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MotoGP pre-season test comes to an end in Qatar
Losail (Qatar), 24 Feb 2020: If there’s one thing 2020 preseason has taught us to expect, it’s some serious speed from Yamaha and Suzuki. At the close of testing before the first race weekend of the year that remained entirely true, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) getting into the 1:53s with a 1:53.858 to head the pile. And Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) wasn’t too far behind, just 0.033 in arrears, with Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in third a couple of tenths back. Fourth? Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), as the inline-fours came out on top.
At Yamaha, the Day 3 timesheets made for good reading and even more so overall, as Quartararo was third fastest in the combined standings. Viñales has looked like the man with the threatening race pace with Quartararo extremely close to him, Morbidelli has been consistently quick and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) seems happy and fast despite not being quite as far up the order (P12 overall). The ‘Doctor’ rarely is before race day, however…
It wasn’t all perfect reading for the Iwata marque though. Quartararo suffered a technical issue on Sunday and on Monday, and Rossi crashed on Day 3 – rider ok. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director Massimo Meregalli was pleased with the progress made with improved grip and on acceleration, saying the 2020 package “is very competitive.”
Quartararo said his race simulation on Day 3 was very pleasing, pretty much every lap was in the 1:54s and the Frenchman didn’t go for a proper time attack – the 20-year-old going as far as saying “there’s margin for more”. That bodes very well for the 2019 Rookie of the Year.
The main job for Team Suzuki Ecstar, meanwhile, was to continue comparing the standard and new chassis, nothing radically new was on the GSX-RRs of Rins and Joan Mir as they focused on the finer details: adjustments in setup and gathering data for the race. Mir was sixth on Day 3 and the combined timesheets. Along with Yamaha, Suzuki look arguably in the best shape ahead of the Qatar GP with both the Sepang and Qatar Tests proving very good for the Hamamatsu factory. Rins confirmed he is “so happy” with the work done over the three days at Losail International Circuit – and Mir echoed his thoughts too.
Breaking the domination in the top five was a job for Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) on Day 3. The Australian was the top Ducati in fifth, 0.247 off the top, and said he completed a couple of time attacks and two longer runs. The number 43 is “quietly confident” heading into the opening weekend of the season, and clocked the fastest-ever top speed at Losail, a ridiculous 355 km/h…
In the Bologna factory camp, Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) was sporting new front aero on one of his bikes, while his other GP20 had the older aero fitted. The Italian said he was pleased with his 22-lap race simulation on Day 3, but the one-lap pace still needs work ahead of the Grand Prix. Teammate Andrea Dovizioso was still trying the new swingarm.
Ducati Team Manager Davide Tardozzi said the engine is working very well but corner speed – especially on maximum lean angle at the apex – still needs work. In addition, Tardozzi said they are experiencing some issues adapting to Michelin’s new rear tyre. After finishing P6 on Day 2, Johann Zarco (Reale Avintia Racing) didn’t improve his time as the Frenchman finished P14 overall, two places ahead of Petrucci, with Dovizioso – who was happy with his long run pace – P10 and Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) P11. Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) was just 0.040 off Petrucci’s time.
It was a busy and intriguing day for reigning Champions Honda as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) started with three bikes in his garage, one of those being Takaaki Nakagami’s (LCR Honda Idemitsu) 2019 RC213V. Marquez was seventh overall, Nakagami less than a tenth off.
Nakagami’s teammate Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) completed 70 laps as HRC went in search of finding improvements on the final day in Qatar, with the Japanese giants testing things “from two or three years ago” according to Repsol Honda Team Manager Alberto Puig. Crutchlow said he was happy with his pace, but over one or two laps the number 35 is struggling with stopping the bike and grip with the new tyre.
Premier class rookie Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) completed another 47 laps as the Spaniard admitted it was a difficult test for himself and the team, but the reigning Moto2™ World Champion was reasonably confident that he has a decent pace for the race weekend.
One of the riders of the test based on timesheets alone has to be Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rookie Brad Binder, however. The South African slammed in a mighty impressive 1:54.283 on Day 3 to leave him ninth on the combined and Day 3 times, just 0.425 from Viñales’ pacesetting lap. As his teammate Pol Espargaro explained earlier in the test, KTM didn’t have anything new to try on Day 3 as they don’t want to start getting lost. Working for the race was the Austrian factory’s objective as it seems their initial 2020 base is pretty much sorted, however there was a slight blip for Espargaro on the final day as he crashed unhurt at Turn 2. Over in the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 camp, Miguel Oliveira and premier class rookie Iker Lecuona finished P19 and P20, but the gaps were only 1.150 and 1.443 respectively.
On Day 3, Aprilia Racing Technical Director Romano Albesiano confirmed their sole purpose to MotoGP reporter, that it was to decide on the engine spec they’ll use for the season. At the end of play, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) finished P13 on the timesheets, just over half a second off Viñales, with test rider Bradley Smith completing a further 55 laps on Monday as Aprilia continue to gather crucial data on their brand new RS-GP. Espargaro said he showed a strong pace on race simulation, lapping in mid-1:54s for plenty of laps was good news for the number 41. A busy test for both riders means Aprilia have a lot of analysing to do before the Qatar GP…
So that’s it for 2020 preseason testing. In simple terms, Yamaha and Suzuki have emerged as early Qatar GP favourites, with Honda seeming to have plenty of work to do ahead of Round 1. However, a Grand Prix weekend is a different kettle of fish and we will find out on judgement day – Sunday 8th March – as to how competitive each rider and team really are. The top 18 were split by less than a second, so let’s bring on Friday 6th March when the 2020 MotoGP™ World Championship will get underway!
