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I use karting to hone my skills on tarmac, says Craig Breen
In attendance:
Craig Breen, Team MRF Tyres
Erik Cais, Yacco ACCR Team
Callum Devine, Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy
András Hadik, DVTK SE
Norbert Herczig, MOL Racing Team
Andreas Mikkelsen, Topp-Cars Rally Team
Frigyes Turán, Turán Motorsport SE
Ferenc Vincze, Pilis Racing Kft. / Dani Fischer Teamhttps://twitter.com/i/status/1324783406614519808
Q:
You’ve done the recce Craig so how big is the challenge you’ll face on Rally Hungary?
CB:
It’s a challenge definitely. I’m not really sure what we’re going to find this weekend because the stages are something like I’ve never seen before. Some parts are really nice with a nice profile, nice roads and the weather has definitely been playing in a nice way so hopefully for the rest of the weekend we can have some nice feelings on those roads but the rest of the weekend is going to be more tricky.
Q:
Do any of the stages resemble what you have back home in Ireland and can you use that to your benefit?
CB:
Some of the roads back home are broken but at least it’s Tarmac. Here it’s full gravel in some places. We’ve some Tarmac sections in Valais but I’ve never done a Tarmac rally with so much gravel before. It was obviously like this last year, it’s another challenge and we’ll just have to see how it goes but compared to back home, to give some credit to the council people making the roads back home it is Tarmac most of the time in Ireland. But for sure the normal, wider roads are bumpy in places so we’ll enjoy that.
Q:
We’ve seen on your social media that you’ve been doing a lot of karting in the run-up to this event. Is that your normal preparation for a Tarmac event?
CB:
Honestly the karting is something I finished incorrectly is the right way to put it. When I stopped karting about 10 years ago I did it in the wrong way and always felt I had some unfinished business there. Honestly my idea is to try to do something at European or world level again in the next while if I can squeeze it in. Every time I get back in the kart again it always comes really quickly and really naturally to me and I always enjoy it. I suppose it’s good training and for me it’s the most physically demanding thing I’ve done and I always use it to hone my skills on Tarmac and keep myself strong but honestly it’s part of a long, long plan to give it a proper shot again.
Q:
From Alasdair Lindsay (DirtFish.com) by email: Which stage do you think will make the biggest difference to the outcome of the rally and why?
CB:
It depends on what the weather is doing. It’s dried up a lot since we did the recce but the first two stages of the rally on the Saturday morning are the ones with the most amount of gravel on it, the most tricky ones, I suppose unknown because we’ve recced them in the worst conditions and I think that’s where we’ll see the most amount of difficulties. Sunday is a relatively ‘easy’ day compared to that but there are still some gravel parts, but the main part of the action should be on Saturday.
Q:
Turning to Erik Cais, two wins on national rallies since we last saw you on Rally Fafe Montelongo in Portugal. How have they helped you and how much confidence have they given you?
EC:
It was my first overall win and it was twice in Italy and in Poland and it was a really good feeling before Hungary. But it was for testing and the big battle will be here.
Q:
Given your mountain bike racing background you’ve commented before that you quite enjoy the slippery conditions. Is it the same with a roof over your head and can you enjoy those conditions?
EC:
I like mostly when the weather is changing a lot but I feel like a gentleman because I am not dirty and I am in a car inside. But I also like the mud and the feeling of the car when it’s going sideways at high speed. I hope for rain but the weather forecast is looking like it will be sunny but that will also be okay because in Hungary there is a lot of mud on the road.
Q:
There was obviously a lot of mud and water on the road last year when you won in ERC3. How can that help you move forward this year?
EC:
For sure the experience of the roads and what they look like with the mud on the road and everything is helping but the difference between the Fiesta R2 and R5 is really big. It will be something different compared to last year, some of the stages are similar but maybe even faster because there will not be so much mud and water on the road so for me it will also be about getting experience of driving this car in these conditions.
Q:
Your co-driver Jindřiška Žáková injured her finger on Rally Fafe Montelongo and had to take a rally off but how is she doing now?
EC:
She still has something on the finger but hopefully she will be okay. We tried to do some puncture training and it was a little bit different but I think she will be okay to do it.
Q:
From Alasdair Lindsay (DirtFish.com) by email: How did the conditions on the recce compared to last year’s event – are they better or worse?
EC:
It seems to be better but last year in cuts were trees and if you cut you completely damaged the car. Now there are some things that if you cut you don’t completely damage the car and many drivers will try to cut the corners and also the mud from these corners will be on the road so you need to be careful to see if the mud is coming or not. But from the recce it seems to be better than last year.
Q:
And which stage, from the recce, do you believe will be the key stage that we all need to look out for?
EC:
For everybody it will be the longest one because the conditions on that stage change every metre.
Q:
Turning to Callum Devine, you famously had a podium here last year so what are the memories from that weekend 12 months on?
CD:
It’s a little than last year, that’s for sure! It’s quite similar but we’re looking forward to it and the memories were picking up for me doing the recce.
Q:
Are the conditions we experienced last year something to be enjoyed or endured?
CD:
A bit of both. Last year was a bit of luck because of the punctures but I also like the slippery conditions from back home and it’s very slippery here.
Q:
Can you summarise your season so far?
CD:
It’s probably been the most challenging year for us. In Latvia we had our first big accident, we’ve also had a bit of bad luck. But we had a good result in Portugal and we hope we can kick off from there and get another good result this weekend.
Q:
You’ve got a team-mate at the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy this weekend in Josh McErlean. How much can that help you when discussing strategy and how much can you help him with your experience of last year?
CD:
It’s great and it’s brilliant the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy is bringing Josh here. They are doing so much for the young drivers back home. It’s good to have Josh here and it will be good experience for him because he’s probably hasn’t tried anything like this before. I’ve been helping him as much as I can, showing him some onboards from last year, which is also helpful. It’s nice to have him here, he’s a quick driver himself and it will be good to see him progress this weekend.
Q:
From Alasdair Lindsay (DirtFish.com) by email: 12 months on from last year’s recce, what can you tell us – better or worse from then to now?
CD:
The recce is still quite the same, some of the cuts are still there from last year. There was a lot of rain last year and that was actually cleaning the roads but now it’s a lot more slippery because there’s no rain cleaning the roads, a lot more greasy. It will be quite similar to last year with a lot of anti-cut devices in there too so it’s going to be a tricky rally.
Q:
Which stage do you believe will be the one that fans and journalists should look out for?
CD:
Sunday should be good, it’s a little bit more cleaner and everybody will have bedded into it a bit more and will be able to push on.
Q:
Turning to András Hadik, what does this event mean to you?
AH:
Two years ago I claimed my Hungarian title here at a very exciting race that was decided only on the last stage. It was a difficult race, dry, but foggy. Due to the pandemic situation we started the season very late this year. The focus is on the national championship, I think we have no chance at the ERC race because of the top drivers coming to Rally Hungary, but we try to benefit from our experiences on the stages. This morning we realised that almost all of the stages were fully dry, while we had wet test on Wednesday, but we do not worry, because we have the setup for dry weather as well. On the first day we try to focus on the Hungarian championship, and if we still stand on Sunday, we will keep going and push as we can.
Q:
Turning to Norbert Herczig, how have your preparations gone for the event and what’s it like to be competing on the same event as your son, Patrik?
