at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana is a day that will go down in history for a few reasons and the FIM MotoGP™ Awards ceremony brought the curtain down on the season. It also hosted the induction of a new MotoGP™ Legend as nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a surprise, the Italian going from legend to Legend.
The Champions and winners in 2021 also took centre stage, including – of course – newly-crowned MotoGP™ World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) fresh from Moto2™ glory and the Moto3™ history maker himself, rookie World Champion Pedro Acosta.
The 2021 Awards were hosted by Gavin Emmett and Andrea Schlager, with FIM President Jorge Viegas and Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta in attendance to present the range of awards throughout the evening to all the winners this season.
Quartararo was the MotoGP™ main event as he received his trophy after making history as the first French premier class World Champion, and he picked up the BMW M Award for best qualifier in the MotoGP™ class once again. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducat Lenovo Team) was on stage as runner up, and 2020 Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was once again in the top three.
The Tissot Pole of Poles winners this season were Bagnaia, Raul Fernandez and Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) in MotoGP™, Moto2™ and Moto3™ respectively, and they picked up their prizes.
The top three in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup were also honoured: Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40), runner up Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt IntactGP) and third overall Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE), with Aegerter receiving his award remotely.
The top Independent Team rider title went to Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) after another season of consistent speed and excellence from the Frenchman, and this year’s MotoGP™ Rookie of the Year award was presented to his teammate Jorge Martin after a stunning debut for the Spaniard – including a first premier class win, a host of poles and another podium to round out the year too.
In Moto2™, Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Raul Fernandez, after breaking some of Marc Marquez’ records in the class, was crowned Rookie of the Year. In Moto3™, by definition it was also a clear winner as a rookie stormed the Championship: Pedro Acosta.
Ducati swept the Team and Constructor titles in the premier class, with the Bologna factory taking their highest number of podiums ever – and earlier in the day having taken their first ever 1-2-3. Ducati Lenovo Team were the Team Champions too. Kalex came out on top in Moto2™, and KTM in Moto3™.
The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup winner David Alonso and FIM MiniGP World Series Champion Izan Rodriguez were also applauded for their seasons.
And so the curtain falls, and we bid farewell to a rider who sparked the soul of the sport. Ciao Vale, grazie – and let’s celebrate an incredible career before the lights go out in 2022 for more incredible racing!
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Hamilton delivers superb come-back drive
Sao Paulo, 14 Nov 2021: Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton completed a stunning recovery from disqualification in qualifying and an engine-related grid penalty to win the São Paulo Grand Prix ahead of Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen. Valtteri Bottas completed a podium double for Mercedes with third place ahead of Sergio Pérez, who rescued a point back from Hamilton with the fastest lap on the final tour of the race.
When the lights went out at the start both Red Bulls got good starts and Verstappen was able to pull alongside pole sitter Bottas and the muscle his way past in Turn 1. Pérez profited from a poor start by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to slip through from fourth on the grid to third place. Sainz was then tagged by Norris who passed the Spaniard around the outside, with the result that Charles Leclerc advanced to fourth.
Further back Hamilton was on a march. On Saturday morning the Briton had been disqualified from qualifying for a rear wing irregularity but powered through the pack in the Sprint to claim fifth place. That left him with a 10th-place grid spot due to an penalty for taking a new ICE ahead of the weekend.
The set-backs were no obstacle to the Mercedes driver however and after the start he picked up four places on the first lap. By lap four he was up to fourth after passing Leclerc and that became third as Bottas eased off at the start of the next tour and Hamilton swept around the outside into Turn 1 to take third place.
He then was allowed to close right up to Pérez when the race was briefly neutralised. AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda collided with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and the Japanese driver lost his front wing. With debris at the side of the track the Safety Car was deployed and the field bunched.
When the track was green-flagged again at the start of lap 10, Verstappen and Pérez resisted a challenge from Hamilton to hoid the top two positions ahead of the Mercedes, with the Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz in fifth and sixth respectively.