Reigning champion Marc Marquez, who finished overall 7th in timesheets said: “After the first two days I was a little worried in all honesty as we were struggling to understand how to improve where we needed to. But today we have made a big breakthrough and now we understand what we need to do, I’m really pleased with what we have done. I was able to be really consistent and I was happy with my rhythm. I have to say a big thank you to Honda, the engineers and my mechanics because they have worked a lot this test and the results are showing for us. We have a direction to follow when we return here for the race.”
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Quartararo fastest on Day 2: MotoGP testing
Qatar, 23 Feb 2020: Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) set the fastest lap of the Qatar Test to top the timesheets on Day 2 with a 1:54.038, the Frenchman going a couple of tenths faster than the laptimes we saw at the event last season. Day 1 pacesetter Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was 0.162 in arrears in second, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing a top trio split by 0.226 as Yamaha and Suzuki continue to look very strong.
Fabio Quartararo fastest on the Day 2 of MotoGP testing. A MotoGP image In the Yamaha camp, the timesheets make for positive reading. Quartararo shot to the top with just over an hour and a half of Day 2 remaining with the best time of the test, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) claiming P4 and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) sitting P9. Quartararo commented that he had a better day than he did on Saturday, despite the Iwata factory having a couple of issues with engine braking. But things seem positive from the likes of Viñales – tipped by a couple of riders as the man in the best shape as it stands – and all the Yamahas are inside the top 10. Rossi stated they’re ready, too.
At Team Suzuki Ecstar, meanwhile, Alex Rins and Joan Mir both had a bumpier ride on Day 2 after proving the men to beat on Saturday, with crashes for both, riders ok. Nevertheless, the two Spaniards looked in good shape on the whole as they continued to test the new GSX-RR chassis, as well as some electronic, rear shock and new Michelin tyre testing. Rins put it simply: “We are ready”, with the Hamamatsu factory sounding confident ahead of the Qatar GP. Mir was seventh, his fastest lap a 1:54.612.
In the red corner, there was a little more caution but some positivity too. Ducati Team rider Andrea Dovizioso said they were in better shape than Malaysia and teammate Danilo Petrucci said he’d also had a better day than Saturday as they continue to focus on their programs rather than chasing a laptime. Dovizioso was eighth with a 1:54.662, Petrucci P12 with a 1:54.852.
The revolutionary “ride height adjuster” was a talking point again, with Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) admitting that he’d been using the device for a number of races. The Australian also noted the GP20’s superior top speed, describing it as a “rocketship”. In terms of the timesheets, however, Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) was the leading Desmosedici, the sophomore briefly sitting P1 with two hours remaining and eventually finishing up P5. In terms of race pace though, ‘Pecco’ says he needs “five tenths” to stick with the lead guys and he’s looking for more grip on the exit.
Johann Zarco (Reale Avintia Racing) impressed again to sit as the second fastest Ducati on Day 2, in P6.
Over at Honda, reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) suffered a crash at Turn 9 and ended the day in P14, a second off the top. Thankfully he was unhurt. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) also crashed, going down at Turn 2 and heading to the medical centre afterwards. The fall ultimately ended Crutchlow’s day, the number 35 suffering swelling to his forearm. He and the team decided it was best to not ride again on Sunday, hopefully he will be on track on Monday for the final day of testing.
Front end feel for the two experienced riders is the main problem, with rookie Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) also experiencing some issues. The reigning Moto2™ World Champion has been feeling under the weather at the Qatar Test but he was happier with how Day 2 went compared to Day 1. And it was Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) ended the second day as the fastest Honda rider in P10, the Japanese rider enjoying a decent day as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery, with the injury feeling better than it did on Day 1. All in all, a big Day 3 lies ahead for the HRC riders.
There was big news on Sunday for Aprilia as they confirmed Lorenzo Savadori as their new MotoGP™ test rider. And for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Day 2 targets were working on electronics and setting up the engine, as well as trying to figure out why the new RS-GP started suffering in the cooler temperatures – vital for race day in Qatar. And by the sounds of it, Espargaro found something in the cooler temperatures, describing his feeling as “extremely good” at 7pm. The Spaniard did have a crash on Sunday at Turn 4 though, but thankfully he was ok.
At KTM, it seems the four riders are pretty much set on the new fairing they’ll be using. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) admitted they haven’t been going for an outright lap time so far in Qatar, the Spaniard was P13 on the timesheets on Day 2 – 0.852 shy. Working on the new Michelin rear tyre was a must today for the Austrian factory and speaking after Day 2’s action, Red Bull KTM Tech 3 rookie Iker Lecuona said he was really happy after he completed a race simulation. His teammate Miguel Oliveira took a tumble, rider ok, and the two weren’t far apart on the timesheets. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was another to crash, rider ok.