NH:
The recce went well, and fortunately, we have had some experience from last year, so we had to modify our notes only a bit and now we are ready for the race. Last year there were many punctures, but the organizers took some sections out of the stages to make our lives easier. We are far behind in the overall standing, so there is no sense to figure out any tactics, we have to simply push as we can and prepare for the 2021 season. A year ago, I never thought that I was going to compete at an ERC race with my own son, Patrik. I think he is much smarter, more relaxed than me, he is going step by step, so I do not worry about him, he is here to collect kilometres.
Q:
Turning to Andreas Mikkelsen, what’s brought you back to the European Rally Championship and also to Rally Hungary?
AM:
Well obviously I’m very happy just to be competing again. It’s such a great feeling to enter rally. I’ve been doing a lot of testing this year but when Topp-Cars Rally Team contacted me and asked me if I wanted to do Rally Hungary. Obviously I was very happy and really happy to be back competing and I’m very glad we made it happen. We had a great test this week and the team feels really good, nice people and we’re ready to give it a go this weekend.
Q:
You’ve done the recce so what do you think? A big challenge ahead or can it be enjoyable?
AM:
It’s a huge challenge that lies ahead of us. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Tarmac rally with this amount of mud and gravel on the stages. This is very particular for this rally. I remember doing a rally in Hungary almost 10 years ago now but it was in a different area in Pécs and this is very different type of nature, different types of stages. But it’s a good challenge and the same for everyone. We tested on completely dry but some weeks ago I tested for Ypres when we also had a lot of mud and gravel on the road so I think I should be confident driving in these sections. It’s really hard to know the grip levels and how hard you can push. Obviously when we did the recce it was some days before when we arrived and some of the places have dried up but to predict these kinds of surface change since the recce will be very difficult and I think day one will really tell the outcome of the rally.
Q:
From Alasdair Lindsay (DirtFish.com) by email: What’s your aim here this weekend?
AM:
My aim is very clear, I come here to try to win. I know the competition will be really tough and it’s a new rally for us, which adds to the difficulties of coming here. But I feel really good in the Škoda and I obviously have a long history with Škoda. Already on the test the car felt really, really nice, I felt comfortable and I was able to push straight away. If I can have this feeling during the rally then I will feel quite confident that I can fight at the top. If not I will be quite disappointed with myself. But we will give it a go and let’s see where we are.
Q:
Which stage will be key to the rally?
AM:
If there is a big gap to the front before the last day, Sunday, it’s really tough because the Sunday stages are a bit more easy. They’re really fast and it’s hard to make a big difference. I do believe Saturday’s stages will be crucial and staying away from punctures will also be important when you look last year how much happened. But stages two and three are pretty different because you have a lot of muddy sections, especially stage three because it’s quite a long stage as well. Stage four is new to everyone and there you can make a gap and do something different. Stage five I guess will be close between everyone so I will say stages two, three and four.
Q:
Finally, your old co-driver Ola Fløene is back in the car rather than Anders. Can you give us an update on why that is?
AM:
It’s like going 10 years back to the ERC and IRC, back with Ola and back with the Škoda. Anders is having a kid or his wife is having a kid, luckily, not him! So he wants to stay at home which is very understandable and I’m sure that will be a special feeling. I’m very happy to have Ola back on board. We know each other very well from before. We know our systems and already on the first test it was like we’d never been away from each other. Things are working well and I’m confident we can deliver a good result together.
Q:
Turning to Frigyes Turán, the winner here last year. What were your memories of that day?
FT:
I think we could have deserved the second place last year, and finally, we won due to the others’ problem on the last stage, which was a gift for us. It was an awesome feeling to win the race, we learnt a lot. Now we aim for getting a good result in the National Championship, and if we go well on Saturday, we will be happy on Sunday, too. The race is long, very complex, we must choose the speed very smartly. We have great tyres, we did not even have a puncture last year, so I am not really happy for the changes of the stages, because I love difficult conditions. Overall I think it will be a bit easier this year, but there are some critical sections. We have a good car, a good team, we are absolutely ready for the race. The field is strong, of World Rally Championship standard that gives extra motivation. I hope we can keep up with the top drivers and we can be in the top five.
Q:
Turning to Ferenc Vincze, you led here last year but what can you achieve this year?
FV:
We are leading the Hungarian national championship by a single point, certainly, it makes me happy, but last year’s race was a bit more relaxed, because we had already won the title by Rally Hungary. We did not have any pressure back then, we pushed as we could. Now the Hungarian championship is the first priority, we focus on trying to defend our title. We try to go safe, but surely fast. Two years ago we did not have the speed, last year we had it, but we had technical problems and punctures, so I think we have to find the balance between speed and safety for this year. The race will be easier than it was last year as it will be dry, but we would love to have a wet race, because we found a good setup for wet surface during the test. We know the stages quite well, they are tight and difficult, so we must drive very accurately, otherwise, we can have a risk to retire at any corner.ENDS
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Kush Maini clocks fastest times in both Test sessions
Silverstone, 6 Nov 2020: Hitech GP’s Kush Maini completed a clean sweep of fastest times in testing, after claiming top spot in the final session of the day on Friday.
Maini’s time of 1m54.016s was the slowest of his session toppers, but still enough to put the Indian championship challenger 0.148s clear of Carlin’s title leader Kaylen Frederick, with Maini’s teammate Reece Ushijima third.
Carter Williams was fourth fastest for JHR Developments, 0.040s ahead of Fortec’s Roberto Faria, with Chris Dittmann Racing’s Josh Skelton sixth and just 0.005s further back.
Ulysse De Pauw was seventh, 0.006s behind Skelton and 0.013s clear of JHR’s Ayrton Simmons. Carlin’s Nazim Azman and Lanan’s Bart Horsten completed a top-10 covered by just over a second.
Manaf Hijjawi was just outside the top-10 for Douglas Motorsport, less than a tenth clear of Lanan’s Josh Mason, who was a thousandth of a second clear of Fortec newcomer Jonny Wilkinson.
Lanan’s Piers Prior claimed 13th, 0.032s ahead of Hillspeed’s Sasakorn Chaimongkol, with Double R duo Louis Foster and Benjamin Pedersen and Chris Dittmann Racing’s Max Marzorati completing the 18 runners.
On the combined times, Maini’s best effort from this morning was the fastest for the day, with Faria second with his time also from session one.
Frederick’s lap in session three put him third overall with Simmons fourth with his time from session four. The top-10 overall were covered by less than a second, with all 18 cars separated by just over 1.8 seconds.
The 19 cars entered for the weekend will return to the track for qualifying tomorrow, with the 20 minute session due to start at 10.50.
