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  • MRF’s Breen encounters mechanical failure; Mikkelsen wins: ERC

    MRF’s Breen encounters mechanical failure; Mikkelsen wins: ERC

    While Andreas Mikkelsen celebrated a winning return to the FIA European Rally Championship, Alexey Lukyanuk fought back like a champion with a charging display on Rally Hungary’s deciding leg today, scoring eight potentially crucial points in his bid to win the coveted title for a second time.

    Breen explains podium heartache
    Craig Breen was firmly on course for a podium finish for Team MRF Tyres only for a mechanical failure to force him to retire his Hyundai i20 R5 on SS12 while running in second. The Irishman, a five-time winner in the ERC, explained what went wrong. “Unfortunately, a few kilometres from the end of the third stage of the loop we had an engine failure. There’s no point to point fingers and blame anyone. There was little warning and I think by the time the warning came, the damage [was] already done. There was not a whole lot more that we do to be honest. Today was very simple just to bring it home. That was the task. We took it very easy over the stages. It’s really disappointing, considering all the work that everybody has done, but it is life unfortunately. The progress of MRF Tyres has definitely been impressive. We’ve been we’ve been trying very, very hard and all the tests in the meantime to make tyre more and more competitive and we’re definitely making big improvements and we are going to try and make it even better in the future.”

    Lukyanuk was firmly in the victory fight, a mere 5.1s behind Mikkelsen after five stages on Saturday. But when he was erroneously checked in five minutes early for stage six, his hopes of a third 2020 ERC win came crashing down as a five-minute penalty was applied to the Saintéloc Junior Team driver’s total time.

    Despite languishing in a distant P18 at the overnight halt in host city Nyíregyháza, Lukyanuk didn’t give up and went on a flat-out charge to win leg two courtesy of four stage wins in P13 overall. His performance cut the margin to winner Mikkelsen to 4m53.5s in the ultimate case of what might have been.

    “We won the day so the mission is complete,” said Lukyanuk, who was competing in a Citroën C3 R5 on Pirelli tyres with co-driver Dmitry Eremeev. “Risk management is something to learn of course and we see it’s possible to be faster. All in all, we tried to concentrate on speed and consistency and it feels good.”

    For Mikkelsen, his victory alongside co-driver Ola Fløene, came on the back of seven stage bests, a remarkable performance given this was the Norwegian’s first rally of 2020 and his first in his Pirelli-equipped, Topp-Cars Rally Team-run Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo.

    “I’m undefeated in 2020 so far!” said a jubilant Mikkelsen, a winner of three World Rally Championship events in the past. “It’s been a good weekend. As I said I haven’t been competing, only testing as most of you know, for the last couple of years on Tarmac has been really difficult for me and I think maybe people thought I couldn’t drive on Tarmac any more so it’s nice to come here and show we’ve still got it and we’re still fast. I have to say a huge thanks to our team, Topp-Cars, for delivering me this car, it’s been working flawless all weekend and as well to Skoda for making this really, really nice car. I tried it in 2017, I loved it then but a lot has happened since then and now it’s even better. I feel so comfortable driving and it’s all about confidence. I felt I’ve pretty much been in control all the rally. I felt very good,. We drove a clever strategy, not taking too big risks but we were still quick so it’s really enjoyable.”

    BMA Autosport Hyundai i20 R5 driver Grégoire Munster won ERC1 for the second rally in succession in a career-best second overall with Efrén Llarena, the ERC3 Junior champion from 2019, also landing a personal best in third for Rallye Team Spain having completed leg one in fifth spot.

    MOL Racing Team’s Norbert Herczig was third with two stages remaining but a puncture on SS15 denied the Hungarian a home podium. “I’m really sad, we had a puncture but I don’t know how because we drive carefully,” said the four-time national champion, who drives a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5. “Unfortunately, we lose the podium and I’m sorry for everybody. I wanted very much the podium, but life is life. Next time.”

    As well as benefiting Llarena, Herczig’s delay promoted Oliver Solberg – who was ninth overnight after two punctures on Saturday – to fourth and Niki Mayr-Melnhof to fifth, the Austrian dropping time with a moment through a ditch on SS14.

    Callum Devine was seventh for the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy to continue his strong recent run, while Erik Cais produced a succession of rapid stage times as he recovered from his second-stage off to finish eighth for the Yacco ACCR Team. Double ERC Junior champion Marijan Griebel overcame a high-speed spin this morning to finish ninth for Saintéloc Junior Team. András Hadik, from Hungary, completed the top 10 with Josh McErlean marking his ERC debut with an impressive P11 for the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy.

    Dominik Dinkel (Brose Motorsport) battled back from several delays – plus no working intercom for several Saturday stages – to finish P12 ahead of the recovering Lukyanuk and Yoann Bonato. The Michelin-supported Citroën driver was delayed going off the road on the opening morning then received a one-minute penalty for an early check-in. ORLEN Team’s Polish champion Miko Marczyk, who led after SS1 but lost out on a top result due to a puncture, was P15 with Albert von Thurn und Taxis taking P16.

    More Munster magic in ERC1 Junior
    Grégoire Munster staked his claim on the FIA ERC1 Junior title with a second successive victory as a double puncture hit rival Oliver Solberg’s hopes hard on day one. But Luxembourg driver Munster, in his family-run BMA Autosport Hyundai i20 R5, had issues of his own when his car failed to start prior to leaving overnight parc fermé and then service this morning.

    “It was maybe something to do with the cold night we had,” said Munster. “Today we tried to keep the car always running to not get any more problems. I’m really happy with our weekend, it was a really, really tricky rally. On the first day we pushed and showed some great pace. On the second day we had to manage the gap we had. I did not want to take any risk this morning and we managed it a bit better in the second loop when we showed we were capable of driving fast without making any mistakes.”

    Like Munster, Efrén Llarena was also competing on Rally Hungary for the first time but shrugged off his lack of experience of the event and his Rallye Team Spain-entered Citroën C3 R5. “We tried to have a good pace to do all the stages at 80/85 per cent,” said the ERC3 Junior champion. “This afternoon we were in the fight and saw we could be on the podium so we tried to attack. It was a fantastic podium for the team and also Rallye Team Spain and all the guys that support me.”

    Behind Solberg in third, Callum Devine took fourth ahead of Erik Cais, Dominik Dinkel and Miko Marczyk. Emil Lindholm restarted on day two after he went off the road on SS9 while in the thick of the ERC1 Junior podium battle for Team MRF Tyres. He placed eighth. Hungarian category newcomer Ádám Velenczei retired with a technical issue on leg one and did not restart on Sunday.

    Érdi Jr takes clear ERC2 win as Mabellini makes up for lost time in Abarth Rally Cup
    For the second rally running, Hungarian hero Tibor Érdi Jr was fastest in ERC2 on all but two stages to take a dominant triumph, his third of 2020. Zelindo Melegari finished second with Andrea Mabellini third after Dmitry Feofanov stopped on the final day with an oil leak. Mabellini retired on Friday evening’s superspecial with suspension failure but fought back to complete the ERC2 podium and win the Abarth Rally Cup section for a third time. Martin Rada finished second but Mihnea Mureșan and Roberto Gobbin were non-starters on leg two after crashing out on Saturday. “We are very happy to win our home race,” said Érdi Jr. “We had no problems apart from a slow puncture on SS12. The feeling is amazing and we are very happy, it’s a good job. We tried to be safe without risk and this is what we did.”

    Torn turns on the heat in ERC3/ERC3 Junior title bid
    Ken Torn did his chances of a combined ERC3/ERC3 Junior title triumph the power of good with his third win of the season at the wheel of the Pirelli-equipped Ford Fiesta Rally4 he shares with co-driver Kauri Pannas. The Estonian Autosport Junior Team driver was embroiled in a close battle with Rallye Team Spain’s Pep Bassas, which ebbed and flowed for much of the event.