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FIA Rally Star, a programme to develop young rally drivers
Paris, 23 Feb 2020: The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile has announced a FIA Rally Star, a global, FIF-funded programme to detect, train and develop talented young drivers. Spotted by the National Sporting Authorities, the best young people between 17 and 25 years old will eventually be able to join the World Rally Championship, benefiting from a sporting programme set up by the FIA and its partners.
File photo of Gaurav Gill in the APRC Malaysian leg with MRF tyres. Gill won three APRC titles on MRF tyres. Photo by Anand Philar At the heart of the FIA’s strategy for the development of rallying throughout the world, FIA Rally Star aims to encourage the emergence of a new generation of drivers and to identify those with the greatest potential to target a professional career. The programme is funded by the FIA Innovation Fund (FIF), which aims at supporting innovative and high-impact initiatives that generate lasting benefits for the FIA community.
At the base of the pyramid, the 144 member National Sporting Authorities (ASNs) of the FIA will be encouraged to organise detection operations, offered to young boys and girls between the ages of 17 and 25. In order to make these selections accessible to as many people as possible, two grassroots disciplines will make the framework for these operations:
– Digital Motorsport, using driving simulators and the FIA Rally Star partner video game;
– Motorkhana, which involves manoeuvring a production vehicle through a handling course.ASNs will also be able to use their own detection methods to identify young talent.
The second phase of the programme will be a tour of six continental finals organised by the FIA in Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Africa, Asia-Pacific, South America and North America. Candidates selected by the ASNs will compete against the clock at the wheel of XC Cross Cars to win one of the seven seats granted: one per continent, plus one for the best woman driver in the world.
This group of seven youngsters will then benefit from an intensive season of training, including personal coaching, testing sessions and participation in a minimum of six rallies at the wheel of Rally3 cars. This development programme will identify the four most promising drivers, including at least one female competitor, who will then join the FIA Junior WRC.
Over the next two seasons, these future stars will need to demonstrate that they can compete for victories and then for the title, as a full season in FIA WRC 3 will be the ultimate reward for a FIA Rally Star driver winning the championship.
Innovative and far-reaching, the FIA Rally Star programme will benefit from the support of ambassadors and partners already acclaimed in the world of rallying. The official launch is scheduled for mid-June, during the FIA Sport Conference in Thailand. The ASNs will then be able to deploy the first selections.
Jean Todt, President of the FIA: “When we talk about the detection of rally drivers, we obviously think of Rallye Jeunes, which enabled the FFSA to identify the potential of Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier with the success that we know. Thanks to the support of the FIA’s Innovation Fund, we are embarking on an extremely ambitious and innovative programme, made available to our 144 ASNs for worldwide deployment and amplification. FIA Rally Star is a great opportunity for those who dream of becoming rally drivers.”
Yves Matton, FIA Director: “At a time when the World Rally Championship is exploring new territories, FIA Rally Star will encourage the emergence of a new generation of drivers. By using grassroots disciplines such as Digital Motorsport and Motorkhana, we will be able to give many young enthusiasts their chance. The most promising will then benefit from a tailor-made development programme, ultimately enabling them to join the WRC. With FIA Rally Star, we hope to find a future World Champion, wherever they are, whoever he or she is.”
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Red Bull Racing F1 signs Jehan Daruvala to Junior Programme
Mumbai, 22 Feb 2020: In a huge boost to Indian Motorsport, Red Bull Racing Formula One Team have signed up Jehan Daruvala for their Red Bull Junior Program, paving the way for the country’s big racing hope to compete in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
Jehan Daruvala, A Red Bull F1 team image Jehan, who has taken giant strides in the sport since his debut in 2009 as a 10-year-old kid, will race for Carlin, alongside fellow Red Bull Junior Yuki Tsunoda, in his maiden F2 season; it was announced on Friday. His first race is in the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 21st.
The Red Bull Junior program has been instrumental in producing some of the world’s best F1 racers over the years including, four-time World F1 Champion – Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, Alex Albon, and many others. The selection into the Red Bull program is a huge recognition for the young Indian who has consistently performed well at the top of every series he has participated in, culminating in a fantastic season last year where he finished 3rd in the FIA F3 championship.
Jehan had started the season on a strong note with a victory in the first round. A second consecutive victory and more podiums saw him briefly lead the F3 championship around the half way mark. He entered the last round at Sochi in Russia, with an outside chance at the title &minimum second almost assured. Unfortunately, his car did not start the formation lap of the last race. Forced to start from the pitlane, 29th and last, Jehan drove arguably one of the best races of the season. He charged through the field climbing up from 29th to 9th on track but unfortunately, lost the runner up spot by a mere 1 point.
Jehan began his career with a stellar record in Karting. Soon after attending a program in Mumbai, he started karting in 2009. He went on to win the Micro Max Rookie Cup & National Title in 2010, followed by the Malaysian Junior Yamaha Title in 2011. That was the year he was selected as a member of the Sahara Force India Junior Program. He went on to become the first Indian to win an FIA title in motorsport, when he won the 2012 CIK FIA Asia Pacific KF3 Championship. He was also the first Indian to win a title in Europe when he was crowned the British Super One KF3 Champion. In 2014, Jehan became the first and only Indian till date to step on the podium of an official FIA World Championship when he finished 3rd in the CIK FIA World Karting Championship.