BRDC British F3 Championship, Silverstone GP, Friday test session two result:
1. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, 1m54.016s
2. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, +0.148s
3. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +0.334s
4. Carter Williams, JHR Developments, +0.546s
5. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +0.586s
6. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.591s
7. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +0.597s
8. Ayrton Simmons, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.610s
9. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +0.754s
10. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +1.024s
11. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +1.254s
12. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +1.325s
13. Jonny Wilkinson, Fortec Motorsports, +1.326s
14. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +1.476s
15. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +1.508s
16. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +1.699s
17. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +1.718s
18. Max Marzorati, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.737sBRDC British F3 Championship, Silverstone GP, Friday test combined result:
1. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, 1m53.951s (session one)
2. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +0.088s (session one)
3. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, +0.213s (session three)
4. Ayrton Simmons, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.355s (session one)
5. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +0.399s (session two)
6. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.513s (session one)
7. Carter Williams, JHR Developments, +0.611s (session two)
8. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +0.635s (session one)
9. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +0.819s (session two)
10. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +0.996s (session one)
11. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +1.089s (session two)
12. Jonny Wilkinson, Fortec Motorsports, +1.287s (session one)
13. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +1.356s (session one)
14. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +1.390s (session two)
15. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +1.541s (session two)
16. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +1.764s (session two)
17. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +1.783s (session two)
18. Max Marzorati, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.802s (session two) -
Miller fastest, six factories in the top six on a tricky Friday in Valencia
A full house of MotoGP manufacturers, a pitlane start for Viñales and Independent Team riders locking out the top four made for an intriguing Day 1
Fastest in the morning and fastest in the afternoon: Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) is the master of Day 1 at the Gran Premio de Europa. A wet morning followed by a drying Circuit Ricardo Tormo saw the Australian set the best time of a 1:32.528 to take to the top, 0.092 ahead of second fastest Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini). Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was two tenths off Miller in FP2 to take third, fastest of the top six in the title fight. Friday also saw all six manufacturers represented in the top six, and the top four all hailed from Independent Teams.
Some drama hit for title challenger Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) though. The Spaniard will have to start the race from pitlane on Sunday, five seconds after the green light at pit exit, for an engine allocation infringement.
The Team #MRFTyres drivers are off to start the #FIAERC #RallyHungary!
— MRF Racing (@MRF_Racing) November 6, 2020
Follow SS1 on https://t.co/lg8kgDKXFv pic.twitter.com/bOJRyFnEqmFP1
Miller was the fastest man in a rain-soaked start to the GP, heading Morbidelli by half a second by the end of FP1. Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) was third quickest, ahead of Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) and Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who completed the top five despite a crash.Of the other top six title challengers, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) ended FP1 in P9 just ahead of Viñales in P10. Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins was in P13, whereas Championship leader and his teammate Joan Mir. The man second in the standings, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), was last on the timesheets after a tougher morning.
Throughout the session, many eyes were on Garrett Gerloff (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as the American headed out on track for the first time subbing for Valentino Rossi on Day 1. The performance was exemplary, the WorldSBK podium finisher ending the session in P16 – right ahead of Championship leader Mir and only a second and a half off the top.
Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) crashed unhurt at Turn 2.
FP2
With the rain halting for the time being in Valencia, a few of the riders headed straight out on slicks. A dry line had appeared by the end of the Moto3™ session but there were still plenty of ominous-looking clouds hovering over the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, despite track temperatures holding at a steady 20 degrees Celsius.On his first flying lap, Championship leader Mir set the fastest lap of the weekend – a 1:41.581, four tenths faster than Miller’s FP1 time in the wet. But the number 36 then had a moment on his second flying lap and that proved good warning that the track was still very treacherous, and the stakes high. The riders were pushing though and the red sector times were everywhere, vital track time on slick tyres ahead of what could be a wet FP3 – so crucial for an automatic place in Q2.
Despite the slight scare though, Mir was still setting the pace early doors – before Miller set a 1:37.029 to go top. From there the Championship leader was bumped down and further down to find himself in P16 with 28 minutes to go, such were the improving conditions. Meanwhile Bagnaia was feeling no ill effects from his Turn 2 crash this morning to slot into P2 midway through FP2, making it a Pramac Racing 1-2, before Gerloff stole a little more limelight.
The American enjoyed an incredible FP1 and it only continued in the afternoon. In the mixed conditions, he shot up to P5 with just under 20 minutes to go – continuing the impressive display at a track he’s never raced before. With the news that Rossi will be able to compete in the rest of the weekend confirmed on Friday, Gerloff most certainly made the most of the two sessions he was on the bike.
Meanwhile, Alex Rins had taken over at the top from Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) as the rain held off. Mir then shot up to P3 as the riders headed out on soft tyres in a pretty important final 12 minutes, with rain potentially disrupting FP3 on Saturday morning. The times were being made to count and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took over in P1 with a 1:33.229 as Miller moved back into P2, but then Pol Espargaro upped the ante even further with a 1:32.952. That was the benchmark with eight minutes to go.
Morbidelli and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) then took turns as nearest challenger, and drama hit for Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) as he crashed at the final corner – completing the lap at a brisk jog, back into pitlane on foot. Unfortunately, the effort to get back was in vain as his second bike wasn’t ready to head out for the final couple of minutes.
In those final couple of minutes, rather crucially, Championship leader Mir was P12. His teammate Rins popped up into P8, before Mir then went P6 just before the chequered flag came out to get back into that all-important top ten. Quartararo was still lingering in P17, but that changed on his final lap as the Frenchman shot up to P6 – and Morbidelli took over at the top. It wasn’t over yet, however, as Miller then produced a late time attack masterpiece to claim P1 for the second time on Friday. Finally, Aleix Espargaro demoted Morbidelli and slotted his Aprilia into second – which also dropped Mir down to 11th. For the moment…
Behind the top three, Nakagami holds P4 overall as the Japanese rider finishes less than a tenth ahead of Pol Espargaro, with Rins’ P6 that final glorious piece to make it six manufacturers inside the top six on the combined timesheets. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) landed a last lap good enough to put the South African P7 too, the rookie finishing just ahead of Dovizioso and Quartararo. The two title contenders are joined by Championship leader Mir in the top 10 after all, however, with a lap cancelled for Crutchlow due to a yellow flag infringement and that dropping the British rider to P12. Viñales splits Mir and the Brit, P11 overall, but the number 12 knows he has to start from pitlane.
Gerloff eventually finished P19 at the end of his only day’s work this weekend, but the American was just 1.5 seconds off Miller to add quite an accomplishment to his CV. Valentino Rossi returns to his YZR-M1 for Saturday and Sunday in Valencia, having now returned the required two negative test results for Covid-19.
That’s it from Friday! Will the weather change again? Is Q2 set? How will Rossi go as he returns? Tune in for FP3 at 10:55 local time (GMT+2), before qualifying will then decide the grid from 14:50!
1 Jack Miller* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – 1:32.528
2 Aleix Espargaro* – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini – Aprilia – +0.092
3 Franco Morbidelli* – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – +0.276
4 Takaaki Nakagami* – LCR Honda Idemitsu – Honda – +0.338
5 Pol Espargaro – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM – +0.424
*Independent Team rider -
Rossi cleared to race; Vinales gets penalty, to start from pitlane
Valencia, 6 Nov 2020: Following a negative PCR test result obtained on Thursday 5th November, Valentino Rossi made his way to Valencia, Spain. This morning, he took another PCR test as per FIM requirements and again tested negative, allowing him to take part in this weekend‘s Gran Premio de Europa.
Earlier, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi‘s replacement rider Garrett Gerloff completed the first free practice session of the Gran Premio de Europa this morning. Due to the tricky wet track conditions at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, the pair didn‘t take too many risks but still showed solid form, securing 10th and 16th place respectively.Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi‘s replacement rider Garrett Gerloff got their first laps in around the Ricardo Tormo circuit today. Despite the wet track conditions, the riders showed their motivation, putting in a solid number of laps looking for the limit. They took 10th and 16th place respectively in the FP1 results.