    “For sure the result is brilliant,” said Torn. “It was a tough weekend, one of the hardest weekends we’ve had, but a big job is done. It’s good experience in the pocket for the future. We had a front-right puncture on stage 15, it was not the best news but we did not lose too much time. The chances of winning the title seem good but there is a lot more to do, we can’t be lazy and we need to keep working and be stronger on the next event.”

    Romanian Raul Badiu completed the ERC3 podium behind Bassas with Norwegian rookie Ola Jr Nore third in ERC3 Junior in Toksport’s all-new Renault Clio RSR Rally5. Hungarian lady driver Adrienn Vogel was a strong fifth in ERC3 with Amaury Molle battling an engine issue for much of the event to finish fourth in ERC3 Junior and sixth in ERC3.

    Csaba Juhász was next up followed by impressive Romanian newcomer Norbert Maior, who was in the ERC3 Junior lead battle until a driveshaft failure forced him out on Saturday. Martin László also showed strong form but his hopes were undone by a trip into a ditch on SS5 and a gearbox issue. Csaba Viszlo crashed out, while Rachele Somaschini retired with the recurrence of an old shoulder injury.

    P1 Racing Fuels Podium Challenge awards drivers
    The P1 Racing Fuels Podium Challenge, run for the first time during the 2019 ERC season finale in Hungary, continued on this year’s event. It rewarded the top three finishes in ERC1 and ERC2 with fuel vouchers that can be exchanged for P1 XR5 race fuel at subsequent events, helping competitors to further reduce the cost of competing. Across both categories, the winning drivers received 150 litres of fuel, while the second and third placed drivers received 100L and 50L respectively.

    PROVISIONAL TOP 15 ERC POSITIONS (after 16 stages, 191.06 kilometres)
    1 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Ola Fløene (NOR) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo 1h48m31.1s
    2 Grégoire Munster (LUX)/Louis Louka (BEL) Hyundai i20 R5 +1m32.2s
    3 Efrén Llarena (ESP)/Sara Fernández (ESP) Citroën C3 R5 +2m00.3s
    4 Oliver Solberg (SWE)/Aaron Johnston (IRL) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +2m04.8s
    5 Niki Mayr-Melnhof (AUT)/Poldi Welsersheimb (AUT) Ford Fiesta R5 MklI +2m08.2s
    6 Norbert Herczig (HUN)/Ramón Ferencz (HUN) Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 +2m31.4s
    7 Callum Devine (IRL)/James Fulton (IRL) Hyundai i20 R5 +2m50.3s
    8 Erik Cais (CZE)/Jindřiška Žáková (CZE) Ford Fiesta R5 MkII +3m24.3s
    9 Marijan Griebel (DEU)/Tobias Braun (DEU) Citroën C3 R5 +3m32.4s
    10 András Hadik (HUN)/Krisztián Kertész (HUN) Ford Fiesta R5 MkII +4m13.6s
    11 Josh McErlean (IRL)Keaton Williams (GBR) Hyundai i20 R5 +4m16.8s
    12 Dominik Dinkel (DEU)/Ursula Mayrhofer (AUT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +4m35.1s
    13 Alexey Lukyanuk (RUS)/Dmitry Eremeev (RUS) Citroën C3 R5 +4m53.5s
    14 Yoann Bonato (FRA)/Benjamin Boulloud (FRA) Citroën C3 R5 +4m57.7s
    15 Miko Marczyk (POL)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +5m44.5s

    FIA ERC2: Tibor Érdi Jr (HUN)/Zoltán Csökő (HUN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
    FIA ERC3: Ken Torn (EST)/Kauri Pannas (EST) Ford Fiesta Rally4
    FIA ERC1 Junior: Grégoire Munster (LUX)/Louis Louka (BEL) Hyundai i20 R5
    FIA ERC3 Junior: Ken Torn (EST)/Kauri Pannas (EST) Ford Fiesta Rally4
    Abarth Rally Cup: Andrea Mabellini (ITA)/Nicoló Gonella (ITA) Abarth 124 rally

  • Bezzecchi wins, Lowes crashes as Moto2 takes another twist in Valencia

    Bezzecchi wins, Lowes crashes as Moto2 takes another twist in Valencia

    The Italian bounces back in style ahead of Martin and Gardner as more Championship shockwaves hit the intermediate class

    Valencia, 8 Nov 2020: Sky Racing Team VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi bounced back in style after a double DNF at MotorLand Aragon by taking a second career Moto2 victory at the Gran Premio de Europa. It was a race filled with drama, with Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) locking out the podium but many a headline focused on the title fight: Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) now leads the World Championship once again, the Italian fighting through to fourth as former points leader Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) crashed out.

    Petronas Sprinta Racing’s Xavi Vierge made a dream start from pole position but immediately had Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) attacking him at Turn 4. The Tennor American Racing rider went wide on the exit, the Spaniard taking him back at Turn 5. It didn’t stay that way for long, however, with Roberts storming back through moments later to hold the lead at the close of Lap 1. But then disaster struck, Roberts suddenly sliding out at Turn 2 and the Californian unable to re-join.

    That allowed Marco Bezzecchi to take the lead, but the Italian was under severe pressure from Gardner. Sam Lowes, meanwhile, avoided some early drama with a vital save at Turn 4, as Bastianini got well stuck in battling from 15th on the grid – up to sixth in five laps.

    It was a few more laps before Lowes decided to pounce on Gardner for second, but it didn’t last long with the Aussie finding an immediate reply. The World Championship leader hit back only a few seconds later though, this time making it stick.

    The knock on effect of that saw Bastianini push on again, taking fifth place from Vierge with ten to go. There was a change in the fight for third too as Martin managed to squeeze through on Gardner, demoting the Australian off the podium for the moment.

    And then came the shockwave. Suddenly, Lowes’ weekend was over as the Brit crashed out at Turn 6, his title lead going up in smoke as Bastianini swooped through into fourth and consequently the lead of the World Championship.

    The FlexBox HP 40 duo of Lorenzo Baldassarri and Hector Garzo began to put Bastianini under pressure though, Baldassarri making a move on his compatriot and a vital couple of points at stake for the ‘Beast’. That was motivation enough if any was needed, and the number 33 hit back to reclaim fourth.

    At the front though, it was all about Bezzecchi. The Italian was back on the top step in style after stamping some real authority on Sunday, also keeping himself in title contention after starting the weekend 48 points down – and ending it 29 off. Martin made it two podiums in three races as he backed up his third place finish in the Aragon Grand Prix with second in Valencia and Gardner collected his third podium finish of the year after a fifth top five finish in six races.

    Bastianini was able to hold off Baldassarri for what could be a pivotal fourth place finish, putting the ‘Beast’ six points clear of Lowes in the World Championship with only two rounds left of 2020. Sky Racing Team VR46’s Luca Marini took sixth for a solid result, proving he is far from out of the title chase too. His was a last lap move on Garzo moving him to within 19 points of the top of the Championship. Garzo’s seventh nevertheless equalled his best so far.

    Federal Oil Gresini Moto2’s Nicolo Bulega clinched eighth after getting the better of poleman Vierge, who eventually drifted back to ninth, before HDR Heidrun Speed Up’s Jorge Navarro rounded out the top ten.

    Another seismic shift hits Moto2™, with Bastianini now back on top and six points ahead. Can Lowes bounce back next time out? Time will tell, but not much of it as we get back on track on Friday.