Jehan stepped up to Formula Racing in 2015, earning multiple podiums in his maiden season in Formula Renault. In 2016 he was runner-up behind Lando Norris in the Toyota Racing Series. Jehan became the first Indian to win an official Grand Prix, when he won the 2017 New Zealand Grand Prix. He moved to the FIA F3 Eurpoean Championship in 2017 & 2018 earning 8 podiums besides finishing 2nd in the Rookie Championship with 26 rookie podiums in 2017.
“After an excellent year for me in FIA F3 in 2019, I hope to carry my form into my first year in F2 with the support of the Red Bull Junior Team and Carlin. There are many experienced F2 drivers and a number of strong rookiesmaking it an exciting grid this year – I’m looking forward to the challenge!” said Jehan.
Trevor Carlin, owner of Carlin Motorsport added “We are delighted to welcome Jehan back to the team for his third season with us. His performance last year in FIA F3 was extremely impressive and we really believe in him. There is no reason why he cannot make it all the way to the top. Without a doubt there will be a lot to learn – both for Jehan as a driver in a more powerful car and also for the team with the new 18-inch wheels but we have a great team ready to meet those challenges “
Jehan is the only Indian to –
– Be on the Podium of an FIA World Championship event in any form of motorsport
(He was 2nd runner up of the CIK FIA World Karting Championship)– Win a British Championship (Winner of the British Superone KF3 Championship
– Win an official ‘Grand Prix’ – Won the New Zealand Grand Prix in 2017
– To win an FIA Asian Championship (First Indian) (Only winner of the CIK FIA Asia Pacific KF3 Championship)
– Finish in the top 3 of an FIA Championship which is a feeder series to F1 ( 3rd in FIA F3 2019 )
– Earn Pole / Win a race / bag fastest lap in an FIA F3 Championship race
The 2020 FIA F2 season is going to be exciting for Indian Motorsport fans. The grid of 22 drivers has a mix of very experienced F2 drivers and some very fast rookies. The competitiveness of the series is seen from the fact that 13 of the 22 drivers are a part of the junior development program of F1 teams. It is the final frontier from where racers make their way into F1, driving at over 330 kmph on the same weekend as the F1 races.
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Hamilton fastest in pre-season test at Barcelona: Day 1
Barcelona, 19 Feb 2020: Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton went quickest on the opening day of pre-season Formula 1 testing in Barcelona, with the Briton beating Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas by three tenths of a second. Racing Point’s Sergio Pérez was third fastest ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
With regulations largely stable for 2020 reliability was impressive and with no red flags or major technical issues hampering running, the grid’s 10 teams managed impressive mileage, with each passing the 100-lap barrier at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
It was Mercedes who managed the most, though, with Bottas getting through 79 laps in the morning to lead the standings at the lunch time mark before Hamilton added another 94 in the afternoon to bring the team’s total to 173. Hamilton’s table-topping time was set midway through the afternoon session on Pirelli’s C2 compound.
Sergio Pérez took third place for Racing Point, with the Mexican finishing just six hundredths of a second behind Bottas in the Silverstone team’s new RP20 car. Perez set his time on the C3 compound in the morning session. Lance Stroll took over in the afternoon and followed Pérez’s 58 laps with 52 of his own. The Canadian ended the session in P10, 1.3s off Hamilton’s pace.
Fourth place in the session went to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver posted the largest number of laps for a single driver, 168, and over the course of a marathon session he posted a C3-shod time of 1:17.516 to finish half a second behind Hamilton.
Daniil Kvyat was fifth quickest on day one for AlphaTauri, the squad formerly known as Toro Rosso. The Russian driver worked through 115 laps and finished seven tenths of a second off the pace.
Kvyat ended the day 0.144s clear of sixth-placed Carlos Sainz of McLaren, with afternoon Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo seventh, three hundredths of a second ahead of new team-mate Esteban Ocon who drove in the morning.
George Russell ended a solid first day of testing for Williams in ninth place, having completed 73 laps through the morning. New team-mate Nicholas Latifi then added a further 63 laps in the afternoon. It was a far brighter start for the team than last year when late delivery of its 2019 car led to it missing the first two days of pre-season testing.
With Stroll rounding out the4 top 10, Ferrari had to settle for P11 as Charles Leclerc opened the Italian squad’s pre-season account in place of the unwell Sebastian Vettel.
Leclerc got through an impressive 131 laps in a busy day that included a lengthy pause after lunch, with the team staying in the garage for more than an hour at the start of the afternoon session.
Robert Kubica took 13th place at the end of his first outing as Alfa Romeo’s reserve driver with the Pole finishing ahead of Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Alfa team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi.