Soon after, however, the Virtual Safety Car appeared when Mick Schumacher’s Haas shed its front wing and more debris was deposited on the track. When the caution ended the Red Bulls once again held their positions, though this time Pérez was under more pressure from Hamilton.
And at the end of lap 17 the Mexican driver could resist no more. Hamilton closed through the final corner and under DRS passed the Red Bull driver around the outside to take P3.
However, in doing so, the Briton went slightly wide and got a poor exit. Pérez closed in on the long run to Turn 4 and retook the position with a good move. Hamilton was also not in the mood to give up and he closed one more time to pass the Red Bull for the final time and take second place.
Mercedes went for the undercut at the end of lap 26. Hamilton arrowed into the pit lane and took on hard tyres in a 2.4s stop. Red Bull responded by bringing Verstappen in at the end of the next lap and when he had taken on hard tyres he was just able to rejoin ahead of Hamilton whose progress was being hampered by
McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo. The gap between the front pair was now just 1.7s.
Pérez pitted soon after for hard tyres but just after his stop the VSC was deployed again when elements from the rear of Stroll’s car broke off. That allowed Mercedes to pit Bottas and with the caution requiring the Red Bull to run slowly, Bottas was able to steal third place.
Max soon radioed through to ask the team to avoid an undercut in the next stop and just 14 laps after his first visit to pit lane the Dutchman headed in for another set of hard tyres. Bottas pitted on the next tour, followed by Pérez and then, at the end of lap 43, Hamilton made his final stop, taking on hard tyres but when he emerged Verstappen was again ahead.
Hamilton began to close in, however, and on lap 48 having got a good exit out of the final corner and drawn close into Turn 1, the Mercedes driver attacked into Turn 4. He drew alongside Max but the Dutchman braked later and just held on. Both cars went off into the run off area but resumed safely. The stewards noted the incident but quickly ruled that no investigation was necessary.
Hamilton attacked again on lap 58. This time Max was forced to defend more robustly and though he held the lead he was later given a black and white flag for weaving. Next time round, though, there was no way to hold off the challenge and with another good exit out of the Senna S Hamilton used DRS to power past the Dutch drive as they approached Descido do Lago.
And there the battle was decided. Armed with greater straight line speed Hamilton quickly built a lead as Max backed off in the final laps, settling for second place and damage limitation.
However, with Hamilton holding the fastest lap, Red Bull used Perez’s substantial advantage to fifth-placed Leclerc to pit the Mexican and go for the fastest lap. And the Mexican duly posted a time of 1:11.010 to steal the precious championship point from Hamilton.
Behind Leclerc, sixth place at the flag went to Sainz, with AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly seventh. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso were eighth and ninth respectively and the final point on offer went to McLaren’s Lando Norris.
In the battles for the titles, Max now leaves Brazil with his lead in the Drivers’ cut to 14 points, while in the Constructors’ championship Mercedes now lead by 11 points.