    Moto2 Podium:

    1 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex 40:06.441
    2 Jorge Martin – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex +1.941
    3 Remy Gardner – ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team – Kalex +3.553

    Marco Bezzecchi: “It was a difficult race, very long, but also wonderful. I started well, even if Gardner and Lowes were closing the line, in the middle I could overtake outside in the first corner. I risked a bit because it was still wet but I tried. Fortunately I was there. Then I passed Vierge on the straight and in braking, and when Roberts was in front I saw he was risking a lot and I thought I had to stay calm because I thought I could ride cleaner. Then unfortunately he made a mistake, I was in front and I was very focused to try to make my rhythm, so I started to ride as clean as I could, and I was gaining a bit; not much, losing a little bit; not much, there was a short distance between me and second. Then on the last three laps when I had a quite good advantage I started to feel something wrong on the bike, a problem I also had on Friday in Free Practice. In acceleration there was no power in second gear, I don’t know why, so I was scared but I started to speak to the bike and said please don’t give up now… fortunately she made it to the end! Very good, the team did an incredible job and this is for them and my family.”

  • Title slips away from Kush Maini as Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick wins British F3

    Title slips away from Kush Maini as Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick wins British F3

    Silverstone, 8 Nov 2020: Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick led from lights to flag to claim his ninth win of the year in the final race of the weekend at Silverstone, and secured the BRDC British F3 Championship title in the process. Frederick entered the race needing only to finish to wrap up the title, but did it in style with another dominant victory.

    Frederick becomes the first American driver to win the British F3 title, and he finished over four seconds clear of Fortec Motorsports’ Roberto Faria who secured his first ever podium with second place ahead of JHR Developments’ Ayrton Simmons. Kush Maini needed to win the race with Frederick failing to finish, but the Indian could only manage sixth place after being overtaken late on by Hillspeed duo Oliver Clarke and Sasakorn Chaimongkol, who finished fourth and fifth, with Maini settling for sixth. 

    Chris Dittmann Racing’s Josh Skelton completed his season with seventh place ahead of Hitech’s Reece Ushijima, with Fortec debutant Jonny Wilkinson claiming a top-10 finish on his first weekend, with JHR’s Carter Williams the final driver inside the top-10. 

    As has been the case for most of the season, a good start from pole position meant that Frederick led the field almost untroubled around the opening lap. Faria and Simmons found their way past Maini, who dropped from second to fourth by the end of the opening tour. 

    Frederick then pulled away, again as he’s done so often in 2020, enjoying a lead of over three seconds by the mid race point, a gap he extended to 4.121 seconds at the flag as he clinched his ninth victory from the 24 races, and secure a clear title success.

    Maini down in fourth again found himself staring at the back of the JHR car of Ayrton Simmons, but rather than challenge the British driver, he found himself looking in his mirrors as the Hillspeed pair closed on him. Clarke, having been eighth on lap one, was up to fifth by lap seven, and blasted past Maini on lap eight with Chaimongkol following suit, and adding salt into Maini’s wounds. 

    That pretty much guaranteed Frederick the title, with the American finishing over 50 points clear in the provisional championship standings. Maini nevertheless claimed second overall, one better than in 2018 when he was third. 

    BRDC British F3 Championship, Silverstone race three provisional result:

    1. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, 10 laps
    2. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +4.121s
    3. Ayrton Simmons, JHR Developments, +8.660s
    4. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +9.932s
    5. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +11.435s
    6. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +14.600s
    7. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +15.562s
    8. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +20.135s
    9. Jonny Wilkinson, Fortec Motorsports, +22.404s
    10. Carter Williams, JHR Developments, +23.129s
    11. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +23.687s
    12. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +24.851s
    13. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +27.091s
    14. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +27.617s
    15. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +28.117s
    16. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +39.192s
    17. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +1m33.117s
    DNF. Max Marzorati, Chris Dittmann Racing, 1 lap completed
    DNF. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, 1 lap completed

    Earlier, 33 points separated the leaders with Kush Maini in second as he could finish only 17th but the title race alive till the last race.

    Double R’s Benjamin Pedersen won a spectacular reverse grid race at Silverstone this morning, with the championship battle going down to the final race. Pedersen started third but fought his way to the front to finish clear of Lanan Racing’s Bart Horsten, who put in an overtaking masterclass to soar from 10th on the grid to second, which included a last lap overtake on Carlin’s Nazim Azman, who finished third.

    Behind them there was all sorts of drama, mainly between championship contenders Kaylen Frederick and Kush Maini, with the pair banging wheels on a couple of occasions on the same lap. The pair raced with wet weather tyres on a cold and damp but drying track, with half the field opting for slick tyres in the assembly area just before the start of the race. The slick tyre gamble paid off with the podium drivers all racing with dry tyres, while Frederick and Maini slipped down the order after strong starts.

    Frederick ultimately finished 12th with Maini 17th, a result which sees the pair separated by 33 points going into the final race with 35 still on offer.

    A five car scrap for the lead developed by the final lap, with Fortec’s Roberto Faria finishing just a couple of tenths away from a maiden podium, and less than seven tenths clear of Hillspeed’s Oliver Clarke.

    Double R’s Louis Foster finished in a remarkable sixth place. The British driver was spun down the order after spinning on the Hangar Straight after getting involved in one of the Frederick/Maini incidents, falling as far back as 15th, but using his dry tyres and some astute overtaking to climb to sixth.

    JHR Developments’ Carter Williams secured seventh, less than a second ahead of Hillspeed’s Sasakorn Chaimongkol, with Piers Prior (Lanan) and Josh Skelton (Chris Dittmann Racing) completing the top-10.

    Pole sitter Max Marzorati fell to 11th for Chris Dittmann Racing, but still a long way clear of Frederick, who just missed out on claiming the title a round early, but now only needs to finish race three to claim the title. Frederick starts race three from pole, with Maini starting second. 

    BRDC British F3 Championship, Silverstone GP, race two provisional result:

    1. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, 10 laps
    2. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +0.737s
    3. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +1.140s
    4. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +1.327s
    5. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +2.001s
    6. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +13.833s
    7. Carter Williams, JHR Developments, +19.440s
    8. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +20.362s
    9. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +1m00.282s
    10. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1m16.222s
    11. Max Marzorati, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1m22.715s
    12. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, +1m36.082s
    13. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +1m43.082s
    14. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +1m48.091s
    15. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +1m48.261s
    16. Jonny Wilkinson, Fortec Motorsports, +1m49.577s
    17. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +1m53.081s
    18. Ayrton Simmons, JHR Developments, +1 lap
    19. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +1 lap

  • Flawless Fernandez takes his first win as chaos reigns for key title contenders: Moto3

    Flawless Fernandez takes his first win as chaos reigns for key title contenders: Moto3

    Vietti crashes, McPhee crashes and Arenas ends the day with a 0 – as Ogura gains big with a return to the podium

    Valencia, 8 Nov 2020: Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) put in a stunner to take the lead early in the Gran Premio de Europa and then pull away, staying calm and collected to take to the top step for the first time in Grand Prix racing. Behind him, a three-way battle royale raged on the final lap, with 2019 Valencia GP winner Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) coming out on top to take second ahead of Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia). The podium for Ogura boosts him up to within three points of the Championship lead as huge drama ripped through the standings for the majority of the other key contenders.

    Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) took the holeshot from the front row as poelsitter John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) lost out, and early doors there was a group of four heading away… but the drama was quick to hit. First off, a crash for Vietti saw Alonso Lopez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) unable to avoid and get tangled up, both going down in the first Championship shockwave as the Italian lost serious ground. The incident also scattered the pack and left Fernandez out front after the Spaniard had taken the lead just before the crash.

    The incident also caught Albert Arenas (Valresa Aspar Team Moto3) just enough to cause some damage, which then became apparent as the number 75 was upright but going backwards. Arenas eventually pulled into pitlane at the end of the lap, blowing the title fight wide open once again. And although he did manage to get back out, it was with a significant gap to the front and one that would haunt the Spaniard later.