2020 Formula 1 Pre-Season Test 1, Day 1
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:16.976s 94
2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:17.313s +0.337s 79
3 Sergio Perez Racing Point 1:17.375s +0.399s 58
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:17.516s +0.540s 168
5 Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri 1:17.698s +0.722s 115
6 Carlos Sainz McLaren 1:17.842s +0.866s 161
7 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 1:17.873s +0.897s 54
8 Esteban Ocon Renault 1:18.004s +1.028s 62
9 George Russell Williams 1:18.168s +1.192s 73
10 Lance Stroll Racing Point 1:18.282s +1.306s 50
11 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:18.289s +1.313s 131
12 Nicolas Latifi Williams 1:18.382s +1.406s 63
13 Robert Kubica Alfa Romeo 1:18.386s +1.410s 59
14 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:18.466s +1.490s 104
15 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 1:20.096s +3.120s 78 -
Gardner fastest in Moto2; Garcia top in Moto3
The Australian breaks the lap record on Day 1 and the Spaniard picks up where he left off Jerez, 19 Feb 2020: 2020 is up and running in Moto2™ and Moto3™ and it was Remy Gardner (Onexox TKKR SAG Team) who ended Day 1 at the Official Jerez Test as the man to beat in the intermediate class, with Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) taking the honour in the lightweight class. There were pleasant conditions for the riders at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto as the first of three days testing began on Wednesday, with each class able to maximise their track time.
In Moto2™, Gardner set his scorching 1:40.848 in the final session of the day to top the timesheets, with an impressive Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) slotting into second but 0.269 down. Perennial title challenger Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) was the only other rider to get within half a second of Gardner, taking P3.
Behind the quickest trio came reigning FIM CEV Moto2™ European Champion Edgar Pons (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) to make it a Kalex top four lockout, the Spaniard sitting 0.587 off Gardner. After an impressive private test, rookie Aron Canet (Aspar Team) began the Official Test in fine form too as the Spaniard finished P5 on Day 1 with a 1:41.439 – the top Speed Up and rookie.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Tetsuta Nagashima, who gets on the team’s new Kalex chassis with previous experience, was fifth, ahead of an impressive first run out for MV Agusta Forward Racing’s Simone Corsi, with the Italian veteran less than half a tenth off Nagashima, in P7. The second-fastest Speed Up on Day 1 was 2019 Jerez podium finisher Jorge Navarro (Speed Up Racing) in P8, with Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) splitting Navarro from his teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio, who was tenth.
Navarro is also the man whose pole lap from 2019 is the lap record time Gardner beat on Day 1, so there’s likely plenty to come from the field yet. But it was nevertheless a competitive start to the season for the intermediate class, with under two seconds splitting the top 25 riders.
In Moto3™, it was Sergio Garcia who picked up where he left off in 2019. The Valencia GP winner topped the timesheets on Wednesday, although it wasn’t by much – with Petronas Sprinta Racing’s John McPhee just 0.060 in arrears. Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) impressed to complete the top three, another tenth and a half back.
2019 Jerez winner Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) was fourth fastest overall, although he was just 0.011 ahead of Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3), the man who broke the lap record in private testing last week. Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) took P6, ahead of Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) in seventh as the Spaniard seems to have quickly settled into life on the Honda.
The top KTM rider on Day 1 was Albert Arenas (Aspar Team) just behind Masia, with Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) in P9 after a noteworthy day on the timesheets for the Czech rider.
Noteworthy was also apt for the man in tenth: Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team). The veteran Italian was fastest Husqvarna on Wednesday as the marque return to Moto3™ competition, making it all three manufacturers in the top ten as 2020 begins. -
Racing Point F1 Team Unveils BWT as Title Partner
Silverstone, 17 Feb 2020: Ahead of Formula 1’s landmark 70th anniversary season, Racing Point F1 Team is delighted to announce an expansion of its long-standing partnership with Austrian water technology specialist, BWT – Best Water Technology.
Having turned heads with the world’s first pink Formula 1 car in 2017 and building upon three successful seasons as Principal Sponsor, BWT and Racing Point have expanded their relationship so that the team will be known as “BWT Racing Point F1 Team”
As unveiled to assembled media and guests today at the home of BWT in Mondsee, Austria, the team’s distinctive pink livery – a firm favourite amongst racing fans across the globe – will remain, with BWT branding featuring even more prominently on the team’s new car, the RP20.
A Fitting Tribute
Situated on the scenic shores of Lake Mondsee, BWT’s Austrian Headquarters provided the perfect backdrop for the announcement of a collaboration built on technological advancement and sustainability.
Race drivers Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez were joined by CEO & Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer and Sporting Director Andy Stevenson, as the partnership was formally launched ahead of pre-season testing in Barcelona later this week.
Media assets from today’s event – including rights-free high-resolution imagery, video footage, and the team’s 2020 press pack – will be available later this afternoon. A media alert containing download links will be circulated as soon as this material becomes available.
A Shared Objective
BWT has long been committed to the reduction of plastics through the adoption of reusable vessels and recyclable filters to reduce waste and pollution in the modern world.
With this objective more sharply in focus than ever before, BWT will continue to support the team in its push to achieve sustainability targets, including cutting down on single-use plastics.
BWT’s innovative technology and outstanding know-how has had an incredibly positive impact on reducing CO2 emissions compared to single-use plastic bottled water. Guests visiting the team’s trackside hospitality buildings to refill their reusable bottles with locally produced – great tasting – BWT Magnesium Mineralized Water will enjoy a first class taste experience combined with a convenient way of drinking.
A Few Words
Otmar Szafnauer, CEO & Team Principal, BWT Racing Point F1 Team:
“Since 2017, we have thoroughly enjoyed building a successful partnership with BWT and we’re delighted to be celebrating our fourth year together by welcoming them as our Title Partner. This expanded collaboration truly reflects the loyalty, commitment and energy that they bring to the Racing Point family. I’m pleased we could launch our season here in Mondsee at the home of BWT and shine a spotlight on the valuable work being done by BWT to drive sustainability. We have enjoyed many memorable moments both on and off track already and we now look forward to adding more in the 2020 season.”