2021 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Race
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 71 1:32’22.851
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 71 1:32’33.347 10.496
3 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 71 1:32’36.427 13.576
4 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda 71 1:33’02.791 39.940
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 71 1:33’12.368 49.517
6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 71 1:33’14.671 51.820
7 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 70 1:32’27.043 1 lap /4.192
8 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 70 1:32’43.369 1 lap /20.518
9 Fernando Alonso Alpine/Renault 70 1:32’43.860 1 lap /21.009
10 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 70 1:32’46.857 1 lap /24.006
11 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin/Mercedes 70 1:32’48.145 1 lap /25.294
12 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 70 1:32’53.939 1 lap /31.088
13 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 70 1:33’20.939 1 lap /58.088
14 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 70 1:33’23.413 1 lap /1’00.562
15 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda 70 1:33’27.652 1 lap /1’04.801
16 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 70 1:33’31.663 1 lap /1’08.812
17 Nikita Mazepin Haas/Ferrari 69 1:32’58.069 2 laps /35.218
18 Mick Schumacher Haas/Ferrari 69 1:33’35.425 2 laps /1’12.574
Daniel Ricciardo McLaren/Mercedes 49 1:06’27.514 Power Unit
Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 47 1:04’21.731 Retirement -
Ducati triumphs at Valencia with its first historic podium lockout in MotoGP
- The Ducati Lenovo Team clinches the 2021 MotoGP Teams’ World Title
At the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana, the final Grand Prix of the 2021 MotoGP season held this afternoon at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Cheste (Spain), Ducati secured a podium lockout, as with Pecco Bagnaia’s win, the second place of Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing Team) and the third place of Jack Miller, three were the Desmosedici GP bikes that rolled into parc fermé in today’s race. For the Borgo Panigale manufacturer, which was crowned 2021 MotoGP Constructors’ World Champion just seven days ago in Portimão, this is another historic achievement that has never been reached before in the premier class.
Pecco Bagnaia scored another sensational win today, the fourth this season and the second consecutive after last week’s win in Portugal. As he was starting from second on the grid, the Italian rider was able to keep the same position after the start, behind Jorge Martin, who started from pole position. With 12 laps to go, Bagnaia made his decisive move on the fellow Ducati rider, taking the lead, where he remained until the chequered flag.
Behind Jorge Martin, in third, was Bagnaia’s teammate Jack Miller. As he departed from the third spot of the grid, the Australian rider dropped back into sixth place in the early stages of the race, but as soon as he found his rhythm, he could close the gap on his rivals and get back into the podium fight. Third, with nine laps to go, Miller got closer and closer to Martin but could not overtake him, eventually finishing the race in third place, confirming his fourth position in the Championship.
With both riders on the podium, the Ducati Lenovo Team secured the 2021 MotoGP Teams’ World Title. For the Italian team, this is the second title since the first one taken in 2007.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“I’m thrilled with the victory today. To win wearing Valentino Rossi’s helmet was incredible and the best way to celebrate his last race. Today’s success was incredible, and now we know we are ready to fight for the riders’ title next year. During this season, we have improved the bike’s setup race after race, and at the end of 2021, the Desmosedici GP has become very strong, as well as its riders. We have a very good base for next year, and I hope to start as we finish. We have gained a lot of experience, and we have grown a lot! The team is unbelievable, and the atmosphere inside the garage is amazing! I’m really happy, and I thank Ducati for all this”.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 3rd
“I’m delighted, even though I would have liked to have achieved something more today. Unfortunately, I lost some time at the start and had to recover to get back in the fight for the podium. It was a good race, and I had a lot of fun. Valencia is a track I really like, and it’s nice to finish the season like this. It’s the first time three Ducatis have finished on the podium, and it’s great to be part of this important achievement. I’m sure our bike will be even better next year, so I’m looking forward to the 2022 season and trying to fight for the riders’ title. This year we finish fourth, and it is my best result ever in the MotoGP Championship, so I hope to do even better next year.”
Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“Today’s result is really an important milestone for us, and this is a historic day for Ducati. To have three of our bikes on the podium is a dream, especially because it was a race with very close gaps. Pecco, Jorge and Jack did an incredible job and to get the team title like this is great. I’m really happy, and I thank all the people at Ducati Corse for their commitment and dedication this season. Getting this far has required a huge effort from everyone! We will continue to work hard to bring the riders’ title back to Borgo Panigale next season”.
With the 2021 season over, the Ducati Lenovo Team riders will only have a few days off as on 18th and 19th November, they will already be back on track at the Circuit de Jerez – Angel Nieto to face the first two days of winter testing in preparation for the 2022 season. -
Aishwarya overcomes Tanika threat to keep slate clean: INRC2w Ladies Class
Puttur (Near Mangaluru), 15 Nov. 2021: Young Tanika Shanbag of Satara put up a valiant fight against FIM World Cupper Aiswarya Pissay but the Bengaluru’s rider astride an Apache RTR bull-dozed her way back, to claim her third consecutive victory in Rally de Mangaluru, the third round of the MRF MoGrip FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2021 for two-wheelers here on Sunday. Aishwarya clocked 50minutes 38.849seconds for her third win.