    And so Fernandez led, gassing it to over two seconds clear as the second group battled it out. And then even more drama hit. McPhee crashed out at Turn 1, likely ending his charge for the crown, and only a few laps later, Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) took a tumble too. That left Arbolino – the man leading the chase to catch Fernandez – and Ogura as the two key challengers near the top, joined by Garcia. And the gap to Fernandez was coming down ever so slightly…

    Arbolino, Garcia and Ogura pushed on to catch the Red Bull KTM Ajo machine in the lead, but soon they would have even more to contend with than just the two-second gap to the front as well. Arenas was back out on track and soon the second group were on the scene, creating another little. Things got close and the number 75 was shown the black flag not long after, having got a little too into the battle despite being laps down. 

    That left Arbolino and Ogura as the two key men with something big to gain. With six to go, Arbolino had got the gap to Fernandez more than just a little below two seconds as Garcia and Ogura duelled just behind the Italian. The countdown was on for Fernandez, although the Spaniard looked solid. could he hang on? He could. Despite some late nerves about a possible bike problem, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider kept it clean to complete his impeccable day at the office in style: on the top step.

    The battle behind went down to the final lap, as ever in Moto3™. Arbolino had a twitch at Turn 1 and Garcia was up the inside of the Italian and into P2. Then Ogura picked Arbolino’s pocket at Turn 6 and the Italian, after a fair bit of leg work to lead the trio throughout, was now off the podium.

    Garcia had broken the two title contenders and kept a little breathing space to the line to take his first first podium of the season, bouncing back from some tougher outings. Behind him, the duel stayed close but Ogura kept the door slammed shut at the final corner to get back on the podium for the first time since the Emilia Romagna GP. That cuts the gap in the Championship to just three points, with Arenas’ margin seriously cut.

    Arbolino was forced to settle for fourth and remains 23 points down on Arenas, although he did gain, with Vietti’s 0 leaving him only three points ahead of Arbolino. Darryn Binder (CIP – Green Power) had another solid ride to a top finish as the South African came home in fifth, unable to quite get back the ground lost earlier in the race but taking more solid points. Carlos Tatay (Reale Avintia Moto3) duelled the number 40 late on, but was forced to settle for sixth.

    The next group up was led over the line by Stefano Nepa (Valresa Aspar Team) as he charged up to seventh, beating Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team). Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was next up after storming through from P26 on the grid, with Riccardo Rossi (BOE Skull Rider Facile Energy), Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Romano Fenati (Sterilharda Max Racing Team) completed that group down to P13 – Fenati having had to take two long laps for track limits. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) wasn’t too far back either, with Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) – another who did a Long Lap – completing the points scorers.

    A huge day for the Championship comes to a close with the margin back at just three points, and it’s everything on the line once again. Don’t miss the Valencia GP next time out – more drama awaits!

    Moto3 podium: 1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM 38:29.140
    2 Sergio Garcia – Estrella Galicia 0,0 – Honda +0.703
    3 Ai Ogura – Honda Team Asia – Honda +1.005

    Raul Fernandez: “It’s the first time victory and I’ll never forget it here in Valencia. I remember in 2016 I got my first victory here in the Junior World Championship, maybe it’s the track! I like MotorLand and Valencia, they’re my bets tracks. I want to thank my family one year ago was a difficult moment, a difficult family situation, and in those moments you know who your family and friends are. The people who help you in the difficult moments. I want to say thanks to my family and my team, it was difficult at the start of the season I had a lot of pressure and Aki helped me, especially with pressure, now I don’t have pressure and I enjoy it more and I want to say thanks because he helped me in every aspect, as a rider and person and I want to say thanks. I have no words, I want to enjoy this victory with my family and team.”

  • Double for Raghul, Tijil Rao; Jeet, Keith share ITC wins in 2 races

    Double for Raghul, Tijil Rao; Jeet, Keith share ITC wins in 2 races

    Irungattukottai (Sriperumbudur, TN) 8 Nov 2020: Championship leader Arjun Balu of Race Concepts had a gear-box failure but notched up two podium places even as FB Motorsport had its finest day yet with Hyderabad’s Jeet Jhabakh and Keith D’Souza from Goa, both driving the Volkswagen Polo, taking victories in the two premier Indian Touring Cars races as the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship concluded at the MMRT, about 130km from Chennai here on Sunday. Spectators and media were not allowed due to the government COVID 19 safety regulations and the event was held in a bio-bubble.

    Also in the limelight was Mamallapuram’s Raghul Rangasamy of Performance Racing, who won both the races on Sunday, in the Super Stock category. Bengaluru lad Tijil Rao, also of Momentum Motorsport, completed a double in the Formula LGB 1300 class by winning the day’s first of the two races in addition to the one he won on Saturday. Viswas Vijayaraj of DTS Racing took the honours in the second of Sunday’s Formula LGB race.

    Chennai’s Chetan Korada and Chandresh Tolia from Mumbai won a race apiece in the Toyota Etios MRF Saloon Car series.

    Super Stock Race 2 winner Raghul Rangasamy flanked by 2nd placed Alisha Abdullah, left, and Vineet Abhiram, 3rd, ( at right) at MMRT on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar

    Jeet Jhabakh, a 28-year old automotive businessman from Hyderabad, a former Volkswagen Ameo and Vento Cup champion, enjoyed a trouble-free run once race leader, Arjun Balu of Race Concepts, dropped out of contention with a gearbox issue. Jhabakh managed to nose ahead of teammate Dhruv Mohite following a brief contact, and gradually extended the lead for a comfortable win, his first of the season. He, like Mohite, have missed the opening round in February. Mohite came in second and Balu managed a distant third for some valuable points.

    “It was a good race for me after I got in front. Not sure what happened with Arjun’s (Balu) car, but I passed him and Dhruv to get in front. I am really happy for this win,” said Jhabakh.

    Balu started fourth on the reverse grid, but cut through to the front in the very first lap and looked set for another win when the gearbox played up. “In the third lap, I found the car weaving on the straight and I realised something was wrong. So, I let others pass me and in the final three laps, I shifted to fifth gear and stayed there as I wanted to finish and pick up points,” said Balu, who collected 15 points for his third-place to continue to lead the table.

    The Race Concepts team then got to work and changed the gearbox in little over 30 minutes, but attracting a five-position grid penalty for Balu for the next race for which the Coimbatore ace had qualified on pole.

    From left: 2nd placed Arjun Balu, winner Keith D’Souza and 3rd Jeet Jhabakh, in the ITC class Race 3 on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar

    In the next outing, it was Keith D’Souza all the way as he made the best of a strong start to win comfortably from Balu, who made three places, and Jhabakh.

    The results (Provisional, all 8 laps unless mentioned):

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Jeet Jhabakh (FB Motorsport) (19mins, 11.577secs); 2. Dhruv Mohite (FB Motorsport) (19:14.720); 3. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (21:12.781).

    ITC Race-3: 1. Keith D’Souza (FB Motorsport) (15:22.987); 2. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (15:28.096); 3. Jeet Jhabakh (FB Motorsport) (15:30.188).

    Super Stock (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (20:08.258); 2. Alisha Abdullah (Race Concepts) (20:30.072); 3. Vineet Abhiram (Race Concepts) (20:52.326).

    SS Race-3: 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (16:10.165); 2. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) (16:10.728); 3. Alisha Abdullah (Race Concepts) (16:32.717).

    MRF Saloon Car Series (Toyota Etios) (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Chetan Korada (Chennai) (21:14.775); 2. A Balaprasath (Chennai) (21:15.945); 3. Diljith TS (Thrissur) (19:12.377+1 lap).