Andreas Weißenbacher, CEO of BWT:
“Over the past three years we have brought our distinctive pink colour into Formula 1 and built a very strong relationship with Racing Point. We are committed to helping this team achieve its objectives and this is why we have chosen to increase our support by becoming title partner. Working together in this way we believe the team can be much more competitive on the track in 2020. We will also support the team’s push to become more sustainable. Together we will cut down the use of disposable bottles at the track, minimise plastic waste and facilitate the local treatment and consumption of water.”
About BWT
The Best Water Technology Group is Europe’s leading water technology business with a staff of more than 5,000 working on innovative, economical and ecologically friendly water treatment technologies to provide private households, industry, commerce, hotels and municipalities with the safest and most hygienic water possible for their day-to-day needs.
BWT provides modern purification systems and services for drinking water and highly purified water (WFI – water for injection) used in pharmaceutical and other processes, heating, boilers, cooling and air conditioning as well as water used in swimming pools.
The company’s research and development staff work on new techniques and materials using cutting-edge methods to develop economical and ecologically friendly products. Employees work particularly hard to create products which use fewer resources and less energy, thereby reducing CO2 emissions.Racing Point 2020 unveiled at Silverstone on 17 Feb, 2020. A Racing Point F1 team image -
Double for Arjun Balu, Rithvik Thomas in saloon cars; Amendola wins MRF Challenge title
Yuven Sundaramoorthy, winner of Race-4 in MRF Challeng on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar Chennai, 16 Feb 2020: Belgium’s Michelangelo Amendola did not win any of the three races run today, but picked up sufficient points from two third-place finishes and a sixth, to emerge the new champion in the FIA-approved MRF Challenge which concluded at the MMRT, here today.
Earlier,16-year old Indian-American Yuven Sundaramoorthy, with family roots in Madurai, gave the crowd plenty to cheer about by winning one race while British teenager Louis Foster and Australia’s Dylan Young took the honours in the other two races of the day.
A third place finish in Race-5 today ensured the 18-year Amendola the title in his third attempt as he opened up an unassailable 34-point lead over his nearest rival Young, going into the last race of the day. Amendola finished with 247 points, including five wins over three rounds, to Young’s 223 (3 wins) while Britain’s Joshua Mason (176) was placed third in the championship.
Meanwhile, Race Concepts drivers, Arjun Balu from Coimbatore and Bengaluru’s Rithvik Thomas notched a double each in the Indian Touring Cars and the Super Stock categories, respectively, of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship (Round-1).
Rejoicing his championship success with his immediate family, Amendola, who had scored a double yesterday, said: “I am absolutely delighted that I finally won the MRF Challenge championship in my third season. Last season, I finished fourth in the championship and in 2017, I was sixth. So, I was determined to win the title this time. Now that I have won it, I am looking at a few options, but all depends on budgets and sponsorship. Motor racing is not very popular in Belgium, but I am hopeful.”
The day began with Foster capitalising on a Turn-2 incident on Lap-1 that led to a brief Safety Car period, moving from third to first. Foster then hung on to finish ahead of Sundaramoorthy with Amendola in third place. Young’s championship hopes virtually ended when he lost two spots to come in sixth.
In the next race, Sundaramoorthy, starting on pole on the reverse grid, was off to a good start and though he lost a bit going into Turn 10, he managed to hold off Jordanian Manaf Hijjawi for his second win of the season with Young trailing home in third place.
“It feels great to win here in Chennai, virtually my home race! But I made it difficult for myself by making a couple of mistakes early in the race, especially when I went in too hot in Turn-10, went sideways and lost a bunch of space. I am absolutely delighted to score my second win this season after Dubai,” said Sundaramoorthy who turns 17 on February 22.
Young, starting from reverse grid pole, also won the day’s last race untroubled, comfortably nursing his early lead to chalk up his third win of the season.
ARJUN BALU REIGNS SUPREME
Balu destroyed the combined 29-car saloon cars field for a grand double. The grid was a mix of ITC, Super Stock and the Volkswagen Ameo (support race) that took its final bow after three seasons to be replaced by the turbo-charged Polo in the next round this summer.
Balu, like in Race-1 yesterday, was simply unstoppable though he started today eighth on the combined reverse grid. Within two laps, he sliced his way past six cars and then pole-sitter D Vidyaprakash of Prime Racing (subsequently disqualified for “technical infringement”, to take the lead that kept stretching corner to corner.
“At the start, I was keen to get to the front and not get stuck in mid-grid. Once into the lead, I was able to extend the lead before I decided to ease off big time as there was no need to push any more. It was a fairly comfortable race for me, but again, thanks to Race Concepts for preparing such a great racing car,” said Balu.