Read the men’s overall report for all classes in Round 3 here.
Tanika Shanbagh, riding a Hero Xpulse 200, came second ahead of another privateer Anam Hashim on Hero Honda Karizma. The teenager clocked 51min, 32.182sec for her second place while Anam took 1hr, 9min, 07.720seconds.
After the win Aishwarya Pissay, the defending champ, said, “I thank my team, TVS Racing and the mechanics for giving me another winning bike. I also thank Hyperice, the equipment that helps me to recover and maintain my fitness levels. The terrain is challenging and it is good for the National Rally because only such difficult terrain can prepare Indians for the tougher International rallies,” felt the six-time National, champion supported by IIFL, Sidvin, Scott, Puma India, and Go Pro. Aishwarya finished Overall 20, among 55 bikers that took the start and was ahead of 29 men and six women, who all competed on different bikes in various classes.
The Rally de Mangaluru organised in Puttur by Ace Events, headed by former National Champion Akash Aithal had two physical Special Stages, namely Karambi, a short 5.2-km dirt stage and Karikala, the slippery 15.1-km longer stage. Both the stages were run three time alternately and with the overnight rains making the roads slushy, the riders once again faced technical challenges but unlike the treacherous Kanakapura mud-traps, the Round 3 proved to be a haven.
Tanika and Aishwarya shared spoils and won three of the six special stages but while the TVS Factory Rider controlled her pace cleverly to limit the damage on the slippery surface, Tanika, nursing an ankle injury sustained in the previous round in Bengaluru rally, had to stop and clear the sticky mud on her bike. “I suffered an injury and did not want to aggravate. So I did not risk too much and stopped to clean my bike in SS3 where I lost a huge chunk of over 30 seconds. But I enjoyed my rally thoroughly as the terrain provided a challenging ride and that is what makes me happy. It is a good learning experience,” quipped the Business Administration student.
Aishwarya, who began on a ferocious note registering a blistering pace in the Karambi Special Stage, lost crucial time in SS2,. But falling back on her vast experience she extracted the best from her bike in the next four stages to bounce back brilliantly and played safe thereon, with regulated aggression on the slippery track to emerge triumphant for a clean sweep of the first three rounds in the 2021 calendar.
Bengaluru’s FIM Baja World Cup champion, claimed a solid win at Hampi and went on to take another facile victory in Round 2 at Bengaluru, conquering the technically challenging slushy terrain, and now leads the table in the woman’s category after her third win from three rounds here.
The fourth round, the Rally of Chikmagalur is scheduled for next Sunday and after two more rounds in Coimbatore and Nashik, the topper with more points is declared as the National champion. Aishwarya is well on her way to bag her sixth bike rally National title. She also won two coveted Road Racing titles.
Note: Photo added on 15th Nov 2021 with inputs from a Wordswork Press Release.
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Bagnaia victorious in Valencia, Rossi bids farewell in 10th
Valencia (Spain), 14 Nov. 2021: For the fourth time in 2021, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) took victory as the Italian led home a historic Ducati 1-2-3 at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, with Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) claiming podiums. The race will forever be remembered as Valentino Rossi’s (Petronas Yamaha SRT) last dance, and The Doctor delivered a P10 in his farewell MotoGP™ appearance in front of a packed Circuit Ricardo Tormo crowd. Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) saw the chequered flag in P17, the Italian premier class race winner also says goodbye to Grand Prix racing in an emotional Sunday in Valencia.