    Toyota Race-3: 1. Chandresh Tolia (Mumbai) (17:18.519); 2. A Balaprasath (Chennai) (17:19.306); 3. Diljith TS (Thrissur) (17:28.532).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-3): 1. Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsport) (15:13.237); 2. Chirag Ghorpade (Momentum Motorsport) (15:13.806); 3. Arya Singh (DTS Racing) (15:19.854).

    FLGB 1300 Race-4 (10 laps): 1. Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing) (20:26.904); 2. Chirag Ghorpade (Momentum Motorsport) (20:28.587); 3. Arya Singh (DTS Racing) (20:29.120).

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved from Sholavaram to its present location in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.

  • Vierge strikes late to deny Roberts in Valencia

    Vierge strikes late to deny Roberts in Valencia

    The Spaniard takes it in a last dash on a drying track, ahead of Roberts and Championship leader Lowes

    Valencia, 7 Nov 2020: On a drying Circuit Ricardo Tormo that saw the Moto2™ riders attack Q2 on slicks, Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) produced the goods to bag his first pole position of the season. The Spaniard’s last lap was good enough to see him beat Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) by just under two tenths, with Championship leader Sam Lowes an infinitesimal 0.002 back in P3. The British rider’s main title rival, Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team), will start from 15th.

    Hafizh Syahrin (Inde Aspar Team Moto2) topped a tricky Q1 from Andi Izdihar (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), with Championship contender Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46)  and Bo Bendsneyder (NTS RW Racing GP) also moving through. A dry line had appeared in Valencia, meaning it was just about time for slicks although it was by no means a fully dry qualifying session for the intermediate class. 

    Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) was fastest after the first flurry of laps in Q2, but as everyone got going, the lap times tumbled. Roberts set a 1:44.604 to sit on provisional pole with eight minutes to go but once more, the time wouldn’t be quickest for long. Vierge was the first man into the 1:43s as Lowes slotted into P2, three tenths off the Spaniard.

    Bezzecchi then went back to P1 with Roberts going a tad slower to take second, but Lowes went quicker than the lot of them to go top by three tenths. Again though, the lead changed. Roberts once more took provisional pole and this time, Lowes didn’t beat his time – but it was close between the Brit and American.

    Red sectors for Bezzecchi, Roberts and Lowes lit up the screens, but the latter was on a different planet. A 1:39.790 saw the Championship leader soar to 1.1 seconds clear of anyone else, decimating the competition. And yet, the gap was soon cut by Vierge, although Lowes hit back once again to extend it to seven tenths.

    It remained far from over though. Bezzecchi, Roberts, Vierge, Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) and Lowes all had red sectors. First it was Roberts who took provisional pole, but Vierge demoted the American to second almost immediately. Could Lowes respond to get back on top? Not this time! The points leader stayed third despite improving his laptime, advantage overcome and Vierge securing pole position in Valencia, his first since the 2019 Argentina GP. Roberts stayed second, too, just 0.002 ahead of Lowes as the duo finish just under two tenths down. 

    Gardner spearheads the second row in P4, the Aussie pipping Bezzecchi by just 0.033 to demote the Italian to fifth. Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completes the second row in P6 as the front two rows are split by 0.520 seconds, with seventh place Marini next up but 1.3 seconds back from pole. The newly-announced 2021 Ducati rider needs a big result on Sunday to keep tabs on Lowes and Bastianini in the title race, and P7 is a solid place to start.

    Flexbox HP 40 teammates Lorenzo Baldassarri and Hector Garzo picked up P8 and P9 respectively, both a good day’s work, with Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) closing out the top 10.

    So where’s Bastianini? The number 33 produced a miraculous save in Q2 to keep himself upright but he couldn’t keep himself nearer the front, set to start P15. What can he do on race day? We’ve seen him bounce back before…

    Tune in for a crucial Moto2™ encounter at 12:20 local time (GMT+1) on Sunday!

  • Pole for Pol! Espargaro heads Rins and Nakagami in Valencia

    Pole for Pol! Espargaro heads Rins and Nakagami in Valencia

    Valencia, 7 Nov 2020: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol Espargaro picked up a phenomenal second pole position of 2020 after mastering the wet conditions in Q2 at the Gran Premio de Europa, the Spaniard slamming in a late 1:40.434 to head a front row covered by less than a tenth. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) starts second as the top title challenger, just 0.041 back, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) claiming the final front row slot despite a late crash. The grid is a fascinating one ahead of lights out, with Championship challengers scattered throughout and, of course, Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) also starting from pitlane due to exceeding his engine allocation.

    First, FP4 pacesetter Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and FP3 leader Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) emerged through the Q1 shootout on top in wet but drying conditions. The sun was shining for Q2 but the asphalt still wet; a dry line appearing but nowhere near dry enough to risk slicks. High stakes, anyone?

    Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) pulled straight back into pitlane after his out lap, a tyre change on for the Italian, but it wasn’t to slicks. Rins then set a 1:42.420 and the first time of the session, but that was going to be beaten fairly quickly as some of the Q1 contenders dipped into the 1:41s, already dialled in. The number 42 Suzuki did then set a 1:41.714 to extend his lead though, and teammate Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was next up as he went quicker by a tenth to sit on provisional pole.

    The Suzuki stranglehold was then beaten by Nakagami as Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) peeled into the pitlane despite being on a great lap, but the lead then changed again. Morbidelli was back on top, but Rins was on a roll and topped the session for the third lap in a row; the Aragon GP winner in fine form.

    Nakagami was then on another flyer. The Japanese rider was 0.3 seconds faster at the second split and over half a second up through Sector 3, coming round the final corner and firing his RC213V to the line to take over by seven tenths – goalposts well and truly moved. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) was the first man trying to respond, the Australian straight down to business to take P2 despite waiting to head out, but a mistake at the final corner cost him time.

    Meanwhile, Mir then improved his time to go P3 as Dovizioso’s next time was only good enough for P12 as the wet weather form book seemed to take a hit. There was time left yet though and Rins was through the third split 0.041 up, the number 42 just pipping Nakagami by 0.005 seconds over the line. The Japanese rider then crashed at the final corner though, so that was his session over…

    In the end, it all came down to a tense final minute. Rins was once again going faster and  faster, 0.079 seconds under and looking set to challenge, but there was a flying KTM about to join the party at the top: Pol Espargaro. The Spaniard, who picked up both his and KTM’s first MotoGP™ podium at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in 2018, crossed the line to take provisional pole and show yet more wet weather mastery. Could Rins ruin KTM’s afternoon? Not quite – but it was close. 0.041 was the gap between the two and next attention turned to Zarco, because the Frenchman was flying.

    0.196 up through Sector 3 looked like it might be the two-time Moto2™ World Champion’s time to shine, but a mistake at the final corner then saw the Ducati man lose time. Just enough, although it was only covered by a tenth, to lose out on the front row. The number 5 went fourth, and it all came down to Rins. Could the Suzuki rider make one last ditch attempt to snatch pole? Not quite. It was another good lap but the Spaniard had to settle for P2, the search for premier class pole continuing.

    And so, another breathless wet qualifying session ends with Pol Espargaro and KTM on top. The number 44 earns his second pole position of the season as Rins claims his second consecutive front row, and that can also be said for Nakagami. Three manufacturers in the top three positions, and all three are looking strong in Valencia. Two could also become the ninth different winner of 2020 on Sunday…

    So could Zarco, who was unlucky to miss out on the front row but after negotiating Q1, heading up the second row is a solid Saturday afternoon. Championship leader Mir will launch from P5 after some good work on home soil, and he’s another big candidate to become that ninth winner. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completes Row 2 and that’s the Aprilia rider’s best Saturday afternoon outing since his P4 at the Czech GP earlier this year, and Aprilia’s best at Valencia in the MotoGP™ era.