Viñales likes the Valencia circuit and needed little time to re-familiarise himself with the Ricardo Tormo track in FP1. Though the quite chilly and wet conditions are different from what‘s predicted for Sunday‘s race, the local hero was keen on getting a decent amount of laps in. His best time, a 1’43.009s, set on lap 7/19, put him in 10th place, 0.946s from first.
With Valentino Rossi waiting for the second PCR test result needed for him to join the European GP, standby replacement rider Garrett Gerloff made his MotoGP debut this morning. The 25-year-old American impressed with his quick adaption to the, for him, new Valencian track, YZR-M1, and Michelin tyres. His best time was a 1’43.645s, set on lap 17/21, which earned him 16th place, 1.582s from the front.
Rossi to race: Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team are delighted to announce that Valentino Rossi will be taking part in this weekend‘s Gran Premio de Europa.
Yesterday (Thursday 5th November), Rossi took a PCR test and tested negative for the Covid-19 virus. As per the Italian law, the Yamaha rider was allowed to end his self-isolation and take part in everyday society again from then on. Rossi took this opportunity to fly to Valencia, Spain, in the evening. However, he remained in self-isolation throughout the night.
This morning (Friday 6th November), the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider took a second PCR test, as per FIM regulations, and this afternoon it came back negative.
The two consecutive negative test results allow Rossi to reunite with the Team and take part in this weekend‘s Gran Premio de Europa.
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP sincerely thank standby replacement rider Garrett Gerloff for his support and availability.
Vinales penalty: Please find attached a sanction for Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) for using an engine outside the FIM MotoGP™ engine durability specifications.
He will start the Gran Premio de Europa from pitlane, five seconds after the green light is shown at the pit exit. -
Arjun Balu and Rithwik Thomas raring to go: National racing resumes
Irungattukottai (Sriprumbudur, TN), 5 Nov 2020: Speedmaster and star racing driver Arjun Balu of Coimbatore is raring to go as the MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship resumes after a COVID-induced break of over eight months at the Madras Motor Sports Track here on Saturday.
Arjun Balu is leading the Championship table with 50 points in the Indian Touring Car (ITC) category while his Race Concepts teammate Rithvik Thomas, who too won both the races in the first round held in February, leads the Super Stock class, also with 50 points. Tuned by Joel Joseph, the Race Concepts team did a commendable job in 2019 but their prospects were damaged due to guest drivers in the last round.
“Happy to be back racing and looking forward to an enjoyable weekend of racing. We need more time to develop the car, as there are many changes made. So not yet optimum yet, but we will try to bring updates for the next round,” said Arjun Balu.
“Coming into this Round, my main aim is to get back into the rhythm of racing and enjoy the weekend after such a long break. How everything else goes is secondary but we are well prepared and I am looking forward to a good weekend,” said Rithvik Thomas, talking to www.INDIAinF1.com
The guest drivers did not score points and were not eligible for the championship but Race Concepts’ lead driver, Arjun Balu, who had some issues with the car in the qualifying session in the final round of 2019 got stuck behind them and lost the championship. Leaving all that behind, Arjun Balu began with a bang and convincingly won both the races in Round 1 in February 2020, which included two races for saloon cars in ITC and Super Stock classes, besides two support events, the MRF F1600 and Volkswagen Ameo Super Race were also held.
With the Corona pandemic eating away vital 8 months of the season, the calendar is reduced to 8 races in all the classes, including both the ITC and Super Stock, which will run three races in this round and three more in the third and final round to be held on November 28 and 29. Formula LGB will have four races this week-end, two on Saturday and two on Sunday and four more in the final round to decide the champion. A new category in the National Championship, the MRF Toyota Etios Junior class will also have four races in this round and four races in the final round on that concludes on Nov 29.
Meanwhile, MMSC has updated many facilities at the track, prominent among them being the covered facilities for Marshal Post and the construction began for a 600-seat Grandstand for spectators.
“It is exactly 220 days since we had the last competitive race at the MMRT on February 16, 2020, which is the longest break ever in the history of the MMSC National Championship. In these times, we at MMSC have not been sitting idle and have been continuously planning and arranging to restart racing events. As per the current scenario, we will need to follow the new protocols/ Standard Operating Procedures and will adhere to all government guidelines,” said an MMSC note to the drivers while releasing the revised calendar in September last week.
New Marshall posts at Madras Motor Sports Club’s track in Chennai. Photo Twitter @VickyChandhok MMSC National Championships Calendar 2020 Date Event Round 10 – 11 October 2020 2W Darg National Championship 1 6 – 8 November 2020 4W Racing National Championship 2 26 – 28 November 2020 4W Racing National Championship 3 5 – 6 December 2020 2W Darg National Championship 2 10 – 13 December 2020 2W Racing National Championship 1 17 – 20 December 2020 2W Racing National Championship 2 For the Car National Championship, we have planned to run 8 races for all the categories in 2020. So the races will be spread over 2 weekends in November as follows, the note added.
FLGB 1300 ITC Super Stock Toyota Etios Junior 14 – 16 Feb (completed) 0 2 2 0 6 – 8 Nov 4 3 3 4 26 – 28 Nov 4 3 3 4 -
Riders ready to write more history in Valencia
Valencia, 5 Nov 2020: Here we go! The final triple-header of the season is about to kick off and ahead of track action for the Gran Premio de Europa, it was time to talk shop in the pre-event Press Conference. Championship leader Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) headed the line-up, joined by closest challenger Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), third Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Teruel GP winner and fourth overall Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), as well as Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar).
Here are a few key quotes!
JOAN MIR: “For sure feeling a little bit more pressure because the Championship is getting older, so every one of us feels like this it’s going to finish soon. Just enjoying the moment, we will see what position we will finish on Sunday. I’m confident of doing a good job, giving my 100% and at the end we will see where we are.
“Honestly I didn’t care about the others, I just care about my feeling. That’s something I have enough of, have a great feeling on the bike and give 100% every weekend, and at the end we are in this position, with three races to go it’s not a bad position. It’s important to continue like that. For sure we can see there are a lot of title contenders, more than normal, but it is what it is. I don’t care about the others, I care about getting the feeling.”
FABIO QUARTARARO: “It was tough to reset because when you have two races at the same track, and in the end, in the second race you go backwards and don’t make any improvements and then you see your teammate and he is doing one of the best races of the season. Honestly, it is tough to understand when we were there but I have pressed the reset button and we have arrived at a track that I really like, last year was a super good race for us so yeah, I am fully motivated and I think it is the correct mood to arrive in for the last triple header.
“You know, most of the season I’ve been in front of the Championship and I was feeling no pressure but now that I am second I feel that I had a little bit of pressure. Right now I feel much better, the confidence is here and of course we have a lot of contenders and in the end we saw this year with the amount of races we haven’t got as many points as previous years, so anything can happen, 75 points in the game. I think all of the riders that are here can win the Championship easily, we have to stay focused and don’t lose it and take it race by race is the only way to think about fighting for the Championship.”