The results:
MRF Challenge (all 15 laps unless mentioned) – Race-4: 1. Yuven Sundaramoorthy (USA) (22mins, 53.075secs); 2. Manaf Hijjawi (Jordan) (22:54.066); 3. Dylan Young (Australia) (23:03.255). Fastest Lap: Sundaramoorthy (01:30.323). Race-5: 1. Louis Foster (UK) (25:38.368); 2. Sundaramoorthy (25:41.064); 3. Michelangelo Amendola (Belgium) (25:45.004). Fastest Lap: Foster (01:31.053). Race-6 (14 laps): 1. Young (21:33.558); 2. Valdemar Eriksen (Denmark) (21:34.874); 3. Amendola (21:36.464). Fastest Lap: Sundaramoorthy (01:31.080). Final Championship standings (top 3): 1. Amendola (247 points); 2. Young (223); 3. Joshua Mason (GBR, 176).
National Championship (12 laps) – Indian Touring Cars (Race-2): 1. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (23:12.264); 2. Keith D’Souza (FB Motorsports) (23:28.371); 3. Sunil Ranjith (Race Concepts) (+1 lap).
Super Stock (Race-2): 1. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) (24:13.207); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (24:20.261); 3. Alisha Abdullah (Race Concepts) (24:51.419).
Support races – MRF F1600 (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Vishnu Prasad (Chennai) (20:17.408); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Mamallapuram) (20:18.087); 3. Karthik Tharani (Chennai) (20:19.272). Race-3: 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (16:35.718); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (16:42.174); 3. Vishnu Prasad (16:42.437).
Volkswagen Ameo Super Race (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Anmol Singh Sahil (Ghaziabad) (23:19.588); 2. Anindith Reddy (Hyderabad) (23:22.637); 3. Dhruv Mohite (Kolhapur) (23:23.267).
ABOUT MRF TYRES
Motorsports in India is synonymous with MRF. In fact, the development and popularity of various forms of the sport could be directly attributed to the pioneering efforts of the company, be it racing, rallying, motocross or karting. To encourage motorsport enthusiasts MRF has spared no resources in offering World-class facilities. Being the largest promoters of motorsports in India, MRF has the added advantage of being able to use the racetrack to test the tyres. MRF also supplies tyres to various other championships in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
MRF is the only tyre company in India to have developed Formula car tyres, world- class rally tyres for tarmac and dirt, motocross tyres and also karting tyres. Today, the company caters to almost all segments of the tyre industry and is proud to be the manufacturer of the largest range of tyres. Heavy-duty truck and bus tyres, passenger car tyres, two-wheeler tyres and farm tyres are just some of the tyres that MRF manufactures.
The one thing that puts MRF head and shoulders above its competition is the fact that MRF is the only tyre company in India without any foreign technical collaboration. The company is where it is today, thanks mainly to its know-how and its ability to develop indigenous technology. With this technology, MRF now supplies original equipment tyres to multinational manufacturers such as Honda, Hyundai, Renault, Nissan, Mahindra, Tata, Volkswagen, Toyota, Suzuki and Ford. In total, MRF exports to more than 90 countries. MRF has been the undisputed leader in the tyre industry for more than three decades now, notwithstanding the competition from various multinational and Indian tyre brands.
Arjun Balu on way to a double in the ITC category on 16 Feb 2020 at MMRT, Chennai. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan for INDIAinF1 -
Grand double for Michelangelo Amendola; Manaf Hijjawi notches maiden single-seater win
Manaf Hijjawi (71), who scored his maiden win in the MRF Challenge on Saturday. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan Chennai, 15 Feb 2020: Michelangelo Amendola, the 18-year old from Belgium, notched a fine double to consolidate his top position in the championship while Jordanian teenager Manaf Hijjawi scored the maiden single-seater win of his fledgling racing career as the MRF Challenge headed towards a grand climax at the MMRT, here today.
Amendola won the day’s first and third races to take his tally of wins to five from 12 starts while 18-year old Hijjawi, in just his first full season in single-seaters, took the honours in Race-2 to provide a twist to the championship stakes.
With three more races to be run tomorrow (Sunday) in this final round of India’s only FIA-approved international championship, Amendola leads the table with 209 points, followed by Australian Dylan Young (175) who had two podiums today, Britain’s Joshua Mason (160) and Hijjawi (130).
The Belgian youngster won both his races today from lights to flag, starting from pole, and dominated to leave the pack chasing his shadow. In the day’s first race, Amendola was off to a flier and after a couple of laps had none in his rear-view mirrors.
“It was a bit boring as there was nobody in front of me and none behind me, but the competition will get tougher with reverse grids and all that,” said Amendola. It was much the same in Race-3 that he won with over 10 seconds to spare. He was followed home by Young and Mason in Race-1, and Young and British teenager Louis Foster in Race-3.
For Hijjawi, it was a red-letter day as the Jordanian, having just graduated from karting, scored a significant win as a warm-up for his forthcoming full season in British Formula 3 championship. “It’s a great feeling to score my first-ever win in a single-seater. It was a tough race, but I managed to stay in front,” said an emotional Hajjawi who survived a close fight with a display of wonderful composure under pressure to shrug off challenge from Mason for a well-deserved win. Denmark’s Valdemar Eriksen completed the podium.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Earlier, Coimbatore’s Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) chalked up a fluent and emphatic win in the Indian Touring Cars class of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship (Round-1), not facing any worthwhile challenge through the 10-lap race. “I lost the boost in the very first lap and so, was very much off the pace compared to my qualifying timing. Fortunately, I managed to build sufficient lead and got home safely,” said Balu.