    After showing strong pace all weekend, Miller was forced to settle for P7 and the head of the third row, ahead of Oliveira. The Portuguese rider was the last man within a second of Pol Espargaro after improving on his last lap. Next up is top Yamaha rider Morbidelli in ninth and the Italian has some work to do on Sunday afternoon, with Mir and Rins ahead of him. Crucially, however, there are three title contenders behind him…

    Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounds out the top 10, the South African just over a tenth faster than one of said title challengers: 11th place Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). It wasn’t the ideal Saturday for the man second in the standings but thankfully for El Diablo, Sunday looks like it will be dry – he’ll likely be hoping so. Dovizioso’s Q2 didn’t go to plan either, the Italian well adrift of Pol Espargaro by the flag and set to start P12.

    And then, in terms of the top six in the standings, there’s Viñales. The Spaniard will start from pitlane on Sunday, looking to do some damage limitation. His returning teammate Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) starts from P17 too… so what can they each do?

    The scene is set with a grid that promises another truly stunning Sunday. Will it be a ninth winner? More Championship drama? Another maiden winner? Some history-making is entirely possible, with Pol Espargaro, Nakagami, Zarco and Mir all starting in the top five and on the verge of some serious stats. Tune in for the MotoGP™ race at 14:00 local time (GMT+1) on Sunday for another unmissable twist in the tale of 2020!

    1 Pol Espargaro – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM – 1:40.434
    2 Alex Rins – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +0.041
    3 Takaaki Nakagami* – LCR Honda Idemitsu – Honda – +0.096
    *Independent Team rider

    Pol Espargaro: “That qualifying was crazy, we have not so much to lose, we’re not fighting for so much in the Championship. We’re not far but not close enough which is a pity but a reality. Today was difficult because we have three races in a row and these conditions made it so so so difficult to make a good laptime and so easy to crash, so I wanted to finish that session and with a good result, especially after seeing Miguel in Q1 who was very fast. I’m super pleased, I couldn’t believe it when I crossed the line and my mechanic put P1 on the board, it’s difficult to believe because when it comes in difficult situations it’s even more tasty!”

  • MRF’s Craig Breen-Paul Nagle finish second behind Mikkelsen-Floene: ERC

    MRF’s Craig Breen-Paul Nagle finish second behind Mikkelsen-Floene: ERC

    *Norwegian leads on European championship return for newcomer Topp-Cars Rally Team

    *Title pacesetter Lukyanuk picks up five-minute time penalty for early check-in

    *Breen and ERC1 Junior leader Munster complete overnight podium in Nyíregyháza

    *Torn heading to victory in ERC3/ERC3 Junior, Érdi Jr on course for home triumph in ERC2

    *Rada holds first place in Abarth Rally Cup as Mabellini battles back into contention

    Andreas Mikkelsen came, saw and has so far conquered Rally Hungary, leading on his return to the FIA European Rally Championship as part of a high-quality, multi-national entry.

    The world championship event winner, competing in a Topp-Cars Rally Team-run, Pirelli-equipped Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, was a contender from the start alongside co-driver Ola Fløene.

    After trailing ORLEN Team’s Polish champion Miko Marczyk through Friday’s opening superspecial, Mikkelsen was second to Alexey Lukyanuk on SS2, but able to take a lead he has yet to relinquish, despite a spin on SS3.

    “It’s been a very good day,” said Mikkelsen, who has been fastest on five stages. “We’ve been driving within the limits and have a good gap for tomorrow, we can’t ask for much more. It’s one thing going testing with Pirelli, it’s great and keeps me fit but I’m a competitive guy, I love sports and I like to challenge myself and see where I am against the others. This is a good opportunity to do that.”

    European championship leader Lukyanuk was 5.1s behind Mikkelsen at the midday service halt in Nyíregyháza but far from happy at the completion of SS6, reporting live on Facebook and YouTube that he’d been checked in to the stage start control five minutes early. The ensuing five-minute penalty has dropped the Russian firmly out of contention to the extent he’s unlikely to score ERC points of the first time this season in his Saintéloc Junior Team Citroën C3 R5.

    Craig Breen is second overnight, 23.6s behind Mikkelsen after an overshoot and a spin this morning. However, the Irishman underlined his star quality and the progress of his MRF Tyres by claiming a brace of stage wins in his Hyundai i20 R5. “To get a podium for MRF Tyres and the team is very important, they’ve been working so hard. It’s quite incredible to be getting stage wins after a short period of time.”

    Third-placed Grégoire Munster reported the “biggest moment of my life” through a muddy section on SS8. Driving a Hyundai i20 R5 for BMA Autosport, Munster’s 51.8s ahead of closest ERC1 Junior rival, Rallye Team Spain’s ERC3 Junior champion Efrén Llarena, who is fifth overall behind fourth-placed Norbert Herczig, MOL Racing Team’s four-time national champion.

    Emil Lindholm was fourth and firmly in contention for an overnight podium place after eight stages but was reported to have got stuck after going off the road in his Team MRF Tyres Škoda on SS9.

    Oliver Solberg, Munster’s closest ERC1 Junior title rival, dropped down the order with a front-right puncture on SS7 then lost more time with a left-rear deflation on SS9. “I was running in the middle of the road, I honestly don’t know how it happened,” he said. “It’s so annoying to have two punctures now. The other drivers have moments and they don’t get anything.”

    Solberg’s double delay in his Eurosol Fabia demoted him from third to ninth with double ERC Junior champion Marijan Griebel moving up to sixth, followed by Niki Mary-Melnhof and Callum Devine, who completed SS7 with a front-left puncture on his Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy Hyundai then lost 20s when he went backwards into a field on SS9. A mere 2.8s covers Llarena, Griebel and Mayr-Melnhof.

    Simon Wagner, on his first European championship start since his ERC1 Junior podium in the Czech Republic in August 2019, is a strong P10 after nine stages, followed by Devine’s Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy team-mate Josh McErlean, who is making his ERC debut in Hungary, and former Hungarian champion András Hadik.

    Erik Cais started Rally Hungary on the back of winning two national rallies in his Yacco ACCR Team Ford Fiesta R5 MkII. But an off on SS2 wrecked his hopes of a strong result, although the Czech youngster underlined his promise with the second fastest time on the final stage, which he completed 1.2s down on rally leader Mikkelsen. He’s P13 overnight.

    Brose Motorsport’s German hope Dominik Dinkel is P14 having been hampered by a pop-off valve issue, damaged wheel rim and, more significantly, a faulty intercom, which meant he was hearing co-driver Ursula Mayrhofer’s pacenotes only intermittently. Yoann Bonato is P15 after he went off on SS3. Miko Marczyk is P16 after stopping to change a puncture.

    Albert von Thurn und Taxi is P17 with Alexey Lukyanuk a distant P18. Frigyes Turán, last year’s winner, is P19 having dropped out of contention with a puncture on SS2. Rally driver turned rallycross regular Csuscu is P20.

    Russian Rocket’s rousing run in ruins
    Alexey Lukyanuk had been the man to beat in this season’s ERC with two wins and a second-place finish alongside new co-driver Dmitry Eremeev. But their run is over after Eremeev erroneously checked in to start SS6 five minutes ahead of schedule. With a five-minute penalty dropping him down to P18, Lukyanuk hinted he might not start Sunday’s stages. “I will decide later,” the dejected Russian said.