MAVERICK VIÑALES: “For me and for us the last two races haven’t been bad honestly. We take some points on the Championship which is good. We also made a lot of mistakes, so we understand many things during the last three races. Now we have three races where we can enjoy a lot, it’s a track I love and also Portimao is a track I like. We have three weekends where we can do really good. The potential in the bike is there, Franco did a great job in Alcañiz, so this gives us a lot of energy and positivity to come here to Valencia and put on a good performance. We’ve won this year, we know how to do it, so we need to put everything in a row and hit a good lap time. It’s important for us to hit some consistency, the first four laps in Aragon were really good but after that it was a nightmare. I couldn’t push on the bike and it was very difficult. So we need to understand that and we need to work. I hope the team has something to work on and to give us an extra feeling to be competitive here in Valencia.
“I think our strategy is very clear: finish ahead of those two guys. That will be the main strategy to close the gap in the Championship. For sure it will not be easy but we want to put in the maximum level to finish in front of them.”
FRANCO MORBIDELLI: “I feel great, I have a great feeling with the bike especially in the last race, I enjoyed riding it a lot and I felt great. Maybe Alex and I joined the party a little late, but we are trying to catch up anyways. I will speak for me, but I will give my everything in these last three races in order to get the Championship because we are here now fighting for that, and we need to aim for that and to have no regrets at the end of the year. Whichever way it will go, it will be a positive Championship for me and a nice Championship anyway, but at this point, three races from the end and 25 points behind and having the momentum we have, we have to aim for something big.
“I think that being in a fight for a Championship is a particular feeling, it is a strange feeling and a strong one. It is a feeling that I had in 2017 and that most of these riders had in the past. Having that feeling again is for sure nice, but bad at the same time, but I am sure I am one of the guys that is feeling that ‘bad feeling’ less, because I am behind, I am 25 points behind and I need to catch up, I need to do everything perfectly to get that (the lead), so basically I have nothing to lose. I am a little bit, and I think the guys that are behind, are in an advantageous position this way but a disadvantageous position from the point of the view of the points. We are behind so we need to do everything perfectly but maybe we have less pressure so we can force a little bit more compared to the front guys.”
ANDREA DOVIZIOSO: “If it were wet we would have to use that chance in an intelligent way, but like you say we have to be faster on the dry to think about and fight with them. It looks like they are in a really good situation and with good confidence at the moment, something we don’t have and it is difficult. But you know every race is a different story and this is a different track so we will see, we will try our maximum in the remaining three races, we will do everything. It will be tough, but we will try.
“In the end it is the way I ride, it really doesn’t work with this tyre. We couldn’t find anything really good because if you see the season of the Ducati riders, more happened for the competitors and this created a really difficult situation. It was very difficult during the season to work and improve because it was every race was up and down and more down than up, so this is the reality. But this is a different track. We will start on the wet tomorrow for sure so the weekend will be different than the previous races so we will see. We will have to stay calm and try to find something.”
ALEX RINS: “For sure I’m happy to have the chance to still fight for the Championship in the last three races. This season I was very irregular in the final position in the races, with the shoulder injury and small mistakes in the races. I’m happy I still have the chance to fight for the Championship. Our target needs to be fighting for the podium like we did in Aragon. I’m 32 points behind so we don’t have the pressure, so we will try to ride free.
“We will never know. If I didn’t have that unlucky crash in the qualifying, we won’t know. I’m quite happy to be here fighting for the top positions. And I’m happy to see the Suzuki on top because it means that we’ve done a good job in the past, it’s perfect – we are top of the teams Championship and Suzuki are happy for this. It means we are doing a good job!”
That’s it from Thursday’s Press Conference! Gear up for the triple-header and tune in for the Gran Premio de Europa MotoGP™ race at 14:00 (GMT +1) on Sunday.
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Toyota Etios to make its debut as National Racing Championship resumes
Chennai, 5 Nov2020: Toyota Etios enters a National Championship in India for the first time as the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2020 resumes in a bio-bubble after eight months at the MMRT circuit here on Saturday behind closed doors necessitated by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The MRF Saloon Car Championship, featuring Toyota Etios, makes its debut in the National Championship.
Experienced speedster Arjun Balu, made up for a bad last round in 2019 by winning both the races in the first round of the National Championship for Indian Touring Cars and leads the points table while his Race Concepts teammate Rithvik Thomas bagged both the races in the Super Stock category to sit on the top of the table. The Round 1 was held along with MRF Challenge and other classes were not held in February. The MRF 1600 and Ameo Cup were run as Support Races.
The strict enforcement of Government-mandated Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) would mean the absence of spectators, guests and the Media with the entry restricted to competitors with a maximum of two helpers each and officials.
By successfully conducting the first round of the National Drag Racing Championship for two-wheelers last month, also in a closed environment, MMSC took the lead to resume motorsport activities in the country following the easing of restrictions by conducting the first of the 11 Nationals in motorsports that are scheduled for this year.
Chairman of the Meet Vicky Chandhok said: “It has been a tough year for everyone due to the pandemic, but after the government eased restrictions and allowed resumption of sporting activities, we conducted the National Drag races last month without any incident. This weekend, we go a step further by resuming the four-wheeler championship, again with protocols in place with no compromise on safety and health of all involved by implementing temperature check, hand sanitisation, wearing of masks and physical distancing. Our very popular hospitality enclosure will also, unfortunately, be sealed off, for now, to ensure that the norms of social distancing are met.
“Having said that, the MMSC would like to thank long-time sponsors MRF Tyres who have stood by us in these difficult times, and of course the competitors who have turned up in good numbers. We also welcome the very affordable newly-launched single-make MRF Saloon Car Championship, with arrive-and-drive programmes.”
The weekend card includes triple-headers in the popular Indian Touring Cars (ITC), Super Stock and the Indian Junior Touring Cars categories, as also the MRF Saloon Car Championship while the Formula LGB 1300, will have four races.
Going into the second round, Race Concepts (Bengaluru) drivers, veteran Arjun Balu (Coimbatore) and Rithvik Thomas (Bengaluru) head the ITC and Super Stock classes, respectively, with 50 points apiece after scoring a double each in the opening round in February. The Formula LGB and the MRF Saloon Car Championship classes will have their first runs of the season this weekend.
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.
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Gajser and Vialle crowned MXGP & MX2 World Champions
Pietramurata (Italy), 4 Nov 2020: It was the day for champions today, here in Pietramurata, Italy, as Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle claimed the MXGP and MX2 World titles, in the opening races of the MXGP of Pietramurata.
For Gajser, the 2020 season came with ups and downs. The Slovenian looked strong in the first two rounds in Matterley Basin and Valkenswaard, where he finished second both times. But then we saw him struggle in Latvia, as the season resumed, before he turned things around for the MXGP of Lombardia where he finally got his hands on the red plate. He then got his first overall victory two rounds later during the MXGP of Europe in Mantova, before following that up with a string of podiums and race wins. Today, the Slovenian turned the red plate gold, as he claimed his fourth world title with a fourth overall Grand Prix victory of the season, along with a 14th heat win in race two. The stats for Gajser are pretty impressive in 2020, he has 13 podiums to his name, has led a total of 205 laps along with 8 pole positions this season, more than any other rider in the category.