Balu’s team-mate from Bengaluru, Rithvik Thomas was placed first in the Super Stock class of the National championship.
Arjun Balu, winner of Saloon car race on 15 Feb 2020. Photo by Anand Philar The saloon car race had a combined 28-car grid of various categories – ITC, Super Stock and the support event Volkswagen Ameo Super Race. Thane’s Saurav Bandyopadhyay topped in the VW Ameo category.
The results (Provisional):
MRF Challenge (all 15 laps unless mentioned) – Race 1: 1. Michelangelo Amendola (Belgium) (22mins, 58.236); 2. Dylan Young (Australia) (23:05.941); 3. Joshua Mason (GBR) (23:06.414). Fastest Lap: Amendola (01:31.071). Race-2: 1. Manaf Hajjawi (Jordan) (23:13.797); 2. Mason (23:14.474); 3. Valdemar Eriksen (Denmark) (23:17.576). Fastest Lap: Louis Foster (UK) (01:31.178). Race-3: 1. Amendola (22:57.347); 2. Young (23:07.540); 3. Louis Foster (UK) (23:07.958). Fastest Lap: Amendola (01:30.861).
National Championship (10 laps) – Indian Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (19:18.024); 2. D Vidyaprakash (Prime Racing) (19:41.347); 3. Vishnu Prasad (Prime Racing) (19:55.112).
Super Stock (Race-1): 1. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) (20:11.569); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (20:19.452); 3. Alisha Abdullah (Race Concepts) (20:31.940).
Support races (10 laps) – MRF F1600 (Race-1): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Mamallapuram) (16:38.930); 2. Vishnu Prasad (Chennai) (16:40.163); 3. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (16:41.535).
Volkswagen Ameo Super Race (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Thane) (19:21.422); 2. Anindith Reddy (Hyderabad) (19:22.578); 3. Dhruv Mohite (Kolhapur) (19:25.566).
Michelangelo Amendola (right) and Manaf Hijjawi. Photo Anand Philar -
Pole for Michelangelo Amendola; Arjun Balu quickest in saloon category
Michelangelo Amendola who qualified for pole position in MRF Challenge on Friday. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan Chennai, 14 Feb 2020: Belgium’s Michelangelo Amendola, the championship leader, picked up two crucial points by qualifying for pole position as the third and final round of the MRF Challenge got underway at the MMRT, here today. He saved his best for the last lap of the session when he posted his quickest timing.
The 17-year old Amendola, in his third MRF Challenge season, though felt that he could have gone even quicker, but was happy with the pole position which he secured with a timing of one minute, 30.856 seconds. Close behind him was Jordanian Manaf Hijjawi (01:31.128) while British teenager Joshua Mason was third quickest in 01:31.154. Behind the trio was Aussie veteran Dylan Young, who is second in the championship, trailing Amendola by 16 points, qualified fourth in 01:31.245.
Just one second covered the top seven, a clear indication of the closeness of the competition going into this weekend’s six races.
“It wasn’t the best qualifying session I had. But it was a long duration session (30 minutes), so we had the pace. Anyway, we got the pole position and that is two more points. But we still have a long way to go with three races tomorrow and three more on Sunday.
“There is still some work to be done on the car, we can be quicker, but we are halfway there. I did the Free Practice sessions on old tyres and also the first part of the qualifying. After switching to new tyres, I went quicker and took pole position on my last flying lap of the session,” said Amendola.
Arjun Balu, who qualified for pole position in the Indian Touring Cars class.Earlier, last year’s first runner-up Arjun Balu from Coimbatore, driving the Race Concepts-prepared Honda City Vtec, was in a league of his own while taking pole position in the Indian Touring Cars class of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship (Round-1), clocking one minute, 49.894 secs which was a considerable improvement on his last season’s best of 1:50.9.
Such was the veteran’s pace that he was over four seconds quicker than the next best in the ITC class, Goa’s Keith D’Souza (FB Motorsports) who piloted the Volkswagen Vento (01.54.001), while another Coimbatore veteran, the ageless Octagenarian D Vidyaprakash of Prime Racing (01:54.849) in an Esteem, was third fastest.
“I am absolutely ecstatic, though my car is still a work in progress. We were looking for improvement, but did not expect this (sub-1:50) to happen so quickly. Anyway, I am happy that we went quicker than last year when my best was a 1:50,” said Balu.
The results (Qualifying):
MRF F2000: 1. Michelangelo Amendola (Belgium) (01min, 30.856secs); 2. Mannaf Hijjawi (Jordan) (01:31.128); 3. Joshua Mason (GBR) (01:31.154).
National Championship – Indian Touring Cars: 1. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (01:49.894); 2. Keith D’Souza (FB Motorsports) (01:54.001); 3. D Vidyaprakash (Prime Racing) (01:54.849).
Super Stock: 1. A Balaprasath (Race Concepts) (01:59.220); 2. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) (01:59.962); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (02:00.338).
Support race: Volkswagen Ameo Super Race: 1. Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Thane) (01:54.222); 2. Anindith Reddy (Hyderabad) (01:54.536); 3. Avik Anwar (01:54.817).