    Torn turns things round in ERC3/ERC3 Junior battle
    Estonian Autosport Junior Team’s Ken Torn was leading ERC3/ERC3 Junior after four stages in his Ford Fiesta Rally4 but slipped behind Rallye Team Spain’s Pep Bassas – his main title rival – following a puncture on SS5. Bassas, in a Peugeot 208 Rally4, extended his margin on SS6 but a time loss on SS7 allowed Torn to get back in front. He’s 27.9s ahead of Bassas heading into leg two. Ola Jr Nore is third on his ERC debut at the wheel of a Toksport WRT-run Renault Clio RSR Rally5, which was sporting a damaged intercooler at the end of SS9. Amaury Molle is fourth in ERC3 Junior after Norbert Maior retired his Napoca Rally Academy-backed 208 Rally4 with a broken driveshaft. Rachele Somaschini withdrew with the recurrence of a shoulder injury. Raul Badiu is fourth in ERC3 followed by Hungarian lady driver Adrienn Vogel. Martin László was in the podium fight in ERC3 until he got stuck in a ditch on SS5. A gearbox issue has plagued him throughout the afternoon.

    Érdi Jr on course for a third ERC2 victory at home, Rada leads Abarth Rally Cup
    Hungarian hero Tibor Érdi Jr is on course for a third ERC2 win this season after he completed leg one with a comfortable margin ahead of Zelindo Melegari. Dmitry Feofanov is third with Abarth Rally Cup leader Martin Rada fourth followed by Andrea Mabellini. The Italian retired on SS1 with a suspension and restarted this morning with a five-minute time penalty. Mihnea Mureșan was leading the Abarth Rally Cup on his debut but went off the road on SS6. Roberto Gobbin crashed out on SS7.

    Hard day for Hungarian title hopefuls
    It was a disastrous start to the day for reigning Hungarian champion Ferenc Vincze Jr, who retired 300 metres from the beginning of SS3 with a turbo issue. As well as chasing ERC points, Vincze Jr began Rally Hungary locked in a close fight with Ádám Velenczei in his bid to defend his title. Velenczei, who is making his ERC1 Junior debut this weekend, was P15 after five stages but retired following SS6 with broken right-rear suspension.

    PROVISIONAL TOP 15 ERC POSITIONS (after 9 stages, 118.88 kilometres)
    1 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Ola Fløene (NOR) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo 1h07m55.9s
    2 Craig Breen (IRL)/Paul Nagle (IRL) Hyundai i20 R5 +23.6s
    3 Grégoire Munster (LUX)/Louis Louka (BEL) Hyundai i20 R5 +1m21.3s
    4 Norbert Herczig (HUN)/Ramón Ferencz (HUN) Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 +1m57.0s
    5 Efrén Llarena (ESP)/Sara Fernández (ESP) Citroën C3 R5 +2m13.1s
    6 Marijan Griebel (DEU)/Tobias Braun (DEU) Citroën C3 R5 +2m15.2s
    7 Niki Mayr-Melnhof (AUT)/Poldi Welsersheimb (AUT) Ford Fiesta R5 MklI +2m15.9s
    8 Callum Devine (IRL)/James Fulton (IRL) Hyundai i20 R5 +2m31.7s
    9 Oliver Solberg (SWE)/Aaron Johnston (IRL) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +2m36.8s
    10 Simon Wagner (AUT)/Gerald Winter (AUT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +2m48.4s
    11 Josh McErlean (IRL)Keaton Williams (GBR) Hyundai i20 R5 +3m09.6s
    12 András Hadik (HUN)/Krisztián Kertész (HUN) Ford Fiesta R5 MkII +3m13.2s
    13 Erik Cais (CZE)/Jindřiška Žáková (CZE) Ford Fiesta R5 MkII +3m42.1s
    14 Dominik Dinkel (DEU)/Ursula Mayrhofer (AUT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +3m43.0s
    15 Yoann Bonato (FRA)/Benjamin Boulloud (FRA) Citroën C3 R5 +4m06.8s

    FIA ERC2: Tibor Érdi Jr (HUN)/Zoltán Csökő (HUN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
    FIA ERC3: Ken Torn (EST)/Kauri Pannas (EST) Ford Fiesta Rally4
    FIA ERC1 Junior: Grégoire Munster (LUX)/Louis Louka (BEL) Hyundai i20 R5
    FIA ERC3 Junior: Ken Torn (EST)/Kauri Pannas (EST) Ford Fiesta Rally4
    Abarth Rally Cup: Martin Rada (CZE)/Jaroslav Jugas (CZE) Abarth 124 rally

    Live timing and results: https://www.fiaerc.com/live-timing/

  • Frederick wins; Kush Maini keeps himself at a striking distance

    Frederick wins; Kush Maini keeps himself at a striking distance

    The 2020 BRDC British F3 Championship race goes down to the final two contests of the season on Sunday, with Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick and Hitech GP’s Kush Maini set to battle it out to become the latest winner of one of motorsport’s most prestigious titles. 

    We’ll update this story throughout Sunday to keep you informed on all the championship permutations.

    State of play before Sunday

    Frederick holds a 24 point lead at the top of the standings heading into the final two races, and simply needs to outscore Maini by 11 points in the reverse grid race two on Sunday morning to become champion one race early. 

    Frederick starts race two from 17th on the grid, while Maini will line-up directly in front of him in 15th. That actually means that Frederick can score more points in the race, owing to BRDC British F3’s race two points system, which awards points for places gained compared to starting positions. Frederick can score 36 points in race two and 71 overall on Sunday, while Maini can only score 34 in race two, and 69 in total across the day.

    Maini must still be within 34 points of Frederick after race two to be in with a chance of winning the title. If he is 35 points or more behind, Frederick wins the title in race two as the American has eight wins compared to Maini’s three victories across the season, with 35 points available in the final race of the year (race three).

    Here’s how Frederick can win the title in race two, which is due to start at 09.20 on Sunday morning:

    • If Frederick wins, he earns 36 points and Maini will need to finish third to be within 35 points of the leader going into the final round. If Maini is fourth or lower with a Frederick win, the American is champion
    • If Frederick finishes second, Maini needs to finish fourth or higher
    • If Frederick finishes third, Maini needs to finish sixth or higher
    • If Frederick finishes fourth, Maini needs to finish seventh or higher
    • If Frederick finishes fifth, Maini needs to finish ninth or higher
    • If Frederick finishes sixth, Maini needs to finish 10th or higher
    • If Frederick finishes seventh, Maini needs to finish 11th or higher
    • If Frederick finishes eighth, Maini needs to finish 12th or higher
    • If Frederick finishes ninth, Maini needs to finish 13th or higher
    • If Frederick finishes 10th, Maini needs to finish 14th or higher
    • If Frederick finishes 11th, Maini needs to finish 15th or higher
    • If Frederick finished 12th or lower, the championship fight goes to the last race

    Earlier report

    Silverstone, 7 Nov 2020: Carlin’s Kaylen Frederick enjoyed a near-perfect day at Silverstone today (Saturday) after claiming a double pole position and then victory in race one to move 24 points clear in the championship battle. 

    The title fight will go down to the wire though after Hitech GP’s Kush Maini finished third. The duo is now the only drivers still able to win the championship and will battle it out in the final two races of the year tomorrow to become the first driver from their respective countries to become a British F3 champion. 

    Qualifying
    Frederick secured his sixth and seventh qualifying pole positions of the season earlier this morning, and in doing so secured the £1,000 Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup end of the year prize for the drivers with the most pole positions throughout the season.

    In a tight session, Frederick was just 0.041s quicker than title rival Maini, with the pair locking out the front row not just for race one, but also for the final contest of the year on Sunday too, setting up a battle royale for championship honours, with the grid for that race decided by each driver’s second-fastest qualifying times.

    Roberto Faria was third quickest for both grids, his best British F3 result so far, with Ayrton Simmons powering JHR Developments up to the second row.

    Race one  
    Frederick converted pole into the lead on the run down to Copse on lap one, moving across the track on the approach to the first turn to fend off Maini. That allowed Simmons to blast around the outside of the Indian driver to move into second place with Maini having to settle for third.