Trentino is a circuit that Gajser knows how to win at, as he secured his first ever Grand Prix victory in Pietramurata back in 2015, the same year he asserted his first world title in MX2 and then followed it up with an MXGP world title in Charlotte, USA, during his rookie season in the 450cc class. Title number three came last season in Imola, as he wrapped things up three rounds early and now his fourth at the MXGP of Pietramurata during the penultimate round of the year.
Meanwhile in MX2, Vialle had a close battle with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts all season long. Geerts was the early championship leader, though by the second round Vialle was able to take over the spot and retain that position until today, as he swapped the red plate for a gold one. He confirmed his first world title with a confident race win, which saw him take the Fox Holeshot from the outside. This was his 13th heat win of the season and while the Frenchman missed out on a spot on the podium, the only thing that mattered was the championship.
Last year, Vialle joined the Red Bull KTM Factory squad and was already a key player in the championship. His first podium in MX2 came in Uddevalla during the MXGP of Sweden, last season and he ended the season fourth, just 5 points down on Geerts. This season, the Frenchman entered as the leading factory KTM rider and he took on the role with confidence as he racked up a total of 7 GP wins, his first at the MXGP of the Netherlands, 13 podiums and led a total of 309 laps. He is also this year’s winner of the Fox Holeshot Awards with a total of 20 points, with one round remaining.
Team HRC’s Tim Gajser sealed his fourth world title in style, with a 2-1 result that saw him take to the top step of the box. Following a tough start to the first race, Gajser was able to make a good recovery, passing Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Alessandro Lupino and Brent Van Doninck. The Slovenian caught up to the race leader, Jeremy Seewer of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing, who he pushed until the end, though could not manage to get around the Swiss. But a second-place finish was enough for him to secure the gold plate.
In race two (the re-run), Gajser was able to get a good jump out of the gate and grab the Fox Holeshot to then lead every lap of the race, despite immense pressure from Romain Febvre of Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team, to claim his 14th race win of 2020.
There was a re-start of the second MXGP race, due to a red flag which was caused by an incident involving Gajser and Honda SR Motoblouz rider Jeremy Van Horebeek, who was taken off track, but luckily walked back to the camper in decent conditions.
Seewer finished second overall today. The Swiss was looking strong all day, as he took his first pole position in time practice, then managed to grab the Fox Holeshot in race one and lead the race from gate drop to chequered flag. This was his 3rd heat win of the year. Then in the second race, the factory Yamaha rider was able to grab another good start, though was quickly passed by Febvre for P2 and eventually finished the race in 3rd, which gave him a solid overall result, to keep third position in the championship standings, just 4 points behind Cairoli.
Febvre was the last rider to claim a podium spot today, as he worked hard in race one to get up to 5th and then in race two had a much better start, inside the top 5 and made some quick passes on the opening lap to get behind Gajser, where he kept him tight all race long. The Frenchman really applied the pressure onto the 4-time world champion, though in the end was forced to settle for 2nd, which put him third overall.
With Gajser crowned champion, the door is now wide open for the vice-champion position. Today, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli had not such a bad day, though may not have been what he had expected, following an overall victory last time around. The Italian finished the first race 6th after a crash while pushing Seewer for the lead, though he did try to re-group and had some nice battles with Lupino and Febvre. While in the second race we saw the 9-time world champion battle with Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing’s Clement Desalle though he could not get around the Belgian and had to settle for 5th. This has allowed Seewer to close in, in terms of championship points, as there’s only 4 points in it, heading into the final round.
It was a good day for Alessandro Lupino who took a season best result in race one as he crossed the line in 3rd. Race two was a bit tougher for the local rider, who finished 11th which gave him 6th overall.
Tim Gajser: “It feels just unbelievable. Like I said many times, winning one is incredible but now four is just…speechless. I’m really happy. It was a weird season, but anyway in the end everything came together, and we won another title. In the first race, I was already struggling with the clutch and was riding without the clutch the whole race, finishing second. Then in the second race, I had a nice battle with Romain [Febvre] who was really pushing and I’m super happy to win the title and the overall on the same day”.
Jeremy Seewer: “First pole position and then got a great start…I’ve been second many times in qualifying this year so it didn’t really matter for the start, it is just a good feeling to be on pole and then after an amazing first race, Tim [Gajser] had some technical problems, so hats off to him for riding that fast without a clutch and also congratulations on the world championship, he’s done great this year. Anyway, I’m really happy, solid results, second overall and good points for the championship, especially on this kind of track, where I kind of struggled the last few years and not got a podium here, not even in my MX2 days, so it felt great. I know it’s going to go between me and Tony [Cairoli] for the vice world championship, but honestly I hope for some more races like today. I mean my goal was to be up front and win, to be on the podium and I will hope to do the same on Sunday”.
Romain Febvre: “Last Sunday, I had a really bad first race, crashed at the start so I was last and then crashed two more times after that. Anyway, today in the first race, I didn’t really get the start and came back to 5th, so I was really happy about my riding, but I knew they key was the start. We focused for the second start and I had a really good start, maybe third or something, and moved to second quick and battled with Tim [Gajser] for the whole race, congrats to him on the championship of course and today’s win, he was the best this year”.
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), 34:52.423; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.307; 3. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Yamaha), +0:08.634; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:09.794; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:11.484; 6. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:16.094; 7. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:22.055; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:25.167; 9. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:32.658; 10. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:39.149.
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:44.449; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:02.940; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:29.409; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:38.367; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:51.007; 6. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:56.175; 7. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), +0:59.864; 8. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, GASGAS), +1:02.902; 9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +1:07.102; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +1:14.378.
MXGP – GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 47 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 45 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 38 p.; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 36 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 31 p.; 6. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, YAM), 30 p.; 7. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 26 p.; 9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 26 p.; 10. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, GAS), 20 p.
MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 673 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 584 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 580 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 525 p.; 5. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 476 p.; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, YAM), 467 p.; 7. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 438 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, GAS), 375 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 316 p.; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 282 p.
MXGP – Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 733 points; 2. Honda, 710 p.; 3. Yamaha, 650 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 614 p.; 5. GASGAS, 473 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 360 p.;
Tom Vialle wins MX2 World Championship with a round to spare
Tom Vialle changes his plate to Gold #1 after wining the World MX2 title on Wednesday. A KTM Factory Racing image While Tom Vialle missed out on a podium finish today, the Frenchman still claimed his maiden world title in incredible fashion, as he took race 1 Fox Holeshot today from the outside gate, and then led every lap of the opening race, to cross the line with his 13th race win but this time officially as world champion. The second race was the complete opposite for the factory KTM rider, who struggled out of the start and then was hit by another rider which damaged his gear lever. Vialle was forced into the pits for repairs, though did re-join the race to finish in 23rd.
In terms of the podium though, it was Jago Geerts who made it two on the bounce with a 5-1 results, which saw him very narrowly take the overall win over his teammate, Ben Watson and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton. Geerts crashed out in the opening race, which meant he had to work hard, to get around the likes of Ruben Fernandez of SDM Corse Yamaha and Morgan Lesiardo of Honda 114 Motorsports, to come back to 5th, though he had a nice battle with Renaux and Watson for a spot in the top 3. The second race was much better for the Belgian, who grabbed the Fox Holeshot and controlled the race from then on, despite the pressure from Watson throughout the entire heat.