Ducati dominate as Pecco wins again
Polesitter Martin grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1 as fourth place Mir got a great start to get the better of Bagnaia, with Miller second. Rossi made a good start and was up a place into P9, World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was P6. Miller then dived up the inside of Martin at Turn 1 on Lap 2 to take the lead, but it was short-lived. Martin and Mir cut through on Lap 2, Miller down to third, then it was fourth, then fifth – the Australian going backwards after briefly leading.
The Suzukis were charging – hard. Mir was harassing Martin, before Pecco then used the GP21’s superior grunt to take P2 off the former Champion. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) then snuck past Mir at Turn 6 on Lap 3, as the top four – Martin, Bagnaia, Rins and Mir – started to create a gap to now fifth place Quartararo. Miller was down to P6 and seemingly struggling in the early stages.
The race then settled as the front runners held station, but Martin, Bagnaia and Rins were now 0.7s ahead of Mir. After a few laps of following the World Champion, Miller was back through on Quartararo and up to P5, as Rins set the fastest lap of the race. However, at Turn 6 on Lap 11 of 27, Rins was down. The Spaniard tucked the front of his GSX-RR, handing teammate Mir third. Rossi was now 10th, 0.6s down on Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) who, as things stood, was losing out on the Rookie of the Year crown with Martin leading.
Bagnaia was swarming all over the back of Martin and with 12 laps to go, at Turn 14, Pecco pounded. Now, with some clear air, what could the Italian do? The fastest lap was slammed in by Bagnaia, a 1:31.042, hammer well and truly down. His mentor Rossi was still 10th with 11 laps to go, but VR46 Academy’s first World Champion and fellow Yamaha star Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) right behind him. Further back, Petrucci was 17th in his farewell appearance.
Martin was not letting Pecco pull clear. On two consecutive laps, Martin was quicker than Bagnaia, and a second or so behind, Miller grabbed P3 off Mir at Turn 2. It was a Ducati 1-2-3 with eight laps to go, history was on the cards for the Bologna factory. And Miller wasn’t done yet. Miller was 1.3s back when he passed Mir, but with five laps to go, Miller was just 0.7s off Martin’s tailpipes.
Two laps to go in 2021. Pecco was 0.8s clear of Martin, now, baring trouble for Pecco, it was a battle for second. Miller was closer than ever to Martin, but the rookie was holding firm. Unable to make a move, Miller couldn’t quite make it a factory Ducati 1-2 as Bagnaia crossed the line to win for a fourth time in 2021, with Martin clinching the Rookie of the Year crown with a P2 – his fourth podium of the season. Miller, in third, helps Ducati make history with their first 1-2-3 in MotoGP™ with his fifth rostrum. In addition, Bagnaia’s P1 and Miller’s P3 helps Ducati take the Teams’ Championship, adding to their Constructors’ crown.
The Doctor’s last dance ends with a fantastic P10
Mir held onto P4 by just 0.2s in the end as Quartararo claims P5 to cap off a title-winning season for the Frenchman. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) was P6, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was P7, with Bastianini’s P8 not good enough for the Rookie of the Year title – nine points split the Italian and Martin in the end. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) struggled in the latter stages and slipped to P9, finishing one place ahead of The Doctor.
Valentino Rossi took P10, where he started, to bow out in style. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the Italian’s glistening Grand Prix career, as one of the world’s biggest sporting icons bids a fond farewell to the sport he loves – and the sport that loves him. Grazie Vale, from millions of fans around the globe.
Morbidelli crossed the line less than a second away from Rossi as the Italian now aims to get fully fit for 2022, Andrea Dovizioso (Petronas Yamaha SRT) had a good final weekend of the season to finish in P12, as Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and WorldSBK-bound Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) take home the final points of 2021.
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) joined Rins in suffering a DNF in Valencia, the Japanese rider was perfectly ok after his Turn 6 crash.