    Frederick pulled away at around a second a lap but saw his lead wiped out on lap six when the safety car was deployed following a collision between Ulysse De Pauw and Reece Ushijima. De Pauw had been running in fourth place and set to remain in championship contention going into tomorrow, but the collision forced him out of the race and the title fight.

    The safety car pitted at the end of lap eight, with Frederick pulling away once more to claim his eighth win of the season, with Simmons and Maini completing the podium. Frederick now holds a 24 point lead in the championship standings, with a maximum of 69 points available for Maini tomorrow.

    Louis Foster (Double R) and Nazim Azman (Carlin) also entered the event in championship contention, but fifth and 11th place finishes respectively weren’t enough to keep either in the title battle.

    Race one winner Frederick said: “It was pretty good, I didn’t have the best start but I defended well and then put in some really quick times afterwards. I don’t know how big the gap was before the safety car but we had a solid margin.

    “I was trying to take care of the tyres and making sure they were there at the end so we could keep putting in the quick times. I then got a good safety car restart and then just put in one more quick lap at the end and that was pretty much it. So I’m really pleased.”

    BRDC British F3 Championship, Silverstone qualifying top-six (race one grid)
    1. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin 1m54.354s
    2. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +0.041s
    3. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +0.127s
    4. Ayrton Simmons, JHR Developments, +0.226s
    5. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +0.410s
    6. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +0.502s

    Click here for full result.

    BRDC British F3 Championship, Silverstone GP race one top-six:
    1. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, 10 laps
    2. Ayrton Simmons, JHR Developments, +2.608s
    3. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +3.834s
    4. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +4.857s
    5. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +6.127s
    6. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +6.260s

    Click here for full result.

    BRDC British F3 Championship, top-six standings after race 22 of 24:
    1. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, 455pts
    2. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, 431pts
    3. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, 378pts
    4. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, 372pts
    5. Nazim Azman, Carlin, 341pts
    6. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, 298pts

    Click here for full standings

    For more championship information visit www.britishf3.com.  

    -Ends-

  • Arjun Balu, Rithwik Thomas, Diljith reign supreme

    Arjun Balu, Rithwik Thomas, Diljith reign supreme

    Irungattukottai, near Chennai, 7 Nov 2020: Top speedster and talented Indian racing driver, Arjun Balu of Race Concepts, chalked up another fluent victory to extend lead the championship lead in the top-end Indian Touring Cars class as the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship commenced here at the MMRT on Saturday.

    Balu from Coimbatore, thus, swept to his third consecutive win despite teething troubles with his car, following a double in the opening round in February, but was far from pleased with his performance. “I was still down on my lap times and was not too happy with the balance of the car. We made some changes to the car from the previous round, and so, had to deal with some teething issues. It was a struggle all weekend and we had to do a lot of work. I hope to do better in the next two races and come back stronger,” said Balu. Starting on pole Balu had a good launch and pulled off a quick lap of eight tenths over Keith in the first lap and did consistently faster laps thereafter, except in the Lap 2. He was not only faster than Keith in the second place but clocked the best lap of 1:53.146 (118.2 kmph). Joel Joseph who came fifth is the tuner of the Race Concept cars.

    Arjun Balu in action on Saturday. Image by Anand Philar

    Finishing behind Balu were two FB Motorsport teammates, Keith D’Souza and last year’s champion Dhruv Mohite, neither of whom came anywhere near the Coimbatore ace who was simply sublime. Mohite who did not take part in the ITC class Round 1, opened his account while Keith is second on the table, adding to his second and fourth in the first two races in February.. “I too had a good start but we did not have the raw pace and all I can do was to keep up with him as much as I could. But I am happy with my race,” said Keith D’Souza of FB Motorsports tuned by Farad Bathena.

    Rithvik Thomas after winning the Super Stock Race 1 on Saturday.

    Also finishing on the top step of the podium was Bengaluru’s Rithvik Thomas, also of Race Concepts, in the Super Stock class and, Diljith TS from Thrissur, in the Toyota Etios MRF Saloon Car Championship.

    A couple of rain spells delayed the races but the stop-go proceedings did not affect their competitive nature and produced plenty of action.

    Tijil Rao of Momentum Motorsport and Mohamed Ryan of M Sport won a race each in the Formula LGB 1300 category that had two races on Saturday.

    Tijil Rao celebrates after winning Race 1 of Formula LGB on Saturday.

    Pole-sitter Tijil Rao led a 1-2 for Momentum Motorsport after holding off team-mate Chirag Ghorpade in a tense battle and behind them, Diljith TS, of DTS Racing, completed the podium. It was a good run by Ghorpade who started seventh on the grid and cut through the field to catch up with Tijil. The two were locked in a tense battle, but Tijil just about kept his nose in front while Dilijith made two places from fifth to finish third.

    Mohamad Ryan giving his bites after winning Race 2 of Formula LGB 1300 at the MMRT.

    In the second Formula LGB 1300 race, Mohamed Ryan (M Sport) won handily from reverse grid start ahead of Karthik Krishna (Hasten Performance) and Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing). Tijil managed to finish fifth for some important points. “He pressurised me a lot but I managed to keep it up for the win the first race. Now on to the next race,” said Mohamed Ryan. A Balaprasath clocked the best lap in Race 2: 1:53.007 (118.4 kmph) and it was Chirag Ghorpade with the fastest lap in Race 1 timing 1:53.085 (118.3kmph).

    The combined saloon car race grid comprised two other classes, including the Super Stock, which was won by Rithwik Thomas of Race Concepts. It was his third success in a row and he extended his championship lead in this class. Raghul Rangasamy of Race Performance came second ahead of Alisha Abdullah, who did a good job to take the podium again ahead of five more racers, including Shivani Pruthvi of Davangere, who switched from rallies to racing once again, after her debut in racing last year at Coimbatore. “It was a good race. I started on the pole and had a fight for a few corners in the beginning before I settled down. Looking forward to tomorrow’s races,” said Rithvik Thomas. He consistently had faster laps and his best lap of 1:58.922 was over a second faster than the best lap of second-placed Rangasamy.

    “I am very happy with my performance today and I have more to learn. I am focused now tomorrow’s races and looking forward to it,” said Alisha Abdullah.

    Alisha Abdullah get a third place competing with the male racers for the third time running.

    The MRF Saloon Car Championship with identical Toyota Etios vehicles, made its debut, where Diljith TS topped without much ado. Chennai’s Balaprasath, who also took part in the Karting Nationals at Bengaluru last Sunday, came second ahead of Mumbai’s Chandresh Tolia.

    The results (Provisional, all 8 laps unless mentioned):

    Formula LGB (Race-1): 1. Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsports) (15mins, 20.044secs); 2. Chirag Ghorpade (Momentum Motorsport) (15:20.726); 3. Diljith TS (DTS Racing) (15:25.857).

    Race 2 (10 laps): 1. Mohamed Ryan (M Sport) (19:10.071); 2. Karthik Krishna (Hasten Performance) (19:11.888); 3. Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing) (19:12.884).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (15:13.588); 2. Keith D’Souza (FB Motorsport) (15:21.592); 3. Dhruv Mohite (FB Motorsport) (15:26.575).

    Super Stock (Race-1): 1. Rithwik Thomas (Race Concepts) (16:09.642); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (16:15.868); 3. Alisha Abdullah (Race Concepts) (16:33.443).

    MRF Saloon Car Championship (Race-1): 1. Diljith TS (Thrissur) (17:04.940); 2. A Balaprasath (Chennai) (17:12.098); 3. Chandresh Tolia (Mumbai) (17:22.490).

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved from Sholavaram to its present location in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.