Watson joined his Monster Energy Yamaha Factory teammate, to secure his 5th podium of 2020, with a 4th and a 2nd in the races today. Watson pushed Geerts right until the end, as the pair finished the second race, separated by just 1.938 seconds.
Despite missing out on the top step of the box by just a single point, Beaton was third as he claimed his 3rd podium of the season. Beaton had a much more consistent day, compared to the previous GP, as he finished the opening race in second, while in race two, he was fourth, after trying to push Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing’s Thibault Benistant for P3. Today’s solid results have also helped the Australian to get himself back into 4th in the MX2 Championship standings.
With Vialle crowned champion, this leaves Geerts as the vice world champion, as Yamaha SM Action MC Migliori J1 Racing’s Maxime Renaux is 120 points down on the leader, in third. But it’s the battle for the bronze medal which will be the focus at the next GP, as Beaton is just 13 points shy of the third spot. Renaux had some solid races today, finishing 3rd in race one, after a few laps behind Bailey Malkiewicz of Honda 114 Motorsports, who he eventually passed for the spot and 5th in race two, which gave him 4th overall, 4 points off a podium spot.
Jago Geerts: “In the first race, I had to come from outside the top ten, as I made a small mistake on the second lap, but my riding felt good and it was really difficult to pass, so could only finish fifth. In the second heat, I took the holeshot so I was really happy with that and then Ben [Watson] was chasing me the whole race, in the end, I could win, so I’m really happy with the day and the 6th overall win of the season”.
Ben Watson: “First of all, I want to congratulate the whole team. Everyone works so hard and its really nice for me and Jago [Geerts] to give the guys a one-two on the podium. Everyone’s working really hard to be on the box again… Last Sunday was difficult, but I felt really good in my riding, I just had a few issues with one crash in the first race and then struggled in the start of the second one. It’s a little bit difficult to pass, but I’ve been feeling really good with the bike. Today I had a mediocre start in the first race but I could come through. Then in the second one I took a good start and it was a really nice race, battling with your teammate the whole time. I finished second and second overall and I’m really happy with it”.
Jed Beaton: “It’s really hard to pass out there. In the first race I was up there pretty good and got caught out a little bit in the second race, got to fourth and pretty much stayed there the whole race. But all in all, I’m pretty happy with my riding. For sure it’s still possible [to go for third in the championship], racing is racing, so I’ve just got to focus on myself and try to get some good starts on Sunday and get the best results I can”.
Tom Vialle: “It was really difficult this morning when I got the penalty, but I got the FOX Holeshot in the first race and it was fantastic. On the last lap of the first race, I was almost crying and feeling so strange but then to win the title is just fantastic. I didn’t get a great start in the second race and then somebody hit me from behind and I was stuck, so I had to go back to pitlane to fix it but I still finished. Thank you to All who supported me to win the MX2 title! ”.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 34:52.254; 2. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:05.885; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:09.567; 4. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:10.554; 5. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:15.950; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:23.606; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:29.658; 8. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:30.677; 9. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Kawasaki), +0:37.072; 10. Morgan Lesiardo (ITA, Honda), +0:38.674.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), 35:10.371; 2. Ben Watson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:01.938; 3. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:05.532; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:06.614; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:25.616; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Yamaha), +0:27.440; 7. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:30.353; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:31.496; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Honda), +0:43.914; 10. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), +0:47.092.
MX2 – GP Top 10 Classification: 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 41 points; 2. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 40 p.; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 40 p.; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 36 p.; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 34 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 28 p.; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 28 p.; 8. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 24 p.; 10. Alvin Östlund (SWE, HON), 20 p.
MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 718 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 661 p.; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 541 p.; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 528 p.; 5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 517 p.; 6. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 506 p.; 7. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KAW), 454 p.; 8. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 338 p.; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, YAM), 332 p.; 10. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 259 p.
MX2 – Manufacturers Classification: 1. Yamaha, 763 points; 2. KTM, 745 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 619 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 541 p.; 5. Honda, 382 p.; 6. GASGAS, 308 p.
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Team MRF Tyres eager to get on stage at ERC Rally Hungary
Nyíregyháza (Hungary), 4 Nov 2020:Team MRF Tyres returns to the stages for Rally Hungary this weekend. The fourth round of the European Rally Championship will take place near the town of Nyíregyháza in Hungary’s east.
In total, 16 stages and 191.06km of competitive action awaits the crews. Like last time out, the weather looks to be changeable and it is expected that there will be a lot of mud dragged onto the tarmac s
surface.Craig Breen and Paul Nagle return in their Hyundai i20 R5. After taking the first stage win for Team MRF Tyres in the FIA ERC last time out, the pair are hoping to bring that pace to Hungary.
Breen and Nagle currently sit fourth in the ERC standings, after being forced to run under Rally 2 rules after hitting oil on stage and taking off a wheel in Portugal, leaving them with no points from the event.
The focus continues to be on development for the duo as they hope they can get more data on the MRF Tyres in these conditions. Like the opening rounds of the season, it is important to get the information for the next generation of MRF Tyres.
Emil Lindholm and Mikael Korhonen will join them in their Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. The Finnish duo also showed great pace last time out, topping the Shakedown stage. Their Portuguese rally ended after brake failure and they are keen to get back on stage.
2020 is the second time that this event has been held in the FIA ERC. The roads are narrow and feature a lot of short corners, making cutting and grip a priority.
In all, the crews will attack 16 stages, the first of which takes place on Friday night with the Rabócsiring Super Special Stage. The 2.4km test will be a great warm up for the Saturday action.
Saturday’s stages get underway at 9:33 local time and two loops of four stages will await. Each loop is a touch over 60km with the day seeing 121.18 km of competitive action.
The day starts off with the 14.45km Újhuta – Bózsva stage before the crews move to the 23.90km Füzér – Abaújvár stage. The 10.85km Fony – Óhuta stage and 10.19 km Mád – Disznókő stage finish the loop.
It makes tyre choice and tyre management important for the teams with just one visit to service and longs stages waiting to take time off anyone who gets the call wrong.
Sunday’s action gets underway at 8:33am and features seven stages, totalling 69.88km. The first loop sees four stages, none of which are as long as the Saturday stages.
Erdőbénye – Aranyospuszta starts the day with 11.20 km of action followed by the 13.1km stage of Telkibánya – Rakodó. The 7.75km Kőkapu – Újhuta is next and will be the final stage of the rally. However the city stage of Nyíregyháza will be a treat for the fans.
It is a world class entry list for this event with Europe and Hungary’s best vying for a podium position.
This competition is an ideal way for MRF Tyres to test and develop the tyres – in real conditions against the world’s best drivers.
As the second half of Team MRF Tyres’ first European Rally Championship season commences, the fight for development never stops.
Each stage will be streamed live on radio from ERC Radio and MRF Racing will continually update through the weekend on our social channels.
Quotes
Craig Breen (Driver – Hyundai i20 R5)Rally Hungary is another round of the European Rally Championship I have not done before. With Team MRF Tyres, I am hoping we can have some more consistent conditions with the weather! The wet-dry-wet roads in Fafe gave us a lot of data in those conditions so I hope it can be full wet or full dry to give us chances to gain data in those situations.