And that, as they say, is a wrap. The curtain comes down on 2021, as we say ciao to the icon that is Valentino Rossi. The number 46 will be missed immensely on and off track in 2022 and beyond, but MotoGP™ couldn’t be in a better place. The next generation is here, Rossi’s legacy will live on with his VR46 Academy and new MotoGP™ team, as Yamaha and Quartararo aim to defend their title against a whole host of unbelievable bikes and riders. What a year.
#GrazieVale
Top 10:
1. Francesco Baganai (Ducati Lenovo Team)
2. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) + 0.489
3. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 0.823
4. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 5.214
5. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 5.439
6. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 6.993
7. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 8.437
8. Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) + 10.933
9. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 12.651
10. Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) + 13.468
All the action from MotoGP 2021 was
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Remy Gardner wins Moto2 World Championship, a Red Bull KTM take…
Valencia, 14 Nov 2021: Remy Gardner has won the Moto2 World Championship for Red Bull KTM Ajo after taking 10th position at Valencia, Spain and round eighteen of eighteen in 2021 MotoGP. Teammate Raul Fernandez claimed the final round and classified runner-up in his rookie season.
– Gardner brings first Moto2 title to the KTM GP Academy thanks to five victories & 12 podiums- The 23-year-old is the first Australian Moto2 champion and the first from his country to lift a title since Casey Stoner in 2011.- Gardner’s teammate Raul Fernandez is an impressive runner-up in his first Moto2 year with eight race wins including Valencia success- Jaume Masia 3rd on the Moto3 podium
– KTM toast Moto3 Constructors World Championship Remy Gardner rode to 10th position at a sunny Ricardo Tormo Circuit for the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana and delivered his first world championship after six seasons learning his trade in the tight and competitive Moto2. The Australian completed a nervy race that had been red-flagged early-on and shortened due to an oil spillage on the track. Teammate Raul Fernandez sprinted to the checkered flag and the points difference between the two was just four by the end. -
#Vale46: A Tribute from Yamaha
Valencia (Spain), 14th November 2021 Everybody has said their goodbyes to you, Valentino. There was just one missing from someone who you hold very dear…
Watch the Yamaha Video Here:
Here it is:
I can remember Saturday, January 24th, 2004 like it was yesterday.
Our first date in Malaysia.
I‘d been waiting for somebody like you for so long.
I was nervous, but it was love at first sight for both of us.
I knew instantly our relationship would be something truly special.
We had that undeniable once-in-a-lifetime spark, and all the pieces of the puzzle just came together.
I will never forget how we stopped on the grass in Welkom in 2004.
Just the two of us, realising that you and me together was right – and that this was only the beginning.
We won four MotoGP titles and 56 races together.
We brought joy to millions around the world and created memories to last a lifetime.
We made history, because we worked as one and brought out the best in each other.
You made me strong again.
You made me respected again.
You made me loved again.
Only you, Valentino, had the power to do that.
And I fully trusted you.
I wholeheartedly supported you.
I fought all your battles with you.
Only I was able to make motorsports exciting for you until the very end.
From our first kiss in the grass at Welkom to our last dance in Valencia this year, we‘ve been on so many extraordinary adventures.
And then there were our special trips to Laguna Seca in 2008 and Catalunya in 2009.
Nobody had moves like us in those days, did they?
Assen too in 2009 when I helped you win your 100th race.
It was magical!
I‘ve carried you for 16 years of your incredible career.
But you have carried me in your heart too.
From Mugello to Motegi, from Silverstone to Sepang and from Barcelona to Buriram, we‘ve always been there for each other.
I gave you my all, as you did me.
The one thing I will always treasure is our talks on the grid.
It was you and me against the world.
You and I were ’Ride or Die‘.
But, unfortunately, even the most beautiful love stories come to an end.
Valentino, you‘re part of me.
Part of my history.
Part of who I am today and who I will be long after we part.
Ours is a connection that‘s truly special, and I‘m going to miss you more than you‘ll ever know.
Grazie, Valentino.
With love,
Your YZR-M1