It would be great to capitalize on the pace Team MRF Tyres had in Portugal in the next rally. It showed we had the pace to fight for a podium and showed some of the progress we have made through the season. We will primarily continue focus on development and collecting data as we still looking to learn and develop the next generation of MRF Tyres.
Credit must go to the team for being able to hold a Covid safe event and I can say that I am looking forward to the rally!
Emil Lindholm (Driver – Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo)Rally Hungary is a new rally for me so it will be interesting to drive the Team MRF Tyres Skoda on those roads. We’ve had a bit of a mixed season this year – we had good pace our pace in Rome and Liepaja even though we were concentrating on development. We again had a lot of speed in Portugal, taking out Shakedown but the brake failure meant we couldn’t capitalize on that.
Data collection remains to the key for us as we look to develop the future of MRF Tyres rallying product. Before Fafe we were third in ERC1 and we have shown that there is potential in the tyre. So, it would be great to go to Rally Hungary and demonstrate the continued progress from Team MRF Tyres. It will be important for us to have a clean rally so we can maximize the kilometres on the tyres.
I am looking forward to Rally Hungary and congratulations to the organisers for being able to hold the event at this time.
About MRF Tyres: MRF Tyres was established in 1946 and now employs over 16,000 people and has revenue of around US$2.5 billion making it the biggest tyre supplier in India. MRF Tyres supplies rally and race tyres around the world.
About the European Rally Championship: The FIA European Rally Championship, established in 1953 is one of the oldest and most prestigious rally championships in the world. Crews rally across eight rounds from March to November with four tarmac and four gravel events.
The 2020 ERC calendar is as follows:
Round 1: Rally di Roma Capitale (asphalt), 24-26 July
Round 2: Rally Liepāja (gravel), 14-16 August
Round 3: Rally Fafe Montelongo (asphalt), 2-4 October
Round 4: Rally Hungary (asphalt), 6-8 November
Round 5: Rally Islas Canarias (asphalt), 26-28 November
Round 6: Spa Rally (asphalt), 12-13 December -
Garrett Gerloff may replace Valentino Rossi if tests return positive
Valencia, 4 Nov 2020: Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales is known to like the Valencia track a lot and he is ready to go all out again at the upcoming two GPs at the Ricardo Tormo track. Valentino Rossi is hopeful to make his eagerly awaited return to MotoGP this weekend. However, should he be unable to meet the requirement of two negative PCR test results needed for him to be allowed to take part in the European GP, the Italian will be replaced by Garrett Gerloff.
This week, Maverick Viñales is one of the home heroes in Valencia determined to shine on home soil. The Ricardo Tormo track is a circuit that he adores, and the Spaniard is ready to work hard to hit the ground running this Friday.
Valentino Rossi is hoping to join him inside the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP pit box again this week after sitting out the two GPs in Aragon. However, as a precaution, the team designated GRT Yamaha WorldSBK rider Garrett Gerloff as a standby replacement rider in Valencia for this weekend.
The American will fill in for Rossi should the Italian not be able to meet the requirement of the two consecutive negative PCR test results he needs to be allowed to take part in the upcoming Gran Premio de Europa.
Viñales is keen on ending the season on a high note. He plans on doing so by scoring top results in the final triple-header, starting with this weekend‘s European GP. Though the Spaniard admits Ricardo Tormo is not one of the strongest tracks for him in MotoGP, he is feeling positive that he can be on the pace.
Top Gun stood on the podium twice before in Valencia. He secured a victory in his first Valencian 125cc race in 2011, and he graced the top step once more in 2013 when he claimed the Moto3 World Championship Title. His best MotoGP finish was a fifth place in 2016. Currently he is 19 points removed from the top of the overall standings and just 5 points from second, with still a maximum of 75 points to play for in the final three rounds.
Rossi‘s ability to take part in this weekend‘s GP is still uncertain. In order to be allowed to compete in this weekend‘s Gran Premio de Europa round, he needs negative test results from two PCR tests conducted 48 hours apart, as per FIM rules.
Rossi has taken a PCR test on Tuesday 3rd November, which came back positive. Nevertheless, today (Wednesday 4th November) he will undergo a new test. Should the Italian test negative, he will still have enough time to complete the required second PCR test and fly to Valencia.
The 4.0 km Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo was built in 1999 and was immediately added to the MotoGP calendar. The circuit is often described as quite challenging. Its lay-out includes nine left corners, five right ones, an 876m longest straight, and is ran anti-clockwise. Despite its tricky nature, the Valencian GP is known as a solid fan favourite, especially when it became the traditional closing round of the MotoGP championship. This year, for the first time since 2001, Valencia isn‘t the final race venue. But with the chase for the title still ongoing, the upcoming two races in Valencia are must-watch events.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI, team Director said: Unfortunately, despite our hopes, we are entering the final triple header with some uncertainty about our rider line-up. Whilst Valentino has been feeling better, we can‘t be sure that he will be able to ride in Valencia this weekend until he has passed the two PCR test with negative results for Covid-19. These are strange circumstances: we don‘t know for certain who will be riding the bike this weekend, apart from Maverick. But this is a situation that‘s beyond our control, so all we can do is make sure we are prepared for every eventuality. In any case, we are thankful to Garrett Gerloff that he is willing to take on the challenge of riding the YZR-M1. It‘s never an easy task to step in for Vale, these are big shoes to fill, and it‘s especially challenging for Gerloff, having had so little preparation and without any prior MotoGP experience. But that will make the learning experience all the more valuable for him. Of course, the team will do anything they can to support him, should he have to replace Valentino this weekend. But naturally we are all still hoping that Valentino will be able to ride, so we can finish his final season with the Factory Yamaha team in the best way possible.
Maverick Vinales said: It‘s true that the last race wasn‘t the most positive, but it‘s important that we don‘t let that affect us in these final three rounds. We need to work hard, focus, and keep a positive mindset and get the best results possible in every single session. Valencia is usually a bit tricky for us, but I personally really like this track. For sure, it‘s not going to be an easy weekend but, as always, we will give our maximum.
Valentino Rossi said: This virus is very complicated and serious. I felt bad for two days, then in a few days, I came back to being fully fit, at my 100%. I self-isolated at home all the time and I followed the medical advice closely. It‘s a very sad and difficult situation, but that‘s the way it is. Unfortunately, yesterday (Tuesday 3rd November), I had another test and it came back positive again, like all previous ones. Luckily I still have two more chances to be back on track on Friday or Saturday. I am very sad because I am feeling well, and I can‘t wait to be back aboard my M1 and be reunited with my team. I really hope the next PCR test result will be negative, because missing two races was already two too many.
Stand-by replacement rider Garrett Gerloff said: ‘m so honoured that Yamaha has considered me for this opportunity. This year has already been quite the adventure, and this would be the cherry on top. It‘s been a dream of mine to ride the Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP bike since I started racing so many years ago, and to potentially have it happen is really exciting. But I am just sorry to get this opportunity under these unfortunate circumstances for Valentino. I feel really bad for him and I hope that he recovers soon, we all miss the number 46 on track! All the best to him. If I do end up riding this weekend, it will be an uphill battle not knowing the bike, tyres, brakes, etc. Also, I have never been to the Valencia track before. But I‘m confident in myself and ready for the challenge! Thanks to all at Yamaha. Bring it on!
